30 MUSICThe Stag | Wednesday 14 th November 2012music@thestagsurrey.co.ukReview: 2:54 – ‘2:54’By Jason Hough, Music TeamIt’s a curious notion to name yourband after your favourite basspart in a Melvins song (‘A History<strong>of</strong> Bad Men’ if you’re interested)but that’s exactly what this Bristolbased,doom-tainted, atmosphericrock quartet fronted by twin sistersHannah and Colette Thurlow did.This group has hurled elements <strong>of</strong>grunge, psychedelia, post-punk,indie, a twist <strong>of</strong> the blues andearly Queens <strong>of</strong> the Stone Age intoa blender and made an audiblychilly but yet satisfyingly uniquesmoothie. With added ice.Every song sounds like itwas written inside <strong>of</strong> a fog-filledcavern or on a frozen lake, devoid<strong>of</strong> human civilisation. The album’sopener ‘Revolving’ sounds like itwas thrown inside a well, but ina good way. The vocals resonatebeautifully, guitars s<strong>of</strong>tly cry andbass lurks over as an ominousmenace present throughout. Atseveral moments in the song,tension does accumulate tobursting point before subsidingback to more ambient levels. Thisis one <strong>of</strong> the album’s strengths,the threat <strong>of</strong> imminent danger andtension is sustained constantly,keeping the listener unsettled butalso enthralled. ‘You’re Early’ luresyou in with its tribal drumming,like wandering into a valley at duskunaccompanied. ‘A Salute’ is theworrying walk down back alleypaths on your own. Lead single‘Scarlet’ is the story <strong>of</strong> sirens,with vocals mimicking perfectlysailors being lead to their demise.‘Circuitry’ is the possible hardship<strong>of</strong> a couple in a violent dispute,the aftermath too saddening tocontemplate. All <strong>of</strong> these scenariosseem plausible by how the solidarity<strong>of</strong> guitar, bass and vocals craft theatmosphere driven by pounding,primal drum beats, pushing theseindividual stories into a flowingnarrative. Of which I have no ideawhat is going on. But not all songsmaintain this perspective. ‘EasyUndercover’ and ‘Sugar’ lack theambience <strong>of</strong> most <strong>of</strong> the songs,being standalone indie stompersin a sea <strong>of</strong> perilous uncertainty.My only other criticism is thatthere are no real stand-out songsto write home about, the albumis an almost seamless soundtrack<strong>of</strong> glacial tones with a shiver <strong>of</strong>the melancholy to complimentthose moody, grey-skied days butperforming all the better because<strong>of</strong> it.
Dance/Theatre Editor: Tiffany Stoneman | Copy Editor: Hannah Wann Wednesday 14 th November 2012DANCE & THEATRE 31Dance & TheatreAn Audition ExperienceBy Freya Poole, Dance & Theatre TeamBeing a theatre student with ambitions <strong>of</strong> goinginto the theatre industry, one would presumethat the audition process would be a walk in the parkfor me. However, in any audition I go to there is n<strong>of</strong>eeling more prominent than an overwhelming sense<strong>of</strong> terror. My legs shake, my heart pounds, my voicewavers, and my face quivers whilst it slowly and surelyturns beetroot. This all too familiar feeling is exactlywhat I experienced recently when auditioning for thisyear’s MTSoc production <strong>of</strong> ‘Fame’.The preliminary round <strong>of</strong> auditions kicked <strong>of</strong>f withthe dance audition where we were all taught a shortroutine. As the first taste <strong>of</strong> the audition process thiswas handled very pr<strong>of</strong>essionally; the choreographertaught the routine clearly and at a suitable pace whilstthe assistant choreographer was moving around theroom lending a helping hand. Afterwards, the generalconsensus was that it was executed very well, runningsmoothly and efficiently.For an acting audition I am used to getting up onmy own and performing a monologue, or sight-readingscripts, which I consider to be rather intimidating.Yet this acting audition was a refreshing workshopwhich aimed to get everybody acting comfortably andworking in a team. Together we played improvisationgames which helped all the auditionees feel at completeease in a friendly and humorous atmosphere.The final part <strong>of</strong> the audition was the singingaudition which I was dreading as I was now on myown and there was nowhere to hide. The room wassmall and somewhat claustrophobic and for me, theworst part <strong>of</strong> this audition was that I was completelyin the open and no mistakes could be covered up. AsI have always been self-conscious and insecure aboutmy singing abilities I found the experience extremelynerve-wracking. However, the creative team yet againhandled the entire process pr<strong>of</strong>essionally and werenothing but encouraging.Overall, the audition process was a refreshing,pr<strong>of</strong>essional and enjoyable experience; drawing on myown audition history, enjoyment in auditions is veryhard to come by. Tips that I’d give to anyone auditioningfor either amateur or pr<strong>of</strong>essional productions is touse your nerves effectively. Try to turn the jitters <strong>of</strong>fear into excitement and ambition, but make surethat you keep in the back <strong>of</strong> your mind that the panel,whoever they may be, are looking for the potentialin you, and not necessarily for a completely finishedproduct. The MTSoc creative team did a great job withthe organisation and execution <strong>of</strong> the audition processand if the show is anything like the auditions, ‘Fame’ isgoing to be MTSoc’s best show yet!© Max SparberInspiring Innovation- <strong>Student</strong> CompaniesBy Tiffany Stoneman, Dance & Theatre EditorPerformance and live theatre is a growing communitywithin the Surrey campus. With three theatre societies,the steadily growing theatre-studies degree, the everbuddingdance degree, and the newly emerged SurreySapphires Dance crew, you’re never short <strong>of</strong> entertainment.It is a thriving hub <strong>of</strong> creativity and talent, providing uswith incredible entertainment at a brilliantly pr<strong>of</strong>essionalstandard. However,theatrical activity notassociated with the <strong>Union</strong>or any society is steadilyincreasing, and studentsare becoming more andmore independent in theirvarious stage endeavours.But when you look intoit, student-led companiesaren’t actually all thatnew. In 2005, studentson the BA Dance courseestablished Actual SizeDance Company – anindependent, dedicated,and passionate companywhose aims include theopportunity for original choreography, as well as educationfor children and young adults. Over the past 7years, ASDChas been involved in World Aids Day on campus in 2010, aswell as participating in the ‘Moving Oxford’ event in whichthey supported Animaneaux, <strong>of</strong> ‘So You Think You Can Dance’fame. They are a fantastic example <strong>of</strong> student innovation andindependence.Last year, three theatre-studies placement students(the first <strong>of</strong> their kind) decided that, alongside theirinternships, they wanted to create something to come backto. FaceFirst Theatre was born – with their first productionin the works right now, they’re involving many students fromall years in a promising new project.I myself have been involved in some rather excitingdevelopments; in April <strong>of</strong> this year, my course mate AbigailOscr<strong>of</strong>t approached me with a proposal. She wanted to createtheatre that was more than entertainment – somethingphilosophical, that got you thinking about the world aroundyou, but she wanted my help. Ad Meliora Theatre Companywas developed following a 5-week research project in a pubin Shalford and, despite a few hiccups, we have many plansfor the future following the launch <strong>of</strong> our website just a fewweeks ago.As well as these thriving companies, whose aimsare to produce opportunities for students to showcase theirtalents and creativity as well as to provide something a littledifferent to the <strong>Union</strong>-based societies, there are chancesto just test out your skills <strong>of</strong> discussion and academia. Areading group has recently emerged from the theatre-studiesstudents, providing a forum for existing plays to be read in anintimate, non-pressurised format, and for new writing to getits first glimpse <strong>of</strong> performance.So, keep a look out around campus for the buddingdirectors, choreographers and actors who may be just a littlehidden from sight – there’s a lot going on out there, and whoknows where it will lead...
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