Vive la Révolution!

BY LUCINDA NEAL

History will be made at the forthcoming American elections, when the most powerful country in the world will elect either its first black president or its first female vice-president. On 4th November, a new chapter of political history opens on the same night as one of the darkest chapters in political history, the French Revolution, is played out on the stage of Warwick Arts Centre in ‘Liberty!’

Without the repercussions of the French Revolution, it is unclear if this historic election would even be taking place. One of the most infamous and bloody historical events known to popular culture, the Revolution saw ordinary people rise up in protest over a despotic regime which confined political influence to the nobles at the king’s court and considered the life of a poor child killed under the wheels of a carriage to be worth just a tossed gold coin. The MPs, or députés, of the National Assembly in France fought for the rights of the many to be involved in politics. Whilst slaves, women and men without property were still excluded, important currents of debate along these themes were opened, and the freedom for everyone to discuss politics in public was an important first step. In the arts, freedom of speech was invariably welcomed by those writers, like Voltaire, who had been jailed for their works of satire during the ancien régime.

Clearly, such an upheaval roused intense emotions in those experiencing it. Whether it was the ambition of the early revolutionaries, the anger and bloodlust of the revolutionaries leading the Terror, or the fear of the nobles and ordinary citizens who simply happened to find their lives entangled in the bloodbath left by the notorious “Madame Guillotine”, the French Revolution provoked powerful sentiments. More than that, it changed European society, with the fall of the most powerful European monarchy of the era sending shockwaves around the world. Across the ocean, America introduced its Bill of Rights a year after the French Déclaration des Droits de l’Homme of 1789. The present day United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights borrows heavily from the proposals drafted in 1789.
The extent of its impact is expressed through a wealth of art by those living through the period, as well as by those so affected by the cultural representations of the Revolution that they felt moved to create their own interpretations. On campus this week at the Arts Centre, for example, we are being treated to ‘Liberty!’ by Glyn Maxwell, who has been given the accolade of, “The best dramatic poet now at work in English,” by the Daily Telegraph. It depicts the struggle of one of these very same artists living through the Revolution in 1793 at the peak of the Terror, upon the discovery that he has been made a magistrate for the ruling revolutionaries, and explores his battle with his old and new life now that he is surrounded by the intense paranoia of the new regime. Maxwell portrays it in a very human light, with “raucous humour” illustrating people’s ability to cope and stay light-hearted, however dire the situation. The story is not new. Originally called ‘Les Dieux Ont Soif’ (The Gods Are Thirsty), and published in 1912, it was a novel by the renowned French author Anatole France. Maxwell’s adaptation proves that the spectre of the French Revolution still haunts and excites us. As the Financial Times so concisely puts it, “Maxwell raises important issues and paradoxes: not least the fact that, in spite of the horror, the French Revolution determined the world in which we live.”

There is definitely no French monopoly on the Revolution, and one of the most enduring visions of it in the Anglophone world is ‘A Tale of Two Cities’(1859) by Charles Dickens, which has since been popularised by at least five film versions. Its success lies in Dickens’ ability to understand the nuances of the situation. A keen believer in social justice, he doesn’t immediately jump to conclusions about the supposed mob mentality of the masses on their killing spree of good and pure nobles, which is the angle taken by Baroness Orczy in her play, ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’. Instead, he skilfully demonstrates the unfurling paranoia of previously liberal-minded men who were so scared of counter-revolution that they attacked anyone who made themselves noticeable, even the vulnerable who were supposed to be protected by their call of “Liberté! Egalité! Fraternité!” At the same time, the real genius of it was bringing his portrait of Georgian London into the picture. Like in Orczy, his London evoked memories of opulence, success, and a political system that had been more democratic than the French for years previously. British readers could feel a subconscious gloating sense of pride, but it wasn’t as vulgarly overt and upper-class as in ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’. Neither is there any question that ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ is far superior to ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’, which was effectively a kind of adventurous soap for the age.

Bringing into focus the tale of good men gone bad, ‘Danton’ (1983) is one of a long line of period films based on one of the most visually recognisable eras. Compared with the propensity of many film directors and writers dealing with this period, it avoids the temptation of going overboard with the bloodshed; although the finale doesn’t disappoint if that’s your thing. At the centre of the film is the feud between Robespierre, architect of the Terror, and Danton, architect of the revolutionary tribunal which was dramatically misused by the Terror. The film’s namesake, who dared to speak out against the tide of events and suffered the consequences, is played by Gérard Depardieu, the darling of French cinema. It is probably one of the rare few films with such a political backdrop of trials and parliamentary debates that actually made it big. Nothing more is needed to demonstrate the magnetic power that the French Revolution has over audiences.

Probably the most ambitious cinematic depiction was the international effort of France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Canada, ‘La Révolution Française’, a French-language film released in 1989 to mark the 200th anniversary of events. Critics panned the film for being too neutral. It seemed to be a lesson learnt in how historical accuracy and objectivity can ruin the narrative of a film by not providing a clear direction. Artistically, the film is perhaps of note purely because it was split into two parts, ‘les Années lumière’ and ‘les Années terribles’, or in other words, before the Terror and after. Even in France it flopped, which says a lot about public opinion of the film.

In more recent years, the director Sofia Coppola has given us ‘Marie Antoinette’ (2006). Although not a revolutionary film, it was a sympathetic rom-com biopic of one of the most well-known figureheads of the ancien régime. With Kirsten Dunst in the lead role, and her co-stars including Jason Schwartzmann, Asia Argento, Marianne Faithfull and Steve Coogan among other famous names, the film aimed not so much to replicate history as to provide a lavish visual feast. The dominant scenes are of the elaborate dressing routines and extravagant parties. In an original take on the genre, the soundtrack uses New Wave and modern rock groups like The Strokes, Aphex Twin, The Cure and New Order, seemingly to emphasise the film’s attempted link between the teenage Marie Antoinette and modern teenagers.

Another female figurehead of the time is ‘Marianne’, the imaginary metaphor of revolutionary France, dressed in a revolutionary tricolour cockade and red cap. Strong yet vulnerable, she has inspired artists through generations to use her image as a celebration of all that is French. ‘Liberty leading the people’ by Eugène Delacroix, a famous image, is one of her incarnations. She holds the tricolour flag defiantly in one hand, a bayonet in the other, as she tramples on the bodies of what are presumably dead nobles, surrounded by revolutionaries. This is the essence of her strength, and also of her aggressiveness. Her torn dress leaves her half-naked, as if she has been violated by the regime which came before. This is France’s other side, her vulnerability, but it has only made her more anxious for revenge. To see this painting, just go to a music store and look for Coldplay’s album, ‘Viva la Vida’. It’s on the cover.

It is apt that my exploration of Revolution-inspired culture stops here, with Coldplay using one of the defining images of one of the most tumultuous periods in history to get their message across, whatever that is. The icon of the French Revolution is such a pillar of popular culture and art for a clear reason: its message transcends boundaries of time and place. Neither will ‘Liberty!’ be the last we will hear of la Révolution Française. Vive la Révolution?

A little interview with Vijay Kishore, who supported Nizlopi at Warwick Arts Centre (23/10/08)

BY LUCY STEVENSON

So, how long have you been playing music?
Vijay Kishore: Full time until 2005 since I was 17 so if you can work that out back from 2005 when I was 24…. I’m not that good at maths so…Since I was 17...
You have this really distinctive singing voice – how did you come to develop it? Or has it always been there?
VK: I think its just trial and error – I’ve been in a lot of bands and I’ve tried a lot of things. Sometimes it doesn’t work. You can tell from the audience what’s working and what’s not working and I just got to the stage where I felt comfortable and…I’m ok now!
How did you feel about performing at a place like Warwick Arts Centre where you cant see the audience?
VK: I love it when it’s like that anyway. Whenever I play a gig I always want the lights to be down ‘cause that’s what it’s like when I’m practicing, with my eyes closed and stuff.
Do you shut everything out?
VK. I don’t shut the crowd out, you can’t do that. I close my eyes a lot. You wanna go back to the place you were when you wrote that song though, so you can deliver something fresh and raw. If I can go back there it’s like I’m lying to myself and the show just gets a repetitive feel. I have to find my zone. If I don’t do that then I know I’m not having a good time so the crowd won’t enjoy it.
So since 2005, what have you been up to?
VK: Well I’ve got a 5 track EP out which has been out a while now. I’ve finished recording my album, there’ll be a new single out this year called ‘Love is Everything’ and the album should be out early next year, fingers crossed.
What inspires you?
VK. I think when you start off writing its all ‘me me me’, ‘you you you’ and when you get older its more about ‘us us us’, ‘them them them’ so… kinda everything. Buildings, people, everything. If I see people having a conversation and it aint going too well, that inspires me. To me that’s beautiful ‘cause it’s real.
What artists do you take influence from?
VK. Stuff like Radiohead, Jeff Buckley…Nirvana. I love Radiohead, they’re amazing.
If you had to think of 5 top tracks, what would they be right now.
VK. Ooh, top 5? That’s hard. Can I start from 2? There’s no such thing as a number 1. Urrrm, ‘Exit Music’, ‘Last Goodbye’, ‘Little Wing’ by Hendrix. There it gets tough. Three’s it for me.
More of the melancholic stuff then?
VK. Well, I guess so, I can relate to that quite a lot. I can think and absorb all the stuff that comes with that sort of vibe…and then you write a song. I prefer to write about it than to talk about it – to sing it than to say it.

Look out for Vijay’s single ‘Love is Everything’, I strongly recommend listening to this man!

The Potter Cult- Magic or Madness?

BY SITA THOMAS

With a new play solely about Harry Potter touring the country and coming to our Uni at the Arts Centre, I set out to find out about what ‘Pottermania’ is all about.

When you Google ‘Harry Potter’ guess how many results there are? 82,800,000. That’s eighty-two million eight hundred thousand different pages that have Harry Potter as their subject. Now I thought myself to be quite a fan until I realised that I am not a member of a Harry Potter fan site, I do not download one of the Harry Potter podcasts, I do not own any Harry Potter fan art and I have not listened to any Wizard Rock music…

Yes, there are millions of people out there who love Harry Potter so much that they do all of these things to name a few. I admit I did queue up at my local bookstore at midnight to buy Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth in the series of seven fantasty novels by J.K. Rowling (just in case you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last few years and didn’t know that) but there is so much that I haven’t taken part in.

The aspect of ‘Pottermania’ that I found most interesting is the new genre of music – Wizard Rock. If you have never heard of it (like me) then check this out –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb9adl1Lrd8

The amount of time and effort that so many people have evidently put into following the Harry Potter cult has made me wonder – is it really worth it all? Have people taken it a bit too far? I asked Ally Blanchard who is a member of ‘The Black Sisters’ (www.myspace.com/blacksistaz) the 17th most popular Harry Potter act in Britain what she thought. Her response was that she loves going to Harry Potter meetings and conventions and making lots of friends because you already have a connection, you’re part of a community.

I’m not sure whether I’m convinced; do I want to be part of this community? Or should I remain what some would call a ‘muggle’, unaware of all the wizarding goings-on in the world. I think I’ll check out the play that’s coming to Warwick – ‘Potted Potter’ which is all of the seven Potter books in seventy minutes, and see if that makes up my mind!

Goodbye Nizlopi!

BY LUCY STEVENSON

The Leamington Spa - based duo Nizlopi are currently touring the nation for the last time in the foreseeable future. The two friends, Luke Concannon and John Parker, have been writing music together since their early teens. Probably best know for their Number 1 ‘The JCB song’, they combine incredibly soulful lyrics, skillful acoustic guitar, jaw-droppingly masterful double-bass and human beat-boxing to create an original and distinct sub-genre of indie-folk. They say they’re taking time out in 2009 for “writing, traveling, learning and getting inspired.”

The JCB Song, which soared to the top of the charts at the end of 2005, is still remembered by anyone who was paying attention at the time – the adorably honest lyrics hit a note with the public, ensuring the band a place in music history.

Their recently released third album- ‘Make it Happen’ – features many of their musical friends and influences, including Rory McLeod, Hobbit, Benjamin Zephaniah and Tom Richards from Jamie Cullum’s band.

Now entering their final run of shows, including a performance at Warwick Arts Centre tomorrow night at 8pm, the band seem to have achieved the aim they stated back in 2003 “to speak to you up in your face with double heart and double bass”

Refresh your memory of their biggest hit here!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=k3WhQB7Hq0Q