Rasta are known for blending melodic soulful harmony’s with uplifting powerful live performances. Their music will deliver a deep spiritual message whilst making your soul dance to the beat . After a successful year on the festival circuit in 2011, Celtic Rasta have spoken to Brig and they will be dropping some reggae your way this year at BoomTown 2012.

Celtic Rasta

Jessica Anslow (middle) and Celtic Rasta performing

Iain: What has the band been up to in 2012 so far, any gigs, mini tours or any other musical madness?

Jessica: So far this year we have been two members down, as they have been having a wonderful time in India, but we have still been gigging without them. We played a few gigs in our local area, a few weddings coming up, and a mini festival, which will be awesome. We’ve just been spending most of our time in the studio writing new material for the summer season.

I: What are you and the band looking forward to at BoomTown Fair this year?

J: We can’t wait for BoomTown! It’s our first time playing there but a few of us have been there before.  We can’t wait to see Alborosie and Jah shaka! We’ve been going to dub sessions for a number of years and Shaka’s sets are always heavy. I’m just really looking forward to hearing some Dub, lots of new music and finding new artists and of course playing! We are so excited and it will be fun playing to a new crowd, it’s always a buzz.

I: Do you think you will get a good reception from the festival goers?

J: I’m sure we will! We promise to bring soulful, melodic sounds and good vibes with us to our stage. We are playing in The Hidden Woods, so it will be the perfect setting for our style of music.

I: What’s the biggest event/gig/festival you and the band have done?

J: The biggest gig we have ever played would be between Shamabla last year, on the Chai Wallah stage, Sunrise Celebration, also a highlight for us all, and at a local festival in my town, Northampton, called the Umbrella Fair.  It’s an awesome little festival and we were really buzzing by the time we got on the stage.

I: Have you done BoomTown before?

J: This is our first time at BoomTown and we are really excited! It’s certainly going to be an experience.

I: What does the band like to do when not performing?

J: We spend a lot of our spare time together, we’re all really close friends and we were before we started playing as a band. We also all enjoy doing a variety of different things, like walking, being out in nature, going to sessions, festivals and meditation. There are a whole host of things that we enjoy doing.

I: There are many attractions at BoomTown, what are you looking forward to the most?

J: I think the main thing for us is the music, so many good acts on this year, looking forward to finding some peace in the Healing Fields. When we get onto the stage, we will give BoomTown something to shout about!

BoomTown Festival takes place on  Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 August, purchase tickets here: http://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/tickets/boomtown-fair/10018485&wlid=3945

“The principle that people who make the laws of the land should be elected by the laws of the land would strike most people in the country as fairly uncontroversial,” Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg rationalised in an interview last month. “It’s something we have been talking about for 100 years. We should just get on with it now, with minimum fuss.”

Minimum fuss, indeed. After his embarrassingly catastrophic attempt in order to ‘modernise’ British democracy via the Alternative Vote referendum in 2011, Mr Clegg should have learned by now that little can be achieved in western democracy without first achieving, at the very least, a maximum amount of “fuss”. On the other hand, Clegg’s assertion that substantial reform within the House of Lords would bring about an additional “smidgen” of democracy to the way in which Britain is run is certainly not without its truth.

Indeed, it is quite trivial in itself that the 800-strong House of Lords has thus far withstood the winds of time; composed of life peers, hereditary peers and – for whatever reason – a smattering of Anglican bishops, the upper house of Parliament is relatively powerless in all acts of government bar the power to veto legislation submitted from the House of Commons. That being said, it cannot simultaneously be ignored that the nature of this largely ceremonial body is in many ways undemocratic. Enter proverbial Mr Fix-It, Nick Clegg.

In a seemingly selfless act in the name of democracy, the Lib Dem leader has proposed a fairly encompassing solution to the House’s political anomaly, which is set to go before Parliament within the next several weeks (for whatever reason, Mr Clegg ruled out the idea of sponsoring a referendum on the matter). First and foremost, Clegg’s proposal demands that the body of his reformed House of Lords immediately be reduced from the size of 800 to 300 – 240 of which would be elected for a one-off, 15-year term under proportional representation as early as 2015. Meanwhile, the remaining 60 seats will, naturally, continue to be filled by “independent-minded experts’”(ie, for whatever reason, more Anglican Bishops).

At first glance, this offering does indeed appear to be a reasonable step towards the further democratisation of Britain’s government – which is exactly why all three major parties pledged to make such reform a “top priority” prior to the last general election. Yet while the new powers of this currently inconsequential arm of government remain unspecified, one cannot help but wonder whether the motivation driving this reform may not be in the name of democracy, but rather in the name of those behind it gaining some form of additional political power.

Contrary to Mr Clegg’s failed AV crusade, Prime Minister David Cameron is offering the Lib Dems his full-fledged support regarding reform within the House of Lords; yet in truth, his public statements supporting the move sound more hesitant than anything. Indeed, many within his Conservative party fear that a second chamber of potentially equal power within Parliament would instigate an American-style gridlock system; that is to say, a highly partisan system in which both houses of Parliament could end up pitting themselves against each other based solely upon party lines – which would undoubtedly prevent them from working together in order to pass legislation. Yet if one were to further scrutinise this official perspective against reform, they may find that many MPs shudder at Clegg’s proposal not because of their fierce love for democracy, but rather because of their fierce individualist ambitions.

Fact: a large portion of MPs aspire to ‘retire’ to the House of Lords after losing their seats, so as to stay within the limelight of the political spectrum without the chore of having to represent a real constituency of voters. Given the nature of these aspirations, it’s fair to say that the House of Lords represents something to MPs that is quite undemocratic in nature. Is it true that these new reforms to the House of Lords may at times undermine the effectiveness of democracy? The answer is a ‘maybe’ at best; however, it makes more sense in order to take that risk rather than to go on allowing professional politicians to serve life terms in an unelected body of Parliament.

That being said, self-interest unfortunately drives much of daily life in Westminster – and Mr Clegg is no exception. It’s no secret that the height of Liberal Democratic influence is at a all-time low; the party is currently polling at an embarrassing 10%, and can afford little room for any major gaffes in its policy-agenda. Yet given this realisation, could it be a mere, happy coincidence that Nick Clegg’s reform proposal for the House of Lords could systematically see the Lib Dems’ power within parliament rise to over 20% of what it was before the party began to fall from grace in 2011? Furthermore, this bill’s potential success would hand Clegg’s party the dominant casting vote in a new, reformed second house of Parliament – not to mention a fresh sphere of influence upon the political stage.

Meanwhile, is David Cameron aware of the self-indulging nature with which his Deputy Prime Minister is attempting to squeak by his reform bill? Of course he is, but Mr Cameron has got his eye on other apples – in particular, the redrawing of several major constituencies that would gain the Conservative party at least a dozen more seats in Parliament. Unsurprisingly, the two proposals are conveniently located within the same bill – although both parties claim that this is only a happy coincidence, and the two pieces of legislation are in no way linked.  Yet in the wake of his own self-indulgence, it is more than likely that the Prime Minister is only supporting Clegg’s House of Lords proposal out of sheer sympathy; after all, what Mr Cameron once referred to as a “third-term issue” may be the only major achievement that Nick Clegg will have been able to accomplish in his long stint as Deputy Prime Minister, assuming that the bill even passes.

So, having at long-last reached full circle, it seems safe to assume that self indulgence has regrettably become a staple of modern politics – and while a fresh recession may or may not be on the horizon, it is indeed unfortunate that Nick Clegg’s deceptive ambitions for an increase in his party’s cumulative political power is this month’s ‘hot topic.’ Is substantial reform within the House of Lords beneficial to the people of Britain? Without a doubt; yet on the other hand, it also seems frustratingly clear that voters don’t have nearly as much to gain from these proposed reforms as do the professional politicians that are instigating them. If Nick Clegg truly wants to reform the House of Lords in order to benefit the people of Britain – rather than himself – he must submit a proposal for scrutiny that is truly unpartisan and fair in nature. In the meantime, it’s pretty safe to assume that, after several weeks of debate, the power-grubbing MPs who are voting upon this issue will inevitably place the idea of reforming the House of Lords once more into its rightful place: the backburner.

“The finest dance fest in the UK” DJ Mag

“Dance music Mecca’” Heat

“Glastonbury for the dance music masses” Virtual Festivals

 GLOBALGATHERING 2012 LINE-UP ADDITIONS:

DOT ROTTEN, JAMES ZABIELA

NICKY ROMERO, REDLIGHT

TOMMY TRASH, HESSLE AUDIO, DADA LIFE

BREAKAGE, MOSCA

+ MANY MORE ACROSS TWO ADDITIONAL STAGES

 PLUS NEW PRODUCTION SET TO UP THE VISUAL ANTE

 27 - 28 July 2012

Long Marston Airfield, Stratford Upon Avon

GlobalGathering, the UK’s most diverse and progressive electronic music festival today announces additions to the line-up for the 2012 event, taking the list of acts confirmed to undeniable levels of greatness.

The festival returns to Long Marston Airfield, Stratford Upon Avon on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 July for its 12^th year, featuring headline performances from Tinie Tempah, Chase & Status, Armin van Buuren, Skrillex and Friendly Fires.

The first new name to be announced, off the back of his break out single Are You Not Entertained is Dot Rotten. The South London grime artist, who was nominated for the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll makes his GlobalGathering debut in style this year and is set to tear up the Main Stage.

GlobalGathering are also pleased to today announce two new stages to add to the list of heavyweight hosts set to storm Long Marston Airfield. The first, joining the likes of UKF Bass Culture, Hospitality, Rinse and Visionquest are Birmingham-based promoters Ec-lectricity. The Ec-lectricity Presents stage will showcase their knack of breaking down musical barriers, combining this with top-notch event production on the brand new outdoor stage featuring mind blowing LED visuals whilst bringing the very best electronic music out there across the genre spectrum.

Leading the Ec-lectricity Presents charge will be Tech House titan James Zabiela, alongside the indefinable outfit behind one of this year’s biggest dance floor bangers yet, Get Out Of My Head – Redlight. Experimental dub label Hessle Audio will bring Pearson Sound, Ben UFO and Pangaea to proceedings, whilst versatile breakbeat operator Breakage, and DJ and Producer Mosca – whose influences range from dancehall to tech house – will reflect the mashed-up genres on offer from Ec-lectricity. Also playing the arena that’s sure to have every type of dance fan paying it a visit over the weekend are Jackmaster, along with Roses Gabor (Live), Rockwell and George Fitzgerald.

Also announced today, the House stage will offer up anthem after dance anthem from world-renowned purveyors of the finest party songs around. One of the brightest new lights on the house scene, 22-year old Nicky Romero, makes his GlobalGathering debut this year. The Dutchman has already collaborated with the likes of Fedde le Grand and David Guetta, and said:

“I’m really looking forward to playing this awesome festival… It will be my first time so GlobalGathering fans better get ready to get their socks rocked off… See you soon!”

Joining Romero is Tommy Trash. The larger-than-life personality famed for his riotous live shows is a self-confessed mixing machine, with his work being given the nod by the likes of Armand Van Helden, Moby, Steve Aoki and Swedish House Mafia vs. Knife Party.  Also on the bill and keeping the energy in the House arena high will be banana and champagne loving Swedes Dada Life – sure to stay true to their motto “Big tunes, no frills.” R3hab and Rob Guson complete the bill.

With plenty more surprises up its sleeves for 2012, GlobalGathering will be continuing its tradition of upping its offering and improving the experience year-on-year – developing the festival layout, bringing audiences the best in new electronic music first, offering up staggering new production concepts and comprehensive lineups.

Alongside the UK event, GlobalGathering will also visit countries across the world in 2012 proving their status as the international leaders in the electronic music market – with festivals taking place in Belarus (30^th June), Ukraine (14 July), Russia (21 July), and South Korea (6 October). Check out www.globalgathering.com/world for more info.

Tickets for GlobalGathering are on sale now from www.globalgathering.com/tickets  

Sam Duckworth, better known by his stage name “Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly”, returns with Daylight Robbery, the second single to be taken from his fourth studio album Maps.  While the music video for this song is rather entertaining parodying everyone from Radiohead to Bjork, the song it’s self is your bland and generic indie rock song, which will easily be forgotten. Very disappointing song from a very talented artist.

2 out of 5

Tom was sturggling to read his messages in a sandstorm

The latest instalment of the Mission Impossible franchise sees Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt once more take on the role of saving the world in spectacular fashion.

Together with technical guru Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), stunningly attractive special agent Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and secretive analyst Brandt (Jeremy Renner), he must prevent a nuclear attack on the United States. Heard that story before? No points scored for plot originality, but there are plenty of positives in the film.

The uncovering of a dark plot to hijack the Russian nuclear weapons and launch an attack on the US takes Hunt and Dunn into an undercover mission to retrieve the launch codes from inside the Kremlin. However, the building is blown to bits by villain Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) while they are inside, and the finger of blame is pointed at them. The subsequent disbandment of the IMF (Impossible Mission Force) forces the team to go rogue and take on the bad guys single handed. The plot overall is weak and uninspiring, with such little attention paid to the villain that his motives remain rather inconspicuous.

The involvement of Pegg adds comical value to the film and contrasts with the the serious nature of Hunt and Brandt. The acting performances are all executed to their maximum potential, but the film as a whole lacks punch. Despite this, some of the best action scenes of the year are to be found when the team end up in Dubai. Hunt finds himself scaling the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, with only sticky gloves preventing him from a 2,000 plus foot fall. Keen to prove that he still has what it takes as an action hero, Cruise himself scaled the wall with a harness. Shortly after this a memorable sandstorm chase maintains the edge of seat tension on screen.

However, this is a film made for the cinema, focusing more on special effects and action than an engaging and unpredictable plot. Ghost Protocol is enjoyable enough to watch, but within days of watching will blend into the numerous other action films that follow the same blueprint.

3 out of 5

Back in 2010, Welsh singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis, better known by her stage name Marina and the Diamonds, burst onto the scene with her incredible debut album The Family Jewels. The hybrid of indie and new wave, combined with some inspired song writing and her gorgeous operatic voice, resulted in one of the best albums of that year.  So, anticipation was massive as fans eagerly awaited the release of her second album.

Electra Heart marks a change in musical direction for the singer. Gone are the new wave and indie inspired tracks of the first album. Drafting in the likes of producers Stargate and Dr Luke, who have worked with the likes of Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry, Electra Heart is a far more mainstream pop album. While some fans may be disappointed by her change in direction, she more than makes up for this as Electra Heart features some excellent pop songs.

People will already be familiar with the fantastic Radioactive and Primadonna, however, there are a number of other great tracks to behold. Starring Role is a brilliant electro ballad, with great production and is the perfect song to show off Marina’s operatic vocals, making it one of the highlights of the whole album. Also Power and Control is a great electro house track, which could easily become a club favourite.

While there are some amazing tracks on this album, some tracks, unfortunately, are disappointing. The opening track, Bubblegum, Bitch is a disappointing pop rock track, which feels like to should belong on an Avril Lavigne record. Also, the Pet Shop Boys-inspired Homewrecker, is just a mess.

The Family Jewels was such an excellent album that it was always going to be hard for Marina to follow up with a release just as good. Is Electra Heart as good as The Family Jewels? No; however, Electra Heart is still a great pop album that fans new and old will enjoy.

4 out of  5

The Subways have returned with their latest single Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the latest track to be taken from their stellar third album Money and Celebrity. This track is an excellent piece of indie pop, which people will not be forgetting for a while. Slamming guitars, thumping drums and a deeply infectious chorus, make this one of the catchiest tunes that I’ve heard in a while.

4 out of 5

The Oscars event has been held annually since 2006 and gives the student broadcasting society a chance to show off their finest work on the big screen. This year the students put on a flawless show, providing viewers with a smoothly running event that kept them on the edge of their seats.

As well as a chance to get their films out there, the Oscars is, of course, also an award show, rewarding the finest works within the society with a golden statuette for their troubles. Despite the resemblance to the Academy Awards’ statuette, there are doubts over whether these awards were made from the same metals as the prizes awarded in Hollywood, with the general consensus amongst students being that the Union would not be willing to provide the funds for twelve 24-karat gold statuettes.

The most eagerly anticipated award of the night was “Best Film”, for which action-thriller The Shot received the nod. The film follows the lives of two twentysomething men involved with the lower levels of gang work. From the word “go”, there is an overwhelming sense of tension, with fantastic use of non-diegetic music creating an eerie sense of danger. We then follow the troublesome duo into Dusk nightclub, which has been transformed into an underground mobster lair with fantastic success. The film ending is a slight anti-climax, but the overall gritty nature provides an entertaining watch.

The “alumni award” was given to Ehssan Shamoradi for his direction of Stirling’s Vices, which entered into the black comedy genre with resounding success. After a freaky start, we accompany the protagonist (Richard Joseph Lythe) as he tracks down a clown who has been killing folk around the University campus, and throughout the production we are given giggles and terror in equal measure.

Capti Anima was the pick of the horror films, with an emotional story that saw Alan Cairncross, who popped up in a fair few Oscar films, portray the fear and desires of the lead to perfection. Cairncross fronts a scary tale that shows us the creepy parts of campus that the prospectus doesn’t want us to see. The villain comes in the form of an evil spirit strutting around campus in a womanin-black-esque style, and, although the spirit’s method of human disposal could have been more fear-provoking, the film’s terrifically terrifying twists and strong soundtrack make this a great watch.

The Best Actor award was split between Cairncross, for his part in Capti Anima, and Dan Nunan, for his portrayal of traveller Matt White in Danny Robertson production Prickly Thorns. This tale sees Nunan visiting local pubs on a trek around Scotland, meeting old and new friends in between some breathtaking scenic shots of Stirling. Prickly Thorns very successfully captures the emotional thoughts of a traveller with some serious issues on his mind, and there are a few giggly one-liners and funny montages in there too.

Esme Rankin, meanwhile, claimed the Best Actress statuette for her performance in Innocence. This short drama shows us two sides to the story of why Rankin’s charismatic student left her boyfriend, and through clever cinematography and editing we are shown an abundance of emotion, desire and regret.

Comic adventure Ode to a Beer took home the People’s choice award. Written and directed by Malcolm Rumbles, this ballad sees Ross Middleton star as the beer chasing lead. The narration is the core of the film, with hilariously styled scripting leaving the audience in side-splitting laughter, as we are taken through what previously seemed like the mundane act of getting a pint in Studio. This comedy could brighten even the worst of days, and wraps up nicely before it begins to drag.

Rory Gibb, meanwhile, took the honour of Best Director for silent film Felicity, which brilliantly frames the changing lucks of several busy individuals. A solid effort all round from an AirTV team who seem to be improving by the year.

Wait a minute; I’m sure you’re thinking. That’s not how it goes. Shouldn’t there be some dwarfs in there? This isn’t the plot to your usual fairytale story however; this is American sitcom Once Upon A Time, which has recently arrived on Channel 5.

Once Upon A Time revolves around Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), who is drawn to a town near Boston called “Storybrooke”, where every storybook character you know lives, yet doesn’t remember who they are. This means you’ve got the evil witch as town mayor, one of the seven dwarfs as an alcoholic and Red Riding Hood, oddly enough, as a slutty waitress, as well as many more.

The show cuts between modern day drama in Storybrooke, where dwellers live their lives unaware they are under an evil curse, and flashbacks of their previous lives where the characters were their true, magical selves.

In these flashbacks we see adapted stories that show everything from Jiminy Cricket trying to get rid of his parents to Grumpy the dwarf trying to pull a fairy-godmother wannabe, as well as plenty of clips of Snow White and Prince Charming trying to get it on, as these star-crossed lovers are the central focus of the fairytale world.

The show provides luscious levels of drama throughout as we uncover why the town is cursed, who is behind it, and the characters’ memories slowly begin to jog. This is overshadowed however by the gripping time spent in the story world, where, excellent costuming and special effects add to the twisting tales and unexpected turns as each character’s story reveals it’s self.

The one driving factor taking the drama from just “good” to “epic” however is Robert Carlyle. Carlyle stars as Rumpelstiltskin, an all powerful imp in the story world and sinisterly rich antihero Mr. Gold in Storybrooke.

Carlyle’s character features in nearly every episode, making deals with characters that always end badly for those involved. The Scottish actor unleashes a brilliant blend of insanity and charisma as the cunning creature and his top performance brings the programme up a whole level.

At most occasions the show avoids a cheesy turn, although this issue does arise occasionally. Nevertheless, the murky issues in the show outweigh any cheese and it is certainly worth a watch for anyone who loves their drama. Just don’t expect a happily ever after.

Guy Richie was less than impressed

Lockout is the latest cheap action thriller to be produced by Luc Besson, the man behind Taken and the Transporter films. He also receives a small credit for creating the story but the script is mostly written and directed by amateurs James Mather and Stephen St. Ledger. The plot is simple. In 2079, a man wrongly convicted of espionage against the US is given the choice of a thirty year stasis in prison, or of rescuing the President’s daughter from a group of homicidal maniacs aboard a maximum security prison floating in space.

For some of the more hardcore movie fans who have seen John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, you will quickly realise the resemblance is uncanny. The hero is a man named Snow played by the brilliant and underrated Guy Pierce. He is gruff, and rude; his straight-to-the-point humour one of the film’s saving graces. Other actors would find the dialogue hard to manage and become too cheesy and overdramatic but Pierce does a stellar job. Maggie Grace plays the President’s daughter, Emilie, whose acting in the first hour is as bad as her running in Taken. Vincent Regan and Joseph Gilgun are the psychotic villains leading the prisoners with what sounds like Scottish accents, and Lennie James and Peter Stormare play CIA operatives, the latter wanting to put Snow away for life.

Expectations for this film should be low. Anticipation of a cheap action film with silly dialogue and thrilling action sequences with some bizarre killings are expected, but even then it fails to deliver that on a decent level. The action is underwhelming with some great special effects for the prison in space, but some of the worst effects you will see in the modern age during a futuristic motorcycle chase. There is very little character development for Snow, and no explanation why he is the perfect man to send into M.S. One (the prison) as he doesn’t seem to have a particular set of skills, taking an ass-kicking for the first forty minutes. All he seems to have is a muscular body, ability to take a beating and also dish one out, along with some sharp humour. It isn’t explained until the last minute of the film that he was in the army, something that should have been revealed far earlier.

The film attempts to make Emilie likeable by making her care about the treatment of inmates but really we don’t care if she does get killed. Regan and Gilgun are good as the villains, especially the latter who is unrecognisable from his Emmerdale and This is England days. Pierce is the only one who does a grand job and saves the film from being a complete disaster. The film isn’t even so bad it’s good: it’s just so bad it’s bad. The dialogue is poor, laughable not for its cheesiness, but because it is just so wooden and flat. There could have been some memorable action sequences that would have promoted this film to cult status, but they are poor, unexcitable and directed in a horrible manner. Overall, this is a film that could have been a very good, switch-your-brain-off kind of film, but, instead, it’s not even worth watching on DVD.

Rating: 2 out of 5