Archive for December, 2006
There’s no Arthouse Roundup this week - apparently cinemas aren’t showing anything for a coupla weeks cos of a little thing they like to call Christmas.
Stupid oafs!
But the good news is the roundup will be back in the so-called new year on our sister site D+CFilm with a swanky new look. Well, it’ll still kinda look the same but it’ll be (slightly) more comprehensive. Oh, and you won’t have to endure our ill-informed attempts at humour anymore either. Yup, everyone’s literally a fuggen winner.
Still, we’re a bit perplexed as to what actually constitutes an ‘arthouse cinema’. Uncomfortable seats and laughing in a loud smug way during Woody Allen films is a given, but when the best yer local arthouse can offer is The Da Vinci Code, all bets are off.
So if you want your friendly neighbourhood arthouse or cinema club represented on the green and pleasant pages of D+CFilm, give us a shout (ie, send us an email) and we’ll see what we can do, which’ll probably be quite a lot cos we put these things together. You see?
Posted by Thin White Duke
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December 22nd, 2006
Who knew Woozle Tracking was a festive activity? Well, if you’re up in Haldon Forest it is. There’s a whole day of tracking the Woozel on Saturday, December 23. Tally-ho! But if you fancy something more sedate, take a Santa’s Stroll, everyday up to Christmas Eve (we’re not sure if the Big Man will make an appearance), and if you’re up there on Christmas Eve, you can help Build Santa’s Den (maybe for weeping alone on Boxing Day - we all feel a bit used and dirty round about now, don’t we?)
And while you’re up in the wood, you could put the glint back in your eye by visiting CCANW’s affordable art fair - that’s £20-£250, so you could treat yourself if you hold back a little on the sherry.
Posted by Cptn
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December 22nd, 2006
Five years into their career, and yet just 16 and 17 years old. No mean feat. Their music and playing style reflect the years of practice and development. A track like Woodstock shows their layers of musicianship, and confidence. Alex Lane on drums continually lays down a solid and, as required, varied foundation. James Stephens on bass works in some elaborate riffs, and together you could imagine this is a rhythm section of 10 or more years’ standing. Matt Lane completes the 3-piece, combining chunky rhythm and shreaking lead to great effect. Matt and James share the vocal duties.
As to style, you can hear classic rock, ska, punk metal, and any number of variations on these styles. The booming rhythm section and strident guitar will always work for me when done this well. Stand out tracks for me are Rubix Cube, Woodstock and One of a Kind.
In all cases, this is solid music and it blew some thick and fresh air around the Melting Pot studio session. One slight improvement could be made by the addition of Amy Lee or Bruce Dickinson on vocals. Nonetheless, lots of ‘big name’ bands will soon be looking over the shoulder as Toxic Waste shreds a stage or two on their way to a much greater following.
Check out these little monkeys at the Melting Pot on the downloads page, for some full-frontal streaming.
Posted by Big B
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December 21st, 2006
The Art Fund, the UK’s top indie art charity, has helped Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery snap up a watercolour by the British landscape whizz, JMW Turner.
Plymouth, From Mount Edgcumbe (1814) is the first watercolour of the area by Turner to enter the museum’s collection.
It was bought at Sotheby’s for a hammer price of £80,000, with a £30,112 grant from The Art Fund. Additional dosh came from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The subject of the daubing is a banging gathering on Mount Edgcumbe. A group of poshos dance and wave in celebration at a fleet of ships anchored in the docks at Devonport. They didn’t have Nintendo in those days, y’see.
Posted by Thin White Duke
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December 21st, 2006
We all know that this time of year is hard going on the small cash reserves that we have, and we will be tempted at times to opt for the cheaper, less ethical option, but if you’re looking for guilt-free shop, take at glance at They sweat, you shop in the Guardian.
And really, this is the time you should be spending that little-bit more and going for the ethical option. Some shops are in our links and it would be great to get some affiliate action going on so we are all kept up to speed on the ethical shopping range, but hey, maybe next year.
Posted by Cptn
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December 20th, 2006
Toxic Waste Monkeys may sound like a Saturday morning cartoon but it’s actually the name of the top turn lined up for tonight’s hippenswingin’ Melting Pot Session.
Come tomorrow, the Toxic Wasters (as nobody calls them) will be performing at The Herald’s under-18s battle of the bands grand final - but we’ve got them first! In your face, The Herald!
Fancy coming along? Give us a shout on the usual address and we’ll bang some heads together (ie, invite you along).
If you can’t make it, we’ll tell you all the juicy goss tomorrow, by which time you should be able to have a listen yersselves.
Of course, the last coupla sessions are still available in our sexy ‘downloads’ section. Choose from Supenik’s top-hole grot’n'roll, Civilian’s righteous banshee bluster, Fatlab’s wacky janglepop or Nixon And The Burn’s ramalama rawk roustaboutery.
Posted by Thin White Duke
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December 19th, 2006
We at the People’s Republic enjoy a violent movie as much as the next person. Indeed, we were probably the only people in the entire world complaining that
Eli Roth’s Hostel wasn’t gory enough.
Nevertheless, we have a certain amount of sympathy for the region’s teachers, who have issued a call to local MPs to join them in condemnation of what they see as the media’s growing obsession with violence.
Read the full story on Devon and Cornwall Film.
Posted by Thin White Duke
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December 19th, 2006
Our scepticism over carbon offsets have been well documented, but if you want a real low-down of what carbon offsets are all about check out this piece in the Observer, better still these guys have a whole environmental travel section - good for them. But as the holiday-booking season approaches, maybe we should all take a look inward at the moors and the sea and closer to home to really make an impact with our freetime.
Posted by Cptn
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December 18th, 2006
Museums boost the economy (let alone the soul), and the sterling work of the people’s republic museums has been documented. But there used to be another museum in Exeter - the Maritime Museum, which was closed down by the council in yet another attempt to gentrify part of the town while turning it’s back on revenue, colour and interest. Pretty much the same that it’s done to the farmer’s market. Good ole squeeky clean Exeter.
Posted by Cptn
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December 17th, 2006
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