1. BYLINEISSUE VII

2. 2 Editor: Xander Cosgrave
Designer: Robert O’Sullivan
Film & TV Editor: Olivia Brown
Music Editor: Holly Cooney
Arts & Lit Editor: Colm Furlong
Gaming Editor: Aoife Gleeson
Fiction Editor: Austin Dowling
Humour Editor: Lauren Mulvihill
BYLINE EDITORIAL STAFF
Welcome back to college for term
two, I’m sure you’re all sick of it
already. That’s okay, it’s January, it’s
cold, and 2016 already seems a bit
awful. I mean, before college started
David Bowie and Lemmy Kilmister
both died, Star Wars came out last
year, and the most intelligent person
on Irish TV is a lad with a bag on
his head. This is probably going to
set the tone for the rest of the year,
as we slowly wander around being
hit with the phrase ‘1916’ while our
childhood heros start dying off.
To cheer you up however, we have
the first issue of Byline for this
term ready for you, in which my
talented team of editors, (who never
actually read this and can’t see me
commending them) have managed
to pull off another great issue. We’ve
got an interview with Fish Go Deep,
whichiswaylessartsythanourusual
fare, but still niche enough that if
you bring it up in conversation you
seem very cultured and well read.
Probably, I don’t know, I edit the
culture section of the paper, I hardly
want to continue to talk about it
when I don’t have too.
I’ve made my token reference to
the paper, back to Bowie, because
I’m literally writing this a few
hours after finding out he died,
and I’m more than a little crushed.
His new album came out two
days ago, and I was sitting around
expecting this to mean a new tour,
which was brightening up my
week after Lemmy died. Then the
universe Noped all over my face. It
is very bleak to have someone who
managed to so casually usurp the
normal standards of pop culture
and help a huge number of people
be happier or more at ease in the
world, die. It is even more so for
it to happen when another of your
childhood heroes passed in the last
week, but here we are.
It hasn’t been a great start to the
year, but hey, it’s only two weeks in,
maybe everything will turn around,
and at the very least Deadpool is
coming out in a few weeks, R&G is
only five weeks away, and all of your
assignments are probably not due
for the next little while. Cheer up,
read the paper to distract yourself,
and hopefully no one else amazing
will die for the next month or so so
we can recover.
Ch-ch-ch-changes...
#WooXander
What’s Inside... Headlines of Byline:
FILM & TV
MUSIC
ARTS & LIT
GAMING
HUMOUR
INTERVIEW
“We remember David Bowie with a Bowie-centric
playlist, Edel Carmody reviews the best of 2015 while
Music Editor Holly Cooney previews the best to come
in 2016”
“Colm Furlong talks through a to-do list for 2016 for
any writers while previewing the best new books to
be released in 2016 (if George R.R. Martin ever gets
around to finishing the new GoT book)”
“Byline’sGamingwritersgiveoutour‘GameoftheYear’
awards, and Gaming Editor Aoife Gleeson previews
the best to come in 2016”
“We talk through the new must-have trends for 2016
and go through the must-have new years resolutions
(and why they’re not going to happen)”
“Music Editor Holly Cooney speaks to Cork LEGENDS
Fish Go Deep about their career, Sir Henry’s and what
lies in the future of these Corkonian icons”
“Gaming Editor Aoife Gleeson reviews the Sherlock
New Year’s Special: Sherlock & the Abominal Bride,
while Edel Carmody talks about the portrayals of
trans* characters on screen”

3. 3
FICTION EDITOR - AUSTIN DOWLING
Bound
by Brian Conmy - UCC Express Editor
Somehow the resounding click of the handcuffs closing around the radiator
pipe brought consciousness back to Isaac despite the numerous minutes of
him being dragged across a floor failing to do so. In a daze he examines his
surroundings, off white and dingy, tiled, a bathroom? Oh. His bathroom.
Right. He knew then he was still out of it.
“That’s a fine state you’ve gotten yourself into” muttered the woman who
had dragged him this far as she raised his wrist to meet the other slot in the
handcuffs and clicked the cuff thoroughly closed. She stood now, her work
done and looked with contempt at the shadow of a boy that slouched below
her. This would be a long night, one long overdue, but she would do it for
him she thought. For him.
Still dazed but with the world around him coming back into focus
Isaac smirked while staring at his mother’s shoes. He knew this
was coming too but he didn’t think it would be now or like
this. He raised his arm to test his bindings, his wrist was
securely fashioned as was the loop surrounding
his dysfunctional radiator. His free hand reached
down to the crook of his elbow to scratch a fresh
wound, it bled slightly and he watched as a single
red drop careened to the floor. “What state
would that be Catherine?” he smirked as he
lifted his head with some effort to meet her
condescending gaze.
“YouknowexactlywhatstateI’mreferring
to” she spat back at her son before
turning to walk out of the bathroom.
In the adjoined bedroom she scanned quickly to
find a chair, eventually spotting one covered in discarded
clothes. Lifting the pile of grotty t-shirts and jeans a small plastic
baggy falls from one of the pockets. Nodding disapprovingly
she kicked the bag away in no particular direction and threw
the clothes on the bed. Grabbing the back of the chair she lifted it
and tried to regain some composure. Breathing in and out, “for him”
she mouths. Carrying the chair with her she enters the bathroom again
and places it against the wall opposite her son.
“Coming to sober me up mother dear?” Isaac chirped. His friends had tried
some form or another of this for a while, trying to isolate him while on a
bad high or distract him when he craved. They’d come and gone though.
They weren’t needed. He wondered how long this endeavour would take,
it’d been so long since they’d spent any time together than the thought of
her sitting and leering at him all night sobered him even further.
“Oh no I’m just paying a flying visit dear” she sat as she spoke and raised
her dress slightly with one hand to cross one leg over the other. The thought
of staying here the whole night with her husk of a child was daunting but
it was a Saturday, or early Sunday morning at this point, her trip to church
after escaping here would give her respite. “The people coming in the
morning to take you off my hands will be the ones sobering you up” she
added while holding back a smirk.
“Oh and who is it this time? Dad and aunts and uncles giving me a pep
talk about why they need me to clean up my act? Or is it Father McNulty
again. I really thought he was going to break out the exorcism gear last
time, although he’s such an old priest he’d have needed a young priest for
backup” Isaac retorted while scratching his track mark again, this time
purely to anger his captor. This would pass.
“No not this time, this time God sent me an angel to save my lost soul of
a son” Isaac’s mother declared proudly as she pulled her clutch bag from
the floor near Isaac and produced from it a brochure. “Angels of Calvary
Respite Clinic? What, you’re sending me to one of those homes for old farts
who can’t stop shitting themselves?” Isaac sneered at the threat he assumed
to be idle. “No no, this particular facility is where good Christian boys and
girls who’ve lost their way go to hear the word of God again and find a
path back to their old, clean, happy lives. They had to change their name
a few years ago, got in some trouble for, what did they call it.. homosexual
conversion therapies? Of course they don’t do that anymore, no. Not that
that would work with you now would it. Kicking your dirty little habit will
do for now.”
The threat seemed less idle now than Isaac first thought. He began to panic
slightly but couldn’t let it show. He thought for a second. “Hey these are
my handcuffs aren’t they? The ones in my drawer next to my butt plug and
ana-“ he started to smirk as he spoke but
the swiftness of his mother’s open
handed assault on his cheek stopped
his remark. He rubbed his cheek
as his mother stood, slightly taken
aback by her own actions. She sat
again and let a brief silence envelop
them. “You’re not going to embarrass
me anymore, not in here and not out
there” as she finished her promise she
nodded her head to the window. As far
as they were from her home and his
birthplace, Isaac understood what she
meant. What she really meant.
“My, the gossip must be something?
First your son parades around as a
faggot” Isaac spat the word and in
return got the sought after flinch
in his mother’s facial expression.
“And then he starts taking drugs
and stealing from his parents. I must be the talk of the
town. Then again there isn’t much else to talk about is there.
In a town that small I’m sure the news of my admittance to some
rehab shithole will make you look quite the martyr. Oh and I’m sure they’ll
all hear how you sat and held my hand before they carted me off, won’t they
Catherine? You’re throwing away your only son for your good name.”
“My good name? No Isaac, this is all being done on your behalf. If this wasn’t
done now you’d end up dead in a gutter somewhere from an overdose or
some disease and we’d never even know what happened. It’s easy to paint
me as the villain but you got yourself into this mess and it’s my job to get
you out of it. Again and again.” Isaac’s mother crosses her arms with a sense
of finality.
The pair sat in their respective places and let the silence fill the air. Neither
knew really what came next.
To submit a poem, short story or
any other form of creative writing
to Byline, email Austin at:
Fiction@UCCExpress.ie.

4. 4
HUMOUR
Upcoming Top Trends For 2016
by Lauren Mulvihill
HEADLINES
TV LISTINGS
Politics: Micheál
Martin and Gerry
Adams shock nation by
confirming engagement
Crime: Student (20)
writes year as 2015 by
mistake, brings shame
on entire family
Ireland: Government
already being more
annoying than usual as
1916 celebrations begin
World: Trump’s US
presidential bid
officially not funny
anymore
Literature: Old man
doesn’t write book
Culture: Local clean-
eater continues to
convince self that
“handful of almonds” is
legitimate snack
BBC, Friday @ 9:
“Down” - gritty reboot
of Disney’s “Up”
starring Samuel L.
Jackson. Directed by
Quentin Tarantino.
Sky Sports, Sunday @
12: Match of the Day,
featuring Maguire and
Paterson’s Fireside
Safety Matches
2016 is now upon us, and style icons throughout Ireland are on the hunt for the year’s first must-have items. Here at Byline,
we’ve found the trends that are sure to make you hot to trot in 2016.
The Shoulder Slump
It’s time to throw away those
shoulder pads, because 2016 is
all about the slump! Inspired
by the lingering knowledge
of the inevitability of human
mortality, the shoulder slump
or ‘Atlas Armband’ is easily
inserted into an average
jacket, and leaves the wearer
with highly desirable sloped
shoulders and an air of world-
weariness any Nietzsche fan
would die for. Team with a pair of McQueen
lead-lined bell bottoms for a catwalk-ready look that’s
just in time for Spring.
The iBeard
Wearable tech has had a difficult few years. Whether
it be the Fitbit, Google Glass or the Apple Watch,
advertisers have had little success convincing the
general population to wear our gadgets. This is all set
to change with the iBeard, Apple’s newest technological
venture. Simply by manipulating consumers’ DNA to
support the growth of microchipped hair follicles,
anyone with the ability to grow a beard can have all
the benefits of an iPhone right there on their face for
the low, low price of €32,000. By combining the biggest
trend of 2015 with the biggest trend that has yet to
actually trend, Apple desperately attempts to convince
us that they’re still at the cutting edge of technological
innovation.
Eau de Pretention
Whereas once, it was
believed that reaching
the epitome of coolness
was all about adopting
an alternative diet,
lifestyle, and fashion
sense, science has now
proven that all of this
is fruitless if you don’t
have a superior attitude
to match. Fear no
longer, fashionistas – the solution comes in the form
of Eau de Pretention, the new must-have scent from
the powerhouse that is Chanel! This patented formula
will not only lend the wearer an almost tangible air of
superiority, but the chemicals present in the solution
will gradually force the chin upwards, allowing one
to literally look down one’s nose at everybody. With
Eau de Pretention, you too can act like you’re better
than everyone else, simply by virtue of your inherently
subjective choice of lifestyle. The future is now!
Green
The centenary of the
1916 Rising is almost
upon us, so now
is the time to start
stocking up on your
greenery. The Irish
citizenry will stand for
nothing less than seas
of men, women, and
children clothed in
pure emerald green on
every street. Nothing
will be greater revenge
for our 700 years of oppression than an entire nation
slaying green outfits left, right, and centre. Do feel free
to depart from this trend if green ‘isn’t your colour’,
however – for the West Brits among you.

5. 5
HUMOUREDITOR - LAUREN MULVIHILL
Calendar Returns After Annual Winter Break
Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions (that you’ll fail by February)
by Lauren Mulvihill
by Lauren Mulvihill
UCC students have expressed their
joy at the news that the calendar
has finally returned following its
annual winter break.
Each year, the calendar’s
absence causes much confusion in
Irish households, leading many to
proclaim over the Christmas break
that they don’t know what day they
have at all. The loss of the dominant
dating system has been known
to cause bedlam throughout the
country, with record amounts of
mental arithmetic being performed
by laypeople in an attempt to figure
out the date of a specific day, going
by the date of Christmas.
Professional healthcare
workers have long urged the public
to prepare in advance for the
calendar’s absence before the end
of the school or college semester,
warning that those who fail to do
so are in danger of falling into a
“psychological limbo” wherein
time and space seem to cease to
exist between mid-December
and mid-January. An anonymous
source suffering from this ailment
has revealed what it is like to live
without any knowledge of the date:
“Time isn’t real, man. The days
just blend into each other. After
Christmas and New Year’s Day,
it’s just all the same. It’s just all the
same, man.”
Spokespeople for the
calendar have come to their client’s
defence, noting that our system of
dating has earned the right to take
a break every now and then.
“The Gregorian Calendar has
provided a date for each day,
without exception, since the end
of the 16th century. It is not the
calendar’s fault if the public fail
to appreciate the work it does
throughout the year, or the work of
its associates, who produce many
copies of its date allocations,” John
Who, PhD, explains.
Modern western cultures
rely heavily upon the calendar and
its partner, the clock, in order to
maintain a functioning society.
This has not always been the case,
with people throughout history
being forced to make educated
guesses regarding the time and date
if required to attend appointments
of any sort.
Thecalendar’sabsenceoftenharshly
affects 3rd-level students, who
record time exclusively through
the use of final submission dates.
A small pseudo-religious sect of
students claim to owe the calendar’s
return to ritual dances performed
on the roof of the Boole Library
during Storm Frank, despite clear
warnings from UCC buildings staff
against this sort of behaviour.
Whatever the reason for its return,
the calendar is sure to be here to
stay until its summer recess in May.
January is a time for reinvention, getting a new lease on life, and the deep, deep sense of self-loathing that comes with a failure to do either of these things.
The first month of the New Year is meant for making false promises and feeling bitter at the smug success stories of yesteryear that acquaintances post on
social media. Frankly, maybe it’s high time we all stopped fooling ourselves and just accepted that personal improvement is a scam invented by the beauty
industry and home gym equipment manufacturers. These top ten resolutions are so often abandoned that it’s probably better to – in the words of Homer
Simpson – “never try”; and here’s exactly why.
2016
1. Lose weight
It must be a fact that we’ll all be
better people if we can fit into a size
6 in Topshop (even if that’s a 10 in
H&M, you great big tub of butter),
or why would celebrity magazines
tell us so? Even at that, maybe you
could stand to put a bit of meat
on your bones. You could do with
shinier hair, while you’re at it.
Also, how about a decent skincare
routine, pasty-face? Or maybe if –
you know what, this whole thing is
just exhausting. Why bother?
2. Run a marathon
What, you think you’re better than
me because you can run around in
those stupid-looking shorts for a
couple of hours? You think you’re all
that because you’ve managed to get
your life together? You pretentious
little shite. The first guy to run a
marathon died at the end of it, you
know. That was a clear warning
against continuing the practice.
3. Get organised
I mean, yes, you could clean up
that pile of clothes at the end of
your bed that’s probably sentient at
this point, but does it not give the
room character? By removing that
little bit of mess, you’re removing a
little bit of yourself. Is that what you
want? To become a hollow shell of
who you once were?
4. Quit smoking/drinking
Yeah, right. Next.
5. Learn a new language
So, you can sit through a good
twelve years of Irish classes just to
be able to say “an bhfuil cead agam
dul go dtí an leithreas”, and yet
are perfectly capable of learning
fluent Russian over the next twelve
months. Alright.
6. Stop procrastinating
Fancy psychologists have done
studies on this phenomenon and
have found that procrastination is
an integral part of some people’s
work method, and so if you really
want to do well, you should stop
fighting it. Think about that the
next time you try to start your
assignment a reasonable amount
of time before the deadline: the
only thing you may be getting a
head start on is failure, my friend.
7. Get proper sleep
This statement is so ambiguous,
though. What is “proper”? What is
“sleep”? What is “sobriety”? These
are the questions that have haunted
college students since the dawn of
time, and no amount of New Year’s
resolutions will provide satisfactory
answers. It’s just common sense that
people with erratic sleeping patterns
are better craic (when they’re not in
the middle of a breakdown). Being
better craic? Now that’s a resolution
we can all get behind.
8. Join a gym
Sure, you may not have set foot
inside a gym for so long that you
pronounce the word as ‘gime’. Sure,
what you call exercise some may call
‘standing upright’. Sure, you might
technically be capable of going to
the gym, but it’s all the way across
the road and there are people there
and you have to bring, like, a whole
towel… echh.
9. Write a book
I don’t care whether you plan on
penningasagawhichwillwriteLord
of the Rings out of history, it’s not
worth it. In order to be successful in
any venture in this day and age, it’s
a well-known fact that you first have
to sell your soul to Satan, and there
are so many scams floating around
the internet nowadays that you can
never be sure where the immortal
part of yourself will end up.
10. Study harder
Listen, we all make crazy promises
to ourselves during study week. It’s
ok. Nobody really expects you to
learn from your mistakes. You’re
hardly expected to study every
night of the week – otherwise
why would you have signed up
for a Netflix account? Priorities!

6. 6
GAMING
Byline: Games of the Year 2015
2015 was a big year, with a slew of massive AAA blockbusters, but what were our writers’ personal favourites?
Bloodborne – Jonathan Soltan
Say what you want about Bloodborne
straying too far from the Dark Souls
formula, it’s definitely the most fun
I’ve ever had playing a Souls style
game. Barely an hour into the game I
was totally hooked: the gameplay just
feels so right and the streamlining of
weapons and stats was something I
really appreciated. It’s the art direction that really pushes the game over the
edge though: the hyper Gothic stylings of the city of Yharnam immediately
draw you in and afford you countless breath-taking vistas to view. Outside
of the city proper there are other areas to explore too, although they are a
little less... appealing. On top of the 30 or so hours you’ll spend in the main
game is the newly released Old Hunters DLC, which is a great addition to
the game, adding new bosses to slaughter and areas to run through. All in
all, I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a game more on PS4 and hopefully you’ll give
it a try, too. May the good blood guide your way.
Tales from the Borderlands – Kieran Collins
On paper, the idea of an adventure
game set in the world of a shooter
like Borderlands sounds like a
disaster waiting to happen, but in
execution Telltale Games’ Tales from
the Borderlands was nothing short
of a masterpiece. From episode 1
I was hooked and the adrenaline
never stopped until the very end. I found myself growing quickly attached
to its many unlikely, hilarious heroes and worrying about their fates. Tales
may appear to be just a spinoff, but the events that transpire during its 5
episode arc will have drastic effects on the Borderlands universe as a whole
going into the series’ highly anticipated 3rd installment. Telltales’ well-
known gameplay formula, which mixes together dialogue options, quick
time events, and simple puzzle solving, is still just as enjoyable as it has ever
been, and puts the emphasis where it really matters: the amazing story. It’s
just too good to spoil but, rest assured, there are a plethora of big laughs,
betrayals, deaths, and triumphs throughout. I would also be amiss to not
mention what a stellar soundtrack it has. In the true Borderlands fashion,
each episode contains an intro with a licensed song. In each episode, both
the music and the cinematic are phenomenal and were always one of the
things I looked forward to most each episode. In a year with the best
graphics and biggest open worlds, my favourite title was the game with the
biggest heart.
Until Dawn – Aoife Gleeson
In a year full of enormous, sprawling,
100 hour games Until Dawn feels like
a distinctive treat. It throws you into
a clichéd horror movie set up, with
eight dumb teenagers stranded on
an ominous snowy mountain being
stalked by a possible serial killer, and
uses a story and choice based game
structure in the same vein as Heavy Rain. This was my favourite part of the
game: the ‘Butterfly Effect’ system (where choices stack on top of each other
to alter situations) is extremely dynamic and enjoyable. Your job is to keep
all the characters alive but, given that they’re all walking, talking tropes,
getting some of them killed off is actually fun. The atmosphere is creepy,
jump scare horror fare and the graphics are absolutely beautiful, with some
of the best facial animation
I’ve ever seen. For extra fun,
play with a group of friends:
playing Until Dawn while one
of my friends screamed and fell
off the couch in fright as the others
shouted instructions at the screen
like deranged movie goers was some of the
most fun I’ve had with a game all year.
Agar/io - Sean Donegan
I have made a somewhat
unconventional choice for my
game of the year: agar.io. This game
can be played by almost anyone,
almost anywhere: all you need is
a smartphone or web browser. It’s
the kind of game you could use
to kill five minutes with or dump
hours into. The concept is deceptively simple: you are a cell in a petri dish
surrounded by other cells and little nutrient dots of various colours. It’s
your job to eat the dots and other cells in order to grow your mass, while
avoiding being made someone else’s entrée.
This unassuming premise makes for dynamically fun gameplay: Marvel at
the monstrosity and majesty of the supermassive cells which dwarf your
tiny starter cell. Gasp as you narrowly escape the jaws of defeat. Bask in
the glory of being one of the biggest fish in the pond. Feel glee as a random
giant feeds you all their mass. Play hide and seek as you dance with your
new best friend. Chuckle at the dank memes galore. This game really is a
rollercoaster of emotions and has left me coming back for more throughout
the year.
Her Story- Brian Conmy
Describing Her Story too much is to do the game a disservice, garnering
hugewordofmouthinashortspaceoftimethisindiePCgamehasremained
a talking point in many outlet’s game of the year award considerations.
While initially making a large impact what impressed me about Her Story’s
relative simplicity is its staying power. It’s relatively simple premise and old
fashioned presentation thoroughly brings the player into the world of the
game’s narrative but what isn’t initially obvious is how much the game will
stay with you after you’ve “finished”. Also, in a year strangely full of FMV
games Her Story is still the stand out, with a stellar performance from its
lead. If you’re into Making a Murderer or true crime novels then this will
be right up your alley.

7. 7
GAMINGEDITOR - AOIFE GLEESON
2016 Spring Preview
The Proper Length of Games
by Aoife Gleeson
Kieran Collins discusses if games were too long in 2015
This past Christmas season was, in
terms of game releases, fairly sparse.
Instead of myriad releases vying
for the attention of stretched thin
gamers, many games turned tail and
ran at the sight of Fallout 4, or were
unfortunately crushed in its wake
(ahem, Rise of the Tomb Raider).
Star Wars: Battlefront performed
well, happily fitting in with a Star
Wars themed Christmas. Still,
numerous release dates were pushed
to the first half of 2016 but 2015’s
loss may yet be our gain. Here’s a
preview of some of the big games
coming in the next three months.
First up is The Witness (Jan 26:
Windows, PS4), the long awaited
follow-up to Jonathan Blow’s
critical darling, Braid. The Witness
takes inspiration from Myth, set
on a mysterious open world island
populated with puzzles and mazes
for players to solve. It’s been in
development for a very long time,
since 2008, so hopefully it’s worth
the wait.
Next is Mighty No. 9 (Feb 12), a
Kickstarted platformer by Keiji
Inafune, the creator of Mega Man.
Running on nostalgia, the game
is Mega Man’s spiritual successor
and is coming out on almost every
platform you could care about
(Windows, OSX, PS3/4, Xbox 360/
One, Wii U, PS Vita, 3DS).
Then comes Far Cry Primal (Feb
23: PS4, Xbox One). Set in the Stone
Age, Primal lets you become a true
caveman fighting to become the
leader of a tribe by facing enormous
predators, like mammoths, and
fending off rival tribes. You can also
train a sabre-toothed tiger
or prehistoric badger to be
your companion, which
sounds amazing. Some
extra trivia: the simplistic
language used in the game was
created by prehistoric linguists for
authenticity.
Next up is The Walking Dead:
Michonne (PS3/4, Xbox 360/One,
PS Vita, PC, OS X), Telltale’s next
outing. The first episode (of three)
has a soft release date of February
and takes place during the comic
book continuity at a point where
Michonne disappears from the
group. The Walking Dead: Season 1
remains one of Telltale’s best series
and hopefully, despite their recent
patchy quality due to taking on
too many projects, the Michonne
episodes live up to this quality.
Lastly is the unhelpfully, plainly
titled Hitman (Mar 11), marking
the return of Agent 47 in the sixth
entry of the series. This looks like
standard Hitman fare, with missions
giving you an assassination target
and an open sandbox to be creative
with your kills.
This is just the beginning though,
with heavy hitters like Uncharted
4: A Thief’s End, Mirror’s Edge:
Catalyst, No Man’s Sky, Horizon:
Zero Dawn and Dishonored 2
coming later. It’s going to be a good
year.
2015 felt like the first year that the
PS4 and Xbox One were really able
to flaunt their improvements over
their predecessors. There were
many titles to be excited about in
the past year for not only their great
gameplay and/or story, but also their
beautiful graphics and intricate
world design.
On paper this all
sounds great, and
for the most part it
is, but problems lie
in density.
A shining example
of this is The Witcher 3. I was really
excited to get this game after seeing
all the great reviews, gameplay, and
trailers (I highly recommend you
look up the griffin TV spot) and
the game started out on a major
high. I really took my time on the
isolated map that you start out with
and completed all the side and main
quests. It was after this, however,
that the game started to fall apart
for me. I’m a bit of a completionist
and because of this even looking
at that map and all of the optional
activities made me tired. I gave it
my best go and generally enjoyed
the experience, but I put it back on
the shelf when the next big release
came: incomplete. I just didn’t have
the time to fully experience it, and
most people won’t either. Even after
I spent weeks playing it I felt like I
had merely
s c r a t c h e d
the surface.
The Witcher
wasn’t alone.
Other big
releases this
year that
shared its issues were Fallout 4 and
Batman: Arkham Knight. Mad Max,
one of my personal favourites this
year, received some low scores for its
superfluous content. Sites like IGN,
GameSpot, and The Jimquisition all
marked off the licensed game for its
side quests, calling them mundane
and repetitive.
So, from all of this you would figure
that gamers want more compact,
story-driven experiences, right? The
answer is no, apparently, as
evidenced
by a small
s c a n d a l
revolving
a r o u n d
Ready at
Dawn’s PS4
exclusive, The Order: 1886. 4
days before the game’s release, a
playthrough leaked online of the
game being completed in just 5
hours. The Internet was outraged
(when are they not?). Many articles
and comments were posted about
its length being unacceptable for a
$60 dollar game, especially given
that it had no multiplayer. While
this event was overblown, as The
Order was really more like 8 or 9
hours if you took your time, it did
show that a game being too short
was just as bad as it being too long
or too dense. Shorter, more compact
experiences, like Until Dawn, were
overlooked this year in AAAs in
favour of monstrous time sinks.
Looking forward, I hope 2016 will
try to normalize
game length.
“You would figure that
gamers want more
compact, story-driven
expertiences, right?
The answer is no,
apparently”

8. 8
ARTS & LITERATURE
To Do List For 2016Colm Furlong suggests some fun things for you to try this year
It’s early in the New Year, and what better time is there to make a list of goals for the coming year? I’m going to provide a list of suggestions, literature
related, writing related, and more, that you might want to try at some point over the next twelve months.
So there you have it; there’s some things for you to try this year. Set yourself some literary goals, some writing goals and stick to them. Make 2016 a literary
year, as well as everything else it is going to be.
1. Discover, or rediscover your
inner writer. Write something; a
short story, a poem, and novella.
Maybe something to submit to a
competition or an anthology or a
magazine, maybe an article/review
for us here at the express. Get those
creative juices flowing this year.
2. Attend a reading nearby. One of
the great things about living in Cork
City is that there is almost always
a reading going on at least once a
week. Maybe it’s a famous author,
maybe it’s a local poet. Get out there
and take in the ambiance of one of
these events, and listen to what is
being created all around you.
3.Visit the theatre. Whether it’s the
Everyman, The Opera House, The
Granary, Firkin Crane or anywhere
else, make 2016 the year you go and
see a production in one of our fine
theatres.
4. Watch some movies based
on books that you love. It’s
always interesting to witness how
something translates from the page
to the screen, and what better way
to try it than with a book you adore.
Sure they may make a mess of it, but
they may also do it justice.
5. Start a blog. If you’re a writer, or
just someone who feels they have
a lot to say, why not start a blog in
2016? It is a good way to get your
name, and your work out there. You
never know, your blog could go on
to be one of the success stories that
garners millions of followers.
6. Head out and read your own
work at an open mic night. There
is something to be said for reading
your own work aloud. It feels good
to have something you feel you
can share with the world, and what
better way to do it than in front of a
group of your peers at an open mic
like Cork’s own The Lightning Bug.
Be it fiction, poetry, or anything in
between, make 2016 the year you
start to read your own work.
7. Support local bookstores. Head
out and buy some books for yourself
this year, if you don’t already. With
the influx of e-reading, bookstores
have lost some business. Make sure
you get out and buy yourself a few
hard copies this year. Nothing beats
the feeling of having an actual book
in your hands.
8. On the topic of books, why
not try something you would not
normally try? Read outside of your
comfort zone. You never know what
gems you might find, what you may
develop a new love for.
9. Read something that is not
required for your course. Many
people lose the love they once
had for reading because they are
forced to trawl through extensive
reading lists for their courses; not
all of which may be of interest to
them. Make 2016 the year you start
reading things you want to read
again (unless you never stopped in
the first place).
10.And while you’re at it, why not
reread an old favourite? Find a book
you read a long time ago, and loved,
and rediscover the magic that made
you love it in the first place.
11. Write a fan letter to a writer
you love. Writers, for the most part,
love to hear from their fans. It is a
wonderful show of appreciation,
and some writers may even write
back.
12. If you’re a writer, commit
to writing a certain number of
words each day/week. It could
be any amount, whatever you
feel comfortable with. You don’t
necessarily have to write a story
or poem either; it could be stream
of consciousness, free writing,
blogging, articles, anything. Make
this the year you really commit to
writing all the time, and you will be
surprised how much you produce.
Book Recommendation: American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is one of the world’s most popular writers. He is also one of exquisite
talent. Stephen King once called him a treasure-house of story; a particularly apt
description considering his vast body of acclaimed work.
Described by George R.R. Martin as “Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive”,
American Gods is Gaiman’s longest novel to date. It chronicles the journey of Shadow,
the novel’s protagonist who finds himself on an increasingly strange journey across
America in the company of one Mr. Wednesday.
AmericanGodsdeliversarich,grippingfantasystoryinarealworldsettingthroughout
the novel. He delivers a story which builds consistently, like a gathering storm (much
like the brewing conflict in the novel itself).
American Gods is a wonderful novel by a fine writer, and it is one that comes highly
recommended.

9. 9
ARTS & LITEDITOR - COLM FURLONG
Books to Look Out for in 2016
UCC Musical Society Presents: The Wedding Singer
Colm Furlong takes a look at some of the upcoming book releases in 2016
Colm Furlong takes a look at some of the upcoming book releases in 2016
Every year, thousands of new book titles are released into print; so many that a significant chunk of them don’t even make it onto the shelves in bookstores.
Here is a couple of titles releasing later this year that might be worth keeping an eye on.
Calling all aficionados of the performing arts and people just looking
for a fun night out. Why not come and watch some fellow students in
funny costumes sing and dance on stage. Prepare to be transported back
to that colourful age, the 1980s. This year UCC Musical Society (now
celebrating its 5th year as the campus’s official answer to the West End/
Broadway) presents its 2016 production, The Wedding Singer, the hit
musical based on the popular Adam Sandler movie.
Featuring an all student cast directed by our good friend, the returning
director of 2015’s UCC “Seussical” Ciarán Bermingham, this musical
promises to be one of the liveliest productions of the year. A full set of
cast biographies are available on the UCC Musical Society Facebook
page, as well as a variety of samples from the official soundtrack.
So say “I do” and come along to support your friends and classmates
or just to enjoy an evening of guitars, wedding dresses and interesting
hairstyles. Tickets can be reserved now from the Granary Theatre. Shows
run from February 3rd-6th at 19:00.
Winds of Winter
Although, somewhat
disappointingly, George R. R.
Martin recently announced the
sixth book of A Song of Ice and
Fire would not release before
the next season of the Game of
Thrones T.V. show airs, it should
still drop before the end of the
year. The Winds of Winter is
the long awaited follow on from
2011’s A Dance with Dragons. This
book will resolve storylines left
unfinished in the fifth book, and
many readers favourites will be
returning as viewpoint characters
in the sixth volume, along with
some new ones. We can only hope
that Martin finishes the final draft
sooner rather than later, as we
are probably looking at at least a
five month turnaround before it
hits bookshelves. Judging by the
previous instalments, the sixth
book should be worth the wait for
fans of the series; but that remains
to be seen.
15th Affair
For long-time fans of James
Patterson, the 15th book in his
Women’s Murder Club series,
co-written with Maxine Paetro,
is releasing on 25th February this
year. The Women’s Murder Club is
probably Patterson’s second most
known series, behind his most
famous and longest running Alex
Cross series. Patterson has spent
decades writing crime thrillers,
and he turns out numerous books
each year. While some might argue
that his ideas must be running stale
and becoming repetitive, fans of
the series’ are rarely let down. 15th
Affair will be an exciting release
for fans of the work Patterson and
Paetro have done over the course of
the series.
End of Watch
Stephen King is revisiting an old
character this year to complete a
trilogy of books featuring one Bill
Hodges. The brief blurb available
for the novel sounds fascinating,
and the master of the horror genre
looks set to deliver another riveting
thriller on 7th June 2016. End of
Watch looks poised to be quite
the suspense filled novel, and the
plot is certainly one which sounds
highly intriguing; featuring a killer
who has a unique plan for his
next mass murder. King is one of
the finest writers alive today, and
he consistently delivers original
stories, and continually proves that
he has not lost the skill he has for
the craft. End of Watch will surely
be a hit with his fans.
The Book of Dust
Philip Pullman is the author
of the phenomenal His Dark
Materials trilogy. Seriously, I can’t
recommend this trilogy enough.
Since the trilogy concluded,
Pullman has been working on
a companion novel entitled The
Book of Dust. He did not actually
start writing it until 2005, five years
after the final book of the trilogy
was released. The Book of Dust will
take place about four years after the
His Dark Materials trilogy. Fans of
Pullman’s work are eagerly awaiting
this next instalment, and it should
release later this year.

10. 10
INTERVIEW
Fish Go Deepwith...
New year, new semester and for some of us that means final semester and the start of the countdown to becoming an actual
grown-up. No more coco pops for dinner or pizza for breakfast, it’s time to get out, grow up and experience new challenges.
Remembering the good times, Music Editor Holly Cooney takes a trip down memory lane with Cork legends and student
icons, Fish Go Deep.
With the end of college in sight for me I’m starting to get a little bit panicky. It’s scary to be thinking about leaving the
lovely warm bubble of UCC and into the big bad world of work, especially when having an Arts degree can make for
some tricky employment prospects. Having said that, meeting two lads from Cork with a hugely successful twenty five
year career as house djs is quite inspiring and even reassuring. According to Greg and Shane it’s ok to not have a clue and
sometimes, as great as the rest of the world is, at the end of the day home is where the heart is!
Byline: So guys, for those who don’t know your background
could you tell us how ye started djing and why?
Shane: It’s going back a long time, I started in UCC actually,
however many years ago and I actually dropped out to be a
dj. I started playing music while I was here for a couple of
years and just had a bit of a music collection and a whole
bunch of records. I had been going along (to Greg’s) club
night on Thursdays in Redz in the late eighties and it was
always my desire to play the music I loved for people, prior
to that I had always just been bugging my friends with “have
you heard this, have you heard that”. I think my desire to get
music out there to people drove my career path.
‘...it wasn’t a decision we made, “we’re gonna
become house djs overnight”, it was a bit more
gradual...’
Greg: I would have been similar (to Shane). Around ’86 I was
doing a club night in what was De Lacy House then but is
now the Voodoo Rooms. I used to play hip hop and all sorts
of music and I had friends in the art school and they used
to show films so like I used to get fifty people in the thing
and just started djing. As Shane said, I had these records
and I just started thinking “God, I’d love to play them”. It’s
a feeling that you just want to share this music with other
people. Back then though I suppose you just kind of fell into
it and they were the people in the corner, djs weren’t revered
back then as they are now.
Shane: There wasn’t a DJ Society in UCC anyway!
Byline: Where did your interest in house and dance music
come from, ye’re too Irish guys so I’m sure it wasn’t the most
popular music when ye started out?
Shane: I really got into hip-hop in the mid eighties when I
was a teenager and before I started playing with Greg I went
along to the nights he put on and he would have played a lot
of hip-hop and bits of disco and funk and I think house sort
of just came along. To me it was a very natural progression.
The first house records that we heard seemed to slot into any
of the other stuff we were playing so it wasn’t a decision we
made, “we’re gonna become house djs overnight”, it was a
bit more gradual, playing two or three house records a week
to five or six and over the years we just became a bit more
specialist and just deep house. So by the early nineties that
was pretty much what we played and what we became known
for.
Greg: From my mind it’s because a friend of mine lived in
London and he used to send me back mix tapes. He was on
the gay scene and he was into going to clubs and he used
to send me back these tapes and there were always one or
two- now these were really early house records, and it was
just kind of like “what’s that?” and that’s what sparked my
interest.
‘One of the selling points for us [about Sir
Henry’s] was that people could go in there and
not be worried about scuffing up the lovely
furniture and they could really let loose.’
Then, I don’t know how long we’d been playing at [Sir]
Henry’s when we got Mike Pickering from the Haçienda.
The whole house and ecstasy culture exploded at the time
in Manchester and it coincided with the time we had Mike
doing a few guest spots for us. He actually brought me over to
the Haçienda in it’s early days and it was mental, like nothing
I’d ever seen before and I forged a link with what was, at the
time, the most seminal club in Britain, they were way ahead
of London and everywhere else, they had the house sound.

11. 11
INTERVIEW
They had the early house and techno records and we were
getting those records because back then getting the actual
records was really difficult, so the same records they played
in the Haçienda for one of the biggest club nights in the UK
we were playing in Cork.
Byline: The 1990s was a great time for ye with your residency
in the legendary Sir Henry’s. Do you think their support
helped to develop the scene in Cork specifically Ireland in
general?
Shane: One of the selling points for us was that people could
go in there and not be worried about scuffing up the lovely
furniture and they could really let loose. It was a very bare
bones venue with a really good sound system.
Greg: It focused people very much on why they were there
and it brought people together for the music and I think
because all the various owners while we were there just
didn’t know, they didn’t have a clue so they just left us alone.
Shane: They were happy to let us just do our own thing.
Byline: Do you think that attitude of just letting you do your
own thing helped the house scene?
Shane: Yeah.
Greg: Totally, it was just like “whatever”, half the time in the
early days nobody really knew what was going on.
Shane: Yeah, including us! We were learning on the job as
well, literally on the job.
‘I think New York maybe was more of our
spiritual home, the sound of New York and the
sound of the music’
Greg: We were literally learning, just about mixing records
and going “oh what’s happening now, why have they all gone
mad to that song?”
Byline: Greg, you had friends in London and pretty strong
links with the UK, did ye do any travelling that maybe
broadened your horizons or got you to discover new sounds
to bring home?
Greg: Definitely not Europe, but going back and forth to
Manchester and London a bit, but I think New York maybe
was more of our spiritual home, the sound of New York
and the sound of the music. And there, we were both there,
I think we realised that the American’s obsession with the
sound system was all that mattered. You saw how it was a
spiritual thing for people, to come to these places and hear
this music on these stunning sound systems.
Byline: You’ve played clubs and festivals around the world,
do ye have a favourite or best experience?
Shane: It’s kind of hard to pick one, I’d always say a good
night at home where the crowd know your style, they may
not know every track but they know what you’re about so
you don’t have to win them over as much, I’d say that’s always
the most satisfying for me, it’s where you can play pretty
much exactly as you want to. Most other places you travel
to you have to adjust and that’s a good thing and you feel a
great sense of satisfaction, but personally I just love a good
night at home, whether it was way back at {Sir} Henry’s or
now, in The Pavillion.
Greg: I think when you’re a dj and you’re playing a big festival
it’s more slap it and bang it on but me and Shane have built
a career out of being residents which is quite different to the
way it’s gone these days.
Byline: What’s your go to track to get the crowd up on their
feet?
Shane: You have some…
Greg: (laughs) The Cure and the Cause!
Byline: Do you think your different sound is why ye’ve been
playing since the late eighties and are still popular now?
Shane: I reckon so.
Greg: I hope so!

12. 12
MUSIC
Byline’s Best of 2015
Ahead of what looks to be an extremely promising 2016, musically speaking of course, the return of Bowie in his self-penned eulogy and many more,
Edel Carmody takes time to look back and evaluate some of the very best of last year’s offerings, genre by genre
Rock: Wolf Alice -My Love Is Cool
The London based quartet have fans and critics
following their every move with great anticipation,
so really, it wasn’t much of a shock when their
freshman album turned out to be one of the best
of the year. Encompassing shoegaze and indie rock
sensibilities, My Love Is Cool is a breath of fresh air in the rather generic
landfill of rock quartets. From grungy Grammy nominated songs written
from Lisa Simpson’s perspective (“Moaning Lisa Smile”) to odes of female
friendship(“Bros”)thisalbumhasitall. GuitaristandvocalistEllieRowsell’s
vocals leap from dreamily breathy to snarling and ferocious in a heartbeat.
Ultimately, My Love Is Cool is an album that takes some courageous risks
but it pays off a hundredfold, resulting in an album that is splendid in it’s
melancholia, nostalgia and ferocious beauty.
Pop: Lana Del Rey –Honeymoon
The Queen of old world Hollywood glamour
and sweeping baroque pop returned to us last
September with her third album “Honeymoon”.
Del Rey’s references ranged from T.S. Elliot, Bond
to Bowie and for good measure she even threw in
a Nina Simone cover. Her jaded, unlucky in love persona relays the bleak
realities of romanticized L.A. life. While 2014’s Ultraviolence produced by
Dan Auerbach played with guitar sounds this one returned to her trip-hop
Born to Die roots. Honeymoon is characteristically sultry, dark and moody
with Del Rey in full hopeless romantic mode singing to the beat of the lush
orchestra that lends a truly cinematic quality to proceedings.
Punk: Slaves- Are You Satisfied?
NobodycouldaccuseKent’sriotouspunkduoLaurie
Vincent (guitar) and Isaac Holman (drums, vocals)
of not making enough of a racket, or of taking
themselves too seriously. They embrace and even
revel in some light-hearted silliness on fan favourite
tracks like “Feed The Mantaray” (live shows often
feature fan favourite ‘the Mantaray’ dancing around the stage) and on
“Where’s Your Car, Debbie?”, which is inspired by reports of sasquatches
and lost cars. Sure, a lot of the concerns they deal with might be a bit
punk 101 (government distrust, the mundane drudgery of everyday life,
paychecks and melting ice caps) yet they do so with considerable flair and
snarkiness. “Are You Satisfied?” resulted in a Mercury Prize Nomination
and a feverishly devoted fan base of mosh pit enthusiasts so they must be
doing something right! Their short and snappy approach to music means
the album clocks in at a mere 33 minutes, but nevertheless it’s an enjoyable
and rollicking journey at breakneck speed.
Psychedelic: Tame Impala –Currents
Kevin Parker is a perfectionist and the one man
mastermind behind some of the decade’s best
albums. Currents is a true labour of love that Parker
delayed the release of for months. Thankfully,
Currents crowns Parker as king of the considerable
Australian psych scene and is a testament to his incredible range as a
vocalist, songwriter, producer, mixer and engineer. Curiosity was piqued
when Parker mentioned that Goa trance would influence the new material
and he did not disappoint. Indeed, he significantly dispatches the guitar
sound, instead favouring synths. As a result “Psychedelic” is much more
dance-floor ready than its predecessors but achieving the impossible in that
it keeps the essential essence we know and love of Tame Impala.
Indie/Alt: Ezra Furman
-Perpetual Motion People
When the Chicagoan Indie darling Ezra Furman’s
Perpetual Motion People was released last summer
via independent label Bella Union, it elicited
appropriately rave responses from fans and critics
alike. With an eclectic range of influences and musical heroes, including
the legendary Lou Reed, Furman frenetically and compelling explores
his life. Mental illness, religion, bodily autonomy and gender identity all
feature. While Reed’s influences may not be overtly discernible, Perpetual
Motion People embodies good old rock ‘n’ roll, blues and folk as well as
a plethora of other genres. The key to Ezra Furman is his vibrantly and
joyously oddball music, just don’t try to pin down what it is exactly.
Electronic:
Years and Years- Communion
The British synth-poppers sped from being virtually
unknown to one of the most recognizable bands
of the summer. While their music may not be the
most original, frontman Olly Alexander’s unusual
and striking vocals, their slick production and solid
song-writing adds a spark to their work which sets them apart from the
crowd. With their 80’s synth vibes abundantly clear the trio reigned over
the charts with Communion debuting at number 1 in the United Kingdom
and single “King” reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart.
David Bowie
1945-2016

13. 13
MUSICEDITOR - HOLLY COONEY
What’s to Come in 2016?
Review: U2, 3Arena Dublin
While 2014 was the year of the surprise album, 2015 was undoubtedly the year of the comeback.
Adele went into 2015 with the intention of releasing one album and not only ended up rewriting
the whole thing but released a surprise music video which saved the industry. Justin Bieber
dropped the teenage angst, went home and came back with an album full of club anthems that,
no matter how much you hated “Baby”, you found yourself singing and dancing along to. Dr.Dre
came back after a 10 year hiatus with an album of countless collaborations and retook his place as
the undisputed king of Hip-Hop.
2015 was a great year of music but looking forward, what can we expect from 2016? Cailean
Coffey takes a look at the confirmed, the rumoured and the anticipated releases of 2016.
Going into 2016 it’s clear that electronica
will have a big year, with EDEN, Jack
Garratt, MMOTHS, The XX, James Blake
and Kygo all expected to release new
music. Calvin Harris and Deadmau5 are
also rumoured for new albums and lest
we forget, one of the most anticipated
dance duos, Jack Ü, made up of Skrillex
and Diplo are surely on the cusp of a
release?
In the pop world, Beyoncé is almost
guaranteed to release something and
secure her place as Queen B whilst Lady
Gaga and Katy Perry battle it out for
the pop princess title. Ed Sheeran has
dropped hints for autumn and Lily Allen
has been seen in the studio so it’s pretty
much assured we’ll hear from them.
Meanwhile, Walking on Cars are releasing
their eagerly awaited debut album, The
1975 and Sia will be back with new music
and Zayn Malik hopes to become the new
Justin Timberlake.
On the rock circuit, U2 are releasing
the 2nd half of their Innocence and
Experience double album and Bruce
Springsteen, the Red Hot Chili Peppers
and Haim are all rumoured for new
releases. Radiohead are in the studio
with new music only a matter of months
away and Biffy Clyro have promised a
very different sound to their last album
“Opposites” when they release again.
Of course the main event is Kanye West
who will finally release his seventh album.
Drake is expected to release and 50 Cent
makes an appearance. Macklemore has
to follow up the success of “Downtown”
with new music, and P Diddy is back to
give his take on the world.
Venturing into the unknown, everyone
wants to know about the Frank Ocean
follow up we’ve all been waiting for but
for that, we’ll just have to wait and see…
by Alan Murphy
New Year, New Music
Kali Uchis
The first time I came across Kali Uchis was when I saw a Dazed
& Confused article write about her then new video ‘Loner’,
which they described as a ‘neon fever dream’ and I for one
wholeheartedly agreed. Seeing the Colombian-born singer
swirl around in different shades of pastel clothes confirmed
my view that she was a star on the horizon. 2015 saw the
release of her EP Por Vida, which has not yet been released on
Spotify. Her lyrics are that of a post-teenage broken heart and
echo those of the late and great Amy Winehouse. For anyone
who has not yet heard of Kali, check out Ridin’ Round, an
empowering ‘girl power’ track and Know What I Want for a
slowed-down reggae vibe.
The Internet
Nominated for Best Urban Contemporary album at this year’s
Grammy awards, The Internet are a soul band that are finally
receiving the recognition they deserve. A by-product of Odd
Future’s rap group, despite being around since 2011 they were
finally noticed in 2015 when they featured in Kaytranada’s
Girl. The Internet’s whole discography is available on Spotify
and their sound has been compared to that of SZA and Frank
Ocean. Check out Get Away, Cocaine and Special Affair.
Lxury
Signed on Disclosure’s label, Method Records Lxury is an as
yet unknown British producer but it’s clear that won’t be the
case for long. Playing for Duke Dumont’s Blasé Boys Club
and touring with Disclosure, Lxury’s release J.A.W.S was also
co-produced by Disclosure and is featured on MK’s 2013
BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix. Most of Lxury’s EP’s are found on
Spotify and soundcloud.
Michelle O’Callaghan takes a look at the new acts for 2016.
U2 played four spine tingling sell-out shows in the 3Arena as part of their
“Innocence and Experience” tour which I myself was highly fortunate to
land a ticket for. The performance was incredibly intimate and emotional
and was broken up into two parts. The first half of the show created a theatre
like atmosphere where the songs depicted the band’s past with awesome
lighting and digital imagery. The visuals and choreography for songs such
as “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “Raised by Wolves” and Cedarwood Road (
which sees Bono walk down the street of his former neighbourhood in
North Dublin) presented an impressive and powerful correlation with the
meanings behind the songs.
The second half saw the band in a much more conventional and familiar
stage setting. Songs such as Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Pride (in the
name of love) and New Year’s Day really energized the crowd and everyone
was on their feet singing and dancing along. The lead single off the new
album “Every Breaking Wave” was played as a more emotional alternative
using only Bono’s vocals and the Edge’s impressive piano playing.
The encore gave way to the “City of Blinding Lights” with the Edge playing
the familiar guitar riff with a metal slide which I must admit, sent shivers
down my spine. “Beautiful Day” and “One” rounded off this emotional,
intimate and atmospheric musical performance. They certainly surpassed
my expectations and for fans who hadn’t seen them in an indoor arena
since 1989 I’m sure they knocked their socks off!

14. 14
FILM & TELEVISION
‘Sherlock: The Abominable Bride’ Review
by Aoife Gleeson - Gaming Editor
It’s been almost two years since we last saw Sherlock and Watson: the
season 3 finale, ‘His Last Vow’, aired on the 12 January 2014. Fervour grew
in the show’s protracted absence as the two stars shot to fame and pursued
other projects. But, finally the dynamic duo have briefly returned to satiate
our desire for season 4 with ‘The Abominable Bride’, a ‘once-off’ Christmas
special. Yet, after the long, long wait: does it live up the hype?
‘The first two acts are, by far, the strongest,
containing the trademark Sherlock fun and
playful chemistry between the two leads as
they struggle to solve the case’
As a whole, not really. The special starts out strong, set in an alternative
Victorian London, as Sherlock and Watson are tasked with solving a
murder seemingly carried out by the ghost of a women who had publicly
shot herself. The first two acts are, by far, the strongest, containing the
trademark Sherlock fun and playful chemistry between the two leads as
they struggle to solve the case. The cinematography is also, as per usual,
beautiful and the Victorian aesthetic is utilised to great effect.
‘...the episode devolves into a convoluted,
time-hopping mess that has trouble getting to
the point’
Then comes the divisive twist: this is, in fact, not an independent story,
but a dream in the mind of modern Sherlock as he lands back in London,
where we left him back in Season 3. The case has been his subconscious
mind’s attempt to draw a parallel which would help explain how Moriarty
could have shot himself in the head and survived. This is where the episode
devolves into a convoluted, time-hopping mess that has trouble getting to
the point. When we get to the solution of the Abominable Bride case, it
feels like an afterthought (particularly since the logic applied to that case
seemingly isn’t applicable to Moriarty’s).
‘The episode morphs into ‘Sherlock: An
Intervention’ which is disorienting and
distracting, robbing the case of its momentum’
Instead, focus shifts to Sherlock’s tenuous grip on reality and continuing
drug addiction. The episode morphs into ‘Sherlock: An Intervention’
which is disorienting and distracting, robbing the case of its momentum.
The emphasis on Sherlock’s drug usage is likely setting up for season 4, the
theme of which is ‘consequences’ according to Steven Moffat, one of the
showrunners. The episode also contains a lot of fan service, meta references
and nods to the original stories, for which your mileage may vary. One
that bothered me particularly w+;as Sir Carmichael receiving orange pips
in a letter which he interprets as an omen of a visit from the Bride. In its
original story, ‘The Five Orange Pips’, this was a calling card of the KKK and
it makes little sense within the context of this story.
‘Ultimately, nothing much happens in the
special’
Ultimately, nothing much happens in the special: Sherlock gets off a plane
and into a car. Nothing altogether new is revealed and the special seems to
function as a protracted trailer for season 4. Now begins the long wait for
2017: hopefully it’s worth it this time.

15. 15
FILM & TV
Trans* People on Screen
by Edel Carmody
As our world gets a little bit more progressive year by year, thankfully
we have seen a growing acceptance of the transgender community. By
extension this is reflected by the slowly expanding representation of the
transgender community on our screens, in an assortment of genres from
reality to drama to science fiction.
Of course while representation is vital it is not merely enough to have
transgender characters present on screen. The portrayal of transgender
characters must be multi-dimensional, intelligent and free of any tokenism.
Numerous television shows on major broadcasting networks with
millions of viewers have featured transgender characters, including Glee,
Ugly Betty, Elementary and Sons of Anarchy, to name but a few but not
always respectfully or with nuance. The sitcom Mike and Molly has been
criticized in the past for using transphobic and dehumanizing language,
misgendering transgender characters and using transgender characters as
a punchline. According to a 2012 report by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation (GLAAD) since 2002 there have been 102 instances of
transgender representation in TV shows. However an overwhelming 54 %
of these depictions were deemed to be negative and stereotypical.
Yet the past three years, in particular, have seen more acceptance of
the transgender community in mainstream media and entertainment
spheres. Netflix’s hit show Orange is the New Black features Laverne
Cox as hairdresser Sophia Burset. The show’s portrayal of gender and
sexuality have been enthusiastically welcomed by many. Cox has broken
down barriers within the industry and has become the first ever openly
transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an
acting category. As well as being the first openly trans person to grace the
front cover of Time magazine.
Reality TV, maybe not the most respected of genres, has also seen a
substantial increase in transgender representation. Cox hosted the 2014
the reality show Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word which documented
the daily lives of young trans people. Of course, Caitlyn Jenner’s show I Am
Cait became one of the talking points of 2015 and opened up a widespread
public dialogue about the transgender community.
While Britain, up until now, may have slightly fallen behind America in
its push for more trans-inclusive TV, the BBC has of late made a push for
more diverse casting. Transgender actress Rebecca Root made headlines
when BBC announced she would star in Boy Meets Girl. The sitcom
centres on the relationship between Judy (Root) with a much younger
man Leo (Harry Hepple).Unlike other shows, some commentators have
noted Boy Meets Girl’s usage of ‘odd couple’ tropes and gentle humour
are not at the expense of Judy’s gender identity but rather arise from the
awkwardness their substantial age gap creates. Also on the British small
screen, transgender comedian and actress Bethany Black guest starred
as 474 in the ninth episode of the ninth season of Doctor Who. Black is
also known for her recurring role as transgender woman Helen Brears in
Channel 4’s Cucumber (created by Russell T Davies of Queer as Folk fame)
which premièred last winter and has also subsequently guest starred as a
protagonist in its sister series Banana.
As well as the surge in visibility of the transgender community on TV, one of
the most critically acclaimed films of last year was undoubtedly Sundance
and Indie darling Tangerine which premièred last January. The film shot
entirely on an iPhone focuses on the friendship between two transgender
sex-workers (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor) in Los Angeles, as
well as exploring trans street culture. Director Sean Baker met the women
at a LGBTQ center. Both women are familiar with the city’s red light district
and it was crucial to Rodriguez that Baker would show the harsh reality
of street work while not dehumanizing its protagonists. As Oscar season
rapidlyapproaches,thereisasustainedcampaigncallingforbothRodriguez
and Taylor to be recognized by the Academy for their performances. No
openly transgender person
has ever received an Academy
Award nomination.
In an interview with Out
magazine numerous
transgender performers like Alexandra Billings, Candis Cayne, Zackary
Drucker and Scott Turner Schofield amongst others discussed trans
people playing cisgender characters. They maintained transgender actors
and actresses should not be confined to non-cisgender roles. Cox guest
starred as a cisgender teacher in MTV’s Faking It, Erika Ervin appeared in
American Horror Story: Freakshow as a cisgender circus performer and
Rebecca Root appears as a cisgender German nurse in the The Danish Girl.
While the rise in the representation of the transgender community is an
encouraging step towards greater acceptance and destigmatization, it is
not easy to erase years worth of damaging depictions and images of the
community.
Casting choices for trans* characters can be controversial: for example, the
recent casting of Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe in ‘The Danish Girl’ was
another sign of Hollywood’s willingness to cast men in the roles of trans*
women. Not all casting decisions are so polarizing; Amazon’s Transparent
initially raised eyebrows when it was announced Jeffrey Tambor would star
as Maura in the comedy-drama which follows a family that learns their
Fatheridentifiesasawoman.Yetmanyhavelaudedtheshowsintelligentand
sensitive depiction of Maura’s and her family’s journey toward embracing
her true gender identity. The show’s creator Jill Soloway is a cisgender
woman but the show’s events are loosely based on the experiences of her
own family when her Father came out. Transparent has been renewed for a
third season and has been a resounding success securing recognition from
the Television Academy. While Tambor is a cisgender man, the show has
made an effort to be trans-inclusive. Transgender musician Our Lady J is
a writer for the show and has also guest starred, transgender performance
artist Zackary Drucker served as a consultant, while transgender director
Silas Howard was hired for the second season and numerous transgender
actors dot the cast.
As well as future seasons of the aforementioned shows, even more leaps of
progress can be seen. British soap EastEnders cast the previously unknown
21 year old Riley Carter Millington as Kyle, a young transgender man,
making him the first – ever transgender actor to star as a transgender
character in a British Soap. Hollyoaks soon followed suit and cast
transgender actress Annie Wallace as Sally St Claire, the new high school
headmistress. In previous years British Soaps like Coronation Street and
Hollyoaks have featured transgender characters in the form of Hayley
Cropper and Jason Costello respectively but they were not played by
transgender actors. Furthermore, the somewhat contentious Lena Dunham
is set to produce the HBO documentary Three Suits which follows Bindle
& Keep, the bespoke Brooklyn located tailoring service that caters for the
LGBTQ community.
So where do we stand in 2016 in terms of representation on both the small
and the big screen? While there is a marked improvement in visibility
and awareness, it is too early to think real tolerance has been achieved
and is subsequently reflected by what we watch. Transgender men are still
significantly less represented in mainstream entertainment. Our world is
ever shifting in its attitudes and it is only fair that our mainstream pop
culture reflects this. Yes, TV and film, can be escapism for us but they have
also always acted as a mirror to reflect real life situations. Thus by extension
viewers can relate and identify with what they see and hear on screen. If
what we watch fails to be diverse and does not reflect a vast spectrum of our
society it ultimately alienates communities that we have often marginalized.
EDITOR - OLIVIA BROWN