1. 1WELCOME TO NIGHT VALEAN INTERVIEW WITH VOICE OF NIGHT VALE CECIL BALDWIN
BYLINEISSUE I

2. 2
My name Is Xander Cosgrave,
and I’m here to welcome you to
Byline and the new academic
year. For some of you, this is the
beginning of a college career that
will probably shape the rest of
your life, and you’re full of bright
eyed excitement, energy and cheap
vodka, it won’t last. For everyone
else, see you after freshers week
yeah?
More important than
that, it’s the first year of Byline,
the new UCC Express magazine.
We’ve got an awesome year ahead
of ourselves, with sections on
Gaming, Humour, Arts & Lit,
Fiction, Screen, and Music, so
you can read it and pretend you’re
cultured on awkward Tinder dates.
(That is to say, all of them) But
before we get into all that stuff that
improves you and helps expand
horizons, let’s talk about you.
At this stage, it’s mid Freshers
week, and we’re all sitting around
nursing our hangovers that have
been looming over our mornings
since last Friday. If someone speaks
too quickly you get dizzy and
you’re unable to leave the house for
fear of natural light. The only thing
to eat is the kebab you forgot to eat
and left on the couch.
This is normal, it’s Freshers
week, you’re either new to this all,
or haven’t been doing much all
summer. To survive all you’ve got
to do is stumble into the shower
(please) and drink a Berocca, you’ll
be right as rain, and if you can’t
handle that, maybe reflect on your
choices from last night. Don’t do
anything about them, just reflect
on them a little bit, though maybe
see who’s screenshotted your
snapchat story. When you’ve done
all that it’s time to finish reading
Byline, do a Facebook creep and
stagger to college.
Byline Editor: Xander Cosgrave
Film & TV Editor: Olivia Brown
Music Editor: Holly Cooney
Arts & Lit Editor: Colm Ferlong
Designer: Robert O’Sullivan
Gaming Editor: Aoife Gleeson
Fiction Editor: Austin Dowling
Humour Editor: Lauren Mulvihill
On the Verge of something new...
Xander Cosgrave
What’s Inside... Headlines of Byline:
FILM & TV
MUSIC
AND...
Girl Band Dublin
Cork Venue Guide
HUMOUR
GAMING
Byline Puzzle of the Week

3. 3
FICTION
At a minute past midnight
As today moulded into tomorrow
My smudging eyelashes swept my sockets
Slowly to the beat of the rain army on my window
Soaking up your words in my heart’s pockets
I felt you burning under my skin.
I swear I feel you blazing all those miles away
I need to read you, let your words seep in.
And paw your pages, even the ones unshared.
I’ll read you carefully cupping your spine
Like I would a new book in my hands
And be enthralled as I read you line by line
Read the contours of your face and the tale of your eyes
And reach the next chapter as I see today’s sun rise.
Avid Reader
by Alison Driscoll
You offered me a stick of gum from across the aisle
It was the third time our eyes met
And I politely did decline
As I raised my UHT milked cup of steam as if to say: I’m
doing just fine
But two sips later I abandoned the murky tealess taste
I waited for our eyes to meet again this chance I wouldn’t
waste
But you were stuck in ‘1984’ and I in ‘Animal Farm’
Orwell uniting us but keeping us apart
And then we jolted into Heuston and you put away your gum
You waved me from my row ahead of yours as if you were
asking me to
dance
And I did waltz up the aisle in my Penny’s penny loafers
And clacked down the platform towards the last stop shop
I put the chewing gum on the counter, for you had stuck it on
my mind
And hoped by chance I’d see you, somewhere, along the line.
Stranger
by Alison Driscoll
I care little for the
dull forms of twilight
or froths of wasted
Friday eves beneath the moon
Those were opportunities
our boyhood tempers
swallowed with the latent
heat of many Junes.
Here between our blinks
breathe in the dark
and beware a glass too far
desired spies our kiss
As come the sigh of morning
luck will count us
mirrored only by a
shared and final glimpse.
Parting
by Austin Dowling
EDITOR - AUSTIN DOWLING

4. 4
HUMOUR
Trump It Up!
The race for the USA’s presidential
candidacy is heating up, and there
has been but one question on the
lips of the international media:
what will Donald Trump wear
next? The Republican candidate
has dazzled both American voters
and foreign spectators alike with
his stunning fashion sense at each
debate. As Trumps’ style icon
status promises to go stratospheric
in the coming months, here’s how
you, too, can stay ahead of the
curve by emulating this business
mogul’s iconic look.
1. Those formal suits don’t come
cheap! In order to achieve that
imposing, ‘stay-out-of-my-space’
manner that makes the Top Trump
so endearing, your best bet is to
force the Mexican government to
shell out for your wardrobe. It’s
the least they can do after all those
years you’ve spent humouring
their lax immigration controls.
2. Button that shirt all the way up.
High-flying political candidates
may spend hours travelling and
wallowing in warm, cramped
conditions, but don’t be too
concerned about the heat – global
warming, after all, is a conspiracy
invented by the Chinese.
3. If you’re aspiring towards
that ‘overcooked Owen Wilson’
appearance,you’regoingtoneedan
impressive collection of colourful
ties. Make sure you choose the best
possible fabrics so that people can
clearly identify your most beautiful
quality: your vast fortune.
4. One of the irritants of your
slick look will be the torrent of
women lining up to flirt with
you, consciously or otherwise. As
Trump himself says, that’s to be
expected. You’re obviously going to
have to turn many of these brazen
ladies away at some point. Make
sure you keep a few tissues to hand
in case blood starts coming out of
their… wherever.
5. Confidence is key! Remember,
everyone except you is an idiot.
That’s why free trade doesn’t work.
Loudly remind the world of this
fact at every opportunity, and the
famous Trump charisma will leave
your hate-filled pores glowing.
6. Most people get less attractive
as they age. Heidi Klum may
no longer be a 10 – but you are.
The key to Trump’s resilience is
consistency; stand in front of a
mirror and repeat the mantra,
“the year is 1970.” Denial is the
main ingredient in your recipe for
youthful, tangerine radiance.
7. Finally, no look is complete
without Donald’s famous comb-
over. Remember, the only thing
keeping that quiff stiff is your state
of constant vigilance; if anyone
is going to dent your ‘do, it’s the
slaves of the liberal media that hide
around every corner.
For a look that’s every democrat’s
worst nightmare and every dated
conservative’s dream come true,
do yourself a favour and slay the
opposition by Trumping it up this
autumn.
by Lauren Mulvihill
‘The Republican candidate has
dazzled both American voters
and foreign spectators alike
with his stunning fashion sense
at each debate. ‘
New Google Logo Causes Nationwide Panic
by Lauren Mulvihill
The internet giant Google this
week unveiled a new logo,
invoking widespread panic and
confusion across Ireland. The
familiar Times New Roman-style
font that once greeted visitors on
the site’s homepage has now been
replaced with some sort of new-
fangled modern typeface, and
public reaction has been explosive.
“This is why I have an issue with
trust,” one user tells Verge. “I have
tolerated all of this messing around
with the shading and colour over
the last few years, but to make
the logo sans-serif? It’s enough to
make me switch to Bing.”
Since its official founding
in 1998, Google – which is now
owned by the newly formed
Alphabet company – has slightly
reinvented its familiar colourful
logo a total of 6 times, with
designers mostly staying in
their own damn lane over the
years. This latest effort marks a
major departure from the norm,
with unfamiliar rounded letters
ushering in a new era for the
internet giant.
The big reveal has been
followed by large-scale protests
outside Google Headquarters in
Dublin, with users from across
the country turning out in force
to broadcast their dissatisfaction.
At the forefront of the protest
is Martyna Lassin, a former
employee of the corporation as of
yesterday afternoon.
“It’s madness, utter madness, to
expect us to be complacent to
this sort of treachery,” she says,
brandishing a large ‘Google? Fool-
gle’ sign. “I walked out of my job
the second that thing went live.
This is even worse than the Skittles
debacle of 2010.”
While many have meekly
expressed their admiration for or
disinterest in the new design, these
people have been asked to shut
their mouths by detractors, many
of whom view the rebranding to
be a direct personal attack on the
civilian population as a whole.
“Those techies up there think they
can market their own business
whatever way they want, without
ever thinking of the children,”
Lassin explains. “How on earth
do we explain this mess to the
children?”
Despite this, many of the
country’s top sociologists have
issued assurances that the outcry
will fizzle out in coming weeks.
Known colloquially as ‘Slow News
Day Syndrome’, Dr. Ahmed Karim
of the Centre for Public Nonsense
Research describes it as being ‘not
all that rare’.
“The logo was unveiled on a
day when nothing particularly
startling was being talked about in
the news. Many people read up on
the day’s news specifically to have
something to complain about, and
when nothing of interest happens,
we get situations such as this. I
would advise the public not to
worry.”
For those who still
require help coming to terms with
Google’s new homepage design, a
24-hour hotline can be reached at
1800 – WHAT – EVEN.

5. 5
HUMOUREDITOR - LAUREN MULVIHILL
Teen criticises religion on Facebook, receives Nobel Prize
by Lauren Mulvihill
by Lauren Mulvihill
A Cork teenager has become the
latest Irish recipient of the Nobel
Peace Prize after his ingenious
Facebook comment went viral,
prompting an immediate and
conclusive end to all religious
conflict throughout the world.
“I was just speaking the truth,
like,” Mr. Seán Power, 16, an
antitheist and avid reader of
Richard Dawkins’s Twitter
account, explained. The Douglas
native has had an ‘unprecedented’
impact on world peace since
posting his initial comment last
Tuesday, according to CNN.
“I weep for the state of the
humanity [sic]. If only the
common man would cast aside
the oppressive shackles of religion
and religious oppression, we could
put a definitive end to war and
armed conflict throughout the
world once and for all,” were the
words of the teenager, described
by his mother as “a great man for
the debating”. Fanatical religious
groups have since decided to take
Mr. Power’s advice, swapping
munitions for pens and military
drafts for peace treaties.
“Like, war is a very
straightforward thing,” Seán
explains on his YouTube channel,
‘rationalthinker546’, which has 39
subscribers to date. “War is only
caused by one thing, religion,
and there are no other nuances
to it whatsoever, such as political
ideology, resource control, or
national identity. If people just
stopped being religious, like, war
would also stop. Heretofore.”
The fourth-year student,
who has since gone on to explain
to Marxists that communism only
works in theory – a shock that has
leftextremeleft-winggovernments
frantically scrambling to alter
their established systems – has
been celebrating his achievement
alongside girlfriend Annabelle
‘Nellie’ Ward. The couple have
been together for seven months,
and Nellie claims she knew from
the outset that Seán was destined
for greatness.
“He’s just so, like, different,”
she explains, “and so are all his
friends. They’re not like, sheeple,
like, they don’t go to nightclubs or
whatever. He’s so random!”
The inspirational
commenter’s devil-may-care
persona allowed him to pass over
an invitation to celebrate his prize
as part of a special assembly at his
school, which he claims is “no big
loss, like, most of those people
don’t even know what a Nobel
Prize is.”
Seán’s future career
path is unclear. His mother
entertains hopes of him earning
a degree in engineering, while he
himself seeks to avoid any sort
of professional involvement with
“the Man”. For the time being,
he sits in his room, critiquing
illogical cultural movements via
the internet, his unique blend
of passive-aggressiveness and
confidence in his own opinion
continuing to make him stand out
on in every forum he visits.
In a modern-day twist on the
classic Cinderella story, a UCC-
based research scientist has
finally found her ‘glass-slipper’: a
highly toxic element located deep
beneath the crust of the Nazca
tectonic plate.
Just like the fairytale
heroine, Clodagh Ní Loinsigh
overcame a torrent of adversity
to finally prove the existence of
the elusive Secretivium. For seven
years, Clodagh put her life and
health at risk to study the metallic
substance, which human beings
cannot physically be exposed to
for more than fifteen minutes
per fourteen-hour cycle without
inducing potentially fatal damage
to internal organs. Clodagh’s
inspirational journey into the
unknown has not only led her to
discover this impressive element,
but herself, also.
“Abseiling down the side of that
trench in Southern Peru, I just
realised that if I stayed true to
myself, I could achieve anything
I wanted,” Clodagh revealed in
an emotional telephone interview
with RTÉ’s Ryan Tubridy. “The
only thing that kept me going
on that long trip down through
the earth’s crust was my faith in
myself. That, and a harness and
some wires.”
Clodagh, a small-town
girl from the western coast
of Donegal, first joined UCC
School of Biological, Earth and
Environmental Sciences (BEES)
over a decade ago with only a PhD
in Geology to her name. She says
the first few months were tough.
“I felt like a real fish out of water.
Everyone really seemed to have
found their place in the world,
you know? But eventually, I met
some great people and I really
think I came out the other side
as a stronger person. I mean, I’ve
been in quarantine for a good six
months now, and the time is just
flying by. I’ve really found myself
over the past seven years, and
that’s the most important thing;
mysteriously losing my left kidney
about a year into the Secretivium
tests isn’t even an issue for me
anymore.”
The future’s looking
bright for Clodagh, who hopes
to be released into the general
population as soon as possible in
order to promote her discovery.
The potential uses of Secretivium
are currently considered classified
information, and this high-flying
scientist says she feels more at
ease than ever before under the
watchful eyes of MI6.
Clodagh’s autobiography,
“Journey to the Centre of My
Mind (and the Earth)”, was
written during her four-month
stint in solitary confinement and
promises to be the literary debut
of the year. Find it in all good
bookstores from September 16th.
UCC Scientist Discovers Self, Element

6. 6
GAMING
When Assassin’s Creed: Unity (AC: U)
came out last year it got a fairly bad
rap. Reports of numerous bugs and
glitches enforced gamers’ suspicions
that Ubisoft was more concerned
with cranking out an Assassin’s game
every year (notably, two that year) and
reaping the associated cash than they
were with making functional, complete
games. Despite the goodwill created by
the great reviews of AC: Black Flag the
year before, many dismissed the game
as a rushed misfire in the series and
passed it over. The fact that there was a
slew of other games coming out at the
same time also encouraged people to
save their money for something more
polished.
The combination sales of AC: Unity and
Rogue were about 10 million units, in
contrast to AC: Black Flag selling 10
million on its own the year before. This
hasn’t deterred Ubisoft from its yearly
production schedule though: AC:
Syndicate comes out later this year, set
in Victorian era London.
After a year’s hiatus from console games
for Erasmus, I’ve been catching up on a
lot of last year’s big console games, and,
being a diehard AC fan (and someone
who always wanted an AC game set in
Revolutionary Paris) I picked it up, half
prepared for disappointment. But I was
happily surprised by how much fun
there is to be found in it.
First,thebad,togetitoutoftheway.The
occasional bug does pop up (an NPC
floating or inexplicably disappearing)
but these are rare (most seem to
have been patched out) and certainly
nothing game breaking. The main
story is also a bit meandering, mired
by the intermittent interjection of AC’s
overarching nonsensical sci-fi plot. But
that’s it for my gripes. Now the good, of
which there’s a lot to be found. The fully
realised world of Revolutionary Paris
is a blast to explore, as are missions set
in famous monuments (infiltrating the
Notre Dame and assassinating a bishop
is a personal favourite). Assassination
missions now provide much more
choice, giving you many different
options to locate and eliminate your
target. Heist missions are similar,
tasking you with infiltrating palaces and
the like and steal treasure from inside,
distilling AC down to its purest form.
The side missions have much more
personality than the main game and
include such randomness solving monk
murder mysteries, collecting heads for
Madame Tussaud and hopping through
time rifts to climb the Eiffel Tower in
1944. There’s also Da Vinci Code style
missions which give you riddles that
lead you to monuments in the city. So,
while many of you may have missed
Unity at the time, maybe it wouldn’t
hurt to go back and give it a go.
Revisiting Assassin’s Creed: Unity
by Aoife Gleeson - Gaming Editor
‘...that Ubisoft was more
concerned with cranking out an
Assassin’s game every year...’
It’s the beginning of a new semester and, in the gaming world, this usually means one thing: brace yourself, the big games are
coming. This year the release schedule is a little sparser than usual, and definitely a better time to be an Xbox One player. But there
is an upside to the more modest offering of this year: you’ll have more time to savour the few great games that are coming out (and
more money in your pocket for the many coming out next Spring). So, without further ado, here’s a preview of some of the big
games coming out in September and October.
Autumn Gaming Preview
Aoife Gleeson lets you know what games to watch out for this autumn
1.
3.
4.
2.
Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Halo 5: Guardians
Rainbow Six: Siege
(Sept 1: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows)
(Oct 23: PS4, Xbox One, Windows)
(Oct 27: Xbox One exclusive)
(Oct 13: PS4, Xbox One, Windows)
With rave reviews and perfect
scores across the board, this
one is definitely worth your
time. Described as “Red Dead
Redemption meets Splinter Cell” it
looks to be a masterclass in open
world games, with total freedom
to complete missions however
you can imagine (the anecdotes
coming from reviews are as varied
as they are hilarious). Knowledge
of the previous games seems to
be a must but, if you’re new to the
world of Big Boss and Solid Snake,
there’s plenty of summaries on
Youtube.
SetinLondonduringtheIndustrial
Revolution. Things of note about
this one; it has two protagonists
(twin brother and sister) that you
can switch between and it has no
multiplayer (an experiment that
didn’t quite pan out in AC: Unity).
Master Chief and his crew have
gone AWOL, you’ll play as a new
character, Spartan Locke, hunting
him down. Gameplay switches
between the two characters and
is heavily focused on co-op and
multiplayer, promising standard
Halo fare.
The next instalment in the tactical
multiplayer shooter franchise.
Teams, counter terrorism units
made up of operatives with
varying specialisations, are tasked
with breaching and infiltrating
terrorist strongholds and rescuing
hostages. The game focuses on
close combat and planning tactics
for assaults. Perfect for your online
multiplayer fix.
That’s it for your Autumn months, but November promises to be busy, having
the quick successive releases of Call of Duty: Black Ops III (Nov 6), Fallout 4
(Nov 10), Rise of the Tomb Raider (also Nov 10) and Star Wars Battlefront
(Nov 17). Keep an eye on this section during the year for reviews and opinion
pieces. Happy gaming!

7. 7
GAMINGEDITOR - AOIFE GLEESON
Back to College: Free Mobile Games
Aoife Gleeson tells you what games you should have downloaded to your phone for the new semester.
It’s the beginning of a new semester, which means lectures that stretch out for an eternity, long stints in the library (thanks
semesterisation), lots of events, going out and probably not much free time. But when you do have a free minute to kill during the day
(or are suffering from a serious lack of attention in a lecture) worry not, there’s a slew of great mobile games out there that can help
you through this. All of these games have the same things in common: they’re fun, they can be played in short bursts, they’re addictive
and best of all, they’re all free.
Crossy Road
Hopeless: The Dark Cave
Skyward
Badlands
Autumn Walk
Plague Inc.
Geometry Dash
iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows
iOS, Android
iOS, Android
Freaking everything vaguely current, seriously, even Blackberry.
iOS, Android
iOS, Android, Windows Phone
iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows, OS X
Why did the chicken cross
the road? To avoid being
crushed by an oncoming
train, according to Crossy
Road. Similar to Frogger,
Crossy Road tasks you with
navigating a hapless chicken
through an endless gauntlet
of oncoming traffic, rushing
rivers and hurtling trains. The
visuals are in a charmingly
retro 8-bit style and the
game is hugely addictive in a
“I know I’ve died 100 times but
I can definitely do better this
time” kind of way. The quick
nature of the game means it’s
perfect for killing time.
A tiny, cute, yellow blob
huddles, shaking with terror,
in the middle of a dark cave,
clinging to a gun for strength.
The monsters are coming.
Your job is to frantically shoot
the monsters in the face before
they can gobble up your cute
little blob and not shoot the
other little blobs who come
to provide you with backup.
It’s fun, it’s frantic, it’s weirdly
adorable, give it a go.
In this abstract little game
you control two dots which
relay over each other, which
you have to navigate through
M.C. Escher style levels which
disappear behind you and
form in front of you as you
go. The music is calming and
when you get into a groove it’s
a lot of fun. More difficult and
complex levels are unlocked
as you go and the challenge is
very addictive.
This one looks pretty great for
a free game. You play as a black
blob monster, flying your way
through a mysterious forest.
You need to avoid obstacles
by using accumulated power-
ups to grow bigger, smaller
and multiply. The golden
forest background combined
with the shrouded foreground
and minimalist sound
effects creates an intriguing
atmosphere that’s a little bit
reminiscent of Limbo. It’s not
half as difficult as that game,
especially since the levels are
much shorter, but this makes it
a great game to play in bursts.
This is a quirky little game in
which you control a refined
English gentleman wearing a
top hat out for a stroll. With
yourrambunctiousdogbyyour
side, your job is to keep him
on track by tugging him along
when he falls back and digging
your heels in when he runs
forward. A simple concept,
elevated by cute visuals and
the charming statements your
little gentleman comes out
with. If you like this, check out
its predecessor, “Winter Walk”
where you control the same
gentleman, but your job is to
keep your top hat from flying
off in a gusting snowstorm.
Ever wanted to engineer a
plague to destroy the entire
human race? Probably not,
since you’re likely not a
supervillain, but Plague Inc.
allows you to do exactly that.
You name your bacteria,
choose a country to start in
and then mutate your plague
as time goes on with traits
like medicinal resistance and
avian transmission. You can
also add symptoms to increase
the lethality of your disease
(my favourite strategy is to
evolve my bacteria to be highly
contagious but innocuous,
infect almost everyone in the
world,andthenquicklymutate
it to make it super lethal). Your
task is to wipe out the entire
human race before a cure
can be developed. The whole
premise, combined with the
Contagion style soundtrack,
will make you feel a bit weird
the first time but you’ll soon
get into it and become a fully-
fledged supervillain.
This one is the definition of
“just one more try” gameplay.
You play as a square hurtling
through futuristic levels set to
an upbeat, techno soundtrack
and in order to avoid the
many oncoming obstacles,
you have to tap along to the
music. It’s difficult and you
will die many, many times,
but finally finishing a level is
super satisfying.

8. 8
INTERVIEW
Cecil Baldwin
Explaining the simple brilliance of Welcome to Night Vale to the uninitiated can be a difficult task at times. A podcast
which presents itself as a small town radio news show, the titular town of Night Vale is located in an unknown state in
the U.S. The small town news and gossip you’d usually find on such radio stations is present but not as you may expect.
Instead the regular presenter of the show, Cecil Palmer, in a warm and cheery tone describes events such as the sudden
arrival of a sentient, glowing cloud comes to town. Things are not as they seem in Night Vale.
The at times surreal but always charming show began in 2012 and is up to 73 episodes on iTunes at time of writing.
Night Vale is regularly in the top ten most downloaded podcasts worldwide. As the show is about to set out on another
U.K and Irish tour and with the publication of the first book based on the show imminent I interviewed the voice of
Night Vale, Cecil Baldwin, about his experiences on the podcast, its origins and its place in the popular culture.
Image courtesy of @SubRadioHost
EXPRESS: So how does something like
Night Vale start?
CECIL BALDWIN: All three of the
creators, myself, Joseph Fink and Jeffrey
Cranor work in New York City as theatre
makers. We work as theatre artists in the
sort of off-off-Broadway theatre scene,
I’m an actor and Joseph and Jeffrey are
primarily writers. We all worked with
a theatre company called the New York
Neofuturists and primarily myself and
Jeffrey were writing and performing and
Joseph was more of a novelist kind of
writer. But he saw a play that I was in and
thought “wow this guy has a really great
voice and sounds kind of similar to this
character that I’ve been developing but
didn’t know what to do with” and asked
me if I wanted to record the pilot episode
and I said absolutely, sure it sounds great.
I love HP Lovecraft and I love horror, I
think one of the first adult books I ever
read was Stephen King’s It, so I knew
that the horror genre was something I
was really interested in and I knew how
funny Joseph and Jeffrey were so I got
the script and I understood the kind of
dark humour that was required. We just
started recording episodes and putting
them out there and begging people to
listen and eventually the internet kind of
discovered us via Tumblr and Twitter and
those people told five more people and
five more people told ten more people
and it just kind of got bigger and bigger
and bigger.
EX: You mentioned Lovecraft there, what
were the other influences on Night Vale?
It seems to come from the radio drama
tradition, which people around my age
didn’t grow up with so this is kind of a
weird revival of those for the digital age.
Oh yeah definitely, I mean we’re not doing
anything new *laughs*. The funny thing
is you know we made radio drama cool
again, but it’s funny I think we all thought
of it less as radio drama at first and more
as a long log or like almost stand-up
comedy monologues. It certainly was
different to a lot of the podcasts that
existed which were either informational,
you know, how to save money or this is
what science is all about or this is what
the politics of the day is, to you know sort
of conversational shows which there are a
million podcasts of. Stand-up comedians
talking to other stand-up comedians,
Marc Maron etc., tonnes of stuff like that.
There was a nice little hole that existed
that we occupied which was something
that a scripted show, that is funny but
not necessarily jokes you know, sort of
laugh out loud jokes that was character
driven, plot driven and had a continuing
storyline. You know it’s really funny that
people in their 20’s and 30’s who probably
don’t listen to the radio on a regular basis
really would listen to a radio drama, but
that’s exactly what it is. It’s kind of fun
being able to make radio kind of Orson
Wells War of the Worlds, or like BBC
radio drama cool again. It’s really funny.
EX: So the podcast is kind of surrealist
at times, maybe absurdist even, not
necessarily in its themes but in its
script or subject matter. Do you feel
this is something in the zeitgeist where
surrealism or absurdism is coming back
into the popular culture? Even in shows
like say Adventure Time which is popular
again in the Tumblr and Twitter space
which have their surrealist of absurdist
aspects and appear to be coming into
vogue.
Yeah I guess so, I think you can get away
with just about anything as long as you’re
kind of sincere about it and as long as
you put yourself into it. Like it’s funny,
people listen to Night Vale and then they
know they sort of want to emulate it and
they write kind of weird things either
on Twitter or through fan fiction but
the difference between writing anything
with
UCC Express Editor Brian Conmy speaks with the Voice of Night Vale Cecil Baldwin

9. 9
“we don’t have the luxury of
corporate money but we also don’t
have the artistic implications that
corporate money brings to the
table as well.”
weird and putting it out there, making
it weird and random for the sake of
weird and random, and I think what
we’re doing with Night Vale is that
from our point of view all the weirdness
comes from a very personal place that
is either supported by the script itself.
So our characters are odd and have
strange quirks that make them unique
like a man in a tan jacket holding a deer
skin suit case is one of our reoccurring
characters. He’s inherently strange or
creepy or surreal. Or it’s something that
is strange or terrifying to us personally
so for instance I know Jeffrey Cranor
is terrified of spiders so often times
you’ll find a lot of references to spiders
because he’s kind of pushing himself
and creeping himself out since it’s
something that’s real to him and he
puts that into his are. So the strangeness
has to come from a place where you’re
kind of challenging yourself or you’re
pushing yourself and using yourself as a
start rather than saying what can I come
up with that just sounds bizarre and is
weird for the sake of just being strange.
EX: That makes sense especially given
the show has been so great and gotten
such praise for portrayal or LGBT
characters and themes. Do you think
there’s a reason this kind of fantasy/
Sci-Fi show or general non-traditional
media does a better job at these
characters than stuff like soap operas or
supposedly realistic shows like Modern
Family?
We have the luxury and the curse of
being an independent operation. It’s
amazing that we can do whatever we
want, go wherever we want. If Joseph
and Jeffrey decided tomorrow that
everyone in Night Vale was suddenly
killed, that’s what would happen. We’re
not beholden to a larger network to
kind of keep up with the status quo and
it’s great because we’re afforded creative
control. There’s certainly a number of
acting choices that I made on the show
that had I had a director, a producer
and someone who represents our
sponsors standing over me going “uh
I dunno, that voice sounds a little out
of the mainstream I’m not sure people
will relate to this character, let’s find
a way to make it relatable to everyone
and therefore probably really bland
and boring” then the show probably
wouldn’t be what it is. Of course the
flip side is that we’re independent
operation and even on this tour where
we’re coming over to the UK and
Ireland for the second time, it’s taken
us months and months to put the tour
together ourselves. We’re at the level
now where we have a booking agent
and we have people who professionally
put together tours like this but at the
end of the day it’s just the three of us
and Meg Bashwiner who’s our MC and
Jon Burnstein who’s at Disparition who
does the music. It’s just us, we operate
our own show. So we don’t have the
luxury of corporate money but we also
don’t have the artistic implications that
corporate money brings to the table as
well.
EX: As the main character and voice of
Night Vale, coming from a less stable
and less publicised platform did that
make it extra surreal when it took
off and you saw yourself as a cosplay
character and featured in fanfiction all
of a sudden?
Of yeah, it was crazy. You know I’ve had
a good career in that I’ve been able to
perform for differing sized audiences
and I’ve performed for the President
of the US and Supreme Court justices,
doingShakespeareandveryprofessional
kind of respectable theatre. But for the
most part we’re used to doing a show in
the East village or NY for 100 people if
we were lucky. So it definitely did make
this very strange little project that we’d
started all the more surreal when all of a
sudden I’m getting emails from friends
of mine that I haven’t seen since I was
like 15 years old saying my kid loves
your show, do you remember me we,
went to school together, can I possibly
get a postcard or a mug or something.
Yeah it was just very strange and really
delightful at the same time.
EX: So something that’s been talked
about at the show a lot at the moment
and you’re publicising is the book, is
that an exciting new facet to the world
of Night Vale?
There’s 70+ episodes of Night Vale but
this is the first time that we’re stepping
out into the mainstream and you know
it’s not a book that’s being published
by me, Joseph and Jeffrey it’s being
published by Harper Perennial which is
an imprint of Harper Collins, one of the
largest publishing houses. I believe it’s
being released by Orbit in the UK. Kind
of a big deal companies you know. And
it’s great, Joseph and Jeffrey co-wrote
the book, it is about Night Vale and it
has a lot of the characters from Night
Vale but it takes those characters in new
directions that have not been covered on
the podcast. So hopefully it will appeal
to those fans of the show who have
listened since episode 1 and also people
who have never heard of the show who
don’t even know what a podcast is and
just want to pick up a book that has all
the tenants of Night Vale, that’s funny
and scary and sincere and heartfelt and
you know kind of makes you question
your place in the world and existence
in general. So hopefully it’ll be a huge
success and we’ll kind of expand the
world of Night Vale even farther than it
is now.
EX: Is that something the three of you
find difficult in building up the show,
the balance of bringing in new listeners
and now releasing a book that’ll have
new stuff that not everyone may get and
may bring new people on board again?
You’ve built up this world that you may
have been unsure how popular it would
get or how it could end or anything
like this, is that difficult in terms of
balancing a mythos and a world?
Oh sure I mean I think it’s natural for
any project you work on, I’m constantly
amazed whenever I start something
how much people know about a certain
project. I mean sure we have hundreds
of thousands of fans worldwide but
there’s always gonna be people that are
new to the show, that are new to what
we do and I think it’s about you know,
making them feel just as welcome as
the people who’ve been with us since
the beginning. You just kind of have to
keep creating art that is good and that
is consistent and know that the new
fans will eventually catch up and keep
the older fans interested in what you’re
doing. You want to keep creating good
product to keep people interested.
EX: So final question, are you really
excited to be touring again, back to the
UK and Ireland? You get all over the
world with the show now.
Oh yeah, I’m so excited. It’s gonna be
great. We’re going to some new places
I haven’t been before like Wales, so the
show in Cardiff will be my first time
there. We’re getting to play a couple of
cities we didn’t get to do on last year’s
tour like Leeds and hopefully the places
we have been like Dublin and London
will have a really warm reception
coming back. And I hope that everyone
enjoys the show that we’ve written for
this year and that its new and exciting,
we took a lot of lessons we learned
from last year’s tour and we’ve kind of
put them into the new script so I hope
everybody enjoys it.
“it’s really funny that people in
their 20’s and 30’s who probably
don’t listen to the radio on a regular
basis really would listen to a radio
drama, but that’s exactly what it is.
It’s kind of fun being able to make
radio kind of Orson Wells War of the
Worlds, or like BBC radio drama cool
again. It’s really funny.”
Welcome To Night Vale
are performing in Dublin’s
Olympia Theatre on
September 19th.
Welcome to Night Vale: A
Novel is set to be realised on
October 20th in the UK and
Ireland.

10. 10
ARTS & LITERATURE
Top YA Books you need to read now (Even if you’re not a young adult)
Colm Furlong provides a list of some great YA books everyone should check out.
Last year I penned an article on the merits of continuing to read Young Adult literature, even if you no longer technically
qualify as part of the young adult category. Much Young Adult fiction contains some of the most diverse storytelling
and characters in all of literature, as well as some of the most interesting experiments in form and writing. The plots of
Young Adult novels often centre on periods of growth in the lives of their characters; times where they are discovering
some of the harsh realities of the world. As such, their stories are fascinating and intriguing to follow.
This book spent 230 weeks on the
New York Times Bestsellers list, a
true testament to the quality of this
novel. The Book Thief is narrated
by Death, an omniscient observer
telling the story of the protagonist
Liesel Meminger, as he knows it
from a journal she left behind her.
Death frequently intersperses the
story with his own observations;
an interesting narrative technique
which really adds to the depth of
the tale. Set in Nazi Germany, this
novel tells the story of a young girl
strugglingtoadjusttolifeintheNazi
Regime with a new foster family,
along with her quest to continue
discovering the joys of words and
books.ThereaderistakenonLiesel’s
journey with her; she is a character
who is easy to empathise with and
her story is one which you quickly
become invested in. The Book Thief
provides readers with intricate
characters, a fascinating plot and
serves as an excellent introduction
to the Historical Fiction genre.
An emotionally gripping novel,
The Book Thief comes highly
recommended. I cannot endorse it
enough.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar
Children is an astonishingly
beautiful novel: the first in a series,
whose follow up Hollow City is
currently available with the third
instalment out later this month.
Its beauty largely stems from
the narrative technique Riggs
employs, a true experimentation
in the forms of writing. The
author offers us his tale through a
combination of found photographs
and traditional storytelling in order
to weave a spellbinding tale. The
novel combines elements of Sci-Fi
and Young Adult literature to tell
the tale of the protagonist, Jacob
Portman. Jacob is a 16 year old boy,
who, in the wake of a family tragedy
sets off to discover the secrets of
his grandfather’s childhood. In the
process, he meets people who had a
profound effect on his grandfather’s
life and will also go on to have a
profound effect on Jacob himself.
Jacob uncovers photos from his
grandfather’s past; these being the
found photos which Riggs provides
the reader with, thus creating a
whole new level of immersion in the
world of the story. Miss Peregrine’s
Home for Peculiar Children,
along with its sequel come highly
recommended to readers of all
ages who are seeking their next
page-turner. It really is no surprise
the novel has been picked up for
a film adaption to be directed by
Tim Burton. I strongly encourage
anyone who sees this book to pick
up a copy; you won’t be let down.
The Old Kingdom Trilogy
comprising of Sabriel, Lirael and
Abhorsen, is a brilliant introduction
to the Fantasy genre for the Young
Adult audience. Many of the classic
elements of fantasy are presented
in these novels; magic, fictional
locations, a rich new world and
a ferociously interesting story.
Nix unique selling point here is
putting a new spin on necromancy
as the driving force behind these
books. They feature a necromancer
who operates under the title of
Abhorsen, working to put the living
dead back to rest. The Old Kingdom
Trilogy introduces readers to many
of the classic tropes of fantasy,
while also allowing the imagination
to run wild and picture this
fascinating world the author has
created. The beauty of these novels,
however, is in the fact that they are
excellent reads for veteran readers
of the genre along with the young
adults at who they are aimed. The
Old Kingdom Trilogy is essential
reading for lovers of fantasy but
also an ideal read for young adults.
This series also deserves a strong
recommendation.
1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
2. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.
3. Old Kingdom Trilogy by Garth Nix.

11. 11
ARTS & LITEDITOR - COLM FERLONG
Carried in Waves Short Story Competition
Colm Furlong looks at the UCC 98.3FM inaugural short story competition.
Who doesn’t love a good short story competition? I know I
do. Luckily for all UCC Students and writers from around the
globe our college radio station, UCC 98.3FM, is running their
inaugural Carried in Waves Short Story Competition this year.
This competition seeks entries from writers who have a short
story they believe is perfectly suited to the medium of radio.
2015 marks the 20th year UCC Radio has been on air, and in
honour of this anniversary, the team decided they wanted to do
something big; something different. Thus this competition was
born. The idea was resurrected from a short story competition
in the station’s archives called Fallen Leaves. This original
competition was introduced by Sinead Wylde, the first station
manager of UCC 98.3FM. A few updates later and with a new,
fresher look, Carried in Waves became a reality.
When I questioned the coordinator of the competition, Kieran
Hurley, as to why the short story was the chosen genre of writing
for this competition, he cited production reasons as the main
motivation behind the decision. When the competition closes, a
shortlist of 40 stories is going to be selected, and these will be
recorded for broadcast with each being read by a single actor
chosen from a panel of six to represent all voices and ages. As
such, high quality short stories lend themselves to this.
The competition is open to original short stories in the English
language of 3,000 words or less. These stories can be on any
subject, in any style, by a writer of any age and of any nationality,
living anywhere in the world. Entries have already come in from
outside of Europe; places such as America and the Arab States;
a clear indication of the diversity this competition is drawing.
The themes explored in the stories may be of any nature but
keep in mind that a shortlist of forty stories will be recorded
for broadcast. All copyright and ownership of the story will
remain the property of the writer. This competition is a fantastic
opportunity for any budding writer in UCC or elsewhere. Entries
can be sent as an attachment to carriedinwaves@ucc.ie, with the
entrant’s name and contact information (Name, email, address
and phone number) included in the body of the email. The entry
fee for one story is set at ten euro, and this can be paid online on
the UCC shop website. Two additional entries per contestant are
permitted, at a price of five euro each. Further details on these
can be found on the Carried in Waves website. Stories must be
previously unpublished.
The closing date for entries is the 30th of September 2015. The
shortlist will be announced on the 29th of October, and the
shortlist will be published on the 30th of October. Winners will
be notified in early December, before they are announced to the
public on the 11th of December. There are three prizes for this
competition. First prize stands at €300, second prize at €200, and
third prize at €100.
Aside from the main competition, there is a second, special
category. This category is the George Boole special category.
What makes this different from the main competition? While
the main competition is not themed, the George Boole special
category is. The contest is looking for stories which explores
themes such as history, science, technology, entrepreneurism and
digital thinking. This category is open to young adults aged 25
years or younger who, like the main competition, are submitting
original short stories in the English language of 3000 words or
less. Entry to this category is essentially the same, but the entries
must be marked George Boole Category in order to qualify. This
category offers one prize of €200.
Judging for both sections of the completion will be completed by
a panel of five judges drawn from all relevant disciplines. This
panel will be chaired by Dr. Jools Gilson from the UCC School of
English. The judges’ decision is final, and Carried in Waves will
not enter into correspondence regarding said decision.
The Carried in Waves is offering young writers a fantastic
opportunity to have their work potentially broadcast on the
radio to a large audience, while also offering a monetary reward
for the top three placed stories, as well as the top story in the
special category. I would strongly encourage anyone who has a
passion for writing to consider this competition, and to enter
one of their finest short stories for consideration. Whether
you emerge victorious or not, there is a wonderful feeling of
accomplishment in submitting a story to a competition. You are
sending something you have created out into the world. You have
already accomplished a great feat in writing that story. So why not
submit it to Carried in Waves? They would be more than happy
to have you.
For further details on entry, or any other enquiries, email
carriedinwaves@ucc.ie, or check out their Facebook page, their
twitter, or their website, www.ucc.ie/en/983fm/carriedinwaves.

12. 12
MUSIC
“Sounds From A Safe Harbour” is Cork’s newest music and arts
festival, taking place citywide from September 17th-20th.
Holly Cooney gives us the lowdown.
“Sounds From A Safe Harbour”,
curated by Bryce Dessner of The
National and Mary Hickson, CEO
of the Cork Opera House is Cork’s
premier new festival of music,
art and conversation. It aims to
invoke a maritime theme, using
the background of the spectacular
Cork harbour to encourage
specially commissioned works and
collaborations based on themes of
waves and movement.
In the making for two years,
SFASH has been produced by
Cork Opera House to celebrate its
160 years showcasing the arts. The
festival aims to bring the cream of
local, national and international
talent to Cork as a way of proving
the city’s merit on the world stage.
The focal point of the festival is a
new composition by Bryce Dessner
(The National) and Richard Reed
Parry (Arcade Fire) called “Wave
Movements” to be performed
at the Opera House by the RTE
National Symphony Orchestra
and accompanied with film by
celebrated Japanese photographer
Hiroshi Sugimoto.
As well the Cork Opera House,
many other venues across the city
will be hosting spectacular and
unique musical performances.
Here in UCC, the Aula Maxima
will play host on Friday September
18th to “Playing Your Heart
Out”, a contemporary classical
composition by Richard Reed Parry
(Arcade Fire) and Nadio Sriota
(yMusic) based on the principles of
music for heart and breath. During
their performance the musicians
strap a stethoscope to their chests
and use their own heartbeat and
breathe to dictate the sound and
pace of the music. This unique and
freeeventwillprecedeasymposium
with panellists including Professor
of Neuroscience, Dr. John Cryan
and Professor of Physiology, Dr.
Ken O’Halloran who will discuss
the relationship between music
and science.
The musical line up is one that
is set to appeal to all, from cash
strapped students to arty yuppie
types with musicians such as Lisa
Hannigan, Crash Ensemble, The
Gloaming, Eat My Noise, Mina
Tindle, This is How We Fly, Colm
K and Donal Dineen gracing
stages across the city. One of the
most interesting musical events is
a music trail curated by Nialler9,
with acts including Slow Skies, I
Am The Cosmos, Conor Walsh and
many more playing in venues such
as the Rising Sons, the Bodega and
Crane Lane.
This 4 day festival cannot be
simplified as purely a music festival,
but aims to incorporate both home
grown and international talents in
all areas of the creative arts with
events going on citywide, in Cork
landmarks such as St. Finbarr’s
Cathedral, Triskel, the Glucksman
Gallery and the Everyman Theatre.
With such excitement surrounding
the launch of this exciting festival
there are only a limited number of
tickets still available. Despite this, a
number of the events are free so be
sure to check it out!
For the full list of events visit
SoundsFromASafeHarbour.com.
Girl Band: Introducing Ireland’s Most Exciting Rock Band
Here at Byline we’re big fans of new music, especially when it comes from our own fair isles. Ireland is currently in the middle of a musical explosion and
Andrew Horgan is here to chronicle the success of one of the country’s most exciting alternative bands, Dublin four piece Girl Band.
Recently signed to celebrated indie
label Rough Trade (the Smiths, The
Strokes, The Libertines and many
more), Dublin four piece Girl
Band are causing quite a stir with
their unique blend of noise rock/
techno elements. Their debut EP,
France 98, released in 2012 recalled
a Bleach-era Nirvana effort which
eclipsed those of the quartet’s
previous incarnation ‘Harrows’,
a self-admitted Strokes rip-off.
Alan Duggan’s lead is unnervingly
mechanical, while frontman Dara
Kiely’s unrestrained vocal assaults
the listener with lines like ‘You’re a
dog’ repeated over and over.
Despite this impressive debut Girl
Band have only discovered their
creative oasis in the last couple of
years, with the 2013 single release
Why They Hide Their Bodies
Under My Garage, a cover of
British producer Blawan’s dance
track, marking a significant sonic
evolution and attracting newfound
attention from critics and fans
alike. Here, Girl Band’s techno
influences surface, with a repetitive
drum beat and vocal line. Tension
builds until an eventual explosion
of manic instrumentation emerges,
fronted by the violent cry of Kiely.
Girl Band become an unstoppable
force with this cracking single
and accompanying Bob Gallagher
directed video.
Next single, Lawman, with its
pulsating ascent towards guttural
madness, follows in the footsteps
of Why they Hide. Off the back
of its release in early 2014 the
band toured the UK and Europe,
cementing their status as ‘ones to
watch’. Drowned in Sound called
it “noise-pop genius”. Pitchfork
wrote that ‘Lawman’ sounded
like “intestinal blockage”, a feat
it believed very much worthy
of praise. At Girl Band’s show
in Crane Lane last year, a small
crowd were lucky enough to be left
mesmerised when the foursome
finished their gruelling set with this
number. De Bom Bom, the last in
this line of limited edition releases,
continues where Lawman left off,
with searing feedback, crazed bass
convulsions, taut drum beats and a
relentless vocal performance.
Girl Band’s debut album, entitled
Holding Hands with Jamie is
due out on 25th September. The
album was recorded in Dublin’s
Bowlane Studios after the band
returned from their first US Tour
and has been preceded by lead
single Paul, the group’s weirdest
undertaking yet. Kiely’s vocal is
particularly unsettling, veering in
the second half of the song into
a psychotic whine barely audible
behind a screeching guitar. Kiely’s
orientation with groove and its
unforgiving ferocity have become
trademarks of an original sound
masterfully honed by Girl Band.
Comparisons have been made
with bands like The Fall and Liars
but what this Dublin quartet are
conceiving is very much their own
monster.
Girl Band play the Pavillion on the
3rd October with Paddy Hanna
and local band the Altered Hours.

13. 13
MUSICEDITOR - HOLLY COONEY
Byline Venue Guide
So you’ve just started in UCC and can’t wait to get into the swing of things. You no longer have the dreaded leaving cert to worry about, or
your mother dragging you out of bed every morning. You’re a student now, out in the big bad world where you can sleep all day and party all
night. Cork is great place, but don’t limit yourself to student nights, the music scene here is one of the best in the country so be sure to discover
the great musical talent on your doorstep.
If you’re new to Cork it’s important to know where to go and who to see. There’s no point heading to the Savoy when you’re a grunge fan at
heart, or hitting Fred Zeppelin’s when techno is more your thing. Never fear though because the Byline Venue Guide is here, aiming to help
all you fresher’s or Cork newbies party in the places you really want to be.
Crane Lane Theatre- Phoenix Street.
Cyprus Avenue – Caroline Street.
Triskel Christchurch- Tobin Street.Savoy –108 Patrick Street
Fred Zeppelin’s – 8 Parliament Street.
The Pavillion – 13 Carey’s Lane, Patrick Street.
Part of the Cork Heritage pub
trail, Crane Lane Theatre hosts
one of the best beer gardens in
the city as well as three bars; the
Stage Door, the Crystal Room,
where you’ll find a killer DJ and
the Theatre with a band or jam
session every night. The best
part about Crane Lane is free
entry every night, the worst
that they’re over 20s. Try on
weeknights though as they’re
usually pretty sound. Picks for
September are the Tuesday
Jazz Improv nights and Mike
Scal and band playing free
in the Theatre on Thursday
September 10th.
Cyprus Avenue is known to
most Corkonians as THE place
to see Irish and International
acts, everything from folk to
electronica, indie bands and
soloists. As September sees the
return of all things student,
Cyprus Avenue has catered
to your needs with cool kids
Young Wonder bringing their
electronic pop act back to
their hometown on September
12th. For those more into rap
and hip-hop make a date with
B Dolan on September 27th.
As well as running their own
gigs, Cyprus Avenue has a
long running history with the
UCC Music Society, playing
host to numerous battle of the
bands and also as the number
one venue for Coláiste Stiofáin
Naofa’s music class showcases.
The Triskel is Cork’s number
one arts centre, where gigs
either happen downstairs in the
cool basement venue or in the
glorious surrounding of the old
Christchurch. If you’re looking
forsomethingdifferent,cultural
or a place to take a philosophy
major on a date, Triskel is your
number one stop. September
sees Amiina, an Icelandic
indie pop/folk band bringing
their disparate jumble of
instruments to Cork as part of
Sounds From A Safe Harbour
in the Triskel Christchurch
on September 19th. Firm
friends and collaborators with
Icelandic favourites Sigur Rós
they’re not one to miss.
Dance fans, please don’t fret
as you haven’t been forgotten.
The Savoy will provide all
your clubbing needs this
semester with some of the best
international dance acts and
DJs. Located in the old Savoy
cinema, this is an iconic venue
providing a unique clubbing
experience. Basshunter hits
the decks on September 17th
for CIT Fresher’s week and on
a normal night you’ll have the
resident DJs there to knock
your socks off!
Grungers, metal heads and
rock aficionados take note as
Fred’s is most likely going to
be your one stop shop for all
live head banging sessions. It’s
dirty, loud and raucous with a
line up to reflect just that. Often
hosting mini festivals you get a
lot for your money in Fred’s.
September’s finest include
Queens of the Sauce Age on
September 19th, a QOTSA
tribute band with free entry.
One of Cork’s liveliest bars,
you’ll find a great atmosphere,
just make sure not to wear your
Taylor Swift t-shirt!
The Pav is a place you’ll almost
certainly end up in during your
studies here in Cork. Dating
back to 1921, whether it’s
live music or thumping club
nights the Pav has something
for everybody and holds a
dear place in the hearts of
many an Arts student. Best of
September includes Fresh-The
90s Night on September 11th
and the Bastardo Electrico 13th
Birthday Party on September
18th, a celebration of Ireland’s
longest running techno night
with sets from Sunil Sharpe
and Jamie Behan. If these don’t
appeal make sure you’re there
on September 19th for Fish
Go Deep. If you don’t already,
you’ll soon know all about Greg
and Shane. These two are Cork
legends, playing a vital role in
the Irish house music scene
since 1988! A student ritual, be
sure to see these boys in action.
Mural on the site of famous Cork gig-space Sir Henry’s

14. 14
FILM & TELEVISION
Though I have enjoyed several films
this year (Mad Max being the main
highlight), my favourite thus far has
been Pixar’s new release, Inside Out.
The film takes place, for the most part,
inside the mind of an 11 year old girl
named Riley. Inside her head are five
emotions, Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger
and Disgust, who govern and control
her reactions to certain things and
situations. The five sentiments live and
work in “Headquarters” and control
Riley’sresponsesandreactions.Outside
of Headquarters are Riley’s “Islands of
Personality”, which make up the little
girl’s ever changing personality and
identity. Such islands include “Goofball
Island” and “Friendship Island”.
But things are shaken up for Riley when
she and her family are forced to move
from Minnesota to San Francisco.
Through a series of events which
follow this move, Joy and Sadness
suddenly find themselves cast out of
headquarters, into the vast landscape
of Riley’s mind, with the two emotions
now having to find a way back to
Headquarters.
Genius, funny, profound and
emotionally powerful. These are
just some of the words I would use
to describe this film, which I feel
might be Pixar’s best ever. Though
appearing initially to appeal more to
children, having seen the movie twice,
I genuinely believe it speaks far more
to older audiences, who will appreciate
the humour, the complex themes of the
film, and the often heartbreakingly sad
moments it contains. Though Pixar has
dealt with such themes as growing up
and letting go with past efforts, in my
opinion none have had the same sheer
emotional impact as they have in this
film. The overall message of the film
is also one which is both profound,
moving and ultimately, comforting.
I firmly believe this film should be in
the hunt for a Best Picture nomination.
It’s my favourite movie of not only this
year, but of the last few years. Truly
exceptional.
‘Genius, funny, profound
and emotionally powerful.’
If ever a rom-com had an opening
scene with so much importance,
it’s this one. We see Gordon (Colin
Quinn) in the 1970s/80s explaining
to his daughters why he is breaking
up with their mother, using one of his
daughter’s dolls as an example to justify
his infidelity.
The comedic value of the scene is
unquestionable, but it soon becomes
apparent that Gordon’s principles have
greatly influenced the personality
and make-up of his now grown up
daughter Amy (Amy Schumer). She is
a successful journalist for a moronic
men’s lifestyle magazine in New York
but has become her Dad’s clone; a
cynical, hard-drinker who repeatedly
cheats on her boyfriend Steven (John
Cena).
Steven soon finds out about her loose
relationship morals and promptly gives
her the boot, but before this happens
we see proof of John Cena’s surprising
comic chops. His portrayal of your
stereotypical muscled meathead is
arguably the highlight of the film.
On orders from her bitchy editor
Dianna (Tilda Swinton), Amy is
assigned to do a story on a kind, caring
doctor to the sporting stars Aaron
(Bill Hader) whose default mechanism
is always to see the glass as half-full.
Much to Amy’s surprise, they fall in
love.
But Amy’s faults, mainly caused by her
low opinion of herself, eventually lead
to Aaron terminating the relationship.
In addition to this, a family tragedy
leads to complications with her sister
Kim (Brie Larson).
Amy is spun into depression, but as
a result she sees her faults and nobly
amends them, thus leading to the
somewhat clichéd ending.
This film is good fun with absorbing
characters and a great supporting cast.
The father-daughter and sister-sister
relationships add heart to prevent the
film becoming too superficial. As with
most Apatow films, I feel it takes too
long to tell the story; but this doesn’t
detract too much from a solid summer
comedy containing plenty of laughs.
by Aaron Casey
Trainwreck
by Ben Wall
Inside Out

15. 15
FILM & TV
Paper Towns is a film of many genres
rolled into one. The genre-crossing is
linked by the themes of shallowness
and perception among a group of
middle-class teenagers reaping the
fruits of the American dream in
suburban Orlando. The plot appears to
be that of a standard romance but be
warned, this is a film about friendship
cloaked in the guise of a love story.
Quentin (Nat Wolff) is a high-achiever,
allergic to doing anything mildly
risky. Residing across the road from
him is Margo (Cara Delevingne), his
onetime childhood companion and
now current queen of high school. One
night Margo invites Quentin on an
elaborate revenge mission against her
cheating boyfriend.
Delevingne is excellent here at playing
cute and disturbingly intense at the
same time. Following this escapade
Quentin expects a revival of this
childhood friendship.
Margo however has other ideas as she
runs away, leaving behind her a series
of cryptic clues. Quentin with friends
Radar (Justice Smith) and Ben (Austin
Abrams) eventually think they’ve
located her and travel cross-country
so Quentin can profess his love to
Margo. The road-trip is the highlight of
the film with some fantastic character
interactions, as-well as the heart-
warming resolution of two minor plots.
The meeting we all want eventually
occurs, but this leads to a complete
shift in the story and point of the film.
Suddenly the emphasis goes off the two
and onto Quentin’s relationship with
his friends. It leaves the viewer feel that
the thoughts and feelings evoked from
the revenge mission and road-trip are
all but wasted. For the first hour plus
change we are misled into thinking it’s
solely a love story.
There is, however, a skilful capturing
of teenage optimism, which has to
be praised. The cast and direction are
also excellent, but the movie has a
glaring flaw in the uneven balancing
of its story, which lets an otherwise
refreshing film down.
by Aaron Casey
Furious Seven is the seventh film in
the Fast and Furious franchise, now
with the courage to drop its speed
and just get furious, and it is what
you’d expect if you asked Michael
Bay to direct a Mission Impossible
and Die Hard crossover. All it’s
missing is a new Linkin Park song to
play at times of emotional turmoil
in the movie. Picking up where the
6th film and Tokyo Drift leave off,
Furious 7 sees most of the same
crew we saw in the last three movies
come together again. This time the
sins of London (Fast and Furious
6) have caught up with the gang as
Owen Shaw’s big brother, Deckard
Shaw (Jason Statham) rolls into
town and starts hunting them. With
Shaw always steps ahead of the gang,
a mysterious contact named Mr
Nobody shows up with the answer to
Dominic Toretto’s problem. All they
have to do is rescue it.
A lot of the hype around this movie
has really been due to the untimely
and unfortunate death of frontman
Paul Walker, who plays the ex-cop
Brian O’Connor. People questioned
how they would finish filming after
the star’s death. Thankfully, using a
combination of his brothers (who
look like him), CGI graphics and
taking clips from his previous
films, they managed to both
finish the movie, and preserve his
performance.
If I were to sum up this movie
I would say it is absolutely
ridiculous. You can’t watch it and
not see constant plot holes, physical
impossibilities and ludicrously
unbreakable characters. Its action
for the sake of looking cool, where
explosions are always possible, your
favourite people are impossibly
strong and the laws of physics are
pretty much told to eff off. For that
I loved it. I loved every farfetched
moment of it. Let’s be honest you
don’t sit down to watch a film from
a franchise called Fast and Furious
and expect an intellectual film to
make you think, you watch it cause
it’s fun and this film delivers that
perfectly. It’s powerful, witty and
(considering all that happened) the
right amount of emotional. There
is a real feel of family throughout
the film and that makes the ending
all that more beautiful. I would
absolutely recommend this film,
though watching the series before
hand is important, and it makes for
a good binge watch.
The Rock fights Jason Statham, need I say more?
Colin Healy discusses the merits of the latest installment in the Fast & the Furious series
Pre-release of the latest instalment in
the Mad Max franchise there was a lot
to be anxious about. A long gestating
script eventually made into a movie
that gestated even further, apparently
complete for over a year before it was
eventually, released in a time period
not typically associated with huge
blockbusters. So on first viewing,
after leaving the theatre perhaps my
reaction to Fury Road was coloured
by my low expectations. Upon further
viewing though I’ve come to realise
my first reaction was not one caused
by low expectations, but rather by
the unprecedented quality of writer/
director George Miller’s magnum
opus.
The fourth film in the franchise, Fury
Road follows the titular Max after
he’s captured by a group of war boys
in the desolate near future wasteland.
Haunted by the loss of his family
and shaped into an animalistic soul
singularly focused on survival, Max
is superbly portrayed by an as ever
magnetic Tom Hardy. He’s not truly
the main character here though, the
honour instead going to Imperator
Furiosa (Charlize Theron). With a
slightly mysterious history, at times
unknown motivations and a gruff
demeanour Furiosa is at times hard to
get a read on but emanates a humanity
the world of Mad Max is now devoid
of and as such fills the role of the
central protagonist perfectly.
The other main character in the film
though is the world itself. Beautifully
shot, with subtle special effects and
an obvious care for practical effects
every possible aspect of the wasteland
oozes with a history we’re not privy to
but which we can infer much from,
further colouring our understanding
of the story and the setting. George
Miller is an expert in storytelling,
particularly in the “show and don’t
tell” style of filmmaking which is often
particularly lacking in action flicks. A
special shout out must be given to the
editing here, done by Margaret Sixel,
the wife of George Miller. In a recent
interview Miller quipped that he told
Sixel “You have to edit this movie,
because it won’t look like every other
action movie”. He’s right on that too,
Fury Road is so full of original visuals,
uncommonly brilliant storytelling
and rip roaring action scenes it feels
out of place in the current action film
landscape, brilliantly unique and one
of the best films of the year.
Mad Max: Fury Road
by Brian Conmy - Editor
EDITOR - OLIVIA BROWN
Paper Towns

16. 16