Dropping Off The Belt

The education system dilemma.

The transition from School/College or University to work is one that takes many young people by surprise and this change appears harder to grasp the further down the education chain they have been. After finishing School you are given the opportunity to stay on and study A-Levels or go to a nearby College to take part in ‘BTEC courses’ the idea being that the more practical young people do the latter and the more School friendly stay on to continue in their preferred subjects. Of course you are allowed to leave education all together at this point and find work although nowadays GCSE’s count for very little, if anything, so finding work above minimum wage rate means working your way up from the very bottom.

For those that chose A-Levels you are presented with a fairly wide array of subjects ranging from the usual Math’s, English and Science to the latest additions which include Sociology and Physiology. At this point most young people will have a rough idea of what they are good at and which subjects they should chose though very would have a specific Job in their heads and an idea of the path they need to take to get there. The education system sets you up to believe that there is a Job out there to match your subject choices yet most of these subjects bare little result to Employers decisions in the future, they merely allow you to have the choice to go to University when you have finished.

For those that go to College the courses provided are more specific and allow you to get an idea of the type of Job you will be able to apply for when you finish, Of course this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better option as there are loads of pointless courses on offer that are there to suit applicant’s interests and not always there educational needs but the experience at College isn’t going to be 100% educational.

At this point though it is important to find part time work to cover the costs of your social life and build up your work experience because before you know it two years will fly by and your be on to the next stage..

After completing your two years of A-Levels or College Diploma you are encouraged to apply for a place at University through the UCAS system. Perhaps one of the biggest choices you will make in your life and very few young people will understand the real world at this point. Jumping head first into another three years of education is a big risk and at this point some wouldn’t even have stepped foot in employment. Despite this however the illusion still stands that your dream job is just around the corner and it fall into your lap by the time you finish University. The problem is that Degree’s are expensive to gain and nowadays it seems that there is one to suit every person, in the past you would go to University to become a Doctor or Lawyer and that would be a path that you had to take but in 2011 taking Degree’s in subjects like Journalism, Sports Studies and Physiology hold little substance. They teach you what you want to learn but the debt you inherit for this doesn’t hold up to the types of jobs (if any) you will be able to apply for when you finish your course.

This is the big shock that you get hit with, when young people find themselves looking for jobs that don’t exist and starting their lives with -1000’s in their bank accounts. That’s what it’s like to drop off the education belt and it seems in today’s society, the sooner you drop off the better.

By Matthew Trevett

Money Is An Issue

The Meq by Steve Cash – Review

Who are the Meq? An ancient, mysterious, secretive race that has lived amongst us for centuries, their destiny forever intertwined with that of ordinary mortals.

Here begins the story of one of them, revealed in an epic of gloriously colourful imagination.

The Meq are a rare and ancient and enigmatic race who originated in the Basque Pyrenees. While some of them may be hundreds – even thousands – of years old, they retain the physical appearance of twelve-year-olds. Over the course of time they have played witness and catalyst to some of the most glorious and shameful events in history.

This is the story of Zianno Zezen. Commonly known as ‘Z’ and it commences in 1881. On an ill-fated train journey through the Rocky Mountains. Rescued by a bearded stranger, befriended by orphans, beguiled by kin and burdened by revenge. Z begins his quest to understand the Meq. Their purpose and their secrets. From the Midwestern city of St. Louis all the way to china, Africa, England, and many points in between. Z’s pursuit is a classic adventure of spirit and imagination.

This first novel of a trilogy introduces a race of people who behave entirely like humans, yet always, first and last, remain themselves – the Meq. Never predictable, full of insight, marvel, and surprise, it is a beautiful chronicle of endless discovery. And as the young at heart know, it is never too late for that.

This wonderfully crafted novel is full of intriguing story lines right from the start. At the beginning of the story you are immersed into in the world of Zianno, a 12 yr old Meq, who, with the sudden death of his parents, is left unaware of his own race. He must use what little information he has and his mother’s last words – “find Sailor” to discover his place in this world. As you read through the book you will find yourself being sucked into this entirely believable tale, it’s difficult to picture a twelve year old looking boy who has been living in this world for over fifty lifetimes but somehow it works and you start to realize the emotional difficulties that come with immortality.

As the story develops and ‘Z’ finds out who he is, we discover that like all species, this race has an evil side. The ‘Fleur-du-Mal’ or ‘Flower of blood’ is a Meq who uses his powers for all the wrong reasons. The battle turns personal when ‘Star’ is kidnapped and Zianno Zezen must use what he has learnt about The Meq to save her and put an end to the ‘Fleur-du-Mal’s’ terror. However time goes quick and we soon realize that humans and the Meq are worlds apart, years are not something humans can just throw away unlike the everlasting Meq and time is not on Z’s side while he’s traveling across the world looking for Star.

The Meq is a story that will capture your love for adventure tales and the up and down storyline allows for a few surprises on the way, no doubt by the end you will feel like a twelve year old again.

I’ll remember you, while you remember me;

I’ll remember everything you wanted to be.

So, please be a brave lad,

My heart sails with thee.

And I’ll remember you, while you remember me.

Taken From ‘Caitlin’s Song’

By Matthew Trevett

A timeless read

Chase And Status – No More Idols Review

It’s no problem for me, but it’s a problem for you.

Rising out of the underground music scene and into the iTunes libraries of probably every drum and bass fan on the planet, Chase And Status have become the leading producers in such a widely experimented genre. With ‘No More Idols’ they truly rise up to their potential and deliver an album of incredible dynamics and variety.

Based on the successes of previous tracks such as ‘Heartbeat’, ‘End Credits’ and ‘Pieces’ it appears that in this album that they have continued with that winning formula, tracks such as ‘Let You Go’, ‘Hypest Hype’ and ‘Time’ show how there impressive creativity can be filtered into the same song structure. Picking the artists to sing on the tracks is no easy task either and few would have heard of Mali or Delilah before this album but they fit perfectly into their songs respectively. Some more familiar names are also featured including Dizzee Rascal, Ceelo Green and Plan B and what makes this Album so dynamic is the huge variety of different artists featured; every song is so different from the last yet every song has that Chase And Status presence in the background that can’t be ignored.

Backing up ‘No More Idols’ though is of course Chase And Status’s exciting live sets, every festival they have performed this year has been started with the first track off this album – ‘No Problem’ And from then on they have the crowd completely in their control. With guest artists coming on and off stage every song is deeply anticipated while never once is there an off note or a missed synth. From bedroom producers to stadium giants this album completes a milestone in the careers of Saul Milton, Will Kennard and MC Rage & Andy Ganadeen.

With this album then they have been able to gain acceptance by a large mainstream crowd while still keeping the respect of the underground scene, something which bands from any genre find hard to achieve. It’s difficult to see how any other producers/artists out there could produce such a complete piece of music, it seems that Chase And Status are going to be leading the way for drum and bass and many other genres for a few years yet.

By Matthew Trevett

Leaders of the Drum 'n' Bass pack

Avril Lavigne – Goodbye Lullaby Review

What the Hell!

Having taken a break from music for a couple of years ‘Goodbye Lullaby’ sees the return of pop punk princess Avril Lavigne. With a nack to writing catchy pop tunes and lyrics that are equally as pleasing there was no doubt that this album would be popular with her already big following of teen fans.

The title track ‘What The Hell’ is similar to Avril’s previous hit ‘Girlfriend’ it’s loud, in your face pop at its best, lyrics like “All my life I’ve been good, but now, wooooo I’m thinking what the hell” are a little cheesy but no doubt it’s what creates a pop hit nowadays. It’s an upbeat intro to the album though don’t be fooled that the rest of the tracks are going to be more of the same.. and thank god there not!

As the 3^rd and 4^th tracks kick in the direction of this album seems to be a little more personal than her previous material, each song has its own little story behind it which creates a good avenue for the listener to relate to what they are hearing. Despite this however some of the tracks merge together a little and without listening in properly you would sometimes think your hearing the same song twice.

If you are an Avril Lavigne fan then you will love this album, there’s no denying she is an amazingly talented singer/songwriter and this album just shows how she still has the same ability to create the melodies, tunes and lyrics she did when ‘Sk8er Boi’ first came out.

If you’re a fan ‘Goodbye Lullaby’ is a must buy.

By Matthew Trevett

Punk Princess

Kerrang’s ‘The 50 Greatest Rockstars In The World Today’ Review

A quick rundown.

As always with countdowns of ‘The Greatest’ you’re not going to be able to please every reader and it’s 100% impossible to incorporate everyone’s opinions but despite this, it’s the perfect way to build discussion and create debate so this month Kerrang Magazine have done there best to compile a list of ‘The 50 Greatest Rockstars In The World Today’

To start with the list only includes Rockstars who are alive today; hence the tag ‘In The World Today’ this already eliminates some real Rock Legends of recent history who have passed away such as Kurt Cobain or Jimi Hendrix, either of which would have been worthy of the No.1 spot. Perhaps making a list of ‘The 50 Greatest Rockstars Of All Time’ would have caused too much debate and alternatively however, even been too ‘predictable’

To create a list like this first you have to define the question, what makes a great Rockstar?

Is it there Lifestyle, Looks, Behavior, Beliefs, Musical Talent, Wealth, Tattoo’s, Record Sales or a combination that makes them great? Kerrang described the perfect Rockstar as the person who makes music that ‘Thunders forth with a deafening Kerrang!’ surely then this is a popularity contest?

We start the list at No.50 with Alexis Brown, the metalcore equivalent of Hayley Williams. She’s big, bold and the complete modern day representation of what a female Rockstar should look like. A long way behind Hayley on this occasion although it can clearly be put down to the mainstream success that Paramore has achieved. Metalcore has a long way to go before it ends up a frequent sound on our radios. Moving on to No. 44 and we have Enter Shikari front man Rou Reynolds. When it comes to passion on stage and appealing to the younger generation through music there’s none better than this Charismatic idealist, supported by an energetic band, there’s no stopping Rou’s rise as one of the greatest pioneers in the ‘Ravecore’ sound.

Skipping to No.40 and we realize that you don’t have to be the lead singer to gain plaudits as a Great Rockstar. Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘Flea’ proves that even a bassist can gain a reputation as a legend of our time, mixing the genres’ of Funk and Rock Michael ‘Flea’ Balzary has gained a reputation for providing infectious bass hooks and a talent matching up to Jimi Hendrix and many of the best. Dropping down to No. 39 and Chino Moreno, lead singer of the Deftones and alternative metal ‘figurehead’ he’s been described as a regular guy.. well as regular as u can be being a Rockstar and has his unique voice has been the penultimate reason why the shadowy music created by Deftones has helped them shake off their Nu Metal tag.

Moving on past Zack De La Rocha and we get to our first ‘rapper’ on the list, No.37 Hyro Da Hero, such is his impact this year he has been placed ahead of rock rap icon Mike Shinoda who surprisingly wasn’t included at all on the list. Described as the rapper who captured rock fans’ hearts Hyro has won over the rock community with his natural performing ability and desire to produce music that rocks! Respected by the likes of Chino Moreno and Sean Smith there’s no stopping this rappers rise to the top.

At No.32 we have Jacoby Shaddix; the Papa Roach front man has gone from zero to hero. From being a nu metal burn out to a modern rock pioneer he is the closest thing to a dictionary definition of rockstar as you could ask for. As we get closer to the top 20, Jared Leto slots in at No. 27. There’s not much the actor-come-singer hasn’t been able to achieve in the industry so far, from being included in People’s Magazine’s ‘List Of The 50 Most Beautiful People In The World’ to dating the likes of Cameron Diaz and Scarlet Johansson to currently being the frontman for the latest Hugo Boss ad campaign, Jared Leto is more than your typical rockstar. 30STM haven risen to become one of the most popular rock bands of recent history, songs like ‘Closer to edge’ ‘The Kill’ and ‘This is war’ have become stage anthems bringing the crowd to feel like they are really connected with the music.

Fred Durst has been excluded from this list possibly on the basis of chosen lifestyle but guitarist Wes Borland sneaks in at No.26 proving that Limp Bizkit has a place in the rock world today and it’s difficult to argue against it. Tunes such as ‘Break Stuff’ ‘My Generation’ target the younger generation and not many other bands can claim to have such an impact when they play their music live. Next up is No. 17 Ian Watkins, like Jacoby he’s got that ‘typical rockstar’ look. Black hair, Tattoo’s, and a dress sense that screams YEAHHHH! No doubt his placement on this list is represent-ant of Lostprophets mainstream success, creating sing-along anthems is a spatiality and insures that fans all ages will be singing the words “Everybody scream your heart out” for many years to come.

As we get closer to the top ten we find well known rockstars of previous years and current moguls of the industry, AC/DC’s Angus Young is at No.15, Matt Bellamy of Muse at no.14 and Gene Simmons from Kiss at 13. Bille Joe Armstrong, David Grohl and Corey Taylor complete 10, 9 and 8 leaving Hayley Williams as No.7. Known as the pop-punk princess Hayley is an icon for all female rockstar wannabe’s and a shining star in a male orientated industry (shown by her four male band mates) small of frame but a composed and self confident personality brings out the best in Hayley when she’s on stage.

Spaces 6, 5 and 4 are taken up by Lemmy from Motorhead, Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance and Frank Carter from the Gallows leaving us with the top 3..

And… it’s Lars Ulrich who nicks the 3^rd spot. Famed for being the reason why thrash metal is around today his including on this list is less about his ‘talents’ as a drummer but more about the timeline of events that made Metallica the band they are today. It’s difficult to see how this justifies his high ranking on this list but nevertheless he is a key figure in the industry today.

New boy to the scene Oli Sykes hasn’t been around long but being placed at No.2 proves the impact his band Bring Me The Horizon have had since the release of their debut album. Covered in Tattoo’s from neck to foot and with an army of the new rock scene behind him Oli is the freshest breed of Rockstar. A risky move putting him so high on the list instead of proving rock icons but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him nicking the top spot next time.

NOW finally No. 1 and as soon as I turned the page I had no idea who he was, Jason Aalon Butler anyone? The lead singer of ‘Letlive’ and acrobatic rock band member is who Kerrang have picked as there ‘Greasiest Rock Star In The World Today’ you can do your own research on this guy as I have yet to do mine.

So that was a quick run through of the list Kerrang created and there are a few names that they haven’t included who many would expect to be on a list of this caliber. Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda were nowhere to be seen despite being in possibly the most well known rock band of the decade. Fred Durst was left out even though he has been a key figure on the scene since the rise of nu metal. Many other bands failed to get any members mentioned – Sum 41, Feeder, Korn, Blink 182, System of A Down, Tenacious D, A Day To Remember, Rise Against, Fall Out Boy and many more. I guess it all comes down to what makes a good Rockstar? And everyone has their own opinion about that.

By Matthew Trevett

Quad-Biking in Malia

A novice’s guide to surviving on the roads.

The first thing you will hear when you step outside your hotel in the Morning is the thunderous rawr of Quad-Bikes tearing down the streets and highways of Malia, Although unpopular with the locals this is by far the best means of transport for navigating the crowed high streets and narrow back alleys.

Depending on which company you choose (and there are many), for around 80-90 Euros you can hire out a ‘small’ quad bike for four days, this includes fully comprehensive insurance and covering against theft which is a must since the payout for someone nicking your Quad is 2000 Euros. Don’t be scammed into paying less for less cover and always read the contract, the small print mentions that insurance doesn’t cover you if you have been drinking and if you venture off road.. This is very tempting. Upon arrival at the rental company you will need your driving license, if you haven’t passed your test yet your provisional is accepted and for safe measure you should keep it in your pocket while using your Quad. Some places offer the bigger Quad-Bikes; these are a lot more powerful and obviously take up more space on the road. Unless you have personal need for the massive seat there is really no reason why you should bother paying double rates for these unless you plan on driving outside the Malia resort.

Police regularly patrol the streets especially at night and tend to randomly chose when they want to stop Quad-Bikers. You can be stopped for anything from dangerous driving to not wearing a helmet, though the latter would mean them stopping 99% of the people who use Quad Bikes in Malia so you should be safe with that one. Your best bet is to not stand out by driving erratically or crashing into things, which is VERY easy to do.

Another issue which tends to put you off while driving your Quad is the constant use of the horn by the locals, it’s easy to keep thinking that you have made a mistake or cut someone up but just remember that in Greece people ‘bib’ if they want you to get out the way, thank you, think that they know you, want you to know you cut them up, want you to get a car, want you to speed up or in some cases just want you to be safe so don’t worry too much.

O yeah and don’t forget to drive on the right hand side of the road!

By Matthew Trevett

Alot of fun