Verve Zine

Issue no . 00 3

For and by the students at London Met

Something for summer

Hot festival action
Meet Bastian Gründler,
Tennis Master
Medicine
Music is the best Cure

Explore the SU Elections

Enchanted Castle With improved par-tici-pation!
 |media activities (verveZine & verveRadio) | democracy |
student council | campaigning for change (24 hour library,
black history month, LGBT history month |
fighting for equality & diversity | student union annual elections
charity work (rag week) | StARs (Student Academic Rep Scheme)
2nd hand book fayre | A.I.R (advice, information, representation)
|societies|

How will you

get involved
with your union?
Visit u s at
www.londonmetsu.org.uk
North Campus City Campus
Room TMG-65a 3rd Floor, HUB
Tower Building 2 Goulston St
Holloway Road Aldgate

phone: 0207 133 4171 phone: 0207 320 2233

Òputting studentsÕ firstÓ

 Editor’s Letter
It’s that time of the year. The sun is out and all you
04 2010 SU Elections want to do is hang out at the Heath instead of slaving
The best results in years - though concerns still remain. over your books.

08 Vintage Posters Upside is; it’s almost over. In a couple of weeks,

you’ll have all the time in the world to do everything
Experience the most commercial of arts. and anything. The Heath, here I come!

10 Medicine at the Rocket To all of you who are graduating and won’t be joining
us at London Met after the summer; congratulations
A Rocket event for the only important genre - good music!
on graduating.

20 Belly Dancing Society To everyone else; we at Vervezine will see you after
the summer. Hopefully, we’ll have some surprises
How to move with a purpose.
for you when you come back after the holiday. We
look forward to a new season where we’ll tell you all
22 Enchanted Fashion in an Enchanted Place about the latest at uni, good artists, new trends and
Lose yourself in a real-life wonderland. achievements in the world of sports.

31 Festivals for Summer Remember, if you want to get involved and develop
your student magazine e-mail me at
The best places for summer music, both here and abroad. editor.vervezine@googlemail.com or the art director
at artdirector.vervezine@googlemail.com
32 Entertainment I wish you all a great holiday and I hope you have fun
Lots of:
Music Film Theatre in the sun.
Ellie Goulding Erasing David Private Lives
Plan B Sex and the City 2
Redwood falls The Blind Side
Tankus the Henge The Ghost Writer

21

07

Copyright © 2010. Published by the London
Metropolitan University Student Union (METSU).
All copyrights exist with the indicated authors,
written under the Vervezine name and cannot
be reproduced or altered in any way, outside of
the magazine, without the respective authors
express permission. This publication is for free,
non-commercial distribution only.
All views represented within the publication are
not necessarily those of the writers, editors or
London Met Student Union
32
Corrections and Clarifications
In last issue's piece 'Buy A Cheerleader, Save
The Team', we accidentally credited James
Canlas with writing the piece. That role was
dutifully carried out by Christian Eriksson.
In addition, one of Marta’s reviews was mis-
credited to Anthony.

VERVE 1
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VERVE 2
SFSU Advert.indd 1 11/05/2010 15:38
Isl a m ic
S ociet y
Up and down the obscure flight of stairs of London
Metropolitan University – carrying without a halt my
dedicated quest for societies – I have noticed that
the shinier gems are hard to find and to hear about,
and harder to find the right words to define its shine.
I think that for this time, I finally caught something
rather interesting and therefore will promptly share
it with you.
According to Babor (secretary and second year
student in Biochemistry), the Islamic society has
existed for as long as a few decades, tracing back
to the society’s former group in the nineties. Since
then, as the society has been changing regularly
of ownership, the group is now held by two other
students: President Tuly and Finance Officer Abu
Bakr.
Existing since the university was named University
North London (UNL), the Islamic Society seems so
far to be the most pro-active of societies. Although a
very small number of people are officially registered,
Babor insists that the society is open to all Muslims
from all cultures, but also to everybody within the
university.
Babor, distant from the society’s long history,
declares with a hint of happiness the society’s current
full-on business and motivation. Mainly dedicated to
provide help to Muslim students with work or jobs,
the Islamic society tries to build good and valuable
grounds to increase productivity.
“In order for us to do more activities, more seminars,
more lectures, more conferences, we need hands to
help out.”
Victor DelVecchio
Unfortunately, the number of people inclined to help
is small and Babor recalls that membership drives
were easier when membership was 50p, “People
were more inclined to join a society at that time.”
Thankfully, some people are apt of generousness, as
has been demonstrated a few weeks ago during the
charity week. On duty to raise money for “Orphans
in Bangladesh”, the overall week generated £900,
but Babor remembers the good old days. “We raised
£1500 last year. Although three years ago, with
the help of the Students’ Union, the society raised
around £10.000.”
However good these figures inform of the dedication
of the Islamic society, their other interest is also
to arouse cultural commitment through talks and
conferences. The most recent was an event presented
by Murtaza Khan and Jalal Ibn Sa’eed through a
speech entitled “The journey of Life and death”.
Devoted to represent the majority of the Muslim
community, Babor insists that the society do not
hold any strict codes of practices and furthermore
welcome any religious point of views. Nonetheless, in
contact with the praying facility, they do encourage
people to group and chat – avoiding imposing
anything to anyone; they invite people to participate
in any activities.
VERVE 3
Student Elections:
The More Things Change...
Student Union Elections are like Secret Santas – they
come once a year and, while you know what you
put in, you’re never really sure if you’ll get what you
wanted.
The Students’ Union elections 2009/10 resulted in
weak mandates, an absenteeism in meetings that
prevented quorum (required to pass motions) and
the vocal fear of a hostile university.
It made this years’ elections starkly different and,
in this case very encouraging. 6.5% of the student
population voted, a great increase over last years
1.5%. Over 30 candidates stood, bringing the
Students’ Union (SU) to full strength.
One surprise was the creation of a political party,
of a sort. A number of students banded together
to run as ‘Mission Met’, under a shared manifesto
and resources, supporting each others’ bids for
Council seats. Only two out of their seven candidates
managed to win seats.
The election also highlighted another question about
participation. According to the university’s own
research, London Met’s student body is more female
than male and broadly distributed between White,
Asian and Black students. However the dearth of
female and non-Asian Union Executive members
raised questions about how accurately the Students’
Union executive Committee represented the student
body at large. Although this years’ election resulted
in a more diverse Students’ Union, the Union has
some way to go before it is representative of the
university’s diversity.
Vervezine interviewed SU President, Yeashir Ahmed,
who raised the issue without being asked. He
challenged critics and raised the important question
of involvement, “Well, if you don’t like Bangladeshi
people why don’t you get engaged” he asked, referring
Mark Oxley
to low student participation. “Is it Bangaldeshi
problem there is no candidate from other country or
other side?”
NUS Conference
Rishi Pancholi, Phillipe Giovanni Chiarella, Tarequl
Islam Khan, James Canlas, Bonolo Jamarl Woracker,
Yeashir Ahmed and Angelo Weekes represented
London Metropolitan University at the National Union
of Students (NUS) yearly conference in Gateshead.
The delegates chose Aaron Porter as the 54th NUS
President, succeeding Wes Streeting. Although a
Labour party member, Porter threatened to give
the government a fight over the Browne report into
tuition fees.
Wes Streeting still managed to hold the delegates’
attention. “You won’t see pensioners being ignored
at this election because it doesn’t matter how old
or frail they are, they will find a way to the polling
station on voting day. The ‘grey vote’ is powerful, it
is so influential. And the student vote could be the
same.”

Ringing the changes:

The election results for the full-time officers are as below. Their manifestos are still available on the Student Democracy website. https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/studentservices/studentdemocracy

Position Previous Officer Next Officer Contact Email address

President Yeashir Ahmed Yeashir Ahmed president.su@londonmet.ac.uk
Vice-President (North) Amir Ramin Samsul Hoq vpnorth.su@londonmet.ac.uk
Vice-President (City) Richi Sethi Muhammed Sadi vpcity.su@londonmet.ac.uk
Communication & Campaigns Officer Rishi Pancholi Claire Locke communications.su@londonmet.ac.uk
Participation & Development Officer Tarequl Islam Khan Tarequl Islam Khan participation.su@londonmet.ac.uk
Diversity & Welfare Officer MD Aman Ullah Angelo Weekes diversity.su@londonmet.ac.uk
Welfare Officer Elliot Agbon Abu Sara Awayez welfare.su@londonmet.ac.uk
International Students Officer >Empty< Towfiq Ahamed These candidates do not yet have email addresses. Students can
Part-Time Students Officer >Empty< Mohamed Mohamed contact the SU offices by ringing the city campus offices on 0207
320 2233. The North campus office can called on 0207 133 4171
Postgraduate Students Officer Adikwu Lawrence Adoli Michael P. Young

VERVE 4
 09/10 Students Union Officers (Left to Right): Rishi Pancholi (Communications & Campaigns Officer), Richi Sethi (Vice-President North),
Yeashir Ahmed (President), Tarequl Islam Khan (Participation & Development Officer), Amir Ramin (Vice-President City)
Concern surrounds the Browne report, which will
not be available until after the general election. It
is expected to recommend big rises in tuition fees
and the interest rates on student loans, eventually
leading to a US-style free market in education. Lord
Browne was the head of BP until he stepped down
after lying to the court.
Fraud claims still dog SU
The 2007/8 elections were voided after the discovery
of electronic ballot stuffing. While the 2008/9
elections suffered more from disinterest than
sabotage, claims of fraud have risen again.
Temidayo Israel, who has twice failed to secure the
Presidency, confirmed that he had filed a claim of
voting fraud with the Vice-Chancellor, Malcolm Gillies.
The claims were made against another presidential
candidate, Yeashir Ahmed. He told his Facebook
followers: “AFTER DUE PRAYER AND CONSULTATION
– I HAVE DECIDED TO FIGHT 4 D MANDATE GIVEN
BY STUDENT VOTERS THIS ELECTION”. He said that
he was “LOOKING FORWARD TO D MEETING WITH D
VICE-CHANCELLOR AFTER EASTER IN REGARDS TO D
ELECTION FRAUD ”.
President Yeashir Ahmed said, “I have been given
criminal allegations without any evidence. Well fine,
people forcing [others to vote in a certain way]. Where
are you then? There was a time for this complaint,
why they didn’t complain that time?”
Gillies ordered an investigation by the University
Secretary and Returning Officer, John McParland.
McParland told the Vervezine: “I have not seen or
been provided with evidence of any fraud in the
recent election.”
The SU’s Deputy Returning Officer, Eddie Rowley, has
stated categorically that there is no evidence that
fraud has occurred.
Communications and Campaigns Officer, Rishi
Pancholi, stated that, “there needs to be more
policing of SU elections.” He said that he was “pretty
sure” that candidates had canvassed in IT rooms (an
act punishable by disqualification), although he added
that he was not personally aware of such behaviour.
VOX POPS
Riad Jaman – 2nd Year History student Angelica Dunkley – 3rd Year Law Student
Q1. Did you vote in the Student Union Elections? Q1. Did you vote in the Student Union Elections?
If so, are you happy with the outcome? If so, are you happy with the outcome?
I did vote, I am happy with the outcome, and I’m sure I voted Rishi Pancholi for Communications officer,
all of the candidates will do a good job... but I was surprised that the president got his position
back, seeing as lots of people were very unhappy with
Q2. How do you feel about the allegations of him, and he didn’t do much campaigning. So I think,
fraudulent activity within the SU Elections? maybe some fraud occurred during the election
I wasn’t aware... period.
Rudzani Moleya – Law Student Q2. How do you feel about the allegations of
Q1. Did you vote in the Student Union Elections? fraudulent activity within the SU Elections?
If so, are you happy with the outcome? I think last year there was a lot of fraud, and this year
I voted, and I only recently heard about the outcome, they obviously haven’t sorted out the situation - it’s
and no, I guess I’m not happy with it. obviously occurred again, hence the president.
Q2. How do you feel about the allegations of
fraudulent activity within the SU Elections?
Yeah, I think obviously there has been (fraudulent
activity). I don’t know to what extent, but there has
to be some kind of fraud, ‘cos a lot of people who
haven’t campaigned are in the union now. My other
problem is that they all seem to be of one ethnic
group, and I’m not sure how you can be a student
union and represent a whole university when all of
you are from the same background, environment, or
gender - it just doesn’t make sense.
VERVE 5
The G ener a l E lection :
Writing about politics for a magazine is difficult work.
After all, if a week is a long time in politics, then our
production cycle probably counts as a geological
epoch. So I’m going to skip the bits we all know about
and go to something else.
Out of all the world’s top countries, it’s only the UK
and USA that prefers some clapped-out, undemocratic
electoral system, fetishising ‘strong government’ and
pretending that accommodating a variety of views,
rather than one set of them, is somehow dirty.
These are countries that bring up Israel and Italy as bad
examples, conveniently forgetting to mention that both
nations have massive problems quite unrelated to how
they vote. Meanwhile, nations like Germany, France
and Norway (ranked best place in the world to live) are
wondering why they never get mentioned.
I have previously said that memories of the previous
Conservative government may slow hands eager for
Cameron’s form of ‘change’ and I appeared to be right.
You see, despite their claims of victory, despite gaining
the most votes overall, the Conservatives failed.
All the parties did. The electorate spoke and said
‘That’s what we get to choose from?’
In theory the Conservatives should have been able
to create a 1997-style landslide; the conditions
were certainly there. Instead, I think, they failed to
convince that the ‘nasty party’ had been banished to
the Hell of Eternal Recession. The nation turned to the
Conservatives, but daren’t give them all the keys to
power.
Of course Labour lost, dipping below 30% popularity
and out of Number 10. While everyone’s criticism of
Brown being unelectable was strictly wrong (we don’t
elect our PMs, only MPs), his assumption of Blair’s
vacated seat was never going to please a nation that
had quickly tired of Blairism.
And the Lib Dems…they also lost. Their voter surge
turned out to be a mirage of ballot boxes that, no
matter how hard they tried, never came within reach.
Now they are stuck between a hard place and an even
harder place. Much of their base won’t even slip behind
the bike sheds with the Conservatives, let alone into
bed with them, but it comes to something when an
outgoing Labour government can make an incoming
Conservative one look like the better partner.
OK, so they lost; but who won?
Well, the public, to some degree (work with me; I’m
trying to be positive here).
The hurdle over which papers tried to boost their
favoured parties became a long drop over which they
flung themselves into irrelevance. From the Daily
Mail’s pretend outrage over Clegg’s ‘Nazi Slur’ to The
VERVE 6
They think it’s all over - but it’s not!
Comment
Mark Oxley
Sun’s attempts to paint a rich, white, man with royal
connections as Britain’s Obama, this wasn’t an election
where the papers got to dictate the public’s choice.
And that’s a good thing.
LIBERAL
Conservatives
There are other ways we may have won. Assuming
that Cameron is honest in his ambition for cuddlier
Conservatives (and he did offer serious concessions), LIBERAL
a Con-Lab coalition will inoculate him against his
own parties’ reactionary right. Certainly, a minority
government and a new election wouldn’t have helped
– we need parties to show us something new before
we vote again. Besides, both parties have the incentive
not to become the parties that destroyed recovery and
consigned us to economic oblivion.
In the end though, we simply don’t know how this will
go. Like all governments, this one needs pressure to
keep it honest, especially in the midst of a financial
crisis caused by financial institutions, but left for us to
pay.
HOT TOPIC: This election is a big issue, with
repercussions across all of society. How do you feel
about the election? Email us at the usual address:
letters.vervezine@googlemail.com
Quotes of the Campaign – some of my favourite lines
to come out of the last month, in no particular order.
“It is my job to see that Cameron fucking well gets into
Downing Street”. - Tom Newton Dunn, Political Editor,
The Sun.
“Look, my polling suggests that the overall impression
left by Cleggmania will eventually be less than what
remains of a hot slash on a tarmac road after 24 hours
in a heatwave”. - Malcolm Tucker.
“Students, get out of bed earlier if you want to vote”. -
Blogger Paul Staines
“Mr Clegg was said to have came off the phone assured
that it would be impossible to work with Brown because
of his attitude towards working with other people.” -
from the BBC News website
“When no party gets an absolute majority, the voters
are saying they don’t love any one of us enough to give
us a monopoly on power”. - David Miliband.
 Photographs by Jason Baughan
And then they came for me...
I’m sitting in the front row of a school auditorium in Camden, ten minutes before
the play is due to start. To my left is director Nic Careem who is busy fixing up
a laptop which will project video images onto the stage, where drama will meet
modern media. Written by James Still, “And then they came for me: remembering
the world of Anne Frank,” shows the events of the Nazi reign through the eyes of
two holocaust survivors.
The story is narrated by video-interviews of the two survivors Eva Schloss (Anne
Frank’s friend) and Ed Silverberg (Anne Frank’s boyfriend) that plays alongside
the onstage performance. When the characters on stage self-reflect the horrific
events, modern day Eva and Ed appears on the projector, explaining details of
their experience hiding from the Nazis, and then life in Auschwitz.
After giving the cast their well-deserved standing ovation, we are all lucky enough
to meet Eva Schloss herself, who bravely answers questions about her story and
issues raised throughout the play. Looking up at Eva on stage the audience is
taken aback by how somebody who had suffered so much is courageous enough
to still talk about her life – a truly inspiring story.
Eva and her mother were eventually discovered by the Nazis on her sixteenth
birthday. They were taken away, beaten and sent to Auschwitz. Eva tells us about
those who betrayed her and her family, “It was a Dutch nurse who pretended to
work for the resistance,” she explains. “By 1944 it became very hard to find good
hiding places. We were desperate to find a safe house and so this nurse came
forward pretending to work for the resistance – but it turned out to be a trap.”
Responding to the audience’s curiosity, Eva talks about being Jewish during the
Second World War in a country that was so full of resentment towards her race;
“people knew that I was Jewish. I was a very open and cheerful child but I lost all
my confidence.” She emotionally explains what it was like to be constantly hated,
not only by the Nazis but also by people on the street, “if you’re always told that
you’re not worth anything and you’re like vermin, you eventually start to believe
Remembering the world of Anne Frank
Kerris Gibson
it. And it took me many years to get my confidence back and not to be shy and
to be able to speak up. When two people were together I didn’t dare to open my
mouth for many years after the war.”
When studying history in the GCSE’s, I remember thinking that surely the rest of
the world knew what was going on, how could they let this happen? Why didn’t
they stop it? How did she feel when she was finally able to leave the death camp?
“I’ve never met a German person who said they knew what was going.” She
says that it was all “very well hidden. You were not allowed to listen to foreign
broadcasts – only German radio which was censored. But on the BBC, they always
talked about the death camps so it was well known over here. After the war I
felt extremely bitter, not just against the Germans but against the whole world
because I felt that they had let us down badly.”
“We had to get up very early and stand in rows for two hours,” she tells us,
describing a typical day in the famous concentration camp. “Then we got our
liquid, either tea or watery soup, then we were taken to different work stations
which varied from day to day, wherever they [the Nazis] wanted things done. It
was always very physical work from the early morning without a lunch or toilet
break until late in the evening. And then we went back to our barracks where we
would stand again for two hours to be counted, and we were exhausted. Then we
got our bread ration. By ten o’clock or so we’d go to our bunks. Sleeping was so
uncomfortable – we slept on boards. There were lice and bed bugs. Before you
started to sleep, it was nearly morning and you had to get up again.”
Educational and gripping, seeing this touching performance gives you an insight
into what the history books will not. The play is a moving message from history
that shouldn’t be left behind, and I would strongly recommend anybody to take
an evening out of his or her lives to see it.
VERVE 7
 c e s a i d :
r W i l d e on
O sca
e m o m e nt n d e r s t a nd
“ Th k y o u u
y o ut h i n
o r k o f a r t,
a great w dead for you.”
it ’s
Vintage
While the art world bickers about whether paintings
or sculptures are more interesting and valuable,
(Rembrandt or Da Vinci?), there is an art form
generating the same excitement, if not more. An art
Posters
Christian Eriksson
form that adds yet another dimension to the word
“appreciation” and which brings emotions that never
die. It is the art form of posters.
When your parents or grandparents were walking
down the streets, they would have seen a variety
of advertisements dressing up walls and billboards.
What they would considered to be information,
today’s collectors consider to be art. Who, in the
early 20th century, would have believed something
as simple as a poster would be worth hundreds of
thousands of pounds now?
Vintage posters is a somewhat underground art form,
and maybe even looked down upon by other art
enthusiasts. But when finding out that London’s Reel
Poster Gallery sold a poster from the German film
Metropolis for record-breaking £416.000 in 2006, you
realise that it’s not a small business.
“I think a lot of people, still to this day, are not aware
that posters can be bought, that they are expensive
and that they have some artistic quality to them.
It’s a very emotionally driven thing,” explains Tony
Nourmand of the Reel Poster Gallery.
“For certain types of art work, for instance a Jackson
Pollock painting, you need to have a certain level of
understanding of the art world and how things are
involved to understand it.”
VERVE 8
When broken down, Nourmand’s words on emotions
speaks for the whole genre. The deceptive simplicity
of early to mid-20th century posters brings out
feelings in people that paintings don’t seem to do.
When looking at an old movie poster, your mind
flashes back to the day you went to the cinema to see
that movie. When seeing an old sports poster, you
can feel the same excitement as you did in the crowds
of that event. When finding an old travel poster, your
memories of getting your first passport stamp from
that same destination comes back. Can you relate to
a painting in that way?
However, you don’t have to be a collector to enjoy
posters. Simon Dwyer, 49, of the Shaking Street
Gallery, sells an overwhelming majority of his posters
to people simply wanting to cover up their walls. And
there is a clear reason why people chose posters
rather than paintings. “People don’t want to put up
a Monet or van Gough because it means nothing to
them. Posters are an alternative to that; or going down
to IKEA and buying some non-descript image, which
is deliberately bland because it’s not suppose to raise
emotions or controversy. Those buying posters want
something more interesting,” Dwyer says.
The debate whether posters or paintings raise the
strongest emotions will always remain personal,
but there is one clear distinction between the two:
posters are there to sell a product.
“Posters are the sharp edge of advertising. In the
old days, if they didn’t deliver, the guy who owned
the cinema didn’t get any money, and he didn’t eat.
Vintage posters had to sell much harder than those of

today, because there were 4-5 times as many cinemas
during the golden age, and they all competed with
each other,” Dwyer said.
What would come to revolutionise the poster
industry was the birth of computers and Photoshop
in the eighties. “In the sixties it was realised you
didn’t have to use poster illustrators, you could use
trendy designers. But Photoshop basically killed the
designer,” said Dwyer. By that, posters became a
product to sell rather than an advert selling a product.
And Tony Nourmand is on the same track: “With
for example graphic artists, photographers and film
makers, today there’s not as much thought that goes
into the work. For example, when I was a student
doing photography, I had to save money to buy rolls of
film; there was a cost involved. So every photograph
I took, I had to think about to make sure the lighting
was right etc. Today, with the digital stuff you just go
click, click, click.
“It’s the same thing with designers; in the old days,
graphic designers would experiment with different
things. A result that would take two weeks to come
to, now people can do with the click of a button. This I
think is really good, but one thing that’s missing from
a lot of that is the thought process of ‘why you’re
doing that?’ and ‘should you be doing that?’”
Such thoughts went into most work up until the
eighties. This is much visible effort in movie and
travel posters, but also in advertising for sporting
events. Posters tend to reflect the period they’re
from, and sports posters are no exception.
Christie's Images Ltd
The Uruguay World Cup of 1942 poster (pictured …)
has an almost surreal feel to it, with the ability to bring
out memories only the people who experienced it can
relate to – and with no real caption, your imagination
does a lot more work. Meanwhile the poster from
England’s World Cup finals in 1966 (pictured …) has
a way of summing up what the games were all about
in an astonishingly simple way. Just as when it comes
to old movies, the stars of the time were never more
important than the game.
And no matter if the narratives featured on posters
are from movies, sports or travel, they all tell stories
difficult to find anywhere else. They’re stories of a
time more real and honest than that of today. Stories
told through emotions lasting a lifetime.
To see and learn more about vintage posters, visit
www.reelposter.com, www.shakingstreetgallery.
com, On May 13th, Chirstie’s in South Kensington
has a vintage poster auction including some of the
world’s most desirable football World Cup posters,
estimated to up to £20.000.
VERVE 9

Charlotte Sundberg
When the lights are dimmed and the room cleared,
the Rocket’s back room changes into something
incomparable. Instead of a quiet space to chat, it’s
transformed to a place where you never know how
long the party is going to last. The venue is filled
with amps ready to enhance the clearest and loudest
guitar notes, and the drum kit waits to be hit as hard
as possible to give the right rhythm. The stage is the
centre of attention and music is the medicine tonight.
Music as medicine is the thought behind the name
of the regular live music event at the Rocket. Every
other Thursday students get ready for a night of
rockin’ live music and the most creative stage shows
prepared by the performers.
VERVE 10
The men behind Medicine, James Crispin and Steve
Cairns, were pushed to organise the live nights by
their strong interest in music, especially live acts.
Steve works as a DJ while James used to play in a
band himself. “We want to put gigs on, it’s a passion,”
both of them agreed. “It’s about getting music out
there and giving people a good time,” James added.
With the ability to metamorphose into a live music
venue, the Rocket seems like the right choice for a
night of guitars and spectacular stage performances.
“It’s a cool venue,” Steve said, “You have good
sound equipment in both rooms.” For them, to
arrange a live night at a university campus “makes
perfect sense.” The university has a diverse student
population with strong opinions about what’s good
music. Performances to suit everyone’s tastes seem
like the logical choice.
They are joined in the excitement about the venue by
Black Market Karma, a band previously on the bill for
Medicine. “Yeah I dig the place. Got a decent stage
and it was good to see some pool tables. Sweet sofas
too,” said Stan Belton, vocalist and guitarist, who
enjoyed the chilled out atmosphere after performing.
What the bands playing Medicine have in common is
that they’re all appreciated by the organisers. A band
doesn’t have to fit the bill; it just needs to be good.
A claim to originality doesn’t hurt. “We have caught
bands when they are on their way up to success,”
Steve said. To find bands you have to merge yourself
with the world of music; live with the constant flow
of music in London; and to be found on the web
that is worldwide. “You just have to keep your ears
open,” James explained. “We find bands by a bit of
referencing and some bands seek us up for a gig,”
Photograph provided by: Medicine Promotions
One of the bands that’s left a strong impression on the
Medicine audience are the Rent Boys, who entered
the stage at the Rocket in a somewhat unusual
manner. As the guitarists played their first accords,
a male voice joined in – but from where? The source
of the vocals was nowhere to be seen. Slowly a body
and microphone, belonging to the lead singer, crept
out from under the stage while singing the lyrics.
“The Rent Boys sound like five inadequate human
beings trying to come to terms with an early dismissal
from a recorder club as youths. It was that early
musical exile that spurred us on to form a band that
no one cares about,” said Rent Boy Simon Ashton. If
they were dismissed from a recorder club, they were
embraced by Medicine’s crowd.
For Black Market Karma, playing Medicine was a
most enjoyable experience where quality music was
in focus. “We had a cool time playing at Medicine.
We realised early on that James picked the bands
because they played good music, not because of how
many people they could pull. It was good to see and
gave us a really good vibe,” said Stan Belton.
That vibe will be brought back to the Rocket several
times before the summer. On May 6th, Medicine will
include bands such as The Standards and Humphrey
Browne, and on May 20th the line up includes bands
such as Dear Acetate and Crowns.
LondonMet’s
Superheroes Christian Eriksson

they’d help sponsor the event, we were quite happy

for them to be involved as they donated a cool prize
[the camcorder].”

Feel the urge to put on some spandex? Think you look

cool in a cape? Got super powers? Then we hope you
attended the Super Hero party at the Rocket’s flirt!
Event last month.

300 students enjoyed themselves dressed up as their

favourite super hero – or perhaps as their own alter
Massey also has a message for anyone wanting to
egos? – for an amazing night including classic student
enjoy fancy dress parties at the Rocket in the future:
partying and a best costume competition.
“If anyone has any cool themes they’d like to see at
the flirt! nights, or just to stay up to speed with our
“Some of the costumes were amazing. Best dressed
latest and greatest theme nights and other events,
prize went to Cat Woman, who won a digital
follow us on twitter @londonmetevents. See you at
camcorder! The dance floor was busy all the way till
the next flirt!”
2am so it was a successful night and everyone had
a great time,” said the Rocket manager Alex Massey.

The popular Flirt! nights at the Rocket have had

a number of different themes, making each party
special. Massey continued, “We love coming up
with the themes, and had been planning to do super
heroes for a while. So when Kick Ass - the movie said

VERVE 11
 Picture from: ?
Credit: ?

Bolivia : South America’s hidden jewel

As the academic year comes to a close there might be the odd few among us not
so crippled with debts they can actually afford to go somewhere this summer.

Backpacking has become hugely popular with young people over the last decade,
spoiling the experience for many. You want to be a lone explorer, not at the back
of a conga of tourists. Peru’s Machu Picchu has been so damaged by visitors
trampling its foundations that it has been closed to the public. Thailand becomes
more like Blackpool each year and Australia, well, everybody goes to Australia.

So where does that leave us? Think different. Think adventure. Think Bolivia. Yes
that’s right. Bolivia is possibly the best kept backpacking secret out there. Being
landlocked has defused attention from ‘would be’ visitors but don’t let the lack
of coast put you off. What Bolivia lacks in shoreline it more than makes up for in
culture, value and excitement.

La Paz, commonly mistaken to be Bolivia’s constitutional capital - a title owned by

the equally interesting Sucre - is the most elevated administrative capital in the
world at a height of 3,600 meters. Set in a basin within the Andes, ‘The Peace’ is a
wet, cold, but unique metropolis yet to be descended on by the guidebook masses
that swarm to other major South American cities.

We’re not talking Sydney here; if you want sun, modern, and prices close to home,
then by all means go east. But if the idea is real adventure, where you cannot only
get by, but have a great time on a mere tenner a day appeals to you, then La Paz
might be your holy grail.

With a population of almost one million living amongst the clouds, La Paz is like
no other city in the world with its mixture of downtown high-rises and colonial
architecture and plazas. At night the city comes alive – but you might be so high
on the altitude you don’t need a drink!
But it’s not all hills and altitude sickness in South America’s poorest nation.
Bolivia is truly one of the most geographically diverse countries on the planet.
From mountains 6000ft above sea level to vast salt deserts and Amazon jungle
home to endless animal, bird and plant species; Bolivia will surely become one of
the hottest tourist destinations of tomorrow. So get there before everyone else.
Even for the most experienced traveller the salt deserts of Salar de Uyuni are one
of the most breathtaking and surreal aesthetic experiences Earth has to offer. A
flat, snow white expanse of land half the size of Wales, with cacti infested islands,
thousands of breeding flamingos and a beautiful volcanic backdrop is so stunning
you have to remind yourself you are still on this planet and not an alien landscape.
If you prefer to get your hands rirty rather than salty, then Bolivia caters for you
too. Rurrenabaque is a forty-five minute flight away from La Paz, transplanting
you from gigantic snow topped mountains to a scant grass runway, landing bang
in the middle of the jungle. Not for the feint hearted. Not to be missed!
And that is just where the adventure begins. Rurrenabaque is a small and friendly
riverside town skirting the Amazon and offering dirt-cheap tours of the jungle.
Pampas tours will have you catching anacondas and baby alligators by hand,
swimming in the Amazon with pink dolphins and fishing for piranhas. Squirrel
monkeys will eat bananas from your hand while they sit - perhaps even shit - on
your shoulder and you might even see capybara and green mambas - the deadliest
of all Amazon snakes. Insurance is recommended but useless.
The Bolivian Amazon boasts over 1400 bird species so numerous you might
get bored of seeing eagles, vultures and birds of paradise as you navigate what
evidently is ‘their’ home by boat.
If you’re more Mr. Danger than Park Ranger then there’s fun for you too. There’s
mountain biking down the most dangerous road in the world or exploring the still
active diamond mines of Potosi where a friendly and laid back guide will offer you
the opportunity to blow things up with dynamite. You can’t do that down under.

VERVE 12
The world-renowned Lake Titicaca lies on the boarder of Bolivia and Peru making
the crossing between the two countries a fantastic experience. Famous for being
the highest commercially navigable lake in the world at 3, 812 meters above sea
level it is also the largest lake in South America.
The Uros are Titicaca’s inhabited islands made of floating reeds and can be
visited from Puno on the Peruvian side. Isla del Sol situated off Copacabana on
the Bolivian side is one of the largest on the lake and is steeped in fascinating
mythology, white sandy beaches and Inca ruins.
In a continent that is rapidly modernising Bolivia is one of the few places where
you can feel totally removed from the monotonous safety of home. The mix of
Native American and Spanish culture makes it an intriguing historical destination
with amazing architecture and colourful festivals of folk music and dance.
Who needs beaches?
Bolivia Facts
- Full name - República de Bolivia/Republic of Bolivia
- Population – 9,000,000
- Currency - Boliviano
- Spoken languages – Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
When to go
The best time to visit Bolivia is from May to October when the days are clear,
dry and comfortable. The high tourist season is between late June and early
September. This is also Bolivia’s major fiesta season, which means prices are
generally higher as international tourists and many South Americans are travelling
at this time of year. November to April is the rainy season when overland travel
can become difficult and dangerous especially in the lowlands with numerous
tropical downpours and landslides.
Volunteering in Bolivia
Bolivia is the poorest country in South America with low levels of education and
health care, making it an ideal destination to volunteer in. Opportunities include
teaching, working on human rights injustices, helping the poor, aiding health
care organizations and creating ecologically sustainable and socially accepted
business. Organizations like Volunteer Bolivia provide a home stay with a Bolivian
family and have a Spanish language immersion school.
Visit www.volunteerbolivia.org and www.volunteerabroad.com.
Recommended tour guides
Koala Tours – Potosi
Koala Tours are one of the oldest and best agencies operating the mine tours and
will even allow you to let off your own stick of dynamite!
Anaconda Tours – Rurrenabaque
This company provide excellent guides, good food and the best equipment of all
tour agencies providing Pampas tours from Rurrenabaque.
Steven Maclean
VERVE 13
On the 10th and 11th of May, North Campus’
renowned stage- TMG-65 - will host a re-visitation
of Victory over the sun. The opera is directed by LMU
teacher and opera singer, Jacek Ludwig Scarso.
Presented by second year perfoming arts students,
this revival of the so-called “first Futurist opera” is a
Russian tinted view of the Italian Futurist Manifesto,
released in 1909.
The aim, during the show’s course, is to explore
the text of modernists. It also uses interdisciplinary
performances and collaborative work to create the
show, a mix of production and performance. If you
miss that, then they will play again at the Holloway
Art Festival in July.
Victory over the sun was created in 1913 by Aleksej
Kruchenykh and Mikhail Matyushin, depicting ‘the
futurian’s conquest of the 10th land’ - an obscure
dimension where two different crowds live. The sun
is stolen from the sky and locked in a concrete box by
“the New”, representatives of the righteous future.
Although composed in the traditional, way with music,
sets and actors, there is hardly any of the common
material that build an opera. Instead, to understand
the play you have to think of a cubist painting where
things constantly intersect with one another. The
narrative has literally no continuity and, although
visually audacious, the staging is minimalist.
As the play develops like the winding of a machine,
heavy with meanings and interconnection of
historical slots, it criticises the Futurist ideal of
rejecting the past. Moving relentlessly towards an
uncertain future, it expresses disquiet: deprived of
the sun, visions of the new world are truly mad.
Breaking with the standards of representation, the
play is ambiguous and complex. And, as easy as it
may to reflect on this type of abstract theatre, itis
also easy to underestimate its complexity.
s n d e
et
n te rpr
é l y Sundi sa b er g
M et i d M tb
s
ndo
n n
s a arlo t t eØ
Lo
l l é a Ch
Pe
It’s the end of the year.
Finals are coming up.
For the 3rd year BA Performing Arts students,
however, that means something a bit different.
They have produced the alluring play,
Pelléas and Mélisande.
Pelléas and Mélisande tells the intriguing story of a
woman, Mélisande, who loses her beautiful crown
in the water, but doesn’t wish to retrieve it. By the
water she meets a man, Golaud, whom she marries.
The marriage faces grave difficulties when Mélisande
falls in love with Golaud’s brother, Pelléas. Golaud
VERVE 14
“I am not very
keen of that
idea of theater
prescribing a
solution for today.
It should be about
imagination and
Ov e
through that it should
Th
talk about society.”
er
Because the students base their
work on finding cohesion between
using the traditional theatrical tools
and injecting modernistic themes
and aesthetics.
As well as challenging traditional theatre,
V ic
the play also challenges the audience by
tor
taking risks in presentation and subject.
De
Ultimately, a very fun play emerges, albeit
a difficult one to judge. Based on intriguing
l ve
madness, it conveys many of the criticism
cch
aimed towards modernity.
io
suspects their affair and takes action to get his
suspicions confirmed. But what will Golaud find out?
The director, Joel Scott, explained why they chose
the play for the final project. “Pelléas and Mélisande
is Maurice Maeterlinck’s most famous show, however
it is also been made famous by Claude Debussy when
he developed the play into an opera.”
The play proved to be an interesting platform for
interpretation. “It delves into fatalism and symbolism
which has proved to be a strong platform to develop
the piece. The play draws on some of the world’s
most well known fairy tales from Rapunzel to The
Princess and the Frog,” Scott added.
For the cast of Pelléas and Mélisande, the play
proved to have several interesting aspects to explore
and develop. “We wanted to explore the romantic
and grotesque aspects of Pelléas and Mélisande
and realise them in our own unique site specific
interpretation,” said performing arts student Emma
Brack, who hoped the audience got an exciting and
original performance. “We wanted to give them a
new immersive experience that tantalises all the
senses, and a night they will remember.”
Poetry
Poem Treble
Sharn Rayment
iRelationships
Click click, add as a friend,
Your privacy frustrates me.
The request sits there for days,
Until you finally decide, ‘OK’.
I try to decode your response;
What does it mean?
You’ve logged in since,
But not a word.
I tell my friends,
You drop it on yours.
Mine will smile,
Yours will frown.
“Who?” they ask,
“No way!” they say.
“I haven’t seen her since...”
“I didn’t know you spoke?!”
And then you’ll say,
“Yeah, we’re Facebook friends”
Or “she follows me on twitter”.
And just like that, you shrug
me off virtually.
Scorpio(n)
Sneaking alone through the fence’s
hole. Others may follow, they feel
connected and strengthen by your
motivations. But you want to achieve
something on your own to feel the
power of appreciation by the masses.
Expeditious and ignorant to the danger,
you move your feet on the hot stones;
your ways were never meant to be
easy. A friend you never need, they all
so quickly turn into enemies and they
risk to be pierced by your sting. Every
minute you dance with them. You really
are a dangerous star.
Loyality is a traitor,
You feel so cold
die before you live.
Laura Nunziante
Night-time cocktail
A kick in the neck from tequila,
With a slap round the face from you.
A punch in the back from vodka,
And a battering on the ear too.
A beer to make me feel lighter,
Then a slip down the stairs with a bang.
A cider that makes the room brighter,
And a heel knifes my toe like a gang.
Shots all round as I’m spinning,
Then you pull me back down to the
ground.
Liquor on the rocks is a winner,
As the beats in my head start to pound.
Wine perhaps? Oh so sweet,
As I see your head shake from afar.
But a spritzer might be easier to take,
When you’re lifting me into your car.
World War Chess PoeTRY
Gavin Crawford
Lloyd George’s Haibun
Dressed in splendour, top hat to toe. A
beguiling ball of life, a cane of magic,
the wily Welsh Wizard free-Wheels the
show. Rigmarole foreign to his verbal
dexterity, words his wizardry weapon.
Diatribe riddled with charm, policy
concocted in cauldrons of speech. The
pulse of his brain akin to an orchestrator,
of life. A flick of the wrist, a flick of his
brain, a snap of his tongue, the Welfare
State. Create. Up, down, left, right, 3/3,
staccato, crescendo, sotto voce – he
comes. Rags to riches to skirt hitches of
women he beds. Lloyd George, the first
Welsh PM, the last Liberal, a tale for a
tail, so unimaginably well read.
Two coat-tails, one coat
One Churchill in his pursuit.
Grab. Clutch. Miss. Dazzle.
The lying seasons
T-shirt, vest top, hot pants;
The sun shines and I choose to walk.
Tights and a cotton skirt,
But I’ll take a jacket, as I ought.
A summer dress and umbrella.
A cropped top and a rain mac.
Like chalk and cheese,
Yet we wear it with ease.
Light until late,
But it’s dark when I wake.
April showers?
“Not this year,” I say.
Last week I sat outside to eat,
I blamed the wind for the chill.
Stop deceiving me weather man,
I’ll have my summer whenever I will!
Boris Yeltsin’s Aleatoric Muddle Sarkozy’s Villanelle – medieval French
Communism is Orange Juice, bring me form
the “Don”. Monsieur Perignon. Mr. Brown, England, I value our bond
Free-markets? A mixer. Yes. Fill it up One Oreo please with my cup of tea
and we’re done. I’ll treat you as my archetypal blonde
Bill? What! I’m the President. It’s free.
It’s on the “palace” Where is that power that you once
Oh Bill Clinton. Yes I’ll see him. Maybe donned?
pour out some rum Gordon, R before S but S before T
Dee- Dum Dee- Dum. I am the iambic Of course Mr. B, you still run Le Monde
drinker
Some- Rum. Some- Rum. Some- Rum. Nous sommes un, don’t be fooled by
Let’s sing a folk song. Bill. No. Not the the pond
bung. Rhetorically unified, a slice of Brie?
Cigars are your poison, now what’s that Mr. Brown, England, I value our bond
G8 raison?
Europe, soon in my shadow, and then
beyond
Mr. B, do dress properly, not the khaki
A simple creature, the meniscus of the
conned
My dear English boodle, you do make
me fond
The EU, with me President, I’m so glad
we agree
The world will staccato to the tip of my
wand
England, a fallen angel, now a junk bond
France, the core of all matter, by decree
Mr. Brown, England, I value our bond
I’ll treat you as my archetypal blonde.
VERVE 15
 I am greatly honored to have the opportunity to serve
once again. Thanks to all who have supported me in
the past and continue to support me in my mission
of making London Met the best. I promise that I will
whole heartedly represent you all and ensure that
your faith in me will not be wasted.
Good luck with your course work assignments
and exams, have a great summer break and I look
forward to meeting you all at freshers fair in the next
academic year.
Best wishes,

The Students Union is a place of opportunity and Yeashir Ahmed

aspiration for all students. We are aiming to provide President
a high quality service and to ensure that every
student’s voice is heard. We the Union want you the
students to come and join us!!

Getting involved with your Union will enable you

to experience the wide range of activities available
which will not only enrich your life as a student; but
also provide you with valuable skills, experience, and
knowledge on how to better yourself as a person.

Here, networking is the key to success and leads to

Yeashir Ahmed
an improved education and personal development.
I urge anyone wishing to put their leadership and
President of the Students’ Union 09/10 negotiating skills into practice, and who just really
cares about the student life, to come and get involved
& Student Governor with the Union. It will allow you to come and work
as part of the dedicated team here at London Met.
Dear fellow students, Being part of the Union team means not only will you
be investing something into London Met Students’
I would like to offer you a warm and sincere welcome Union, but you will also be taking away with you skills
to the third publication of VerveZine. I am Yeashir and knowledge that will help you to succeed in your
Ahmed and I am your current, and now also your re- private and professional life.
elected president of the Students’ Union for 2010/11.
Student Council is made up of 46 seats where students from all areas of the University come together to form the governing body of the Students’ Union.
10 Seats – Executive Committee of Elected officers
6 Seats – Independent Student Council Members
13 Seats – Societies (affiliated)
13 Seats – Department Reps (StARs)
4 Seats – Co-opted members

MAY All students are welcome to sit as observers.

With a new Students’ Union executive elected, this is YOUR chance to come forward and have your say to make the SU work for YOU. For more
Thursday, Mayinformation
20th contact Eddie, e.rowley@londonmet.ac.uk
Student Council Meeting -
Tower Building 8th Floor Board Room (North Campus) – 4:30pm, Wednesday 5th May
• The last Student Council meeting
Clothes Swap @for
HUBthe academic year.
– 5-8pm
Bring your old clothes and bag as many new clothes as possible for a fiver (£5)
Friday, May 28th All remaining clothes will be donated to Oxfam
Summer Ball 2010 -
Robin Hood Vs W@nk£r Banker Party @ HUB – 9pm til 2am
The Rocket (North Campus) - 9pm - 3pm
Dress up as the peoples champion or an overly paid banker. In support of The Robin Hood Tax

Barnado’s Brazilian Carnival Flirt! @ The Rocket – 9pm til 2am

An evening of fabulous entertainment, including Brazilian music, samba dancers, a live band and DJs.

Plugin Baby @ The Rocket – 9pm til late - FREE

Presented by the Rock Society. Come down to see live bands. All donations will be going to Oxfam

Question Time @ London Metropolitan University (Graduate centre, North Campus)

Want to know what your degree is going to be worth?
Is London Met’s reputation going to get better?
Will tuition fees rise?
With the arrival of the new Vice Chancellor, Professor Malcolm Gillies, this is your chance to ask him directly, your concerns and questions in a lively debate.
The question panel will include the President of the Students’ Union Yeashir Ahmed, a member from the NUS and various other staff members.

The last Student Council meeting for the academic year.

VERVE 16
10 June 2010

The Boiler House

(The Chimney)
91 Brick Lane
E1 6QL

7pm - 11pm

Tickets - £5 adv
e-mail: mo_ebrahim@hotmail.com
for more information
Catwalk
Jewellery and Silversmithing

VERVE 17
LondonMet
“We live in
England
and Rugby
is a big sport,”
says Brad Webb
And I dare anyone to contradict him. Counting about
22.000 students, I dare you too to find more than
forty people knowing that a rugby team is part of
London Metropolitan University’s wall.
The last season has finished with some highs and
lows. With two really good wins out of seven
fixures against none other that ultimate rival UCL
it nonetheless ends in mixed emotions. Although
enough to consequently restore the moral of the
team and bring back confidence.
Firstly due to the lack of attendance and the
unfortunate leave of one of the player, the potential
Player of the Month James Canlas
Name: Nikita Kolomnin
Age: 23
Sport: Badminton
Course: BA Accounting and Finance
Amazing Fact: Revises 3 days before exams and still
manages to get “As”
Ad Astra Per Aspera: To the stars through hardships
VERVE 18
Rugby Team Victor DelVecchio
of the team was small but hope remained. “The
solution for a good team is to reach a great extent of
“O’ Brien did a very good job considering what he
was up against, he was tireless, he didn’t give up
comraderie,” says hooker Kenny Grant, and for us to
agree. “Enhancing the bound of the team will lead to and we have a lot of respect for him”.
pull something out of the bag. We are a team of 15
and a squad of 25 players. When we play, we respond The team has to come together and has to be
bounded. Although each year sees the arrival of new
with a win and we do do. We will come back fighting.”
players we can but hope that most of the key players
will be part of the next season. Finally, we feel that
The team was very uncertain and despite that the
games’ results lacked positivity, Nick O’brien has there should be more unity but also support on
proven the skills of a great captain: organisation behalf of the students.
and motivation led the team out of the tunnel
and saw some of the players grow during the final Cheerleaders get going!!
games. Although the game against Westminster was
cancelled, they won over Essex but with struggle to
get barely fifteen players. Although quite resilient,
they had a lot of more of experienced player and
counted few good breaks.
For the next season, the rugby team will be looking
after the freshers’ fair to recruit new people,
expecting to count an overall of 30 players. Growing
in number and strength their aim will be to be ready
in October with a whole team, an effective line up
and also a good unity within team mates. With more
players the team will make few more wins.
They say playing a sport is not a hobby, but a Nik’s Do’s and Don’ts in Badminton:
passion. This is probably true for Nikita Kolomnin
who played Badminton since he was a child. “When I Do’s
started university,” he said “I thought of joining the 1. Always think of the next shot.
Badminton club [by] chance. I started playing when 2. Be like a cat. You need to be soft, smooth and
I was six years old. Back then I suffered a broken move silent.
arm, I couldn’t bear it and I was crying. By the age of Don’ts
13, I started playing with my older brother who was 1. Try not to get the shuttle on your eye.
always better than me and my task was to beat him. 2. Never, ever CHEAT!
Now I can beat him with ease!”
The hardest thing about badminton is, he said
“Probably staying in control. You always have to be
balanced and think two or three steps forward. You
always need to have stamina.”
From such a young age, he learned the art of
competition. All the hard training and injuries he
suffered paid off when he won his first title at the
age of 13. He recalls how “winning the regional
Moscow championship was beyond expectation. I
thought I couldn’t win it and after that, I won all the
competitions I have been involved with as a junior.”
Nik has gone a long way since. Representing London
Metropolitan University and winning has been just
one of his amazing achievements so far. He truly is a
living example of someone who shoots for the moon
and even if missing it, will surely land among the
stars.
Sports Commentary
Video Technology:
Should it finally be allowed to intervene?
How does an umpire cope up with Andy Roddick’s
aces having a record speed of 155 mph? How would
you know if it really is an ace or if it went outside the
line? Seems impossible doesn’t it? Well...no. Meet
Hawks Eye, the revolutionary video technology that
is being used in tennis, rugby, cricket, and ice hockey.
This is the modern way of solving the problem of
speed and accuracy. Now the big question is: Why
can’t we have it in football?
It may seem like having this technology would have
prevented France from going through to the World
Cup by showing Thierry Henry’s blatant cheating
that blew Ireland out of the water. Or perhaps the
infamous “Hand of God” of Diego Maradona for
Argentina that sent England home in tears from the
1986 World Cup. The same technology will also serve
as the fourth official of the game. But is it feasible
to allow technology to do the job that the hired
linesmen and referee were paid to do?
There is a very thin line between success and failure.
A line that determines who is the winner and who is
the loser. One mistake of the referee and lines man
would always cost so much in terms of heartaches,
money and reputation.
During the past couple of years, FIFA tried to solve
these imprecisions in football. Some of the renowned
sport personalities and critics were in favour of this
technology as to solve the ever- growing inaccuracies
of some of the match officials’ decisions. Those who
are on the opposite side of the debate argue that
technology will ruin the very soul of the sport by
replacing “humans” by “machines”, thus stepping
away from the very culture of the game.
The recent Premier League match between
Manchester United and Chelsea is a perfect example
of misjudgements by the officials. Refereeing is not
an easy task, especially being a linesman. They are
expected to unmanageably judge off sides and on
sides. They have to look in two completely different
directions at the same time; where the ball is being
passed from and where the potentially offside player
is. There would always be errors in judging this.
It is not fair for these people to be blamed by managers
like Sir Alex Ferguson about their incompetency
whenever his team loses. If technology was used
in the match, would it disallow Drogba’s goal as he
was allegedly off side? This same technology would
have shown that Federico Macheda’s goal would be
disallowed as everyone who was behind the goal
saw that it was a patent hand ball. What about the
obvious penalty that was not awarded for Park? Will
this have changed the face of the game? Unlikely. Or
maybe not? No certainty exists in football, but from
whatever angle you look at it, Chelsea outplayed
Manchester United for most part of the game.
Let us also remember that implementing the
technology means changing the rules of the game
and any changes require a green signal from the
James Canlas
On your marks… Get set… GO!
International Football Association Board (IFAB). James Canlas
While the association has been very cautious about
The much-awaited London Marathon is hit the street
this matter, the main question is whether allowing
last month and this time it wasn’t buttery because
video technology would move the game forward or
Flora was not sponsoring the world’s most popular
make it even worse.
road race after 14 years of association. Instead, Virgin
had recently signed a contract of 5 years as the main
I personally think this is a grey area of football.
sponsor to fund and promote the event.
It can be useful and at the same time disastrous.
What would happen to the after match debates on
Since it started in 1981, the event saw the number of
the telly and papers? What about the sport pundits
participants greatly increased from 6,000 to around
being jobless with nothing to talk and argue about?
35,000 and it has become one of the most highly-
The technology might even kill the excitement that
anticipated, largest gathering of both athletes and
we, fans get from it. The essence of the game itself
non-athletes from all over the world. Each year, more
is to always show both sides of the story and officials
than a million people pucker around street corners
deciding in case there are disputes but I honestly do
and pubs to witness the event, making it not just a
not know if technology will be up for the job.
sporting event but a public party.
Only time will tell but in the meantime, we should all
This is not just any other marathon though. Since
be careful what we wish for.
its inception, the event became an opportunity for
participants to test their physical, mental, emotional
well-being and their determination to raise money
for their chosen charities. This saw many stories of
inspiration, triumph and heartbreaks all in one event.
In fact, it is also the most fruitful marathon having
successfully raised £315 million so far.
To attract more attention and raise more funds, some
of the runners dress up in fancy costumes.
This has been the tradition proving that it is also a
way of having fun while doing something worthwhile.
Think you know your sports?
Want to win a chance to have a free training session
with the university football team? How about the
sound of one on one free badminton training session
with Nick Kolomnin? All you have to do is simply
answer these questions!
London Met currently ranks what place in the 2009
BUCS League?
1. What is the name of the London Club which
famous stadium sits just behind London Met
North campus?
2. In the Sports commentary (Vervezine Issue no.
001), who is the subject of criticism?
3. Who is the London Met University Basketball
captain who led the team to victory during the
recent National Championships held at Crystal
Palace?
4. What is the most watched sport in the world?
All answers should be emailed to the sports editor at:
sports.vervezine@googlemail.com
The first three to email all the right answers will each
win one of the prizes above. So what are you waiting
for? Send the answers now before it’s too late! Good
luck!
VERVE 19
LONDON MET EMBRACES BELLY DANCING
Ladies, it’s time to take your shoes off, let your hair
down and embrace your inner goddess waiting to be
unleashed! With summer amidst us, belly dancing is
the ideal exercise to tone up and to show off your
new found talent. Lessons are held at the dance
studio every Monday evening, so if you haven’t given
it a chance, make sure you do, it’s worth it!
Despite many theories and debates on its origin,
most evidence points the finger toward the Middle
East and Africa. It evolved from being a dance ritual
that enticed muscular control in preparation for
child birth to a secular folk dance performed by Arab
women. However no longer it is confined to the world
of burning sand, the ancient art form is spreading like
wild fire in the western world. Whether you prefer
traditional Egyptian, Turkish or even Gothic belly
dancing, they all share a basic concept: Fusion.
It appears straightforward because of the natural
movement we are accustomed with; however beyond
the roots, this form of dance movement requires
discipline and control. Every detail counts. Your hip
thrust, upper and lower body undulation, snake arms,
shimmies, how you position your arms to your finger
tips all count (Starting to get technical? Don’t worry
once you grasp the technique behind the steps you’ll
pass with flying colours).
Its main aim is to isolate different parts of the
body by moving them independently in a sensuous
pattern. The great thing is, once you’ve grasped the
basic steps, it’s a wonderful medium for individual
interpretation and role playing. You can let your
imagination have full rein. So have no fear. Don’t be
threatened by Shakira’s hips that don’t lie, anyone can
be just as good, you just need to practice. What adds
icing to the cake is that body shape and size is simple
insignificant. It can be embraced by all so leave the
thinking behind and let your body speak for itself.
VERVE 20
Maya Salata
Top Tips:
1. Breathe & feel the moment: Breathe through the
movement; pay attention to your feet, belly, pelvis
and breath. Stay in the moment by living in your
belly and pelvis, feeling your feet on the ground and
sensing your breath flow past your nostrils and lips.
2. Let go of tension: Think loosey goosey! Watch
yourself in your body; are you tensed? If you’re not
having fun in class you’re missing the whole point. If
your body is stressed, your body will too. Make joy
your first focus and some magic will then happen
with your movement; it flows easier and feels better.
Beautiful Belly Dance looks good, but feels better.
3. Dance without ambition or competition: As
Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi says in her illuminating and
heart warming book Belly Dancing; Unlock the secret
power of an ancient dance; “Dance without ambition
or competition”. Judgment of self and others is such
a joy killer. If these thoughts come up to you, pay no
attention and shift your focus on better things, like
how it feels to have your feet on the ground, are you
holding your posture up correctly? Simply listen to
the music and lose yourself in it.
4. Create community: Make friends. Don’t isolate
yourself in class. Get to know like-spirited women.
This brings greater meaning to your dance.
5. Really learn the feet, they are your foundation:
Don’t brush over the feet as unimportant. They are
your very foundation of which your hips and whole
body depend, like the base of a pyramid holding up
the entire structure. Feel the earth with your feet,
live on your feet.
6. Ask questions: Don’t be afraid to ask questions
to your teacher, it always serves everyone. And
remember, you are a paying customer!

What a year it’s been once again for the London Met
tennis teams, both the men and the women won the
top divisions of their respective leagues and in the
team championship tournaments held in Sheffield
the ladies triumphed in the final and the guys cruised
to a whitewash against Leeds.
A week later was the individual championships and,
once again, the London Met lads were a dominant
force, clinching both the singles and the doubles
titles. Undoubtedly, the star was German Bastian
Gründler, who along with Oliver Kalaitsis retained
their doubles crown. But Gründler didn’t stop there
and also seized the individual title from the number
one ranked player and fellow London Met student
Matjaz Jurman.
Gründler, from south-west Germany, talks to
Vervezine about his tennis idols, the challenges facing
a tennis player, what to expect now he’s graduated
and his final swansong at London Met.
Bastian Gründler
Interviewed
How does itfeel to be University champion of the UK
singles and doubles?
I’m really happy, for me it was a lovely ending of this
whole chapter in my life, It’s nice way to round it
off and say goodbye to England, I kind of say it’s like
my retirement. That won’t be it with tennis though;
right now I’m applying for jobs in the tennis sector.
I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old, It’s always
nice to be confronted with what you love and tennis
is absolutely my passion.
How’s the tennis season been for you? We know
London Met swept the boards everywhere.
The season is over as it started in October, We won
the league again which qualified us for the knockout
stages held from February to March and mid March
was the final tournament in Sheffield where we met
Leeds in the final. We’ve been champions for the last
6 or 7 years and we won again, meaning we qualify
for the European Championships in Portugal this July.
What about personally, how do you feel about your
efforts this season?
For me it was a very happy ending at London Met
because I finished my dissertation and my academic
degree by the end of February. It was topped off
by winning the team championships and then the
individual championships, where I was able to defend
my doubles title with Oliver Kalaitsis and also beat
our number one player Matjaz Jurman, who’d won
the singles for the last 3 years. It was a real London
Met affair the whole tournament.
London Met had two teams this year, is that likely
to continue?
We had a lot of players, but funding has been dropped.
Lots of financial cuts means we cannot afford that
many players anymore. Which is sad as London Met
has such a strong tennis history.
Olly Hunter
Is it difficult to play against fellow London Met
people; does it make you more competitive?
It’s a little easier, you know your opponent very well
because you train and practice with them all the time
and you also know them as a person so you can know
how he’s going to react and maybe come up with
something. Preparation wise it a little bit easier than
having a guy you don’t know, what kind of game he’s
going to put onto you and how he’s going to play. I
like to know my opponent rather than not knowing
him before the match starts.
You are big fan of Roger Federer; who are your other
tennis idols?
When I grew up my big idol was Andre Agassi, he’s
such a big character. I was shocked reading his
autobiography and the revelations about taking
meth drugs, sometimes the public doesn’t have to
know everything, things like this are not supportive
for sport or for tennis. I saw him when I was 7 and
then Boris Becker when I was 10 or 11 and he was so
gigantic, amazing, a huge, big athlete, he was such a
personality and did great things and inspired a tennis
boom in Germany, similar to what Federer is doing
right now in Switzerland and all over the world.
Does being from the same part of the world as Roger
Federer make it closer, more real somehow?
He lives really close to me and I play in the same club
he grew up in. I’ve not played against or with him
but I have met him twice. For instance with guys like
Agassi there is this distance, that gives it something
extra when you admire them, they are unreachable,
but with Federer, he’s the same age as me, from a
town just over the boarder, he’s not so unreachable
even though he is the biggest tennis player in the
world and probably the best ever.
What does the future hold for Bastian Gründler?
Will you be going to the European Championships
in Portugal?
I don’t know, it all depends on my work situation right
now, since I’ve finished university I’m applying for
job positions and I have no idea where I’m going to
be, or what I’m going to be doing. As for the future
I’m looking to get in with big sponsoring companies
that look for people who played tennis but also have
an academic background, for distribution or even
marketing, promotion and sales. I’d like to get into
those companies as a former athlete. Winning the
BUCS Championship wont probably directly help with
this but is a nice thing to have on my cv.
VERVE 21

Mary, Anne, Caroline, Charlotte, Victoria, Margaret,
Diana. These are the names of the seven princesses
who lived and died in the historic State Apartments of
Kensington Palace. The latest exhibition “Enchanted
Palace” is a tribute to the mysterious princesses,
unlocking their secrets and giving a magical insight in
their lives, their sorrows and their fashion.
Some of the most exquisite designers such as
Vivienne Westwood, William Tempest, Stephen
Jones, Boudicca, Aminaka Wilmont and Echo Morgan
have contributed to the spectacular installations and
display their own interpretation of the royal designs
alongside originals from the Royal Collection.
Stepping into Kensington Palace, it almost feels like
getting on a ghost train. “Here’s your map, now go
ahead and find the names of the seven princesses.
“Good luck!” the lady handing out guides tells me.
Walking up the creaky stairs to the first installation,
with quiet whispers accompanying me, it really felt
as if I travelled back in time and found myself in a
whole different world.
Aminaka Wilmont’s creation kicks the exhibition off
with a bang. Their midnight-blue “Dress of Tears”
VERVE 22
Enchanted Fashion
in an Enchanted Palace
Pictures by: Richard Lea
Hair/HRP newsteam.co.uk
– which is actually not really a dress but a jumpsuit
– floats over a huge bed and is all over embellished
with crystals and sequins glistering on the fabric as
if it were real tears. “That is supposed to be Queen
Mary floating to heaven”, a guide explained. Queen
Mary II actually died in that very bed.
Leaving the room with goose-bumps, the next one up
is Stephen Jones’s contribution.
One sparklier than the other, countless hats and
headbands are tangling from the ceiling like small
Sarah Leo
chandeliers made out of feathers, satin and velvet.
In the middle of the room, on the head of Sir Isaac
Newton, a red velvet headband decorated with a
crystal red apple, suggested William Tell’s legend
(well, the girly version of it at least).
And there it is; the exhibition’s highlight. Vivienne
Westwood’s piece, a “Dress for a Rebellious Princess”,
is placed halfway on a stairway giving the impression
of a princess, who is just preparing to run away into
liberty. The dress is made out of a heavy, rumpled
fabric, in a red stain-like print and its voluminous cut
makes it almost looks like it was made for a princess
that rather enjoys crawling through muddy grass
than dancing with her Prince Charming. I couldn’t
help think about how a real princess would have felt
wearing such a dress. It must have been a nightmare
to always wear delicate gowns, not being able breath
or – god forbid – stain yourself!
In the next room, maidens, or actors dressed up
as maidens, start circling me. “Her Majesty! Her
Majesty”, they yell, but it doesn’t

According to Boudicca, the installations should
demonstrate the clockwork that drove the palace and
the daily routine of court life. However, it also gave
the impression of how the princesses must have felt
back then, being caught in their cages with only time
being able to release them eventually.
After that short flash of futurism, entering the “Room
of Dancing Princesses” feels like stepping into a dark
and mysterious forest from long gone fairy tales. An
amazing place and the kind of forest that made a
hardcore city-girl like me cry out for a camping trip.
sadly comes to an end and the names of the seven
princesses are revealed at the exit, where their
shadows are projected on the walls. Leaving through
Kensington Garden, I felt just as if I were one of the
seven – for a moment at least. But beware; after
seeing the dazzling designs, a sudden urge for some
serious high street splurging may overcome you –
who wouldn’t want to look like a princess after such
an enchanted experience?

A birch forest sets the scene where Princess Margaret’s

take them too long to realise that it’s not me they’re
looking for – I guess I should have worn something a
little more glamorous. Besides kooky servants, this
is also the place where Boudicca’s metal “dresses”
are floating from the ceiling and fast forward me in a
Fifth Element meets Star Wars kind of era.
wedding tiara and an original brown gown of hers is
displayed in crystal-like cases. A little deeper in the
forest, a stunning white lace dress, which belonged
to Princess Diana, is arranged between the trees. The
feathery waist-belted perfection is exactly the gown
a princess is supposed to wear.
Leaving behind some more rooms filled with
origami-inspired dresses, fur coats and military
jackets – everything very this season – the exhibition

VERVE 23
Vivien of Holloway
Holloway Road, the dominion of fast-food retailers
and tat-shops, seems an unlikely place to find a
fashion boutique. But five minutes away from
London Met, sandwiched discreetly between a tile
emporium and coffee shop, is Vivien of Holloway -a
leading retailer in 1940’s and 50’s glamour.
From the outside, with its understated banner and
white shop front, the store more closely resembles
a motorcycle showroom than anything else. But all
of that changes when the door opens: The first thing
that hits me is the sound of Ska and Northern Soul;
I overhear one of the assistants singing Althea &
Donna’s “Uptown Top Ranking”, and I’m sold. It kind
of feels like I’ve been transported back in time, to the
late 70’s, 2Tone records scene.
The shop itself is bright, colourful and airy, and
resembles what could only be described as a
Synesthete’s dream. To my right, a long railing that’s
crammed to bursting-point with gorgeous, authentic
50’s-style swing dresses - Polka-dots, floral, and
strawberry prints in a veritable plethora of colours
leap out, begging to be owned.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that these pieces
were Vintage – irreplaceable one-off’s; dresses
steeped in the memories of idealistic, American
teenagers on the way to a prom or drive-in.
VERVE 24
Lottie Bowater
Photography by: Kwame Mensah
But, luckily for us, Vivien of Holloway is one of the
leading London designers of Burlesque and Rockabilly
fashions, with plenty of dresses to hand with new
styles added on a regular basis.
One of the shop assistants, a glamorous woman
with flawless make-up, sashays past me looking like
she’s just stepped out of a Hitchcock picture. I ask
her for some information on the store: “Everything
is manufactured in our London warehouse,” she
informs me. “So, no, we don’t use slave labour.” This
is incredibly good news. In an industry so saturated
by cheap labour, it speaks volumes for a designer to
take the leap and produce ethically sound clothing at
an ethical price.
The clothes tend to retail between £59 for dresses
alone, and £25 with an added bolero on top. Vivien’s
also stocks a range of dresses for special occasions –
weddings and more formal events. In fact, many of
their dresses could serve as stylish wedding dresses
in their own right, and at £89 it’s a mere fraction of
the usual cost.
Boasting impressive press highlights like Elle and
Grazia, and with fans including Kate Nash and Paloma
Faith, you know you’ll be getting real style and quality
for a competitive price. All in all, Vivien of Holloway is
a real gem, and comes highly recommended.
HAREM
PANTS
Elisabeth Goldman

A girl might find herself reluctant to
try harem pants. They seem too casual,
almost like sweat pants; and who in
their right mind wants to wear sweat
pants outside of her flat?
At first, they could only be found on
the runway: there was no high street
option for a girl to try out. But slowly
they began to trickle down through the
fashion hierarchy and now they can be
found at a variety of high street stores.
When worn with heels or wedges and
a button-down shirt, they portray a
nicely polished image and can even be
worn professionally.
American Apparel has a great pair that
is not too extremely streamlined with
a high waist and a drop crotch, fitted
at the ankle. They’re not too out there
for a girl who just wants to test out the
style and they come in black, as well as
printed and tye-dyed. Urban Outfitters
also carries a variety of styles; the best
of which is their Silence & Noise harem
pant. This pair is also high-waisted but
billows out at the hips then tapers down
the leg. They’re the perfect statement-
making pants. The best part about
harem pants? They’re extraordinarily
comfortable. There’s no reason not to
try them out. Enjoy!

What's
in
your
handbag
Marta Corato
CHARLOTTE, 19
Honestly, I usually don't know what's
in my bag. I know that I have standard
things like my phone and home keys,
but the rest is just a mystery. I always
carry a huge, huge make up bag with
basically everything in it from perfume
to eyeliner. For some reason at this
moment I have anti-aging cream and a
spare earring...
?
MADDIE, 18
I never empty my handbag completely,
so I always find unexpected things in it.
It is awfully heavy because of the tons
of random coppers at the bottom that
I can't be bothered to gather. I have
my gym clothes, make up, a mirror. I
have my purse, and sunglasses even on
rainy days, because I always hope the
weather will change.

ROBERTA, 20
I'm a journalism student so I have a
notebook and pens with me all the
time. Usually I carry my camera too.
Actually, there is a lot of paper in my
bag; receipts, notes I took in class and
flyers. It makes it almost impossible
to find anything else. In the middle of
that mess, I need to have my glasses
case, lipgloss, and definitely a brush.
SARAH, 22
Two phones, two notebooks, two
lipglosses. One of the lipglosses has a
little light in it and a mirror, so I can
put my make up on even in the middle
of the night. I like to have a mini
London A-Z Guide with me, you never
know when you could get lost. My
must-haves are an umbrella, fashion
tape and lucky charm my dad gave me.
CASSIE, 20
One thing that can never be missing
is a bottle of water and some food;
sometimes it is just a cereal bar,
sometimes a baguette. I don't go
anywhere without my PDA, I am
completely in love with it. It's supposed
to be warm, but I keep gloves and a hat.
TIFFANY, 19
I am a very tidy person, so I don't really
carry around too many things. During
the swine flu terror months, I got used
to having hand sanitiser – just can't
live without it. I usually have plasters
for emergencies. It is essential to me to
have notebook and a pocket calendar.

VERVE 25
VERVE 26
 Should Condoms
Be M andatory
in
K erris G ibson
Practically every man watches porn,
it’s a given. Women will deny it, but
most of them do too. When you think
about the videos you’ve seen, can you
remember the last one you saw where
protection was being used?
“People who enjoy viewing adult
films do not want to see people using
condoms,” says Larry Flint, publisher
of monthly American porn magazine
‘Hustler’. Be that as it may, the influence
that it’s having over young people and
the porn industry is unhealthy.
Photograph edited by: Mehmet Mulla
Original Photograph by: Kerris Gibson
P orn?
But don’t be fooled by the glamorous
lifestyle it portrays. The average
worker makes only $60,000 a year and
that isn’t including retirement or any
benefits. There is nothing protecting
them after they test positive; once that
happens, the game is up!
Last summer an unnamed porn
actress tested positive for HIV and
‘The Aids Healthcare Foundation’ filed
complaints and sued the production
companies she worked for. They
have started a petition (filed on 17th
Dec) which the California Division of
Nielsen NetRatings show that in Europe
one in four teenagers between the ages
of 12 to 16 look at porn. In the UK it’s
six out of ten.
Young people watch porn, this is
inevitable. Because porn doesn’t
practice safe sex they have been lead
to believe that ‘bareback’ is sexy. As if
the first time isn’t scary enough, when
it finally comes to the initial act, they
don’t understand what they should be
protecting themselves from.
You’d think that with all the money

Actors in the adult filming industry, by
the United States’ law, have to take a
monthly HIV and STD test and prove
that it is negative before they go on set.
It is argued, this will protect them from
contracting aids by fellow employees.
However, all that this does is put
their mind at peace and bide time for
another four weeks; it doesn’t change
the fact that their contracts require
them to have unprotected relations
with whoever they’re told to.
The biggest porn making industry in
the world is situated in Los Angeles
and it keeps growing. Roughly 300-500
people join every month and there are
more jobs in this sector than any other.
6000 workers, 1200 actors produce
4000-7000 adult films a year in LA.
Illustration by Alexander O’Rourke
Occupational Safety and Health have and charity work that has went into
until June to make a decision. preventing AIDS and HIV in less
economically developed countries as
The petition wants to change the state well as funding life saving treatment,
law; making condoms mandatory in we’d pay attention to our own sexual
filming and test actors more regularly. health at home. The fact of the matter
The president of the foundation is that it’s severely taken for granted.
Michael Weinstein announced “we
will not stop until there is a policy of
requiring condoms to be used in porn.”
It is actually safer to be a prostitute in
Nevada than to make an adult film in
LA. A legal medical article written by
Corita R Grudzen and Peter R Kerndt
revealed that not a single sex worker
has contracted HIV since mandatory
condoms were introduced in Nevada
brothels in 1988. Prostitution has been
legalised in Nevada and abolishing it as

a crime has reduced risks considerably.

VERVE 27
 Hot Summer Talent
The weather is almost here for swimwear, shorts,
sunglasses and dads in Speedos, but just because the
weather is getting warmer, it’s not the only thing that
is hot this summer. With numerous festivals going
on throughout the summer with mainstream bands
headlining all of them, we need to remember that
July and August are the best time for new music.
Vervezine thought we would give you a run down
on a bunch of fantastic talent to look out for over
the coming months. First on our list is Redtrack,
a three piece from Essex, who recently appeared
on Hollyoaks, the indie pop trio always get people
dancing and involved in their shows, and having
mer
recently just got signed to a record label, the Redtrack
world just got interesting.
Reading Festival is only a few months away, and even
though this is about new music for the summer, there
is one mainstream band worth talking about that has
caught everyone by surprise this summer and that
Su m
is Arcade Fire. An unusual selection for a headliner
at such a festival as Reading Festival but it will be
interesting to see what the band have their sleeve for
this event slot over the summer.
Arcade Fire has been around for a few years now, with
great albums such as Neon Bible and has performed
with the likes of David Bowie. However, are they
headline material? The band have near enough been
H ot
considered ‘cult’ since they came but even with
the shock headline slot, which sort of echoes what
Glastonbury did with Jay-Z, it will be nice to see that
a band like this has been given this opportunity.
VERVE 28
Anthony Adams
Newest band Call Me Animal has been slaying the
Camden scene for a while now. Rumoured to be the
best new band around in central with their modern
sixties style rock and roll music. Their songs ooze
influences of The Rolling Stones, The Clash and many
ent
more from the punk era, but with their own twist on
it and their name says it all, Call Me Animal are wild
beasts at heart.
Next is Jazica, an electro group from Southampton,
gaining exposure from BBC 6 Music Radio, crafting
Tal
their sound around synth machines and energetic
performances, this band are currently touring the UK
and hitting London over the coming months.
There are some artists that you just accidently
stumble on because you just happen to be there at
the right time, we discovered a pop artist called Twigs
in a small bar in Angel, a petit Camden child who sings
flirtatious pop songs with a minx of a performance.
The final talent we are going to talk about is post- Reykjavik
hardcore band called Reykjavik, a post hardcore band
from Kent, who are part of a small genre which is
normally dismissed these days as screaming, but with
strong riffs and horse face masks (seriously) Reykjavik Call Me Animal
are a fantastic band to witness live.
Twigs
Jazica
Arcade Fire
Redtrack
London Met
Goes Urban @ the Rocket
James Canlas

Possibly the largest society at London Metropolitan
University, the Urban Music Society held the biggest,
loudest and funkiest event of this year at the Rocket.
More than 300 students attended the event where a
bunch of talented students took on the stage to show
their singing, rapping and dancing prowess.
The event was touted as the most successful event
this year attracting not only their members but also
other students who appreciates urban music. Abby,
a second year International Hospitality Management
student said “I think these kinds of events are fun. It
is my first time and since I am a fan of funky, hip-hop
and rap music, I came down to check it out.”
the students to make the event a huge success. He
said, “The event is a platform for students who have
passion for music to showcase their talents. I am
so delighted that this has become their chance to
show what they can do and the fact that we have the
largest number of turn- out, this night proved that
London Met students have many to offer not just by
academic means.”
Performers include the Cheerleading Society and a
special rap number by Ernest Andreyevich Reid and
Lawrence Jackson.

Although most acts went to stereotypical hip-hop

slash gram artist type of tune, Sharon Rose, a third
year law student incredibly sang two tracks including
hit ballad “Listen” of Beyonce. She earned the loudest
cheer of the night, in fact, many wants her to try out
on X- Factor.

Kuksy McDuncan, the president of the society was

overwhelmed by the amount of support given by

VERVE 29

Uk FESTIVALS Isle of White
The Isle of White Festival has a backline
Anthony Adams of history ranging from the likes of the
Who, Jimi Hendrix and many more, it
has been around for what seems like
centuries forever providing us with
unique, strong line ups and once again
2010 is going to be a fantastic year for
it. The Strokes, Jay-Z and the Beatles
legend Paul McCartney as headliners,
and if that doesn’t warm your toes
check out the rest of the line up, with
Blondie, Florence and the Machine,
Calvin Harris, Biffy Clyro, Spandau
Ballet and Doves all confirmed to play.
Download
Download Festival always is allowed
to boast of heavy rock line ups to
burst your ear drums, and this year is
no exception, taking the more classic
approach to the line up this year, with
the likes of Rage Against the Machine,
Aerosmith, and AC/DC headliner, also
the Deftones are playing even with one
of their band members in a coma, and
Slash will be debuting his solo work at
the festival.
VERVE 30
Reading and Leeds Festival
Reading and Leeds Festival this year has
become a sort of reunion event which
the likes of the Libertines and Blink
182 reforming this year and playing
the festival. Arcade Fire is headlining,
which I think everyone was surprised
about but it will be interesting to see
what the band have got hidden up their
sleeve. The festival itself has grown
and grown in popularity over the years
and with the headline it has booked
this year, which Paramore, Guns and
Roses, Queens of the Stone Age and
many more, Reading and Leeds Festival
will soon become the nation’s number
one festival.
T in the Park
2010 seems to be an exciting year for
T in the Park Festival, with Eminem
confirmed to headline on the Saturday
night, sharing the bill with Muse and
Kasabian (which hopes to take the
band to the world wide stage after
this event). This festival not only has
a decent set of headliners on the main
stage, but also a great selection of
entertainment throughout the festival,
with the likes of the Black Eyed Peas,
Prodigy, Madness, David Guetta and
Jamie T all printed on the bill to play.
Pictures: Glastonbury 2009
Glastonbury
Free love, peace and naked hippies,
think what you will about Glastonbury
but no matter what gets thrown at it,
the festival is still ploughing through,
having shredded it’s ‘John Lennon, war
is over’ label, it has now moved up into
the mainstream along side the rest of
the big events of the year. This year it
has legend Stevie Wonder closing the
weekend and U2 playing their first time
at the festival having been rumoured
for years. Dizzie Rascal, Muse and many
more are confirmed, but Glastonbury
is just about the music its is about the
atmosphere to the place, with face
painting and the sacred place to get
out-of-your-mind drunk while staring
at the stars at 3am. Glastonbury is the
all rounder when it comes to festivals
and we hope it is still here in years to
come.
European Festivals
Will Byrne
The days are getting warmer; the
evenings getting longer and everywhere
you go there is a faint rhythmic tone
piercing the night air. It can mean only
one thing - festival season is upon us
again. And with Britain now hosting
more festivals than there are weekends
in the Summer, we have decided to look
further a field to find out how the rest
of Europe measures up in the outdoor
musical experience stakes. Here’s our
pick from the rather extensive list.
Enjoy.
Exit Festival, Serbia
In terms of pure aesthetic beauty
and sprawling architectural grandeur,
Serbia’s Exit Festival, which takes place
at the Petrovaradin Fortress on the
banks of the River Danube each July, is
very hard to beat.
First held in 2000 as a reaction to
Slobodan Milosevic’s repressive regime,
Exit festival reached its maturity in 2007
when it was named ‘Best European
Festival’ at the UK Festival awards.
Set over 25 stages and attracting an
eclectic mix of international music acts,
Exit’s 200,000 strong crowds is spoiled
for auricular choice.
This year’s headliners include The
Chemical Brothers, Faith No More,
Missy Elliot and Royksopp. With
Pendulum making a welcome return
to the festival circuit and those early
pioneers of LA Punk, Suicidal Tendencies
also set to make an appearance, Exit
has something for every musical taste.
But make sure to pack comfortable
footwear for this one. With medieval
cobbled roads to deal with, and steep
pathways leading from the Fortress
down to the River, blisters and sprains
can cause as many headaches here as
the ubiquitous festival hangover.
(8th - 11th July,
£85 – 4 day weekend pass)
Benicassim, Spain
Situated roughly half-way between
Barcelona and Valencia along Spain’s
Mediterranean Coast, Benicassim
hosts a musical orgy like no other on
the Iberian peninsula. Over 150,000
party-goers descend upon this sleepy
fishing village each July for an event
which has come to be affectionately
known as ‘Glastonbury-del-Sol’.
The emphasis here is most definitely
on Indie/Electro music, with this year’s
list of headliners confirming as much.
Kasabian, The Prodigy, Ian Brown,
Leftfield and The Cribs are all confirmed
to play with Two Door Cinema Club and
Mumford & Sons among the less well-
known acts that are set to shine at
‘Europe’s Biggest Beach Party’.
Although a nine day camping pass is
included in the price of your ticket, it
may be worth investigating alternative
accommodation options. With all the
action taking place between 5pm and
8am, and afternoon temperatures
topping 40, it may be worth booking
into a local hotel. For €10 you can get
a room with A/C, warm showers and a
comfortable bed. What better way to
prepare for a long night of partying?
(15th – 18th July,
£160 – 4 day weekend pass includes 9
day camping pass)
Roskilde, Denmark
As Denmark’s premier music festival,
Roskilde has grown to become one of
the main players along the international
festival circuit. Only a few months
younger than our own Glastonbury, it
too celebrates its 40th anniversary this
year. The organisers have arranged an
extra special line up to mark the event.
Motorhead, Alice in Chains, Gorrilaz,
Jack Johnson and Muse hold true
to Roskilde’s signature mix of heavy
guitar- based rock with more main
stream commercial acts, while some of
the smaller stages will host Afenginn,
Beach house and the Bear Quartet, to
name but a few.
But birthday parties and a stellar line-up
are not the only things which Roskilde
has in common with Glastonbury.
Over the years this festival has shared
the same misfortune with weather
conditions as our own pre-eminent
musical gathering. Though last year’s
event was the hottest, and driest, on
record, the history books show that
rain, often torrential, is almost a given
here. The savvy traveller should pack
for every eventuality which, in extreme
cases, may even include scuba gear.
(1st – 4th July,
£197 – 4 day weekend pass includes 4
day warm-up pass 27th-30th June)
Picture from: Benicassim
Credit: FIB Archive / Oscar L. Tejeda
Rock Werchter, Belgium
Belgium is not usually the first place
you think of when planning your
summer festival route. However, this
may be about to change. From ‘I Love
Techno’ to ‘Pukklepop’, Belgium now
boasts an impressive list of top-notch
summer festivals. But sitting proudly
above them all is one name familiar to
every music aficionado, Rock Werchter.
Held on the side (literally) of one the
country’s main thoroughfares, Rock
Werchter is the unofficial point of
pilgrimage for Belgian music fans.
Taking place over four days in early
July, this festival is a ‘back-to-basics’
affair which seeks only to be judged on
its musical merit.
Old school favourites like Green Day,
Pearl Jam, Faithless and Rammstein
are joined by relative newcomers
Vampire Weekend, Empire of the Sun
and the Gaslight Anthem to ensure that
most generation gaps are adequately
spanned. And, with The XX rumoured
to be going live with Kytemans Hip
Hop Orchestra, there may still be some
surprises for even the most seasoned
Festival goer.
(1st – 4th July,
£164 – 4 day weekend pass)
VERVE 31
MUSIC
TA NKU S THE
HENGE
Alisa Nirman
With a rapidly growing fan base, there is a new act
whose name will without doubt be on everyone’s
lips in very near future. We met Jaz Delorean, the
front man of Tankus the Henge in Soho and joined
him for a camomile tea and a couple of stories.
When asked to describe the sound of Tankus the
Henge, he paints a vivid picture of going to the
circus and falling in love, then the whole circus
tent falls down and the band keeps playing. The
depiction is definitely very accurate. There seems
to be nothing boring or ordinary about this band.
With six members who all play more than one
instrument, there can be a lot of noise when the
band gets together. The motivation has always
been to get people dancing. “People worry too
much about everyday things. At a Tankus the
Henge gig I want them to forget all that and go
to a different world and have fun,” Delorean said.
Their look is inspired by a funfair where the
A GOOD AND HONEST VENUE
Being able to walk out of a pub or venue and feeling
completely satisfied is a very rare thing. There is
usually at least one little annoyance, even in the best
pubs. The music being too loud or there not being any
music, the beer being over priced, the wrong crowd,
bad food, rude bar staff, the list could go on forever.
So I didn’t hold my breath as I entered the Flowerpot,
a small, often overlooked pub and venue in Kentish
Town. The pub itself has quite a cult following as it is
owned by the same man who ran things down at the
late and great Nambucca in Upper Holloway.
What surprised me at first was the free entry, which
is their policy every night, no matter who is playing.
The next thing that caught my attention was the
prices. Most venues seem to charge through the roof
for a can of beer, but not the Flowerpot. They charge
a modest £3 for a pint, a great price in this location.
We then took our seats and waited for the first of two
live acts that evening. However, our conversation was
stopped short by a man called Jay, who turned out to
be not only the manager, but also the headlining act
of the night. He welcomed us to his pub and offered
us to join in the free BBQ in the back garden. The
VERVE 32
REVIEWS
four of them used to work together and Delorean They returned recently from a gig in Albania, where
still operates a steam-powered ride. He lists his they were sent by the British embassy to represent
musical influences as everything from Edith Piaf and England at a festival dedicated to the beginning of
Tom Waits to Abba and Gogol Bordello. Even the summer. They plan to return to Albania later this
name has a colourful story behind it; Tankus was summer. “It’s a beautiful country, and people really
the name of a ship his great great grandfather was know how to dance there.”
trying to sail to England from the Mediterranean, but
which unfortunately sank on the way because of the
overwhelming weight of the thousands of shillings he
was collecting on the bottom of the hull.
There is another motivation for making music
besides entertaining. “I want to change the world.
I’m a strong believer in smiling and talking, it could
have solved a lot of problems.” There seems to be
something to this philosophy. “And I’d like there to
be a Tankus the Henge record in every house”, he
added, laughing. With their catchy tunes and fun
rhythms, it would certainly help people smile more.
Pub review
Tom Knock
show itself was fantastic, it was intimate and full of
energy; everything a show should be.
They have live music every night from all walks of life,
so you’re sure to find something you like. If not, just
pop down on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon for the
free BBQ! It’s only a five minute walk from Camden
Town Station, so make the most of the good weather
and get down there!
Flowerpot
147 Kentish Town Road
London NW1 8PB
02074856040
www.flowerpotlondon.com
Ellie
Goulding
Steven Robinson
Ellie Goulding topped the BBC’s Sound of 2010 poll,
won the Critics’ award at the Brits, despite only
having released two singleds. Her debut album will
decide whether she will end her 15 minutes of fame
and fade away, or continue her career as a 'star'.
Her album Lights is a collection which passes my
expectations. To her fans, this will be a blessing for
their starry eyes (and ears) that will lift her status
exponentially. Maybe not to the level of Lady Gaga,
but definitely towards the level of Florence Welch,
whose vocals may also not be to everyone’s taste.
Ellie Goulding is a good vocalist and is enjoyed because
her music is “poppy and fresh”. There are, however,
moments when her ‘endearing cuteness’ moves on
to uncomfortable irritation for many listeners. She
clearly has a lot of influence from artists like Marina
and the diamonds, Paloma Faith and N-Dubz, which
guarantees a sense of modernity to prevail.
Redwood Falls
Anthony Adams
Redwood Falls, a brand new band from South East
London, are practically a baby in the music world,
having only formed a few months ago. They have been
hidden away, delaying the time when they actually
hit the stage for the first time, perfecting their songs
to ensure their releases are flawlessly magnificenct.
The band formed around the exciting Bexleyheath/
Dartford music scene which boasts of packed,
intimate gigs in small venues by promoters such
as I (Heart) and little indie clubs like Club Sushi.
Redwood Falls play a selection of blues rock songs
and occasionally whack out an Elvis show tune from
time to time in their set list.
www.myspace.com/redwoodfalls

Songs like The Writer and I’ll hold my breath will

provide the listener with more of what they enjoyed
with Under the Sheets and Starry Eyed, while Wish I
Stayed is a well placed highlight, full of percussive
light keys, which help keep people interested.

Plan B Charlotte Sundberg

Plan B’s new album, The Defamation of Strickland
Banks, has stormed the charts and managed to
capture the number one spot since its release.
The album itself marks a self-invention by the London
rapper. Indie influenced rap is nowhere to be found,
a sharp-suited rapper with soul and Motown inspired
rhythms up his sleeve has emerged instead.
long is only one of the songs that catches the listeners’
attention. Songs like Prayin’ and The Recluse have the
power to make anyone want to go back and listen to
soul albums from the 1960s.
The album is a sure hit for the London rapper. With
The Defamation of Strickland Banks, Plan B has
created an album for any fan of fetching melodies.

The album tells the story about Strickland Banks, his

time in jail and the reasons for his imprisonment. It’s
hard not to be carried away by the stories and the
melodies on the album. The Defamation of Strickland
Banks is filled with catchy tunes. The single Stay too

VERVE 33
VERVE 34
ERASING DAVID (2010) Laila Lala
Can you live a normal life without leaking personal
information with every step you take?
Erasing David, the new Greenlion Production, covers
this topic with a self-experiment. David Bond tries
to disappear from the surface of earth for 30 days.
Following him is top investigating team, Cerberus.
“It was really stressful to disappear. I definitely went
through a phase where I saw everyone everywhere”,
says David in a Q&A session after a preview screening
at the FreeWord Centre in Dalston.
When he saw the wall Cerberus had put together
with information about him, he was shocked. The
‘wall-of-death’ as he calls it covered everything, from
information about his family to used train tickets.
“If I had felt that Cerberus stole my privacy, I would
have had someone to be angry at. But they didn’t. It
was already gone before they started looking.”And
what can we learn from this? Is it really impossible to
be a citizen of modern society without compromising
parts or all of your privacy?
Especially in British culture, everyone is used to
answering a few questions about private details
when e.g. signing up to the NHS or just a Tesco Card.
Even giving out your postcode when buying a shirt
reveals more than you know. Combined with an
understanding of what you bought, demographic
details can be recorded and used to create a mosaic
of your day-to-day activities.
Legislation still needs to catch up with technology.
With millions of CCTV cameras, otherwise personal
information is always being collected and even more
so online. Facebook is a leading example of how we
compromise our own privacy. By signing up to the
page, a contract is agreed to, exchange personal data
for a little bit of software. Even after deleting your
page, your information will be kept.
So after knowing all this, wasn’t making a film about
himself the biggest compromise on privacy he could
have made, David Bond is asked by the audience.
“Yes”, he says, but he’s also very proud to be in it.

Laila Lala
UPCOMING MOVIE RELEASES - MAY/JUNE
Sex

and the City 2
“Carrie On” MAY
Premiere: 25th, May 2010 May 1st May 28th
Directed By: Michael Patrick King Le Fear (2010) (London) Sex and the City 2
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker - Carrie Bradshaw Release (2010/I) (limited) Tooth Fairy
Kim Cattrall - Samantha Jones The Losers
Cynthia Nixon - Miranda Hobbes May 2nd Bedroom Confidential
Kristin Davis - Charlotte York Neighbor (2009) Black Death
Chris Noth - Mr. Big Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time
May 7th
Our favourite four New Yorker girls are back on the big Furry Vengeance (2010) May 31st
screen. From Friday 25th of May, Carrie, Samantha, The Special Relationship (2010) Pimp
Charlotte and Miranda are back to brunching, A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
marriage and a whole lot of fashion. Dear John (2010/I)

3 years have passed since Carrie’s and Big’s wedding. May 8th JUNE
All of the girls are still happily married (Samantha to Clouds Fly West - Oblatsite letiat na zapad (2010)
her job instead of the man of her dreams), but a few Telefone (2010) June 2nd
things have happened. Charlotte appears to have a 4.3.2.1
second daughter and Carrie is about to write her next May 14th
book, this time about life not only in a relationship Last Night June 3rd
but with a ring around the finger. Robin Hood Release

The follow up takes place in New York as well as May 15th June 4th
Dubai, where Samantha is planning to open up a PR- Geography of the Hapless Heart Death at a Funeral
office. One of the girls wants to adopt a child (or so
says general gossip about the movie). With Carrie May 17th June 11th
busy writing and being a wife it probably won’t be Capture Anthologies: Love, Lust and Tragedy Greenberg
her, but we’ll only ever know from the 25th.
May 21st June 12th
But while you are waiting for the release, actress Kim Hippie Hippie Shake Masterpiece
Cattrall can be seen in Noël Coward’s English classic Letters To Juliet
Private Lives which is playing at London’s West end
Vaudeville Theatre (404 The Strand, WC2) until 1st, May 24th
May 2010. Carlo Of The Living Dead
The Many Lives and Deaths of
Giovanni Lombardo Radice

VERVE 35

Private Lives
Theatre Review
Noel Coward’s fantastic comedy about love, lust and
volatile relationships has been brought to life once
more by former National Theatre artistic director
Richard Eyre. The play, which is currently running
at the Vaudeville theatre, has managed to appeal
to a contemporary audience despite the obvious
domestic violence subtext that lies very close to
the surface. At one point in the play, Elyot claims in
a casual tone that “certain women should be struck
regularly, like gongs” however this does not detract
from his appeal.
It begins with ex-husband and wife (Amanda and
Elyot) both honeymooning in the south of France in
adjacent balconies. This leads them onto rekindling
their love and in what can best be described as a
melodramatic manner, they flee their spouses.
Kim Cattrall successfully manages to discard her
famous identity of Samantha from Sex and The City.
She first appears in a white towel and blond curls
releasing a Monroe like quality of a woman confident
with her exuberant sexuality. From the second act
onwards, Amanda giddily skips around the stage
the
Film Review
ghost writer
Sarah Leo
Grey, cold and hostile – these are the words that
come to mind thinking back to Roman Polanski’s
latest work The Ghost Writer.
The film adaptation of Robert Harris’ novel tells the
story of an author (Ewan McGregor), stereotypically
poor and lonely whose name is never revealed. He is
called to polish the memoirs of the controversial ex-
Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan).
Sounds rather unspectacular, but there’s a catch:
the ghost’s predecessor has been found dead on the
shores of Martha’s Vineyard. Was it suicide? Or was
it murder after all? A nail-biting chase begins when
Ewan McGregor starts to look for answers and Adam
Lang, who is clearly modelled after Tony Blair, is
accused of human rights violations.
To make matters even more complicated, Lang’s
spouse Ruth (Olivia Williams), who is not very
amused by her husband’s affair with his assistant
(Kim Cattrall), makes herself a home in the author’s
bed. Who would have thought that the life of a ghost
could be that nerve-racking?
Ewan McGregor nails the role of the slightly faceless,
yet charming author and Pierce Brosnan convinces
as the brisk politician with a dazzling smile and more
skeletons in his closet than expected. Thanks to
Polanski, The Ghost Writer, with its strong characters
and edgy dialogues, is a welcome alternation to the
typical by-the-numbers US thriller.
VERVE 36
REVIEWS
Sarah MacKenzie
in silk lingerie and bare feet, visually signifying her
promiscuous nature.
Matthew Macfadyen is brilliantly cast as the
upper class Elyot, playing the stereotypically camp
character in a masculine and harsh manner. He is an
expert of comic timing and uses the sharp dialogue
to his advantage. Macfadyen together with Cattrall
convey a believable chemistry that is as sexual as it
is sadistic.
There are hilarious supporting performances from
Lisa Dillon as the wonderfully irritating Cybil,
demonstrating an incredibly pre- feminist portrayal of
a woman. And Simon Paisley Day as the ever faithful
Victor, who’s journey through the play results in a
near mental breakdown whilst ‘fighting’ Elyot that
is reminiscent of an angry Basil Faulty. Rob Howell’s
set for Amanda’s Paris apartment is as flamboyant
and off balance as her erratic relationship with Elyot.
This is demonstrated during a memorable moment in
a fabulously choreographed fight scene in which the
cleverly designed floating fishbowl springs a leak.
Overall, the combination of the talented cast and
Coward’s sharp witted script results in an impressive
performance. Although written over 80 years ago and
throughout comically depicts violent relationships,
Private lives still manages to appeal to a 21st
century audience. It raises many questions about
the dynamics of love and the importance of sex in
Kim Cattrall & Matthew Macfadyen
a relationship and ultimately leaves us questioning,
what does the future hold for people who deeply love
each other yet cannot get on?
Film Review
THE BLIND SIDE
Sarah Leo
Based on a true story, The Blind Side pictures the eventually accepts a football scholarship from the
rocky journey of Michael “Big Mike” Oher (Quinton University of Mississippi.
Aaron). He was handed from one foster family to
another because his mother had more love for a shot The very last scene shows the real Michael Oher
of vodka than she had for her son. joining the Baltimore Ravens where he started his
unbelievable football career. The Blind Side is full of
At the age of seventeen, Mike is sent to a through emotion and hope that rather aims at amusing the
and through white, Christian school in Tennessee, viewer than at evoking pity and guilt. Sandra Bullock’s
where his massive figure, his moderate performance performance lifts The Blind Side from average crowd
and having the ‘wrong‘ skin colour mark him out as a pleaser to Oscar-worthy adaptation.
perpetual outcast.
One day, Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), the
typical blonde southern belle and head of the
picture-perfect Tuohy clan, picks Mike up from the
street and gives the runaway a caring, new home.
Soon the Tuohys discover his extraordinary football
talent and when he starts playing for the school’s
team, a national hype around him arises. He has
every major college football team scrambling over
him. After slowly improving his grades, Big Mike
VerveZine Issue No.003

L M U S t u d e ntsTeam

Writing Staff Letters

Editor
Charlotte Ostby Sundberg
editor.vervezine@googlemail.com
The Vervezine is nothing without its readers. We
write because we want to entertain and inform you,
and that means we want to know about what works
for you.

Sub-Editor We want you to talk, to tell us what you like or dislike

Mark A. Oxley about the magazine or just about what bothers you
subeditor.vervezine@googlemail.com today. Email your praise, corrections and criticisms
to: letters.vervezine@googlemail.com
Feature Editor
Christian Eriksson Leads
feature.vervezine@googlemail.com
London Met is a big university; a lot of good (and
bad) things go on without ever becoming public
Lifestyle Editor knowledge. But we can’t find things out unless
Kerris Gibson someone talks to us. We welcome both promotional
lifestyle.vervezine@googlemail.com information and people looking to break stories.

Entertainment Editor Like all journalists, we protect our sources by not

Anthony Adams revealing their identity. We can treat our sources
Cover image as anonymous (we will not name you in our articles)
entertainment.vervezine@googlemail.com
by Richard Lea if the issue is of importance. Matters of serious
Hair/HRP newsteam.co.uk importance can be taken off the record, meaning
Sports Editor that we will not use what you say. Instead, we would
James Canlas and use your lead to acquire the information on our
Design Team sports.vervezine@googlemail.com own. There would be no trail back to you.

Art Director Writers If you have something important to say,

Mehmet Mulla Alisa Nirman email us on editor.vervezine@googlemail.com
or subeditor.vervezine@googlemail.com and state if
Elisabeth Goldman
you need to speak ‘anonymously’ or ‘off the record’.
Designers Laila Lala
Mehmet Mulla Lottie Bowater
Nick Hill Marta Corado
Maya Salata
Photographers Ollie Hunter
Kwame Mensah Sarah Leo
Kerris Gibson Sarah MacKenzie
Steven Maclean
Jason Baughan
Steven Robinson
Rachel Pullman
Tom Knock
Victor Delvecchio
Will Byrne Communications
& Campaigns Officer 09/10
Poets Rishi Pancholi
Gavin Crawford communications.su@londonmet.ac.uk
Laura Nunziante www.londonmetsu.org.uk
Sharn Rayment

VERVE 37