After a couple of busy months packed with American award nominees, normal service is resumed.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

Joint winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes last year, Nuri Bilge Ceylan follows up the success of Uzak and Three Monkeys with a metaphysical road movie.  Once Upon a Time in Anatolia follows an unlikely group of men (including a doctor, a police commissioner, a prosecutor, and a murder suspect) as they drive through the Anatolian steppes trying to locate a body during one long night.  As tensions mount, the group begin to unravel revealing their own secrets and dark sides.

“A metaphysical road movie about life, death and the limits of knowledge… a police investigation that, as miles and words mount, evolves into a plangent, visually stunning meditation on what it is to be human.” – New York Times

“…a subtle, gorgeous and mysterious allegory that may be [director Nuri Bilge] Ceylan’s masterwork to date…. like a mini-voyage into Turkey’s inaccessible past, a vision of almost religious intensity that is redolent with possible meanings but never explained.”  – Salon

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The Kid with a Bike

 The Kid with a Bike is the story of a 12 year old boy who is determined to find the father who left him.  By way of a chance meeting with a local hairdresser, Samantha, he is able to spend his weekends outside of the children’s home and experience a love he’s never known. Joint winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes 2011 and nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Golden Globes.

“…immensely satisfying — not least in its commitment to a child protagonist whose near-feral intensity and unthinking ingratitude make him the polar opposite of cute.” – LA Weekly

“An edge-of-your-seat emotional roller-coaster ride about ordinary people in a nondescript neighborhood, it’s sometimes terrifying, often heart-rending and completely worth it.” – Salon

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In Darkness

Based on a true story, In Darkness is the new film from acclaimed director Agnieszka Holland. The film follows Socha, who despite being anti-Semitic, hides a group of Jews in the sewers in an occupied Polish city for money.  As suspicions mount and the war takes a turn for the worse, Socha finds himself putting his family increasingly at risk, whilst adopting a new one.

“…wrenching… you feel the constriction and the disgust of the life below, but director Agnieszka Holland, pacing the film well, knows when to come up for air. Each time she does, the daylight seems like a benediction.”  – New Yorker

Click here to view the embedded video.

Also:

Egyptian Spring Film Season – Three films charting the revolution in Egypt last year and documenting modern life in the country. Includes Cairo 678; the debut directional feature of leading screenwriter Mohamed Diab, who will be on hand for a Q&A after the screening.

L’Atalante – Jean Virgo’s only full-length feature and widely considered a masterpiece is still as vivid today as it was on its release.  This is a wonderful opportunity to see such an iconic film on the big screen.

Trishna – Michael Winterbottom’s take on Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Ubervilles, relocating the action to India.

Carancho – Argentina’s official selection for the Oscars, Carancho, stars Ricardo Darín who seems to be making his name playing tough men with just enough decency. A stormy romance set in the corrupt world of insurance claims.

La Grande Illusion – 75th anniversary digital restoration of La Grande Illusion. Renoir’s masterpiece addresses the futility of war through the viewpoint of a group of prisoners.

Into the Abyss – Werner Herzog put his own inimical take on the subject of capital punishment.  A satellite Q&A with the director follows the screening.

The freezing wintry weather had no effect on tonight’s attendance for an audience with New Yorker Azealia Banks as the show sold out several weeks ago along with all the other dates of her first UK headline tour. Since being named top of the NME’s cool list and third in the BBC’s Sound of 2012 the 20 year old now London based Azealia her seen her star fly into orbit. Despite her debut single 212 just grazing the top 75 in the UK singles chart late last year, social networking via YouTube especially has brought her a massive audience who obviously like what they see and hear.

Lightening quick and very explicit, her rapping brought her to the attention of many labels and the initial contest was won albeit fleetingly by XL, the same label as Adele. It seemed she was following the Adele success template in a very different genre but that didn’t work out, so after a short hiatus she came back to work with Adele’s 21 album  producer, the top notch Paul Epworth and had just been signed by major player Universal .

Before the main event however DEMS take the stage, a trio originally from Edinburgh but now based in London. Boasting infectious electronic beats with a twist of understated guitar, it’s perhaps unkind to describe them as a poor man’s XX, but they didn’t quite do it for the majority of the audience who at times talked louder than the bands vocals. The highlight of, for me an entertaining set, was House, released late last year to some critical acclaim.

Ms Banks kept the crowd waiting but when she arrived on stage she was on fire from the off, with the crowd roaring she entered with pink bolero and obligatory shades both of which came off before then end of opener Grandscam. Predictably her tee-shirt’s logo was unprintable but that too later came off later revealing a skimpy bra which had the desired effect on the audience.

Musically Chill$ went down well and L8R had the front fringe rapping along but the room erupted as Azealia introduced 212 as the one you’ve all come to hear, for 3 minutes the room was bedlam  and then she was gone. A 25 minute cameo which leaves a muted crowd unsure whether to leave or wait for more but the house lights provide the answer. Certainly a good taster of a very talented young lady who whilst not being a pioneer is definitely set to blaze a trail of her own

An unusual and scary sight awaited me and Nick at the Plug tonight in the form of a long queue, and when I say long, I mean extremely long. An excess of 2,000 people sat jittering, chanting and giggling whilst waiting for the Plug to open its doors. This was a night for Rizzle Kicks, the new ubiquitous band on the block rising to fame and glory. Supporting were two surprisingly brilliant acts, Pepper and Random Impulse.

Inside The Plug we gained insight into the crowd. We saw the usual groups; lads ogling young girls but too shy to do anything, girls dancing at every opportunity available, even when unnecessary, and the few groups who just stood there and absorbed all the chaos. The eager and hormonally unbalanced flooded The Plug’s main room tonight.

The first act to grace the stage was Random Impulse, a grime/ indie act. Usually I don’t expect much of the first act, and tonight was no different, but this made my reaction to this fantastic man much more intense than I could have imagined; he was brilliant. He began his set by telling us how his bassist had gone AWOL and so took up the guitar himself. Personally, with his abilities, I would fire that guitarist and take up his role. The mix of grime and indie works very well, although I noticed that it had a more rocky edge to it than what I had listened to online. His song ‘Overload’ was particularly enjoyable, with tantalising guitar riffs and rapid-fire lyrics trickling off his tongue. Musically they were excellent, very tight despite the sudden disappearance of their guitarist and overall very enthusiastic. Random Impulse himself was humble, something I found very pleasing. You could see he genuinely appreciated us being there.  This man is one to watch if going on his blazing performance which ignited the night.

Next was Pepper, a female vocalist highly associated with Dizzee Rascal. I immediately recognised one thing about her, she has a powerhouse voice. It has a lot of force behind it but seems controlled at the same time. It was a marvel to listen to. The way she reins it over a constantly changing pitch was also masterfully done. The crowd responded to her voice with cheers and lunges towards the stage, almost like they wanted to pull her closer. She was an act that you could just sit back and appreciate, but sadly for me I think following such a sensational performance by Random Impulse left me wanting more. This is me personally however; the mass seemed to enjoy it equally as much.

Finally, it was time for Rizzle Kicks. Some may describe these two lads as energetic, some may call them crazy. Their set was laced with the weirdly wonderful. Covers of the Harry Potter, Addams Family and James Bond theme tunes mixed with alien dances and demonic face-pulling led to an amusing gig. But this does not downplay their talent, from the first song they commanded the stage, confidence high and legs flailing left right and centre. The problem with Jordan and Harley having such exuberant personas is that the band goes unnoticed. They were very talented, but the main attraction in front combined with all the lighting focused on the two young stars meant attention was diverted, which is a shame. The song ‘Miss Cigarette’ has an infectious beat that you can’t help but weave along to and was my highlight of the night; it showed them not just as nutcases, but as disciplined singers also. At one point a live video was taken of the audience; a cue for the desperate to clamber on the nearest pair of shoulders and make sure they would be seen.  The final song of the official set would be fan-favourite ‘Mama Do the Hump’ which was accompanied by a very strange dance. The crowd screamed out their lungs to this fun little number. Obviously this was not the end of the night, an encore was demanded and they exploded back on stage. The final song of the night would be ‘Down with the Trumpets’ which summed up the night; fun, energetic but somehow with a bit of class lurking around. Big things are yet to come of these two fun-loving, adrenaline-pumped stars.

Every so often you hear something that immediately jumps out at you. This is certainly the case with If You’re Scared, the debut EP from Backyards. The Leeds 5-piece blend beautiful harmonies with tender instrumentation to make truly lovely music.

From the very start of Heavy Handed, the opening track on the EP, it’s clear that Backyards are not your ordinary band. Bryan Serwatka has one of those voices which ensnares you with both its fragility and depth. Supported by unobtrusive instrumentation, you gradually find yourself falling under their spell; heavy handed it is not.

White Horses is the song that really makes you sit up and take notice of Backyards. Subtle musicianship and soft vocalisation come together to create something gently beguiling. It’s a song so unimposing and shy that it softly seeps into your psyche, when it ends you feel as though you’re waking from a dream.

Call to Arms promises to be more direct, but simmers just below, never boiling over into a full-on assault. The Violin is wonderfully employed to lead the charge, building to a triumphant climax, before the plaintive lyrics fade-out into a hazy playground sample.

Statues is the final song and is a more playful affair. It gently meanders before gracefully jamming quietly into the night sky.

I’ve seen comparisons made with the likes of Arcade Fire and Radiohead, and whilst Backyards clearly draw inspiration from many quarters, they have a sound which deserves to be judged on its own merit. A collection of beautifully written and immaculately produced songs, which easily make Backyards the most exciting new band I’ve heard from Leeds in a long time.

EP available via their Bandcamp page http://backyards.bandcamp.com/

Tweeting that this was their last gig before putting some hard graft into album number three, it was no surprise this Leisure Society gig had such an atmosphere. From a pub that was typically chilled out for a school night, to the heave of bodies that soon filled the dance floor, made the anticipation almost palpable. By the time support act Dan Michaelson hit the stage, the place was packed and the crowd eager.

It would have been difficult for people unable to see the stage to notice that Dan Michaelson’s set had even started, with a style that gently crept into your consciousness like a cat burglar. Sat with just a guitar, his accompaniment and drenched in blue light, Michaelson certainly knew how to set the mood. His voice was quiet, husky and at times incomprehensible – strangely comparable to that of Rolf, the piano-playing dog from The Muppets. Don’t let this put you off too much though, his set was filled with emotion and was genuinely heartfelt from start to finish, with a sombre style that lulled you into a state of relaxation that you didn’t know you could reach in a live setting. The overall reaction however, was one that indicated this support could well have been a little mismatched, when compared to the more up tempo main act and left a rather unsure tone. The talent was there, but Michaelson needed a little more live presence.

The Leisure Society had no such trouble. As soon as they hit the stage, it was clear this was exactly where they wanted to be, with their fans. Opening with ‘We Were Wasted‘, Nick Hemming’s vocals filled the room in this eerie tune and was a statement of the standard to come. They didn’t disappoint, following with ‘Save It For Someone Who Cares,’ showcasing a hint of The Divine Comedy in its blend of harmony and upbeat tone, despite the lyrics. The feeling of sentiment in this set was clear and apparent in their first single ‘The Last Of The Melting Snow‘ – some true affection seeped into its performance and was reciprocated by the awed silence of onlookers. The banter from LS reinforced that feeling, asking the crowd to scream like they were at ‘a Metallica concert’ as they took commemorative photographs. With a set list that seemed near-perfect, in songs like the instantly recognisable ‘Darkest Place I Know‘ and by putting their own unique stamp onto the Erasure classic ‘A Little Respect,’ The Leisure Society’s harmonies, both vocal and instrumental, proved masterful and effective. Ending the pre-encore set with ‘I Shall Forever Remain An Amateur,’ they left to rapturous applause and with a heartfelt ‘thank you’, and here is where it should have ended. Instead the following three tracks felt a little too much for this intimate setting and were simply not as strong a finish. This wasn’t too much of an issue however, after a set as divine as theirs; I doubt anyone gave a monkey’s.

SOYO Live keeps going from strength to strength; maybe it’s the cheap drinks, friendly crowds or even the great choice of bands on a Monday night? It could of course be a mixture of all three. Tonight’s line up proves one of the strongest so far this year, so of course we had to check it out.

Paddy Orange decided to take things onto a solo front for tonight’s performance. Whirling around the floor like a man on a mission Orange raps and verses to the crowds. Encouraging people to get involved and move around he seems to have enough energy for the whole of SOYO put together. His set is short, but it’s mightily sweet and word on the street is we’ll be seeing more of him soon.

Blessa are next to hit the stage. Half way into the first song it seems everyone is simply captivated by their presence. Lead singer Olivia is not only striking in voice but stunningly beautiful; it’s hard to take your eyes off her. There’s a slight nervous edge about their performance, slightly shoe gazer though incorporating riffs and beats that have a heavier edge.

After taking a short break Driftrun are back on the scene, complete with new member and new music. Blips and beats move fast alongside Gilly’s moves. It’d be easy to compare their sound with Bloc Party, but there’s something a little deeper and a little more meaningful involved. Addiction was a certainly a standout track and with this, their first gig, it only bodes well and shows promise for Driftrun in the future.

Embarking on a short European tour, Alvarez Kings played their last gig on Sheffield soil. Leading in with Patience is Strength they kept a fast pace throughout their set with songs including You, Me, Them, Us, An Honest Dilemma and finishing with The Sequel. As usual it was a display packed with familiar beats, melodies and a hint of mayhem, it certainly didn’t disappoint. Always a crowd pleaser and a Counterfeit favourite, it was a great way to wave Bon Voyage to the lads.

SOYO is one of the jewels in Sheffield’s music crown, on a Monday night it certainly can’t be beat. On this particular Monday a good night was had, it’s safe to say, by all.

A sell out gig at The Leadmill is always a good thing; tonight the Steel Stage is packed with people ready and bustling about for the musical delights ahead Two Wounded Birds and our headliners, Grouplove.

There seems to be a bit of a theme with Sheffield and birds this weekend with Noel G and his lot playing the Arena and our support tonight, Two Wounded Birds. The Margate foursome have been compared with The Drums in the fact they enthuse that good old fashioned, some may say ‘vintage’ rock and roll sound. I have been told this is a breed of music known as ‘indie surf’.

Frontman Johnny Danger, with his bowl like haircut and his leather jacket doesn’t really fit into the pigeonhole of fifties rock and roll, or even sixties psychedelia. As Two Wounded Birds worm their way through the set list, it’s apparently that they’re influenced by an assortment of genres be it bands, people or films. It’s a bit twisted really but you can’t stop listening.

From sixties vibes, harmonies and riffs, think The Beach Boys without the Californian sunshine, crashing waves, hot sand or mind enhancing drugs through to what sounds like a mash up of The Pretenders Don’t Get Me Wrong and My Chemical Romances’ I’m Not Okay, it was certainly something different if not original.

It’s not often people get overly enthused about a band, it’s safe to say our headliners, Grouplove, seem to have many a fan at the moment. With pop fuelled beats and alluring vocals by lead singer Christian Zucconi assisted by keyboardist Hannah Hooper the audience were led into a euphoric sensation, it’s not surprising really, they are rather lovely.

Playing tracks from their 2010 Grouplove EP and 2011’s album Never Trust A Happy Song, the audience were singing, dancing and generally losing themselves in the jollity being enthused by the band. Songs of the night included Lovely Cup, Colours and the remarkable Tongue Tied.

The L.A. based five piece certainly know how to put on a show. It was happy, it was fun and it left us feeling warm in a big Grouplove hug.

Cast: Julie Sokolowski, Yassine Salime and Karl Sarafidis

Bruno Dumont has a way of splitting opinion; you either love or hate his films. Coming from a classical philosophical background, Dumont creates films that are as controversial as they are artistic; embedded with stark realism whilst often shrouded in mystery. Hadewijch was a 13th Century poet and mystic who was obsessed with the sublimation to God, and here Dumont gives us our first clues about the “heroine” of this story.

Céline (Sokolowski) is a young novice nun who is required to leave her convent (Hadewijch) by the mother superior because of obsessive spiritual belief, mortification and mortal pride. She returns to her rich family in Paris and lives her life in isolation until she meets Nassir (Sarafidis) and his Arab friends in a bar. She eventually meets Nassir’s brother, Yaasime (Salime), and through his relationship with her and Islam, she realises that there are other avenues to God.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hadewijch won the International Film Critics Award at the Toronto Film Festival back in 2009, but has taken its time to reach Britain. As with all of Dumont’s work, it is a difficult film to find an audience for it. Almost completely shunning a musical score (relying on background noise with the occasional diegetic musical interruption) and using a non-professional (Sokolowski) in a main role, Hadewijch is a powerful, beautifully framed piece of film-making, which brings to mind the work of Robert Bresson.

The similarities between Céline and the eponymous mystic are striking. Sokolowski puts in a startling performance for a first-time actress; it is remarkably understated and natural. Hadewijch builds up to a climax, which is so out of key with the rest of the film, it almost blows you out of your seat. David Dewaele plays a builder whose story is occasionally interspersed within the film, before playing a pivotal role at the films finale. After watching the film, I awoke in the early morning with the realisation of his true purpose.

Beware; Hadewijch will not be a film to everyone’s taste. It is littered with religious symbolism, unsettlingly slow at times and riddles with ambiguity. However, it is profoundly effecting, naturalistically shot with a beautiful realism which is entirely refreshing.

After venturing out in sub-zero temperatures we arrived at Academy2 for a night of rock/metal arranged by SB² . Revelations, had just taken to the stage, a Chesterfield metalcore band with Brad Harkness on vocals. Harkness certainly knew how to get the young crowd going and soon had them opening up a big pit, amusingly enough as the chaos of the pit ensued, a gaggle of girls  screamed and ran for cover, obviously not used to live music and the energy of a crowd. The music was vigorous and pretty tight; a great set from what I am sure are a band to keep your eyes, and ears, peeled for in the future.

Next up were, Sheffield band 6 Needles. Tunny on vocals and guitar greeted the crowd with “Ey Up, now I am not much of a conversationalist so we will just crack on” and then in came the opening bar at which point he stops the band in their tracks to retune his guitar! Unfortunately it isn’t a great start for a band who had already kept the crowd waiting a while before they even made their way onto the stage. Once the band finally had finally gotten going they calm the room down with a slower tempo and a much more rocky sound.

Steel Trees then proceeded to show the room something else, bringing a heavy rock sound to a now bustling crowd. The crowd interaction was great and they informed us of their new album ‘Attack Of The Stoner Zombie Killer Kids’. Despite only being a three-piece, these guys despite commandeered the stage delivering an energetic performance which saw even the drummer really getting in to it, with little show-off quick fingered drum stick spins, and had pockets of the crowd head banging along. Closing with the drummer knocking over some of his kit and the guitarists’’ flooring their guitars leaving them producing an eerie interference on the now empty stage.

A Season of Secrets, much to the young crowd’s delight hit the stage, with 6 young energetic lads delivering a pop-punk sound that had the whole crowd engaged. A tight set with a couple of slight vocal disharmonies the crowd were like putty in their hands, with one young die-hard fan singing every word perfectly it seemed.  Matt Crowder took to the crowd with his guitar which went down a storm. These guys sure know how to please a crowd and could easily have been headlining!

The headliners Decode bounded onto the stage, and set out to deliver a high energy show with Daniel Jeffrey the front man hanging from the lighting rig into the crowd for most of the set. The crowd loved them and obeyed the band’s requests to open up a number of pits a tight and energetic set which was a bit more metal than the last few bands. Towards the end of the set, Jeffrey, and guitarist(s?) joined the crowd and got a massive pit opened up, during which chaotic arm swinging, body bashing, high kicks and the likes took place. The audience interaction was spot on throughout and the guys seemed to be genuinely enjoying every minute on stage. They certainly left the crowd on a high and wanting more, which they gave them, a sneaky additional song despite having been informed earlier that their time was up! All in all it was a cracking night which entertained a crowd of probably 200 or so for a good few hours before seeing them head back out onto the icy streets of Sheffield.

The Brudenell is buzzing with love for South Yorkshire. Supporting Sheffield’s Slow Club are Rotherham’s Mad Colours (almost-freshly reincarnated from The Heebie Jeebies), and bassist Del Hoyle is energetic enough for all his bandmates, as he spreads a whisper of infectiousness into their pleasant indie. Mad Colours somehow struggle though to live up to their reputation as party bandits, despite catchy basslines and a few cheeky hooks. Perhaps it’s vocalist Owen Adams’ disinterested demeanour, or that the Brudenell is sold out for local(ish) heroes Slow Club, and there’s an element of nerves – but there’s just no inspiring the audience to their feet.

But Slow Club, as you would hope with their loyal following in Leeds, have no such trouble, and the stage is surrounded by wide-eyed eager faces just minutes into the change-over time. Half an hour later, bang on cue, Rebecca and Charles walk on stage to awe-ful pindrop silence. Without a word, Charles sweetly, teasingly, and understatedly begins to sing the lyrics to Pulp’s ‘Disco 2000’, and as Rebecca joins him you can feel the wonder in the room for such a sensitive, lo-fi cover from the duo. As the crowd joins in with the “oo-oo’s” towards the end and the vocals tail off exquisitely, the calm crashes into oblivion with a drum roll – heralding the bouncy and powerful ‘Where I’m Waking’. Delicious indie-pop melodies follow, with ‘Our Most Brilliant Friends’, and merge into laidback, birdlike ballads with just a hint of poignancy, punctuated by the occasional banter from Rebecca who manages to introduce the band and the TShirts on sale while relating them in her adorable, down to earth way, to a conversation about a cheese toastie.

If Slow Club’s melodic strength is their ability to make twee indie pop interesting – nay engaging – then their vocal strength can be found in Rebecca. She starts with a dainty, harmonious ballad, and as the bassline builds she cranks her lungs up notch by notch to the full blown crescendo of ‘Never Look Back’. Her command is even more evident in the three new tracks we are treated to, in particular the third, which she owns unequivocally. Her dynamic and powerful vocals tell of broken hearts and promises with such heartwrenching clarity, it’s a performance worthy of a country mega-star (minus that cliched southern twang).

The night wouldn’t have been complete without a performance of the delightful ‘Two Cousins’, and ‘Paradise’, which Charles and Rebecca sneak into the crowd to perform acoustically in the encore. They follow this with their finale super-hit ‘Giving Up On Love’, which fills the room with its raucous and incongruously happy joy, the air filled with voices joining in and feet jumping about. Charles and Rebecca seem to relish playing for the crowd here – as she says by way of a goodbye – “Leeds always makes us feel like the big balls – thankyou!” it really feels like they’ve made Leeds feel like the big balls tonight too.