1. LOOK INSIDE CCW WITH PROMOTER LEE CAHALANE

2. 2 Editor: Xander Cosgrave
Designer: Robert O’Sullivan
Film & TV Editor: Olivia Brown
Music Editor: Holly Cooney
Arts & Lit Editor: Colm Furlong
Gaming Editor: Aoife Gleeson
Fiction Editor: Austin Dowling
Humour Editor: Lauren Mulvihill
BYLINE EDITORIAL STAFF
Full disclosure, I wanted Verge to be renamed Pulp
this year, not Byline, because I thought it sounded
cool and I wanted to make a load of popular 90’s
britpop band references to appeal to the common
people. However, under the logic of, ‘anything
Xander says that sounds like a good idea is probably
still a bad idea’ Pulp was not the name chosen. This
is probably fair, but I will bring it up now when
it doesn’t matter anymore. (Designer Note: Even
though Rob came up with both new names)
This is also, of course, the last issue of
Byline for the year, and with that it comes to the
time of year where many of us are in the process
of floating off into the ether and going to join
RealworldTM or alternatively do a masters degree
and stumble onto some campus in September a
withered and bitter husk, as young nubile freshers
surround you with their energy and spotty faces. In
either case, the future is bleak, on the one hand, you
have almost certainly no reasonable job prospects
and will have a 2:1 in Art History hanging on
your wall while you work at Starbucks, or if you’re
unlucky, Insomnia. On the other hand, you are
going to end up being mistaken for a Lecturer or
mature student, realise that you prefer the quiet bar
in town, and occasionally read a Sunday paper, all
while you dig yourself into a gaping pit of debt. The
world is, as they say, your oyster, it’s just probably
going to give you food poisoning.
Sorry, I realised I had to do something after May
that doesn’t mean I can go to the campus pub when
it opens, and I’m quite distraught about this.
However for many of you it is simply the beginning
of summer, and you are all going to be going off
doing things, like sitting around annoying your
parents with your lack of motivation, or going to
America to ‘Work’ before coming back to college
next year with a tan, a weird accent, and probably
the Clap. Hey it’s an experience though. Overall,
the bitter nihilism really doesn’t start to seep in
till November of final year, so you’ve got a ways to
go till you get jaded and fueled only by coffee and
disdain.
Well this is it then, the last issue of Byline, 2015/16.
I’d like to thank Brian and Rob for putting up with
my, well, uniqueness all year, and having to share
an office with me. Shoutout to Chris for organising
#SackZander and I’d also like to thank my team of
trained attack editors, Austin, Aoife, Lauren, Holly,
Olivia and Colm, for going out and actually finding
things for me to edit, so I only had to write a few
articles this year. Big props to everyone who has
contributed to these things, because there literally
would just be pages and pages of photos of me
otherwise. Finally I’d like to thank all 4 members of
our readership (tweet @TheRascalCook if you read
this) for making my year long exercise in vanity
at least partially successful, and I hope you stick
around and keep reading. Adios.
Also, always remember that the Prime Minister of
England has put his dick in a pigs head.
Still Think it Should’ve Been Called Pulp.
#ThanksZander
What’s Inside... Headlines of Byline:
FILM & TV
MUSIC
ARTS & LIT
GAMING
HUMOUR
INTERVIEW
“Resident old fogie Stephen Spillane discusses the
changes in the Eurovision voting system & previews
some of our favourites to win, Cailean Coffey reviews
Kendrick Lamar’s latest, and much more...”
“Colm Furlong reviews the critically-praised book
from Erin Morgenstein, Rob O’Sullivan discusses the
concept of art itself & Colm previews some upcoming
events in Cork”
“Jonathan Soltan considers the step between console
generations, editor Aoife Gleeson talks the next step in
the Mass Effect franchise, Kieran Collins talks about
a ‘bunny genocide simulator’ & Aoife previews the
biggest games of the summer”
“Lauren Mulvihill tells us the truth about life &
that whole grass is greener thing, a man who doesn’t
want people to fuss about his suddenly missing leg
and also the trends from 2016 so far she just doesn’t
understand”
“BYLINE interviews PWG star & International
Wrestling hero ‘The Kentucky Gentleman’ Chuck
Taylor, and takes a look inside local indie promotion
Celtic Championship Wrestling with promoter Lee
Cahalane”
“Phillip Hayden reviews the latest hit musical Sing
Street, Sean Hannon talks Batfleck & the short-
comings in Zach Snyder’s latest DCU effort and Xander
Cosgrave discusses grimdark & the place of realism in
pop culture”

3. 3
FICTION EDITOR - AUSTIN DOWLING
How the Race Began
by Austin Dowling
The truth was, Shona hated her boyfriend. She hated how graduation
was still months in the distance and how their companionship-of-
convenience would remain indispensable until that date. She hated
how his bony fingers clutched her thigh beneath the desks at council.
She hated how he watched her while they maintained separate
conversations at the social which followed, ensuring she didn’t
suddenly recede into herself and lose him a vote.
They returned to his house at half-one and he wasted no time shutting
his eyes for sleep. He would wake at seven, for his run, and return to
curse her out of it until she found her way out of bed and over to the
gym before college began. Shona elbowed her pillow and stared at
Smith’s mouth which was parted gently, freeing deep breaths from
the stony fortification of his sleeping head. She hated every word she
had ever heard spoken from his twisted lips, but Shona needed Smith.
Even strangers said it, Shona and Smith were just more interesting
together than they were apart.
Earlier that evening, council had peaked with a social where, with
Shona’s help, Smith had cornered the votes of at least half the class
delegates in advance of the imminent union elections. Her shrill
laugh and lax attitude, for a student, towards buying other students
drinks had really sold them to the science crowd as a solid pair; a
bankable brand. For Shona, there was next year to think about, a seat
to run for unopposed if she played her cards right and ran Smith’s
campaign with adequate exposure for them both.
Shona and Smith had learned to rely on one another as they endured
the endless pomp and circumstance of University formals. They kept
one another from the threshold of inebriation at everything from
society socials to union meals. Others thought them interesting, this
solid yet alarmingly sexless unit in the midst of all these hopeless
student singletons and undeclared lonely hearts.
At eleven minutes past six, owing to a crying stomach, Shona rose
earlier than Smith and soothed her hunger with a glass of water.
Should he see an unplanned inch on her waist he was likely to be
overwhelmed by an irrational suspicion, so she thought it better to
abstain from an early break-fast. Smith always assumed the worst. As
she was returning to bed, Smith’s phone lit up at the unsettling ding
of a new message. It made no difference to his sleeping self, which
had trained itself since adolescence to awaken only to the chime of
a more calculable bodily-clock. Shona glanced over for a glimpse of
a message preview, or a name at the very least. If it were anything to
do with his campaign, he would make her life hell if she failed to let
him know.
‘Haha, works for me. I’ll doctor it somehow lol’ read the message
preview. The name attached was male, but unfamiliar to her. Shona
scrolled back for Smith’s previous message; a photo taken of her while
she slept, with the covers drawn off to expose as much of her figure
as possible. This smelled of sabotage. Whatever Smith was up to, she
was sure this would become a weapon, a photo to shame her should
she ever unsteady his chances or sully his name. With no way to
reclaim it from the receiver, Shona returned his phone to the bedside
locker and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Smith’s crooked legs
pushed against her back as he savoured the last moments of sleep.
Though mere minutes, for Shona the time dragged between reading
the message and waiting for Smith to rise for his morning run.
When at last he swept the sleep from his eyes, he spotted his shivering
girlfriend staring at the bedroom wall. The spirited yet easily led
woman he knew was gone; her place taken by a crumbled creature.
He knew then that this morning she would need no motivation, as
he saw it, to reach the gym. The confidence which propelled her
towards their companionship had collapsed onto her nerves with
a thunderous thud. Whatever snooping had spurred her to this
disposition, she would never put on such a show unless she wanted
him to know about it. In that conclusion and that conclusion only,
Smith was correct.
Without exchanging words or anything more lingering than a pitiful
glare, Smith fled the house for his run. Shona’s theatrical mood had
freed the bedroom of his presence, as she hoped. He had left her with
no choice but to retaliate. If he really saw her as a threat, then she was
happy to live up to the assumption. She fished amongst the sheets for
her own phone, opened up the group chat she had with her class and
started to type:
“In order to split the vote and thereby increase his chances, Smith has
suggested I run against him for President. Or maybe he just wants to
see me resign LOL in the unlikely event I get more votes ;) So I’m gonna
do it guys, I’ll be running and I’ll need all of you behind me if I’m gonna
pull this off. Love Shona x”

4. 4
HUMOUR
Irish Man with Leg Cut Off “Doesn’t Want to Bother Anyone”
Grass On Other Side of the Fence ‘More of a Brown-y
Colour’ According to Public
by Lauren Mulvihill
by Lauren Mulvihill
HEADLINES
TV LISTINGS
1916: Anniversary of
‘Easter Egg Hunt gone
awry’ celebrated in
Dublin
Science: Scientists
measure stretch in the
evenings, confirm as
being “grand”
Culture: Questionable
claims of ancestors
being in the ‘Ra at an
all-time high
Education: Secondary
school teachers just
about holding it
together at this stage
Health: “You’re going to
die anyway, have some
cake” say nutritionists
Crime: Tragic student
(20) left faceless after
smug look is wiped off
Music: Politeness of
public continues to
enable small white
children to rap
RTÉ One, Sunday @
8PM: Showcase of
traditional Irish music
that any other year
would be used as filler
on TG4
An Irish man who had his leg severed in a freak
accident has declined any offers of help or sympathy,
on the basis that he “[doesn’t] want to put anyone out”.
“Ah, sure, I’ll be grand,” John Maher, 46, claimed
in a statement made to local media outlets while
trapped beneath a fallen industrial machine. “As my
mother used to say, ‘I’ll be better before I’m married’.
Unfortunately, I’m already married, heh heh!”
Mr. Maher was eventually freed by fellow
workers and bystanders, who managed to pull the
machine off him despite his protestations. It is believed
that he then offered to wait on the ground while his
rescuershadacupofteaforthemselves.Atthetime,Mr.
Maher’s severed leg lay on the ground approximately a
metre away from his body.
“I’d complain to the manager, but I haven’t got a leg
to stand on, heh heh!” the Corkonian joked with tears
in his eyes. [Editor’s note: readers are assured that
several witnesses attempted to convince Mr. Maher to
file a formal complaint. However, he made a joke about
going to the pub and getting “legless, heh heh”, and
asserted that this would alleviate any pain or bitterness
he experienced.]
“We got a call from a co-worker to come down and
bring John to hospital,” Karen
O’Donoghue, an ambulance
driver, told the press, “but when
we got here, he told us we were
great for coming, but he didn’t
want to put anyone out. In fact,
he said he was sure that his wife,
Martha, would be able to find a
plaster for the wound, and that we
should go and have a cup of tea for
ourselves.”
Mr. Maher’s protests
continued as he was attended to
by ambulance workers. Despite
literally being on the verge of
death, he repeatedly said he would
be “grand”, and that he didn’t need
to be fussed over at all, at all.
According to a co-worker, John is alleged to have said
“sure what do I have to be upset about? Don’t I have
another leg?” before passing out.
According to reports from CUH, John is
believed to have physically dragged himself to the
reception desk following a successful operation in
order to discharge himself and “keep from taking up a
bed that someone else might be in more need of”.
Contrary to popular belief, members of the public have
recently confirmed that the grass on the other side of
the fence is looking a bit brown-y these days.
The grass, which has traditionally been
described as greener than average, has apparently
become increasingly less attractive in recent years as
more and more people have begun to trample all over
it.
“It looked a lot better over there once upon a time,”
according to Margaret McGee, whose middle-class
housing estate is situated close to the fence in question.
“But then the social medias and all them people arrived
and started walking all over it. They were saying all
sorts of things about the grass – that it was fake, that it
was planted there by criminals, all this stuff.”
The grass on the other side of the fence has
faced an increasing amount of backlash since its
popularity began to rise. According to polls, previous
generations have held consistently favourable opinions
of the grass, often describing it as ‘better looked after’
and‘deservingofitsreputation’.Theriseofsocialmedia,
however, has led to significant dissention among the
public.
“It’s time people knew the truth about the grass on
the other side of the fence,” claims Paul Connolly, a
prominent left-field politician and fence abolitionist.
“The only reason it was so green for so long is because
it was stealing the nutrients from the soil on our side of
the fence. 1% of the land of Ireland is hoarding over a
third of those nutrients, and we can’t let this continue.
By trampling on the soil, I aim to show people that
underneath it all, that grass is as vulnerable as any
other grass. It just got lucky. It’s no better than ours.”
Paul’s movement, Grassroots, has been highly
successful in turning public opinion against the idea of
the grass being greener on the other side of the fence.
Many Irish citizens have conceded that their own side
of the grass ought to be on equal ground. However,
activists still have a way to go.
“I’m still on the fence, if truth be told,” says one local,
who prefers to remain anonymous. “And it’s letting
me observe things on both sides. I mean, sure they’ve
muddied the surface of the grass [on the other side],
but underneath it all, the soil still has a lot of resources
and fertility. I know we should have equal ground, but
I’d still quite like to live on a good foundation like that.”

5. 5
HUMOUREDITOR - LAUREN MULVIHILL
The Top Ten Trends of 2016 So Far That I Don’t Understand
by Lauren Mulvihill
There are a lot of things in life that confuse me. Marmite confuses me; roundabouts confuse me - the list goes on and on. But one thing especially that
I’ve never fully understood is pop culture. I don’t understand trends. Where do they come from? Who decides what we ought to trend? 2016 so far has
already had its fair share of weird trends that deserve a special analysis, in my opinion.
1. The Comic Sans Renaissance
Now, maybe this is just me. Maybe I’m the only one who bothers
taking any notice of typeface fashion. But damn it, why have we
started using Comic Sans again? Did this not go out of style back
in 2008? Comic Sans is the Uncanny Valley of the font world,
and I don’t understand why we’re torturing ourselves with it in
the Year of Our Lord 2016. The only reasonable explanation is
that Irish designers are masochists.
2. Highlighting
I mean, I like it. I like this trend. I think any beauty product that makes
the wearer look as celestial as possible is definitely worth trying out. But
where did it come from? It seemed like we had just gotten our heads around
contouring when we were being told to add another layer of complexity
onto the making-up process. We went from ‘matte-tastic’ to ‘glow-worm’
overnight. What’s the deal?
3. Dating Apps
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “dating apps aren’t a new phenomenon”.
The thing is, I didn’t believe any of you when you tried to convince me
that this was a ‘thing’ back in 2014. Apparently, people are actually finding
‘dates’ using these Tinder or Grindr or
Rockefeller or what-have-you apps. What
even is a ‘date’? When did we start going
on ‘dates’ in this country? It all sounds a
bit airy-fairy to me.
4. The Rising Cost of
College Fees
This isn’t even a joke. What’s the story?
5. #Hameron
This isn’t a trend in 2016. I just don’t
understand why it isn’t. Remember that
time David Cameron had sex with a pig?
Well, you should.
6. The “Tag Yourself” Meme
I love this meme. I love it. So far, my tags include Pádraig Pearse, Karl Marx,
some manner of colourful blob named Veronica, and a pink crayon named
Glub Glub. I thought this practice was lost to the world back in 2009. I have
no idea who brought it back, and I don’t understand why, but in this case, I
don’t want to question it. Tag me in everything.
7. “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly
Or, more specifically, why people continue to pretend that they know the
lyrics to that shouty part in the middle of the chorus. I’ve been in nightclubs
many a time where this song will play and the entire room – myself included
– will scream some variation of “EYYY, unskmdsbnu-nu-NAYYY” (the
actual lyrics, which I Googled, are “hey, must be the money”) when it comes
to that part. Why are we doing this? Do we want to look cool? Additionally,
why don’t we know the lyrics to this song yet? It came out in 2000.
8. Illegal Downloading
When I say I don’t understand
this trend, I’m not saying that
I don’t understand why people
are breaking the law to stream
films and whatnot. No, what
I’m saying is that I literally
don’t understand how you
do it without getting a soul-
destroying virus on your computer. You all look like you’re having such a
nice time with your unlawful activity and your television programmes. I’m
jealous.
9. Quinoa
To paraphrase John
Lennon: all we are
saying, is “when did
Ireland become so
middle class”? I bought
crisps made from
quinoa the other day.
I have no idea what
quinoa even is. It
sounds like an exotic name for a venereal disease. What is it, a vegetable?
A type of carrot? They sell this stuff in Tesco now – it’s beside the hummus.
Just you try and convince me that gentrification isn’t real.
10. My Declining Ability to Control
My Own Fate
Ah yes, the most confusing trend of all. Where am I going in my life? Who
knows? Who cares? A constant state of nihilistic bliss and a self-deprecating
sense of humour is sure to be enough to see me through.

6. 6
GAMING
Overgrowth Preview
What We Know About Mass Effect: Andromeda
Kieran Collins lets you know if you should try to ‘Bunny Genocide Simulator’
By Aoife Gleeson
If you’re a frequent watcher of
gaming content on YouTube,
chances are you’ve already heard of
Overgrowth. Video titles provide
typically descriptions along the lines
of something like “Bunny Genocide
Simulator.” Although still in alpha
this is, admittedly, a fairly apt
description of what this game is all
about. Created by Wolfire Games, a
San-Francisco based indie studio
comprised of only four people,
Overgrowth takes place in a post-
apocalyptic world where humanity
has become extinct and humanoid
rabbits, wolves, dogs & cats roam
the earth. Being an early access
game on Steam at the moment it has
no story as-of-yet; it’s just a really
slick and realistic combat simulator
with Mirror’s Edge-style parkour.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that
the mechanics are the best I’ve ever
seen in any game. The combat is fast
paced and brutal. Hand-to-hand
combat is always all about timing
your hits and block so that you
can get the upper hand over your
opponent. The damage system is
all based on your player-character’s
exoskeleton; hits to the head or neck
are much more effective than hits
to, for example, the arms or legs,
just like real life. Also like real life,
swords and spears are insta-kills
and daggers are equally lethal if
you slice your enemy enough times
in the correct places. If you have a
problem with gratuitous blood, this
is not the game for you. In fact the
violence is so bloody and realistic
that the makers intentionally made
the characters animals instead of
humans. If you’re only interested in
that part of the game you’ll love the
arena mode, but you’d be remiss to
not try out the game’s fluid parkour
system.
The main character of Overgrowth
is Tucker, whose most identifiable
physical trait is the clear fact that he
isahumanoidrabbit.Withthisbeing
thecaseTuckercanjumpfartherand
run faster than any human, and can
also wall-run & climb with greater
speed and distance than the 2008
free-running game. The graphics
are phenomenal, especially if you
have the PC power to run them at
max. In a game populated only by
animals things like fur physics are
immensely important and the game
really delivers.
I’m a big believer in only buying
an early access game if you feel it
is worth the price tag in its current
state. The controversial program,
launched by Steam in 2013, often
contains games made by developers
who end up giving up on their
projects, leaving you with an
unfinished shell of a game. For a
single player game Overgrowth is
still missing a very crucial element:
a story. Wolfire have released a
fantastic in-universe free web comic
on their website but it feels doubtful
at this stage that Overgrowth will
ever be truly finished. It’s been in
development & available to the
public for 8 years now but recent
events have me more optimistic.
The four person team, who for years
only released an update once every
couple of months, have started and
continue to expand their team with
help in all different sections of game
development. Wolfire Games now
releases updates every two weeks
and post videos outlining what
exactly each update adds. For €30
the game is, for me, worth it in its
current state, but without any plot
or story yet it may not be worth it
for you.
Mass Effect 3 came out in 2012, ending the much-
loved trilogy on an extremely controversial
note. The Mass Effect 3 ending is basically the
How I Met Your Mother ending of games, in
that it’ll make fans throw up their arms and
make a huffing noise, preferring to talk about
the rest of the series lest they get really angry.
After many discussions, petulant petitions and
furious ranting, the series eventually faded into
the background, remembered as a great trilogy
with a black mark of an ending. Now, four years
later, a sequel of sorts has been announced (at E3
2015) with scant details being peppered out ever
since.
Even the announcement trailer itself was obtuse
and vague. It was basically a few space themed
screen savers followed by a guy in Mass Effect
armour getting shot at and then looking at a
spaceship taking off. Pretty generic space game
stuff right there. It also features a new Mako
which, ugh, why would you bring that clumsy,
bouncing monstrosity back. Hopefully this one
handles better than a jack in the box on inflatable
wheels.
The tagline was the most telling: “Discover a
New Galaxy”. This seems to be corroborated by
a leaked marketing survey from EA, which says
Andromeda “takes players to the Andromeda
galaxy, far beyond the Milky Way, where players
will lead the fight for a new home in hostile
territory - where WE are the aliens - opposed by
a deadly indigenous race bent on stopping us.”
Now, that really sounds like we’re the bad guys.
Just like us to go to a new galaxy and try to steal
everyone’s land, not cool. Does that also mean
new alien species? But I like my Turiens, Asari,
Salarians, Quarians… Not Rachni though, never
Rachni. Honestly, Andromeda is probably a case
of a game being announced way too early. The
game has been pushed from Holiday 2016 to Q1
2017 and it’s likely to get pushed further. Here’s
hoping it turns out great, and we’re not sick of the
hype train when it finally comes out.

7. 7
GAMINGEDITOR - AOIFE GLEESON
Generation 8.5
Summer’s Big Games
Jonathan Soltan considers the rumours of updated consoles
By Aoife Gleeson
Usually when you buy a games
console, you can be reasonably sure
of what to expect. You buy a box to
play games on and you stick it near
your T.V. for the next 5+ years until
the newer box comes out. Things are
changing: we’re moving from discs
to digital, updates are constant and
it looks like the new boxes might
be coming out sooner than we all
expected.
At a recent Microsoft press event the
head of the Xbox team, Phil Spencer,
made some interesting remarks
regarding the future of the Xbox
One. He cited the two year cycle of
phones as an inspiration and said
that we would see Microsoft come
out with new hardware within a
console generation. This sounds less
like the next Xbox and more like a
beefier version of the current Xbox.
In similar news, there are several
substantiated rumours that Sony
might be working on something
being referred to currently as the
“PS4k”. According to developers
it will have a more powerful GPU
to possibly allow games to be
rendered in 4k resolution.
Althoughothershave
m e n t i o n e d
that this
may not be possible, even with
more the powerful hardware of this
new model.
All of this is concerning to me
for one main reason: I don’t trust
Microsoft or Sony to not screw
people who bought the original
consoles. If the result of this is
simply that a new game runs well
on my original PS4 but runs at a
higher resolution or framerate on
the PS4k, then that’s absolutely fine.
What I feel will happen though
is that new games
will run well on
the PS4k and
then run
badly on
the original PS4.
Companies already have a
history of doing this kind of thing.
Just look at the recent 3DS release of
Hyrule Warriors. On the New 3DS
it runs okay, but on the original
model it’s basically a slideshow.
There was also an issue with some
later Xbox 360 games that would
run abysmally on older systems that
had no internal hard-drive.
Although we’re not still even certain
if these consoles will even happen,
I just feel like we never get the
best case scenario with this type of
thing. In fact Microsoft have already
screwed people this generation
who bought the Xbox One that
came bundled with Kinect: having
been told that the system needed
the Kinect to work, a new bundle
without Kinect comes out only a
few months later, costing €100 less.
It’s cool that Microsoft and Sony
want their systems to be somewhat
competitive with PCs, but the 60+
million people who already own
PS4s and Xbox Ones probably won’t
be too happy if their games start
running worse than they already
do unless they shell out €400 for a
slightly different box.
What, there are games actually coming out during the summer? Well no, not really. Of games with confirmed release dates there are a grand total of
three confirmed for July and August. So yeah, you’re probably going to spend a chunk of the summer going through your back catalogue or doing things
outside. Yet there’s still a few winners coming out in April, May and June. Here’s a selection of a few of the heavy hitters to come:
Quantum Break (Xbox One,
PC: April 5)
Quantum Break
is an interesting
manifestation of
Microsoft’s early
emphasis on TV
at the launch of
the Xbox One.
You play as Jack
Joyce, a man with the ability the
manipulate time as it stutters.
Chapters of the game are bookended
by digital episodes of a TV show
from the point of view of the
antagonists. You can make choices
at the beginning of the episodes that
will affect the game. Whether this is
a gimmick, with the episodes being
glorified live action cutscenes, or an
interesting innovation remains to
be seen.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
(PS4: May 10)
Uncharted 4
was also in our
spring preview
– at the time it
was scheduled
to be released in
March. Before
that, it was to
come out in 2015 but some internal
problems put a spanner in the
works. Despite its numerous delays,
it’s almost here and, if Naughty
Dog’s previous games and the
previews are any indication, the
treasure hunter’s final outing should
meet expectations.
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst (PS4,
Xbox One, PC: May 24th)
The dystopian
future, free-
running
parkour game
Mirror’s Edge
came out all
the way back in
2007. Since then
there’s been a fervent little corner
of the internet begging for a sequel.
The original had its problems (first
person parkour can be difficult to
manage, the combat was clumsy
and the levels were overly linear)
but its originality shone through.
Now the long rumoured sequel/
reboot has arrived, sending Faith
back out to overthrow a shady
corporation by breaking into their
buildings, stealing things and
running away.
No Man’s Sky (PS4, PC:
June 22)
No Man’s Sky
needs to be seen
to be believed:
a supposedly
endlessly
generating
galaxy of
unique
planets and lifeforms to explore
– it’s an explorer’s dream and a
completionist’s nightmare. The
game was announced back in 2013
– it takes time to craft something
this ambitious. Hopefully it lives up
to the hype.
Other honorable mentions include Overwatch, Dark Souls III and Homefront: The Revolution. You won’t be starved for things to play quite yet.

8. 8
ARTS & LITERATURE
Where Does Art End?Designer Rob O’Sullivan examines the concept of Art itself
Artisnever-ending;artistheconstantinlife,fromthedrawingoncavewalls
thatpredatehistorytothelatestOneDirectionsingle(#1YearWithoutZayn),
art is all around. Art. Looking at the title of this article and then reading this
opening paragraph you may
be confused, or think that this
is an extremely short article.
When I ask the question:
“where does art end?” I don’t
mean when does this art lark
stop, when does it finish,
when will Zayn return to One
Direction; I mean what are
the limits of art? Many things
are given the tag of art when...
maybe they shouldn’t, and some things are denied this status even though
they should have it.
Avoiding the cliché of opening with a definition I’m going to have to add it
here. Art is defined as “the expression or application of human creative skill
and imagination.” When people talk about art, however, there’s generally a
fewmorequantifiersthatarebroughtup.Thefirstoneisquality.Issomething
that’s bad art? Something objectively bad? Is ‘The Room,’ a serious dramatic
film starring, directed, written & edited by Tommy Wiseau, really a piece of
art, even discounting its unintentional comedic quality?
The second aspect by which things are often judged ‘art’ or ‘not-art’ is
palatability. For example, Joshua Hoffine is a photographer whose photos
depict childhood fears. They are
disgusting, and really disturbing
(Pictured here). Some would say
that these disturbing images make
an even better case for being art,
but would they say the same for
something like ‘A Serbian Film’ or
‘Cannibal Holocaust?’ Moving away
from disturbing qualities (for the
most part), is pornography art? By
that I mean plain pornography, no
story, nothing, just the clashing of
bodies in an erotic way. Would you
call that art?
The third aspect is the commercial appeal of the product. Generally
speaking, the more commercial something is, the less artistically it’s viewed.
Take, for example, the Hoffine photo I mentioned before: that is completely
uncommercial due to its graphic content. If, upon first look, it’s clear that
it has no commercial value, that it clearly won’t make money, then surely it
must have been made for art? At the complete other end of the spectrum
is ‘Real Rob,’ Rob Schneider’s new show that is a soulless, cash-grab mix of
FX’s Louie, Channel 4’s Extras & HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. It is so bad
that it’s a Netflix Original that is devoid of any Netflix branding. It is the
embodiment of commercialism, so it surely can’t be art, can it be?
The fourth aspect is medium. If you hang a painting on a wall of a gallery,
pretty much everyone will contend that it is art. Go to a theatre to catch a
play? Art. Seeing a film? For the most part, art. Playing a round of Battlefield
or Fifa? ...less so. Video games, out of all mediums, seems to be hit the most
by bias against certain types of entertainment, mainly because it’s seen as
that: entertainment, something to be consumed en-masse. The question
of videogames as art leads into the fifth (and final) aspect I’m going to talk
about: intention.
“Go to a theatre to catch a play? Art.
Seeing a film? For the most part, art.
Playing a round of Battlefield or Fifa?
...less so”
Intent can have a huge effect on the quality of the output. However,
someone intending to make something artistic doesn’t necessarily mean
they will make art. An easy example of this, using videogames, is Indigo
Prophecy. The director, David Cage, has regularly criticised the video game
industry, claiming that he doesn’t make games for people’s enjoyment, but
for art. While Mr.Cage’s later games faired slightly better on the artistic
scale, Indigo Prophecy did not do well, being full of shots lifted directly
from Stanley Kubrick films, plotlines grabbed from an independent comic
in the 90s and several things left unexplained. This game doesn’t seem to be
art, as much as it seems to be a game anyway.
Does the intention of the creator have an
impact on whether something is art? By
the aforementioned definition no, none
of these points have anything to do with
it; everything created is considered art,
essentially. Yet routinely we find people
claiming one thing is art while stepping
on something else, denying it entry to this
exclusive club, without giving much of
a reason. Who is the gatekeeper of ‘art?’
Surely, as I opened this article, art has no
end; there is no gatekeeper. And that may
be for the best.
ART

9. 9
ARTS & LITEDITOR - COLM FURLONG
Book Recommendation: The Night Circus
Upcoming Events in Cork
Colm Furlong looks at some of the upcoming literary events in Cork
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is, without question, one of the most
beautiful books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This 2011 novel
was originally written for the annual NANOWRIMO writing competition
which challenges writers to pen a 50000 word novel in thirty days. It went
on to become a masterpiece of fantasy fiction.
Taking the appearance of a fairy tale like story set in an alternate historical
setting- primarily around London, The Night Circus follows the performers
of Le Cirque des Réves- The Circus of Dreams- as well as the lives of people
whose lives the circus touches at various points.
The novel plays with time throughout, jumping back and forward, to and
from the circus’ inception, to its heyday, to various other points throughout
its weird and wonderful career. We see the performers as children and
as adults, we see the circus grow throughout the years as new attractions
replace and join the old, and we witness the weird and wonderful magic
that brings this tale to life throughout.
While the overarching plot of the novel is very
hard to pin down, it can be best summarised
thus: Two old magicians pit their brand new
apprentices against one another in a magical
contest that will last decades- the stage of
which is to be the circus. The lives of everyone
in the circus, and everyone the circus comes
into contact with become part of this epic
battle. The circus is the board, the people and
the attractions the pawns and pieces.
Overall, I highly recommend anyone who has
not read The Night Circus picks up a copy
right away. It is an astoundingly beautiful read,
and although the plot moves slowly, the imagery and writing itself more
than makes up for it.
An Evening with John Connolly
An Evening with John Connolly discussing his latest book, A Time of
Torment, in Waterstones on April 6th at 6pm. Connolly is the renowned
author of the Charlie Parker Mystery novels. Connolly’s events are always
entertaining; even for those not a fan of his particular genre. He brings a
significant amount of humour to his discussions, and this evening is sure to
be a great event for all.
Darren Shan Book Signing
Darren Shan, acclaimed Irish horror author will be in Waterstones signing
copies of the latest book in his hit Zom-B series, Zom-B Goddess on April
16th at 2.30pm. Shan’s signings are always a lot of fun- I attended one at
Listowel Writers’ Week a while back, and had a blast. He entertains each
and every person, and the secret messages he has for each of his books
are quirky and brilliant. Fans of Shan will not want to miss this amazing
opportunity to meet the man himself, and should make the effort to head
on down there.
1916 Anniversary Lectures
Waterstones makes the list again here with their series of lectures on the
1916 Rising. Tuesday April 12th at 6pm sees Dr. John Borgonovo Speaking
on “The Rising and the First World War Experience in Ireland”. Wednesday
April 20th at 7pm sees Frank Shouldice speaking on “Grandpa, The Sniper”.
Finally, Monday April 25th at 7pm sees Gerry White speaking on “Order,
Counter-order and Disorder: Cork and the 1916 Rising. For any Irish
history buffs out there, this is the event for you.
Cork World Book Fest
As part of Cork World Book Fest, on Saturday 23rd April at 8pm there will
be an evening celebrating new books at the Triskel Arts Centre. Launching
their new short story collections will be William Wall- Seeing Things; and
Mary Morrissy- Prosperity Drive. Both talented writers, this launch is sure
to be an entertaining and fascinating event for fans of Irish writing and
Irish writers.

10. 10
INTERVIEW
with...Lee Cahalane
BYLINE: CCW has been going for roughly 4 years now & had been
incredibly successful: What’s been the biggest obstacle to its success, do
you think?
LEE: Exposure. It takes time to get the name out there and build a solid
infrastructure to attract a consistent following. We started with just simply
a promotion but now we have a training academy that has roughly 20 full
time trainee wrestlers from all age groups. We have used all advertising
resources at our disposal, even appearing twice on SKY TV in 2015. Red
FM, 96 FM and The Evening Echo have also been very helpful and have
shown great interest and support for us over the years which is a huge
help. Finally we have brought over a few notable names who have wrestled
internationally. Chuck Taylor of PWG fame, Juice Robinson of NJPW to
name a few. Our latest acquisition is former TNA Star Doug Williams who
will compete at our 4th annual Revolution event on Sunday May 1st. It all
brings positive attention to our product.
BYLINE: Walking around Cork you can’t not see CCW posters around,
you have your own weekly radio show, regularly updated social media;
what’s your favourite aspect of the promotions hustle?
LEE: My favourite aspect is seeing the results of a successful promotions
campaign when we see a full crowd at our shows. And most importantly
when you know that everyone has gone home satisfied and entertained.
BYLINE: CCW has started to make a name for itself on the international
scene, attracting International stars like Dru Onyx, Fergal Devitt and most
recently Chuck Taylor. How crucial is this international flavour for the
success of CCW?
LEE: As I briefly delved into earlier bringing in well known stars helps to
show the quality of our company. It shows that we are a top player in the
Irish Wrestling scene. And we have been fortunate enough to work with
some of the best wrestlers from around the world.
BYLINE: In addition to promoting shows CCW also operates its own
school. Who does the majority of the training, and how important is it to
train your own talent?
LEE: Our Head Coach at the moment is current CCW Heavyweight
Champion Ricky Combat. But we regularly bring in guest trainers. In fact
in the near future we will be learning from WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall.
We are very fortunate to be able to do a seminar with such an icon in the
Pro Wrestling business. Developing our own talent is very important as it
helps with the growth of the company and gives us our own identity. There
are promotions out there who just simply bring in imported talent each
show but we want to build a legacy and contribute to the overall success of
the Irish Wrestling Scene and hopefully create some of the future stars of
the business.
BYLINE: As I mentioned a bit there, you had Fergal Devitt, now WWE
NXT Champion Finn Balor, in to do a training seminar shortly before he
left for NXT. How beneficial was he to your trainees?
LEE: When you get the opportunity to learn from a 15 year veteran its
always going to be extremely beneficial. If we learned one thing from Fergal
it was how dedicated you have to be to be successful in Pro Wrestling.
BYLINE: Who are some of the stars of CCW we should keep an eye out for
in the near future?
LEE:WehavesomuchtalentintheCCWProWrestlingAcademyrightnow.
Look out for CCW Heavyweight Champion Ricky Combat. Waterford’s
Xavier Burns, Omega, Conor ‘’The Body’’ Charisma. I could keep listing
names. There’s a lot of hard workers there.
BYLINE: You’ve ran shows in places like the Kino, the Savoy & GAA clubs.
What’s your favourite venue that CCW works in (and why) and what venues
would you like CCW to run that you haven’t already?
LEE: I really liked the visual of The Savoy. But honestly more than the venue
itself it’s all about the crowd and we have the most vocal fans in Ireland. I
think the dream is to run Neptune Stadium eventually.
BYLINE: What do you think of the success of Irish stars around the world
like Devitt, Sheamus, Becky Lynch, Big Damo (of Insane Championship
Wrestling)? Do you think their success will benefit the Irish wrestling scene
in the long run?
LEE: 100%. They set the standard and pave the way for the future Irish Stars
to follow.
Wrestlemania has come & gone and we’re right in the middle of the busiest time of year for wrestling fans. Inside the mainstream wrestling scene some
great things are happening: Shinsuke Nakamura is working for WWE (to great effect so far), Finn Balor has renamed his finisher after the 1916 Rising,
world-renowned stars like Kota Ibushi & Zack Sabre Jr. are working in WWE’s Cruiserweight Tournament and Michael Hayes was inducted into the Hall
of Fame without any major racial incident...this time... but magical things are happening outside the mainstream, in independent wrestling; places like
PROGRESS Wrestling in England, EVOLVE in Philadelphia, Insane Championship Wrestling (It’s Yersel) in Scotland and Pro-Wrestling Guerrilla in
California. The indie scene is forever evolving, and one of the fastest growing independant promotions in Europe is Celtic Championship Wrestling based
out of Cork. I interviewed promoter & professional wrestler Lee Cahalane to take a look inside the workings of CCW.

11. 11
INTERVIEW
BYLINE: Speaking of ICW, they have established a cult following in
Scotland. Do you see CCW gaining the same sort of notoriety as ICW in
the future?
LEE: It’s a work in progress and is something we are currently working
towards. We have our loyal fans, but we aspire to increase numbers with
each show that we do.
BYLINE: You’re an accomplished wrestler yourself, recently winning a title
in Switzerland. What’s next for Lee Cahalane the wrestler, and what’s the
ultimate goal?
LEE: The fact that I am able to do what I really love is a dream come true
in itself. I always wanted to be a Pro Wrestler when I was younger but
unfortunately I had no training facility available to me. I did attempt to
travel up the country to train but it wasn’t financially feasible on a regular
basis. I set up a school in Cork in 2013, brought in some trainers and finally
had the resources at my disposal to learn the art of Pro Wrestling. I started
quiet late but I’m doing my best to make up for lost time. I am very realistic
when it comes to my goals. I know I may never main event Wrestlemania
and I’m OK with that. But I will continue to learn as much as possible and
train as much as possible to make myself the most well rounded performer
I can be.
BYLINE: What’s next for CCW in the immediate future?
LEE: Our 4th annual Revolution Event comes to The Glen Rovers Hurling
Club Sun the 1st of May. It will feature 3 huge title matches including Ricky
Combat v Lycan for the CCW Heavyweight Championship. Jack Vice and
I will defend our Tag Team Titles in a 3 Team Tables Match against The
Woods Bros & The sidekicks. Xavier Burns defends his All Star Title and
Former TNA Star Doug Williams will face Internationally travelled Jordan
Devlin. For more up to date match information Like Celtic Championship
Wrestling on Facebook, follow on Twitter @CCWrestling1 or go to our
official website www.ccwofficial.com.
BYLINE: If people want to train with CCW, how would they go about it?
(plug the school, all the deets)
LEE: If you are passionate about wrestling check out The CCW Pro
Wrestling Academy on Facebook. We are based at Celtic Fitness Centre,
Dalton’s Avenue, Off Cornmarket Street, Cork City Centre. Classes are as
follows: Tuesday 8-10pm, Thursday 8-10pm and Saturday 3-7pm.
INTERVIEW: CHUCK TAYLOR
BYLINE: Some people call you Chuckie T, some call you Big Dust, others
call you the Kentucky Gentleman. What would call yourself?
CHUCK TAYLOR: I don’t even know what to call myself any more. It’s
all a blur.
BY: First of all, what do you think of Cork & Ireland so far?
CT: Unfortunately I only spent about 16 hours in Ireland and most of it
was spent trying (unsuccessfully) to sleep in the back of a car. What I saw
was beautiful though!
BY: What was the cause of this European tour?
CT: A man in England contacted me asking if I was interested in coming
over. I said of course. He took care of basically everything in terms of
booking shows for me. I would find out I was booked somewhere when
the company would tweet me. It was fun.
BY: You regularly work in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, a promotion renowned
worldwide for its raucous crowd, amazing atmosphere & incredible
workrate. What is it, do you think, that makes PWG so special? Do you
think any other company has the same sort of vibe?
CT: It’s hard to say what makes PWG so special. I think it has a lot to do
with the gentleman that run it. They are all wrestlers who love wrestling.
There’s no politics or outside forces at play. There are no egos. It’s a bunch
of guys and gals who want to make wrestling awesome. Many promotions
have tried to recreate that but something is always missing. PWG is
special.
BY: You sometimes do commentary in PWG to great reviews. Do you see
commentary as a potential career path after stepping out of the squared
circle for the last time?
CT: I hope so. I like doing it and it would be nice to have something after
my body eventually quits on me.
BY: You also train professional wrestlers, most famously PWG & Lucha
Underground star Ricochet. What do you think of his success in the
professional wrestling business, and are there any other of your former
students we should watch out for?
CT: He’s the most gifted high flyer ever. But he also works very hard.
I’m super proud of all his success. We have many young students at The
Wrestle Factory with bright futures.
BY: You’re currently on an extended retirement tour, with some claiming
you’re going for Terry Funk’s record for ‘Most Times Retired in a Single
Career;’ how long can we expect the #DustinChecksOut tour to last? Is
there an end-goal in sight or is more of a “we’ll see how it goes” thing?
CT: The show in Cork was my final show. It was fun while it lasted!
BY: The blurb on your ProWrestlingTees Store (prowrestlingtees.com/
chucktaylor) mentions a flight with the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase;
is there any story behind this?
CT: Not really. I made that bio the day I was on the same flight as Mr.
Dibiase. I thought it was funny. We didn’t talk. He’s very large.
BY: How frustrating is it for your name to be immediately identifiable
with a pair of shoes?
CT: I thought it was super cool when I was 15 when I picked the
name. Now it’s just embarrassing.
BY: What’s next for the Kentucky Gentleman?
CT: Alcoholism. Binge eating. Video games.
BY: Thanks for the time. Is there anything you want to
plug?
CT: Check out my Twitter and Instagram
@SexyChuckieT, go to my website
www.chucktaylorwrestling.com.
Love each other

12. 12
MUSIC
Come Together for Eurovision 2016
Our Top Picks for Eurovision 2016
Despite the influence of modern music there’s one golden oldie that refuses to be dismissed. Stephen Spillane takes a look at the controversial song competition
and weighs up the options for Eurovision 2016.
Love it or hate it Eurovision, though viewed as cheesy and outdated by many,
is still the most beloved song contest in the world; its influence has been
extremely important for Ireland, both culturally and musically. From May
10th Europe’s (and Australia’s) eyes will turn to Stockholm where the 61st
Eurovision Song Contest takes place following Måns Zelmerlöw’s surprise
win last year. Hosting the competition for the sixth time, 43 countries will
compete for the glory of a Eurovision win in Stockholm. Sweden’s SVT
will be hoping for a home win which would allow them to draw level with
Ireland’s astonishing record of seven wins.
The Eurovision Song Contest is split into three main events: Semi-Final 1
takesplaceonMay10th,Semi-Final2onMay12thandtheGrandFinalheld
on May 14th. The theme ‘Come Together’ will have special significance this
year following the recent divisions in Europe. Martin Österdahl, Executive
Producer of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, explained that the message
of unity was one of the reasons behind the choice this year: “We believe
that the idea of unity is as important today as it was in the 1950s when
the Eurovision Song Contest started. The Eurovision Song Contest is never
about borders, politics or ideologies. It is about reaching across all the
boundaries that separates us human beings from each other”.
With big changes in the voting announcements this year the Grand Final
will be full of surprises: this year the combined telly-vote of all the countries
won’t be announced until the end of the voting sequence and after the results
of the National Professional Juries, who vote based on the dress rehearsal
the night before. This year will also see the ‘Big 5’- France, Germany, Italy,
Spain and the United Kingdom, and the hosts performing during the Semi-
Finals, overcoming the perceived disadvantage of automatic qualification
to the Grand Final. They will perform in the same Semi-Final that they are
voting in. France, Spain and Sweden will vote and perform during Semi
Final 1, while Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom will do the same
during Semi Final 2.
Irish hopes lie on Nicky Byrne who performs in Semi-Final 2 with ‘Sunlight.’
Thankfully we will have the United Kingdom voting in that Semi-Final,
giving us some hope of getting points and a possible qualification for the
final... though if previous years are anything to go by, hopes are low for
Ireland.
Australia returns to the contest following its special debut last year, while
Bosnia & Herzegovina return following a three years absence. Bulgaria and
Macedonia are back from a two year break and the Ukraine return after
skipping last years’ contest. Surprisingly Portugal have withdrawn from
this years’ contest following a string of bad results.
It is certainly going to be a great contest in Stockholm, though it will be a
hard ask for Ireland to win. By the looks of things we could be returning to
Sweden next year, or maybe RTE will partner with SBS if Australia win and
host the contest in Ireland, though from a financial side it’s quite unlikely.
Either way we have 43 songs to entertain us in May!
Ira Losco - Walk on Water (Malta) –
Odds: 16/1
A fast paced catchy song
that we will more than
likely be dancing to in
Chambers whether they
win or lose.
Sergey Lazarev - You Are The Only
One (Russia) – Odds: 7/4
The favourites for this
year and for good reason.
This polished pop song
will be the one to beat
this year.
Dami Im - Sound Of Silence (Australia)
– Odds: 10/1
With the novelty factor
gone this year Australia
have entered one of their
biggest pop stars Dami
Im which will hopefully
pay off. They have done
their research on and have entered a modern pop
ballad which have been all too popular in recent
years.
Poli Genova - If Love Was A Crime
(Bulgaria) – Odds: 25/1
An interesting song
matched with a great
singer. A winning
combination.
Frans - If I Were Sorry (Sweden) –
Odds: 6/1
Sweden are really going
for two in a row with this
song. A very catchy tune
from Sweden which has
already tipped the charts
and has charted on Spotify viral charts across
Europe.
Watch the Eurovision Songcontest on May 10th on
RTÉ2. For a playlist of all entries see the QR to the right

13. 13
MUSICEDITOR - HOLLY COONEY
The Changing Face of Music
KendrickLamar-Untitled,Unmastered,Unstoppable
Tadhg Coakley examines the changing face of music and the possibilities we have to listen to music in the digital age. You might want to continue being
“authentic”, having your twenty something year old self cart boxes of records around to use for your DJ set in Crane Lane, but there’s no denying the capabilities
of modern music has gone beyond anything we could have ever imagined.
Cailean Coffey reviews the surprise release of Kendrick Lamar’s new EP “Untitled, Unmastered” to see if his success is warranted or just a fluke.
I was listening to Janis Ian last night and I was surprised at how similar
she sounded to Adele and I thought, wow, how little music has
changed over the last 50 years. However HOW we listen to
music – well that has been revolutionised. I was listening
to Janis Ian on Spotify, using my smartphone, connected
to wifi, via a Bluetooth speaker and she was being
streamed over the web. Now if you played Ed Sheeran
or Sam Smith to somebody in 1966 they’d be impressed
but they wouldn’t be freaked out; but if you told them
how we listen to music these days, they’d think you
were mad. And if we think we can predict how
we’ll be listening to music in 50 years then we’re
mad too.
In the ‘60s you could listen to music in cars, on the
radio and in clubs, but if you wanted to pick exactly
whatmusictohearitwasonlypossibleonyourrecord
player. Audio cassettes were still in their infancy and
vinyl was top dog. Despite the romantic nostalgia we
have for vinyl it only allowed us to listen to albums, a format
which presented the songs that studios wanted to you to hear in
the order they wanted you to hear it in. As well as that you had to flip the
record half way through which to modern ears is far too much effort. The
concept of listening to music in any place, at any time and choosing exactly
what you want to listen to was way beyond thinkable.
It’s not just the availability and instantaneousness of music that
blows my mind these days: it’s the choice, It’s anything you
can possibly want, right now, in any order or combination.
Playlists are king and not just the mixes of genres or
moods (Forever Alone), but for activities (Workout,
Dinner), days of the week (Sunday Morning), you name
it. We even have the most obscure playlists for those
who want to Walk like a Badass or beat PMT. “If you
liked Tvärvägen, you’ll love Brothers of End”; “Because
you listened to Helios, try Jonsi & Alex”. The music
industry is certainly changing but the choice and variety
in incomparable, sites like Spotify and Tidal know what you
like even before you do. Despite its critics I’m a fan as now I
get to hear so much that I otherwise could never have even
imagined.
Maybe it’s not great for the musicians. Prince complains that
nobody is getting rich from digital, but he’s rich enough. I
hope John Hopkins is not being ripped off as I listen to and
love him, but at least I’m listening to him. If he plays gigs in Ireland I’ll go
see him. And the more we listen to great music, the more we live, and the
more meaning musicians have. And that’s got to be good, no?
Kendrick Lamar is currently the undisputed
king of Hip-Hop. With two groundbreaking
albums under his belt already, it would
be fair to assume that he’d bide his time
to release anything else in an attempt to
maintain his legacy. Luckily for us that’s not
the case, as on the 4th of March Top Dag
Entertainment surprised the whole world
by releasing ‘Untitled, Unmastered’, a series
of songs that Kendrick recorded during the
sessions that birthed the Grammy winning
“To Pimp A Butterfly”. These songs are only throwaways, a way for the
record company to profit on the enigma and rising star we have in Lamar.
For most artists that would be the case but, as usual, Kendrick Lamar is the
exception, as these are songs that any artist would be insanely proud of.
This EP pulls no punches, with the eight songs dealing with topics like
religion, poverty, the black community and gang life in Lamar’s hometown
of Compton. Of course, being ‘album rejects’ there is a clear link between
the instrumentation here and on ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ and there is a sense
of disjointedness and complexity within the melodies. However it’s Lamar’s
lyrics that really pull him through the project, and the repetitive nature of
certain phrases between the songs here add a sense of cohesion. ‘Untitled,
Unmastered’ shows the raw grit and determination of Lamar, not only to
escape the poverty cycle himself but to act as spokesperson for the black
and impoverished communities of America that he himself is so familiar
with.
For an album of outtakes it’s incredible to
think that these were just going to be
abandoned and never heard before this
project came to fruition. Does it flow
seamlessly between tracks like Lamar’s
previous project? No, but if these songs
came from the likes of Jay-z or Dr. Dre
we would be praising it as a second
coming. Kendrick Lamar is at the top of
his game and if this EP’s anything to go by
there’s no sign of stopping him.

14. 14
FILM & TELEVISION
Review: Sing Street, or ‘All Aboard the Nostalgia Train’
by Phillip Hayden
Over the past few years Irish cinema has gotten
a reputation for being unforgivingly depressing
(a diagnosis which is justly deserved) so it’s
actually quite refreshing to get a light, happy-
go-lucky flick for a change. Sing Street, directed
by John Carney, the man who made Once and
Begin Again, tells the story of Conor Lalor
(Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), a fifteen year-old Dubliner
transferred from his private school to the local
Christian Brothers public school. While there
he encounters the mysterious Raphina (Lucy
Boynton) and attempts to win her affections by
asking her to appear in his non-existent band’s
next music video, prompting him to get a band
together.
“...it’s kind of novel to see a
film get so passionate about
a period of music that
makes people cringe when
they hear it”
Although I wouldn’t be personally huge into
eighties Top of the Pops music I can certainly
appreciate it for what it is here. In fact it’s kind
of novel to see a film get so passionate about a
period of music that makes people cringe when
they hear it. However, the film still can’t help itself
from including a big speech about how rock and
roll “is a risk” which just feels ludicrous when
you’re listening to songs like Spandau Ballet’s
Gold in the background.
“...full of smoking fifteen
year-olds, ugly uniforms
and bad haircuts –it’s so
tragically accurate”
Sing Street starts off brilliantly; a joyous
cavalcade of Irish-isms and eighties-isms all to
the soundtrack of golden oldies. We see Conor’s
new school, full of smoking fifteen year-olds,
ugly uniforms and bad haircuts –it’s so tragically
accurate. We watch as Conor’s clothes change
from ‘crime against fashion’ to ‘crime against
fashion’, as he makes his way through his brother’s
record collection: the Cure, Duran Duran & the
Jam all make an appearance. Although the film
is originally very funny, somewhere around the
halfway mark this romantic-comedy starts to get
pretty light on the comedy & bizarrely heavy on
the drama.
This is Sing Street’s biggest problem. Its tone is
hugely inconsistent. The film goes out of its way
to graphically depict both clerical and domestic
abuse yet refuses to explore these issues. There’s
one particular scene which is so raw and brutal
that it actually reminded me of the torture scene
in Lawrence of Arabia, but the film ploughs on,
completely ignoring these scenes as it continues
on its feel-good tomfoolery. Why bring these
themes up if you’re not going to discuss them?
The gritty realism that this film sports in the first
half of the film, which made it so genuine and
funny, starts to come unstuck. For a film that sells
itself as an authentic portrayal of 1980s Dublin,
it’s kind of hard to immerse yourself in it when
stuff like Conor being inexplicably able to afford
petrol and maintenance for his Grandfather’s
boat starts happening.
“...it goes against the feel of
the film, when his character
suddenly goes from spouting
brilliant one-liners to
crying about his abusive
childhood”
It must be said that the on-screen chemistry
between Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) and
Raphina (Lucy Boynton) is utterly convincing,
and both actors should be commended for their
performances. Brendan (Jack Reynor), Conor’s
brother and musical mentor, steals the show
whenever he’s on screen. However again it goes
against the feel of the film, when his character
suddenly goes from spouting brilliant one-liners
like “No woman can ever really love a man who
listens to Phil Collins” to crying about his abusive
childhood. There’s no problem having complex
characters or themes in a film, but why this film?
Why put them in a film that’s supposed to be a
feel-good movie?
“Once again the realism this
filmestablishesiscontradicted
and is to no great effect”
It didn’t particularly bother me that Conor, who
originally seems to have little talent or interest in
music, suddenly becoming a master songwriter
–that’s to be expected in any rom-com or indeed
any music-film; what bothered me was the
squeaky clean recording-studio quality of the
music they played. Not just because it would have
been charming to hear the laughable quality of
1980s tapedecks, but also because there was no
need for it. The fact that each song was recorded
in a studio and the actors are simply miming
just pulls you further out of the experience.
Once again the realism this film establishes is
contradicted and is to no great effect.
“You can tell the filmmakers
really cared about the film
they were making”
Sing Street is a film that means well but
unfortunately has some major flaws. You can
tell the filmmakers really cared about the film
they were making, and really wanted to depict &
celebrate Dublin and the music of the eighties.
However, the execution is shaky and the film
can’t seem to decide whether it’s a fun-for-all-
the-family romp or an unblinking warts-and-all
examination of 1980s Dublin. You can’t have it
all: you can’t lead the audience to believe that
they’re about to engage in a load of fun and at the
same time expect them to put that fun on hold
while you fleetingly mention serious societal
issues like clerical & domestic abuse. Sing Street
has its moments, and if anything it’s a pity they
couldn’t have kept the fun and the energy of the
first half of the film going until the very end.

15. 15
FILM & TV
Review: Batman vs Superman - Dawn of Justice
Let’s Talk About ‘Realism’ in Pop Culture
By Sean Hannon
By Xander Cosgrave - Byline Editor
Arguably the year’s most anticipated
blockbuster has arrived: ‘Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice’ is Zack
Snyder’s gratuitous contribution to
this year’s surge of superhero films.
Taking place after the events of ‘Man
of Steel’ where General Zod’s and
Kal-El/Superman’s (Henry Cavill)
feud has turned Metropolis into
a colossal war zone devastated by
severecollateraldamage.Metropolis
has become a city divided, some
worshiping Superman as a god-like
hero who defended their city while
others censure him, regarding him
a destructive alien tyrant; luckily
for us Bruce Wayne/Batman sides
with the latter. Spurred on by the
destruction of his Metropolis-based
skyscraperwhichcollapsedtorubble
during the onslaught, leading to the
deaths of many of his employees,
Wayne suits up to face Superman
finding him to blame for the city’s
devastation. Meanwhile our villain
Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) gets
up to no good as he gets his hands
on Kryptonite & a crash-landed
Kryptonian ship.
If you watch enough superhero
films you will come to realise that
most of the effort is focused on the
action, with plenty of explosions,
fight scenes, aliens, monsters
and tonnes of CGI effects. The
writing and development of the
plot & characters often become
subordinate. Jon Favreau, director
of Iron Man, admitted
that for his Marvel
film so much of the
budget and time
was spent on the
CG visual effects
that they had
very little money
left for the script; this meant he
and leading actor Robert Downey
Jr had to improvise for a lot of the
scenes, their improvisation working
to make for a highly entertaining
romp. This seems an approach most
superhero films have in common,
and of course Batman v Superman
is no exception: visually, the film
is an overbearing CGI-saturated
mess, but this one area where
superhero films lean was a failure in
this instance.
There have been very few times
where I have supported a hero
less. Despite being some of the
most iconic characters in modern
literature, Clark Kent/Superman
and Bruce Wayne/Batman are done
little justice in this latest portrayal.
Here they are depicted as near-
soulless, one dimensional, and
severely underdeveloped
characters whom one
would find it difficult
to root for. The
casting of the
iconic character
does not help
either. Social
media was in uproar when it was
announced that Ben Affleck was
to play the Dark Knight. At first I
decided to give him the benefit of
the doubt, but found myself rolling
my eyes as I realised the internet
was right. While there was very
little from the script to work with,
Ben Affleck for the most part gave
a wooden, deadpan performance
bringing little life to the character.
In contrast, Jesse Eisenberg’s
performance admittedly put a
creepy spin on the Lex Luthor
character, and he came across as
completely over the top. Eisenberg’s
manic and psychotic performance
was cartoonish, becoming tedious
& irritating very quickly.
For the most part I find superhero
films fun and enjoyable despite
their tendencies to mimic each
other, to be formulaic with a more
than predictable outcome. However
whenever a rushed, slapdash
attempt at the superhero genre like
‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Justice’ comes along, it’s hard not to
be cynical of the genre as a whole.
The film is a reminder of the studio’s
priorities and Zack Snyder’s film
only comes across as a quick cash
grab. For the comic book fanatic the
film offers a few surprises & hopes
for DC Comics’ future in film. It’s
a movie with an overly convoluted
plot that is told very poorly, making
for incoherent disarray throughout.
While it provides light, escapist
entertainment in parts it is an
Avengers wannabe that is an overall
soulless, humourless and fruitless
romp.
GrimDark is a term used to describe something
that has the settings and theme of everything
being bleak and awful, and everyone there being
kind of awful too; think the US using drones to
blowupterroristsataweddingsortofawful.With
that much moral grey area, this is also the sort of
thing people see as the gritty realism they need in
TV shows. For lots of things it’s fine; there are lots
of books, games and TV shows where it works,
because it’s absolutely right to have a certain
amount of grit in things if you think they need
that. However ‘pop culture’, specifically Film, has
gone a bit too far a bit too often, with a degree
or trite heavy handedness that really speaks
about: A) the competence of many writers and
directors these days, and B) how thick they think
their audience is, so that they need to make their
moral issues as blatant as possible.
“In the tradition of corporate media
somebody saw that it was successful
and asked for more of it, so we got
two Transformers movies”
GrimDark can work, I’m not saying we need to
avoid it at all, because some shows are able to do
it excellently; looking at things like Homeland
or even Jessica Jones we can see actual non-
caricaturist evil & hate and actual real moral
dilemmas. It is nuanced, and these shows have
been rightly successful & lauded because of it. In
the tradition of corporate media somebody saw
that it was successful and asked for more of it,
so we got two Transformers movies that actually
tried to incorporate a real ethical debate about,
uh, something, Into a franchise that is about
robots punching robots in the face.
“Frankly, Transformers isn’t the worst
of it; the original cartoon had genocide
and dystopian themes, so I can even
buy into some of that rolling over”
Frankly, Transformers isn’t the worst of it; the
original cartoon had genocide and dystopian
themes, so I can even buy into some of that
rolling over, even if they did a piss poor, heavy
handed job of it. It’s the point where you have a
character like Superman, who is literally meant
to be the greatest example of what a good person
can be, break some dudes neck very dramatically;
that’s when we have a clear example of people not
getting something, and then using ‘RealismTM
’
to make up for it. Grit, GrimDark, whatever you
call it, is a useful tool that people need to stop
abusing to make up for their own inability to
write/direct/produce and make more movies
where good guys are good for good reasons, bad
guys are bad for actual reasons, and someone
is probably just in it for the money. What I’m
saying is, everyone should just make more Star
Wars films rather than try and ruin our viewing
experience with a ‘GrittyTM
’ reboot of Jen and the
Holograms. Oh, wait, they already did that.
EDITOR - OLIVIA BROWN

16. *
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*Positions are paid