A Tale Of Alaskan Proportions

Once every few years or so, I’ll have the fortune to stumble across a book or a film that has such an effect on me that I cannot stop thinking about it for days afterwards. Friday night, I started reading ‘Into the Wild’ by Jon Krakauer, and by Saturday morning I had finished it.

Some of you may be more familiar with the title as it was adapted into a Sean Penn directed film a couple of years back, but the book itself was published over fifteen years ago. Written by Krakauer, it actually documents two years in the life of a young American man named Chris McCandless.

Astoundingly intelligent but growing up feeling stifled and disillusioned by society, McCandless sought refuge in the words of great writers such as Henry David Thoreau and Jack London. Both authors shunned what they believed were continually grotesque developments in society, instead developing the belief that in order to be truly happy and obtain the most out of life, we have to be at one with nature. His upper middle class family life did little to support this somewhat bohemian way of thinking and a poor relationship with his parents drove him further into himself. After graduating Emory University in 1990, McCandless donated the remainder of his college trust fund ($24,000) to OXFAM, dumped his car and without a word to anyone, left his life behind. Hitchhiking his way across North America and Mexico for two years, Chris changed his name to Alexander Supertramp and maintained basic jobs, most notably working on a corn farm, and developed good friendships with people he met along the way. Yet not once did he contact his family. In April of 1992, McCandless once again upped sticks and made his way to Alaska – the wilderness he had been aiming to get to all along. Trekking up the Stampede Trail into the forest, Chris took the mere basics. Rice, a fishing rod, an axe and a sleeping bag were amongst his possessions, yet a map was not. Chris previously argued with those who thought him a fool for not packing a map that he could not feel a proper connection with the wild if he knew where he was going. Besides, the people who had plotted the maps in the first place hadn’t had anything to go by so there was no reason why he should have to either.

McCandless in front of the 'Magic Bus'

A few days into his journey, Chris happened upon a bus, which had been left there by workers on the trail some twenty five years beforehand. McCandless was overjoyed by this discovery and referred to it as, ‘The Magic Bus’. It provided a good base for him and a decent means of shelter. For three months Chris survived in the wilderness, living off a diet of berries and whatever animals he managed to poach (usually squirrels and porcupines but a crowning moment came in the form of a moose – though he regretted killing this animal immediately after). Towards the start of August, Chris planned to leave the forests and attempted to cross the river he had passed without trouble a couple of months earlier; but the change in seasons meant the water had risen too high and he was forced to retreat back to the bus. Around this point, it is believed that McCandless injured himself, though due to the scant details in his journal, nobody is exactly sure what happened to him. Either way, he was unable to fend for himself.

McCandless' SOS note

At the end of August, two Alaskans hiking in the forest, and coincidentally, two Moose hunters happened across the bus at about the same time. Attached was a note from McCandless, pleading for help. Unsettled by the note, one of the hunters looked into the bus, and it was at this time they discovered McCandless dead in his sleeping bag. Weighing just four and a half stone, he had succumbed to starvation. One cannot help but think how much of a different story this would be if they had decided to go hunting just a few weeks earlier.

If you search on the internet, there is a very obvious divide in opinions on McCandless. Many treat him as a hero figure; he had the tenacity to follow his dream and turn his back on the rigidity of society. An equal amount, including many Alaskans, feel he was too arrogant and deserved his fate, particularly as he entered the wilderness so unprepared. Here is my opinion. I think that what McCandless did to his family was undoubtedly very selfish. The idea that his family had to live in such deep uncertainty for two years and then in great pain after his death was discovered is incomprehensible. The thought of an intelligent young guy trapped in the wild and facing such a slow death makes me incredibly uncomfortable, so for those who knew and loved him, the agony must be tremendous.

However, I do completely admire McCandless for what he did. The book makes you realise just how much every single person relies on materialistic goods to pull them through each day, when in reality a large proportion of these treasured objects are totally unnecessary. Humans previously survived and led a perfectly happy existence without them, yet we succumb to their charms and the attached rules of society. Chris, through personal accounts of people he met, and brief accounts in his diary, was seemingly the happiest he had ever been when on the road and fending for himself. Yes, we may think what he did was rather crazy and may not venture into such actions ourselves, but if he was truly happy, then who are we to deny him? Even in his final photo towards the very end of his life, he has a wide grin spread across his face.

Chris' final self portrait, holding a goodbye note

The debate could and will undoubtedly rage on for years, but in the meantime, the bus still remains in it’s Alaskan barrens. A surprising number of people make the hike there each year, whether it be out of curiosity, to pay their respects or feel that they too, even if only for a day, can experience the freedom that McCandless felt. His parents visited the site almost a year after his death and left a commemorative plaque in the bus, along with a suitcase holding Chris’ childhood Bible and some provisions that hikers might need in future should they happen across the bus. However, since the release of the film in 2007, visitor numbers have soared and in accompaniment so have incidents of vandalism. One youtube video shows some of the windows smashed in, the chests of drawers and shelving inside ripped apart and tipped over and the suitcase pulled apart and it’s contents strewn outside. I think it’s incredibly sad that people are prepared to make such a tedious journey out to the site only to ravage what has essentially become a memorial site. Perhaps even worse, visitors are now ripping out pieces of the bus and it’s contents, including pieces of the mattress he slept and died on, and selling them on ebay. Ironically in doing so, they are simply providing McCandless’ views of a debase and unconsecrated society with even more gravitas than many are prepared to accredit them with.

Who's For Some Horchata?

Following the success of their self-titled debut album, Vampire Weekend are back with as much of an African bongo feel as before, and it's bloody marvellous. New single Horchata was released this week as a free download on their website (here), continuing the trend of artists giving away their music. Well, if people are going to download illegally, you might as well give them the opportunity to get their greedy mitts on it in a legit fashion, right?

Whilst other bands sing about the misery of love and the general atrocities of life, this Columbian University educated foursome tend to go down a rather more random lyric route. Their first album saw them singing about topics ranging from the English dictionary, to a style of roofing and a road, whilst Horchata is the refreshing rice based drink that we all know and love. Obviously.

But don't let the fact you might never have drunk the stuff before put you off. Setting off round the world next week on a sell-out mini tour to promote their sophomore album (due out January 11th), it's evidently not bothering the however many thousands of people that are flocking to see them. The epitome of preppy, Vampire Weekend are the band that a lot of hardcore indie devotees will feel they should probably hate, but can't. Ridiculously catchy and with a very summer-y feel, their latest offering is just what we all need to brighten up our ipods as the dreary winter months draw in. Horchata is something you should definitely be feasting on.

www.vampireweekend.com

www.myspace.com/vampireweekend

Making An Impression From Down Under

Whilst American and the UK artists have continued to dominate the rock and indie scene over the past couple of decades, Australian talent has been waiting in the wings ready to pounce. The few that have done so already have made a lasting impression; AC/DC, INXS and Silverchair are all highly regarded but in the grand scheme of things have had little effect in promoting their motherland as an excessive generator of talent within the industry.

Luckily, current artists are no longer displaying the patience their predecessors once demonstrated, and are fighting tooth and nail to battle their way to centre stage in order to stand proud with their Western peers. Empire of the Sun were the first to make an impression this year with their futuristic electro melodies and were quickly compared to last years’ much hyped American duo MGMT. Whether this is a fair comparison or not remains under debate, but the publicity created by said association provided the band with a faster-developing fan base than they would have perhaps experienced otherwise. Either way, they definitely don’t look like your run-of-the-mill band but it’s always the extraordinary ones that create the biggest impact, so their wacky outfits are more than likely going to work in their favour.

With a more commercially pleasing sound, The Temper Trap have made quite the impression in the past few months with their atmospheric a’cappellas as showcased on breakthrough song, ‘Sweet Disposition’. Industry types have been paying attention to these four Australian guys since this time last year however, when British music producer Jim Abbiss, best known for his work with English indie heavyweights Arctic Monkeys, Editors and Kasabian, flew to Australia especially to produce their debut record. During the recording period, they didn’t lose focus on self-promotion and drew in sell-out crowds to performances in London and the legendary South By Southwest festival. With their record ‘Conditions’ receiving rave reviews from critics and extensive touring planned into early 2010, The Temper Trap are definitely ones to keep an eye (and an ear) on.

Venerable Vintage

Despite society’s continual obsession with producing the most cutting edge technology they can possibly churn out of a factory in the depths of China, nobody can, or should, criticise a good love of vintage.
       

Fashion-wise, vintage clothing has recently seen a huge surge in popularity, with vintage markets, shops and internet sites sprouting up all over the place. However many people may argue that this is due to many a Hollywood starlet parading onto the red carpet in a dress from thirty years ago, the fact simply can not be denied that it just looks pretty damn cool. Throw in the fact that so many high-end designers are currently re-hashing old trends as new that it works out cheaper for style hunters to mull around in a musty basement, and we have ourselves an explanation.

     

As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and it is this that circles round my head when I look at earlier styles of modern technology. Take, for example, the trusty old camera. Nowadays it’s all about the digital, which reflects our current state of impatient mind perfectly. If we want a good photo, we don’t take the time to set up the angle or lighting correctly because if we know that if we don’t that’s one of our 36 images on a roll of film wasted. We snap twenty and try and muddle something together from that. But where’s the fun in that? It simply makes the whole process far less meaningful, when in reality a photo is often anything but. Yes, digital gives us more freedom in the sense that it creates more opportunities for us to screw up and have it not matter. And, yes, high numbers of megapixels and zooms can create clearer pictures, but are they less personal as a result?

I recently purchased a Diana F+ camera (above); a reproduction of the famous model from the 1960s. The cracks in the joins of it’s two plastic halves can let a bit too much light in if you’re not careful, and it has absolutely no zoom capabilities whatsoever. But the self-control shutter means that you can let as much or as little light in as possible, as well as play with the levels of exposure, and the plastic lens creates a beautifully soft effect that feels like you’ve taken a snapshot of a dream. As a result, the pictures are imperfect, but they still encapsulate everything that surrounded you at the time. Below and to the side are a couple of examples of snapshots on the Diana website; I defy anyone who does not agree they are perfect examples of imperfection.
   

The same applies for cars. Nowadays, there are so many ugly hunks of metal prowling our streets that it really is an abomination. Before all the petrol heads start complaining, I’m not saying that ALL cars are vile looking. Yet it is undeniable that cars fifty years ago were just so much damn cooler that standing next to one now is like receiving a whoosh of fresh air from an opening freezer door. Have a look at the pictures below and answer me this: if you had the choice, which would you rather be able to drive? 

   
Many will now feel it is the time to argue that engines and safety measures in vehicles have improved beyond comprehension in the last however many years. I’m not saying they shouldn’t have, but just fit them into the old style frame. There is no reason why cars (and other technology in general) should look so uninspired; we live in an age where design and extravagance is being taken to the extreme, yet everything is being simplified and created to look more clinical.

    
The campaign for a resurgence in retro goods starts here. Record players still play music, plastic cameras still take photos, and cars that have back ends resembling the Batmobile still drive. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t use them and if it bucks the current trend of striving to obtain utter perfection then all the more for it. We’re humans, not robots, and it’s about time our everyday paraphernalia reflected our vulnerability.

I Had A Whale Of A Time

Tatty rugs strewn haphazardly across the stage, a minature guitar and a lead singer mumbling a slightly American - accented greeting is hardly what you'd expect to greet a noisy crowd on a Friday night in Camden. The waiting masses, however, fully anticipated the presence of twee rugs and array of string instruments, although with their awaited folk conquerers hailing from Twickenham, the welcoming accent comes as slightly more of a surprise.

Noah and the Whale are perhaps best known for their song, 'Five Years Time', which is a great pity as although it is undeniably catchy, it comes nowhere even near close to showcasing what the band are fully capable of. With lead singer Charlie Finks' heart wrenching lyrics and an eerie violin accompaniment, their latest album, 'The First Days of Spring' is nothing short of haunting, and hearing this live has yet a much greater effect on your emotional state than the record itself does.

Predominantly showcasing their latest work though still intertwining some of their debut tracks into the set, the atmosphere in Koko was a bizarre mixture of anticipation and anguish. The lyrics feel so personal and Fink is so involved in his words that it feels like he is about to burst into tears at any monent and you're not sure whether you should rush the stage to give him a hug or creep off to the bar and give him a moment alone. Seeing as their latest endeavour charts Fink's break up with fellow folk singer Laura Marling (who also features in vocals on their first album), it's hardly surprising that the general persona of the band radiates vulnerability. It can't be easy to sing about losing a love every night for a month as you trek around the county on tour and the band are also therefore understandly less than impressed when they have to stop because some members of the audience are talking so loudly that they almost start to drown the music out. As Fink quips, 'I know that often during the quieter songs the temptation is to discuss the concert... But maybe in this instance you should listen and discuss it after.' Despite ironically loud shushings from the rest of crowd to the noisemakers, the band continue and work their way through an angst driven set.

Anyone who readily palms Noah and the Whale off as a lightweight folk band are sorely misguided, and the band's eagerness to include electric guitar riffs and loop machines into their set are enthusiastically included to demonstrate otherwise. The leap between their first and second albums is so noticeably impressive that any doubts that may have previously existed about whether the band can develop comprehensively enough in order to retain their credibility have been shattered. Pair this with their emotionally absorbing live shows and Noah and the Whale have nothing but Blue Skies waiting ahead of them.

www.myspace.com/noahandthewhale

Back For Good? I bloody hope not.

Reports of an alarming nature reached me today: Robbie Williams is holed up in a studio in New York once again with Take That. I know many Take That fans who were upset when he left the band nearly 15 years ago, and I know that many of them will now be hoping that anything will happen to stop him returning.

Despite his protestations, the only thing that pushed Robbie out of Take That was his ego. He believed he was better than the other members, and whilst Robbie loved the Angels and Take That became another mere memory in the history of boy bands, his commercial success perhaps proved his theory right for a few years. But nobody expected Take That to make the comeback they did and Williams felt it hardest. The band have undeniably moved on leaps and bounds since the days where their videos saw them writhing around in waterfalls on tropical islands, and Gary Barlow's undeniable writing talent combined with the other three lads' charisma and vocal ability has won them new fans and drawn back their old. With multi-date sell out shows at Wembley Stadium this summer and three other sell out tours under their belts since their 2005 comeback, Robbie will have had no choice but to question his decision all those years ago.

In comparison, Williams' last album Rudebox was critically panned and even his long serving fans couldn't get behind the record. His last tour ended as Take That kicked off their reunion and he has since been hidden away in the depths of Los Angeles. So should he be allowed back into the group who he has, in the past, so publicly spurned? In my opinion, the answer is no. Take That have proved they can survive without him and sustain their position as credible musicians. Would Robbie be trying to fit back in with them if his own solo career wasn't flopping about the bottom of the charts like a dying fish? Most likely not. The Take That: For The Record documentary that bought about the band's reunion in the first place saw Robbie snub the opportunity to meet with his former co-members and his attitude towards a couple of the band suggested he would rather have Gary Barlow's face tattooed on his chest than ever rejoin the group. Nothing has changed in this period apart from a role reversal in stakes of money and success. It was Robbie's perpetual desire to be as famous as possible that lead to him leaving the band and it is this that once again drives his attempts to rejoin it. I'm sure that the success of Williams' comeback album later this month will ultimately determine whether his efforts to mend his broken bridges with Barlow will be followed through, but whatever the outcome is, the band would be fools to even consider taking him back.

Dress Me, I'm Your Mannequin

Celebrating 25 years, London Fashion Week closed yesterday with a celebrity laden Burberry show. As much as I love my fashion, I do find myself pondering over some of the outfits that are paraded down catwalks by various designers – is it art or are they just taking the p*ss? Many people argue that they are simply ideas for ready-to-wear collections to be inspired by, but some are so extravagant (one designer this week sent his models out with big balls of hair covering their heads so they resembled It from The Addams Family) that I don’t see how it can be adapted in any reasonable manner.


Luckily there are still some fashion houses out there that like to showcase more wearable pieces, whilst still maintaining a bit of an edge. Here are some of my favourite pieces from the past few days (nb: no copyright infringement etc intended with my using of any of these images!).

Burberry

Perhaps the most clamoured over show of LFW, Christopher Bailey’s Spring/Summer 10 collection didn’t fail to disappoint. Showcasing a palette of neutral hues and silky, draped material, the Burberry name has moved on a long way since simply being all about check.

 

Luella

The sweetheart of English fashion was all about the pastel colours this season, which suited her heart shaped designs and girly-girl cuts perfectly. Taking a lead from Marc Jacobs’ NY fashion show earlier this month, Luella added a noticeable accessory of an oversized bow in each model’s hair.

 

House of Holland

Helmed by quaffed maestro and Aggy Deyn’s BFF Henry Holland, HoH is perhaps best known for it’s slogan t-shirts (Fancy A Ride Sass And Bide, anyone?) but each time his catwalk shows manage to demonstrate that the brand is so much more than that. Renowned for bold patterns and stand out colours,Holland’s most recent offerings provided us with some great ready-to-wear pieces that still encompassed the elements he is best known for.

 

Erdem

Floral patterns have reigned supreme this year and Erdem are seemingly determined to have it continuing to do so in the next as well. Lace was also a big feature of this show and solidifies the feminine outlook this upcoming collection provides.

 

The depressing thing is that by the time I’ll be able to actually afford any of these pieces, the designers will be showcasing their Spring/Summer 2011 collections…

Band To Watch - The Checks

Great things to have come out of New Zealand...
1 - Lord of the Rings/Peter Jackson (we all know they are one and the same really)
2 - the All Blacks Rugby team
3 - Flight of the Conchords
4 - Ernest Rutherford - only one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century, don't you know
5 - Richard O'Brien of Rocky Horror Show fame. Techincally born in UK but raised in NZ... can't afford to be picky about these kinds of things as the list is pretty slim pickings at the minute.

That's about it.

But not anymore!

The Checks are the latest New Zealand import to hit our conscious minds and I'm pretty damned confident in saying that we're all the better for it. Having supported Oasis, Jet, The Killers and Muse on various international tours, the band are already accustomed to playing big audiences - they are just yet to find one over here.

Formed in 2003, the five piece rock outfit debuted at a friend's birthday party and after a succession of wins on student and regional radio station band competitions, have continued to develop under an umbrella of acclaim from industry veterans Michael Stipe and Jonathan Poneman (aka the great Nirvana discoverer). Yet despite such successful progression and recognition from the big wigs, the band remain unsigned and most recently released their second album, Alice by the Moon, under their own record label, Pie Club Records. You can hardly accuse them of not being dedicated to their cause.

Citing The Rolling Stones and Jack White as two of their influences, the band present us with a combination of heady electro rock threaded with a few strands of cheeky pop. The Checks are everything that the English music scene is raving about at the minute, so it surely won't be long until their sound infiltrates our northern shores and checks into a music venue near you.

www.myspace.com/thechecks
Song to listen to: You and Me

You're not Meryl Streep, love

Apparently tired of solely winking and playing quiz master Weakest Link matriarch, Anne Robinson has reprieved her role as host of Watchdog. Whether this is a last ditch attempt made by the BBC or Robinson personally to increase their popularity is yet to be revealed. For her roles in both shows she is paid an incredible £2 million a year, which, considering The Weakest Link has nowhere near the amount of viewers that it used to, is completely unfounded. Yet apparently a few million in the bank is not enough to drag Robinson out of bed in the morning and recently turned diva when she demanded the BBC to cover the costs for her own personal hairdresser and make up artist before she would appear on Breakfast television - to promote her own show. Presenting them with a bill of £550, she refused to appear unless her demands were met - and despite their dismay, the BBC obliged.

The big question is, why? Robinson is not a high profile star, far from it. It's not as if Mariah Carey was rocking up; it's an aging British television presenter who continues to raise herself on a pedastal despite the fact the viewing public dropped her from it a long time ago. We're in the middle of a recession for crying out loud and Robinson has the nerve to stamp her feet like a petulant child. Could she not fork out the £500 from her own wage packet? Oh wait, I forgot to consider the fact that first-class flight prices to the Bahamas have increased so she probably needs to scurry the cash away to cover the additional cost. Millions of women go to work every day with a hair cut they had hacked in to shape three weeks ago, and make up they hastily slap on ten minutes before they run out of the door - why should Ms. Robinson be any different? Are her hands incapable of working before 10am? Yes, yes, she's going on television but a swab of lipstick is a swab of lipstick and it's going to look rouge whether she puts it on personally or whether a twenty-something 'artist' does it for her. Surely the £9,000 she spent on plastic surgery a few years back and the botox injections she has on a regular basis would mean she wouldn't need a whole lot of make up and styling? Money well spent, apparently.

If I refused to set foot in public every morning until someone had pencilled on my eyeliner for me, my friends would give me a slap and tell me to get a grip. This is exactly what the BBC should have done. In a time when they are under continual scrutiny for various money cock-ups, ageism rows and politicians demanding the scrapping of the license fee, they should be doing everything in their power to create positive PR, not tales of mockery such as this. I'm sure Chris Moyles, Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross who all recently took pay cuts as the Corporation whined it needed to cut back on costs will soon have something to say about Robinson's blase attitude to money and the BBC's hypocritical spending choices.

A Little Less Conversation

David Cameron (yes, I am going to quote a politician) recently said that too many twits...make a twat. Whilst he should have perhaps been referring to some members of our current government, he was actually talking about the latest fad in the already over-saturated market of social networking - Twitter. If people stopped to think about what he actually said and got over the fact that he said 'twat' on national breakfast radio then perhaps we'd all realise he has a rather good point.

What is the point of Twitter? Not being able to make sense of all the fuss as an outsider, I joined at the tail end of last week after reading a Giles Coren column in which he declared he had signed up. If Coren can get past the communicative debase-ness of it all then so can I - or so I thought. The difference between Giles Coren and I is that he has thousands of people actually vaguely interested in what he has to say each week. I, unfortunately, do not.

If you're a celebrity or figure in the public eye, then Twitter is a great way to promote yourself. Twitter allows people to feel they are actually connecting with the person they look up to. Celebrities post candid photos of themselves and a description of what they're doing each evening and you can get to feel like you've gotten to know them and their lives that little bit better. Official websites previously bridged the gap between fan and management company; Twitter bridges the gap between fan and celebrity. Ashton Kutcher is the most followed person on Twitter, with over three and a half million people signed up to his updates. As great as the guy may be, these millions of people don't watch his page so they can discover the website link to see his new movie trailer. They do it because he talks to the 'ordinaries'. Plain ol' you and me get the chance, if we type 160 characters witty enough to catch his eye, to (albeit briefly) converse with him. Street minion doesn't get the chance to be noticed by Hollywood A-Lister every day, don'tcha know.

But unless you want to fruitlessly pursue Kutcher/P Diddy/Lady Gaga/someone-who-will-be-richer-than-you-ever-will in the vain hope of a moments communication, then Twitter is all a bit pointless. Essentially a website that is equivalent to writing new Facebook statuses every two hours, surely it would just be simpler to update the original? Every man and his dog is on Facebook and when it comes to their internet domination in comparison to Twitter's, the latter is simply a small drop in a vast cyberworld ocean.

I currently have 5 followers. Not because I have no friends but because nobody else I know is on there. They've already realised that when the tool to keep those who give a damn updated on your latest movements is already in existence, you don't need another. You wouldn't buy another, cheaper, oven for no good reason if you already had an expensive and perfectly good one in your kitchen and the same logic applies here.

Twitter will last all the while our society's ridiculous obsession with celebrity lasts - which, at the rate things are going, means it won't be disappearing off our computer screens anytime soon. People join Twitter in order to make themselves seem more interesting in others' eyes - which is not only rather tragic, but ironic if going on Twitter is the only thing you have to occupy your time in the first place. At the end of the day the only people who gain anything from this website are the developers and tween girls whose days are made when Disney-star-of-the-moment takes ten seconds from their busy day to reply to their comment. Too many tweets undeniably make you feel like a twat, particularly if there is nobody watching.