Why am I in a hole?

Over the next few hundred words or so, I’m going to attempt to explain to you why I think Fringe is one of the best things to happen to television in the last decade or so. I’ll be mentioning elements of the show, including right up to the end of season 4, so if you’re not up to date, it may be worth avoiding this until you are. Also, in an obvious attempt to prostitute myself to the American market (which I’ve yet to break into), I’ll be using words like “seasons” to describe what in the UK, we call a “series”. If that annoys you, tough. There’s more Americans than there are of you. Plus I’m trying to sound like I know what I’m talking about, and the phrase “tv programme” seems to come across like I’m writing for one of those fucking awful “I love <insert year>” shows.

For those of you that are still with me, let’s get on with it. Like most science fiction before it, whilst Fringe completely embraces the sciencey fictiony world it inhabits (the area of fringe science proving a glorious and seemingly limitless mine of plot devices), the main driving force of the show is its characters. While a lot of people I know complained that Fringe was slow to get going in season 1, those of us who were already hooked soon began to see the benefits. When serious things start happening to our characters, the time we’ve spent getting to know them really means we genuinely care.

Where's my root-beer float?

There are two main ingredients to getting good characters in a tv show (in my opinion at least), which are good writing, and good casting. Fringe has these in abundance. The creators of the show are the same people (primarily) that were behind Lost. That knowledge will generally illicit one of two responses. Either you’ll get really quite excited, or you’ll get really annoyed and worry that they’ll stuff up the ending. I’m in the former camp (I wrote about the end of Lost a while back – here). Whether you liked Lost or not, it’s very hard to deny that the characters were well written, and that expertise has been brought forward to Fringe. As for casting, I think they’ve pretty much nailed each character. If you can find a better actor in a sci-fi series than John Noble, I’ll tip my hat to you. He plays both versions of the tormented genius with such aplomb, you’re never in any doubt which Walter you’re seeing. He flits between agonised and frustrated genius and childlike glee with such skill that you can in one moment be completely in awe of Walter, and the next moment, in hysterical laughter.

My name is NOT Pacey

He’s complimented perfectly by Joshua Jackson, who brings an assuredness and likeability to a character that could easily have been grating, and Anna Torv, who plays Olivia as Scully for the new generation, dispensing with the scepticism of fringe science, and becoming very matter of fact about the whole thing. Torv also revels in the portrayal of both versions of Olivia, the straight laced version from our universe, and the more mischievous red headed counterpart from over there.
In a lot of television shows, there’s one character that stands out as the narrator, the “everyman” that we are supposed to relate to, and empathise with. In Fringe, they all play their part in this role. While each character can sometimes seem beyond our realm of empathy (they’re mostly incredibly clever, and skilled FBI agents for one thing), they each have a vulnerability that shows fleetingly (some more than others), and can often bring us down to earth with a thump. For instance, that moment when, after discovering that when her emotions are heightened, Olivia can see glimpses of the other side, and we see Peter surrounded with an otherworldly glow, and we know in that instant, that our Peter isn’t “our” Peter at all. A punch to the stomach of the viewer, and not the only game changer that we’ve seen over the last four seasons.

I genuinely couldn't choose

Complimenting the sci-fi themes that Fringe explores, the writers are always keen to push the narrative boundaries, taking in the past, the future, and often embarking on different genres. We’ve seen a 1950s film noir (which Anna Torv fans simply have to see), a musical episode, and the best exploration of the 1980 sci-fi genre since the 1980s. It’s the attention to detail that really excited me too, in the aforementioned 80s flashback, the opening credits were changed to include references to the fringe sciences of the time, the typography was suitably dated, and the music contained some of the best synth since War of the Worlds. It’s on YouTube here, and well worth a watch, just to remind yourself how good it was. I almost forgot to mention the Observers, a classic throwback to 1950s sci-fi. A race of bald humanoids who exist out of our timeline, turning up at moments of universal significance. Sharp suits, bald heads, and the sort of perfect cryptic statements you’d write yourself if you had a penchant for 1950s pulp (“In all the futures I’ve seen, you have to die”). One staple of science fiction is exposition (the explanation of concepts (I’ve just explained exposition – now that’s meta)). Fringe’s writers understand how frustrating this can be for the viewer, and play on it with character traits. Walter often mumbles numerous “out there” theories, closely followed by Peter’s layman’s explanation, with Walter finally following up with an angry “that’s what I said!”. While it’s obvious, it’s so charming as to be forgiveable, almost endearing.

So, by this point, you’re probably bored of reading my abundant praise, and you’re wondering if there’s any part of this show I don’t like. Well, there’s probably not, to be honest. At the time of writing, Fringe has just been commissioned for a 5th and final season. I hope that the writers have some idea of how they can bring the story of our characters to a natural end. From a fan’s point of view, it is always better for a writer to end a show, rather than a network executive, for the simple reason that we aren’t left with a jarring half ending for characters we’ve come to feel we know. Thankfully with this news, cancellation isn’t now an option, and it won’t become drawn out in the way that the X-Files did toward the last few seasons. While I’m sad that we’ve only got a short run (season 5 reported to be 13 episodes), I am pleased that the story will have an ending. Not an end for Fringe division, but an ending for Olivia, Peter, and Walter. They deserve an ending, we all do.

Please don't sue me for using this logo

I know that I, for one, will be massively indifferent to the whole thing. Completely ambivalent, not caring one iota, not a jot, right up until the moment I look around me, and realise that I am still up at 3am watching the highlights of the Men’s 58kg Taekwondo repechages, because I missed them live.

The Olympics, or any major worldwide sporting occasion, tends to turn me into the sort of person who thinks they’re an expert. Simply watching 20 minutes of fencing apparently imbues me with the required knowledge to tell someone who’s been training at it for years that they are doing it wrong. “NO! Don’t eppe there! For fucks sake, PARRY! Gaaahhhh, see, they’ve lost now. Should’ve listened to me…” Stupid amateurs, what do they know?.

We are a nation that latches onto any success we can get our hands on. For example, how many people were bothered about cycling as a sport before the last Olympics? One person. Chris Boardman. But now, we are all addicted to the mental bike fest that is the Keirin. And we bloody should be. Just look at this for a finish from Sir Chris Hoy. That’s absolutely ridiculous, and exactly the sort of thing that can make someone like me, who’s not exactly a cyclophile (I may have made that word up) get fists pumping and the sort of national fervour that in my house is usually reserved for men in red with odd shaped balls.
Sticking with cycling, one of the the ones to watch at London 2012 will be Laura Trott, already a world champion and superstar in the making at the age of 19. Supremely talented, and also marriage worryingly cute. That’s something else the Olympics is good at; giving us sporting heroes to fall in love with. Let’s be honest, constantly watching finely toned bodies wrapped in (sometimes not very much) Lycra is bound to have some sort of effect. And while we’re on the subject of not very much Lycra, let’s spare a thought for our beach volleyball players, both male and female. What’s the first thing you thought of when I mentioned beach volleyball? I’m willing to bet it wasn’t highly skilled athletes. Which is a shame really, they are forced (or least I lazily like to assume they’re forced) to wear the tiniest pieces of material, thus distracting the casual viewer from the intricacies of the buttocks. I mean sport.

Speaking of beach volleyball, I still find it amusing that the government insisted that it was a coincidence that they bought far more tickets for the beach volleyball than they did for the athletics.
Imagine the looks on the faces of all those politicians when they realise they’ve mistakenly got tickets for plain old volleyball, not the beach variety. Not only that, but men’s volleyball. I’m sure they’ll be able to appreciate the skill and dedication these athletes have given to their chosen sport. I look forward to seeing their enthralled faces on the BBC coverage.

So, every Olympic Games, we find a new sport to love, one that we are unexpectedly exceptional at. Who could forget the national delight when it turned out we were awesome at very slowly sliding stones down an ice track? Rhona Martin and her curling team brought gold home, and a new love for the winter games back in 2002. But what’s the next big surprise for Team GB? What will we all be self proclaimed experts about in August? My personal favourite would be the BMX. If the stupidly talented Shanaze Reade brings home the gold medal, I would absolutely love to see our politicians jump on the bandwagon and try to sound cool and “hip” (isn’t that what you youngsters call it Cleggy?).
But I can’t really talk. I’ll be absolutely convinced that I’ll be an expert in whatever we’re good at, come July. And that’s what makes this country great. The ability to turn complete indifference into utter devotion at the merest hint of success. Rule Britannia.

Radiolab

The world is brilliant. It is. Bloody brilliant. As most scientifically minded people will tell you, it’s a remarkable stroke of luck that we are even here at all. The phenomenal amount of sheer coincidental happenings that have led to (for the most part) intelligent life on Earth is staggering. And that isn’t even the best part. The best part is that life has become so complex, and that means there are so many extraordinary stories to find. Brilliantly, there is a podcast that not only collects a whole load of these stories, but also presents them in such an enjoyable way, turning complex scientific principles into something even a simpleton like me can understand. And not only understand, but get so entranced and profoundly affected by, that every day, my brain is filled with thoughts of wildly intelligent chimps, the story behind the first loop-the-loop, and what makes people bad (and I mean really bad).

Scientifically exploring the world of communication.

That podacst is Radiolab, from a public radio show in America. The hosts are Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, and their easy going banter informs, while drawing you into their discussions. Although they don’t know it, Jad & Robert have accompanied me on every car journey I’ve made for the last couple of months. They’ve also indirectly annoyed a lot of my co-workers, as I’m the sort of person who, having heard something interesting, will go on and on about it. For example, in one of the short podcasts, you learn that in an average 2 hour film, you lose 15 minutes of it while you blink. I know! That’s incredible, right? How can you *not* tell people about that?

I think it just needs plugging in guys.

I would guess that if you’re based in America, and also the sort of person who reads this blog, that you’ve already heard of Radiolab. It has, after all, got about 1.8 million listeners (via public radio and podcasts). That’s a lot. However, if you’ve not heard of it, I urge you, go give it a try. What’s the worst thing that could happen?

In my opinion (and 1.8 million other opinions), it’s absolutely worth a listen, and you can do so using this little widget thingy, just below.

You can find out more at the Radiolab website.

Only Connect

It is nearing midday on a Friday. Work is rarely the first thing on my mind (as my colleagues would attest to), but today it’s even further down the list. I am hoping for a phone call from the Only Connect production team, to find out whether or not I (and my team mates) have made it onto the show for Series 6.
For those unfamiliar with Only Connect, it’s a quiz show that’s gaining a bit of a cult following on BBC 4, hosted by Victoria Coren. It’s talked about as the most difficult quiz on the TV at the moment, requiring not only a wide variety of general (and also excruciatingly specific) knowledge, but also the ability to take the most seemingly diverse facts and form connections between them. It’s definitely not for the faint hearted, and that’s even watching at home.
It’s now getting a bit later on in the day, and I am wondering if the fact I’ve not got a call yet means I’ll be receiving bad news. I devour another handful of paprika flavoured Pringles, and nervously take a swig of coffee, when my phone suddenly bursts into life…

The lovely host - Victoria Coren (pic courtesy of Presentable)

Rewind a week or so. Me, Rachel, and Sean, are sitting in a coffee shop in Birmingham city centre, just up the road from the Mailbox, home of the BBC. It’s nearly 11 o’clock, and we’ve got an audition in half an hour. We really aren’t sure quite what we’ve let ourselves in for, or indeed, why. Our brains aren’t that active on a Monday night at half 8, what on earth made us think that an audition at half 11 on a Sunday morning would be feasible, let alone the thought that we might have to do complicated things like thinking. It’s far too early for anything other than automatic reflex actions, like yawning and drinking tea. It hasn’t stopped us from feeling terrifically nervous though.
All this started, for me, over a year ago. I had become a little bit obsessed with Only Connect (and not purely because of the presenter, as my wife seems to think), and had decided to apply for that year’s series. I got the application form, assembled a team of almost willing people, but then it all fell apart for various reasons, and I had to bide my time. So, when this year’s application process begun, I was far keener to get that little bit further in the process, and actually apply at least. Once more, I put out the call, and very soon, I had the makings of a team. Teams in Only Connect need to have a connection, which is perhaps unsurprising given the premise of the show. Our connection is that we all met because of a book called Join Me, by Danny Wallace. (I’ve talked about that elsewhere in this blog, and you can find more information about Join Me here.)
After filling out the application form and submitting it (already one up on last year), I had a call from Presentable (the production company behind the show), inviting us to audition. Turns out we had done pretty well in our application form, and the next step was to put us in front of a camera to see how we coped.

BBC Birmingham

Our teas finished, there was nothing left to do, but head out and make the short trip up the road. We were all feeling nervously excited, chattering all the way, hoping that all the knowledge gained from years of time wasting would leap to the forefront of our brains when called upon. There was only one way to find out. We waited at reception to be collected, and were taken into the depths of the BBC (a meeting room near the door), to meet Jenny and Rachel, the producers who would ultimately decide whether we were Only Connect material. They were lovely, explained everything, gave us some good tips, and talked us through what was needed to be a good team for the show. Talking things through is one of the main requirements, I suppose three people silently gawping at a screen while trying to work a puzzle out doesn’t make for ideal television.

The Joinees - Rachel, me, and Sean

Formalities over, the mock quiz began. Truth be told, I don’t remember all the audition in perfect clarity, although I do recall one of my answers being particularly well received (breaking down the fourth wall), and that Jenny loved Sean’s face. I remember that we managed to get a few of the questions right with seemingly milliseconds to spare, and that one of the connections in the wall round was “Persian”. And then it was over. Goodbyes, handshakes, and a wander to a pub for an ale to steady the nerves and talk over our prospects. We think we’ve done ok, but we won’t really know until the end of the week, which brings me back to that ringing phone…

I answer. It’s good news. We’re on the show.

Oh bloody hell.

Series 6 of Only Connect airs later this year (hopefully), and will include my ugly mug, along with the much more delightful mugs of my lovely team-mates. By mugs, I mean faces. Although I may also have a literal mug.

You can play the connecting wall round of Only Connect on the official BBC site, as well as on the official Only Connect iPhone and iPad app.

All The Young

I’m not one to blow my own trumpet, so to speak, but when I predicted big things for All The Young last year, it seems that I was right. Not only did they finish the year with slots supporting The Pigeon Detectives and The Courteeners, but they headlined a homecoming gig at the King’s Hall in Stoke-on-Trent, where they played a headline, homecoming gig to over 1000 fans, it was a great way to round 2011 off, and if you want a taster of how good it was, you can download the live album of that gig here, absolutely free.

This room

The beginning to this year hasn’t seen them let up either, kicking off with a massive tour supporting the Kaiser Cheifs. In March, they play a headline tour of the UK, details of which can be found here.Not only that, but 2012 looks to be a big year on record for these lads, with the release of their debut album in April. If you fancy a bargain, it’s on preorder for only £4.99 on iTunes.

I know I sound a bit like an advert for them, but I genuinely think they’re something worthwhile, a throwback to decent guitar led music. No bullshit, no pretension, just good, honest music. Have a gander at their latest video and make your own mind up.

Click to pre-order for £4.99

The UK cover of Warm Bodies

With the release of Warm Bodies, and the subsequent movie adaptation, it seems as though 2011 must have been like some sort of Wizard of Oz style whirlwind for you. How’s it been?
That describes it pretty well. Hanging out on set for a week in Montreal and getting to know all the cast and crew while watching my daydreams come to life was definitely the height of surreality, culminating in the moment at the wrap party when they showed a blooper reel and the room was full of laughter and camaraderie are based around this story I wrote… I’ll treasure that experience for the rest of my life.

2011 seems to have been a year in which we’ve been besieged by vampires. Would that be a topic you’d take on for a future novel? If anyone could give us a new take on vampires, then I’d put money on you being able to do it!
Haha, not a chance. Zombies were the trend that arose after vampires were played out, and now even zombies are played out. Vampires have already had every conceivable story told about them. They’ll need to cool off for at least a decade before anybody can innovate with them. But regardless, I’m done with monsters. Warm Bodies was a one-off thing; I don’t normally write about pop culture stuff like that and my next several books are going to be a lot harder to pigeon-hole.

One of the things I most like about Warm Bodies is that it takes a mindset we’re familiar with, and turns up upside down, and the delight in unexpectedly hearing the zombie narrative is something that certainly sets this story aside from others in this genre. What made you decide to make R the protagonist?
Having him as the protagonist is the only thing that makes this story remotely interesting to me. If Julie was the protagonist, it would just be another story about a girl falling for a dangerous dude. And if R’s slowly developing personality wasn’t the focus, it would just be another assembly-line zombie apocalypse story, which I have no interest in.

In the book, R is surprisingly eloquent in his internal dialogue. Were you worried how this would translate into a film?
In the film this is expressed with voiceover narration. They tone down the eloquence a bit, which is good; eloquent prose dialogue always sounds wooden when translated to film. But you still understand that he has a definite intelligence trapped behind his monosyllabic mumbles.

Your short stories often have first person narratives from unexpected sources (a t-rex, a pixel on a screen). What attracts you to this style of writing?
I guess I’m just fascinated with putting myself into extremely foreign perspectives and imagining what these people or things would think about if they could think. I’m continually surprised by what comes out of these experiments. Imagining the world from the perspectives of creatures or objects that we take for granted provides some unexpected opportunities to comment on the world from a fresh angle.

Isaac Marion

What are you most looking forward to in 2012?
I would have to have a pretty amazing life for anything to top the release of the Warm Bodies movie in August.

Warm Bodies is available on paperback, and the film is scheduled for release in August 2012.
You can follow Isaac Marion (@isaacinspace) on twitter, and read some of his short stories here.

Trollied

As a big fan of the writing of this show, I am genuinely chuffed to be able to bring you an interview with Nat Saunders, co-creater and part of the writing team, who very generously agreed to answer a few questions.

Thank you for shopping at Valco

First of all, congratulations on the massive success of Trollied. Certainly one of my favourite comedies in recent years. How long has it been in development, and were you expecting the level of success it achieved?
Well, thank you! Erm, no, we had no idea when we set out writing it. Our original five man (and ladies) team worked on Trollied on and off for two years alongside Ash Atalla, our producer. It was an exhausting process, but what it did mean was as soon as it came to being cast, the actors had meticulously worked-out scripts to go from. It didn’t really hit home that it was going to actually get made and be shown on telly until we saw the cast say the words in the scripts out loud. And then ehy did such an amazing job, all of them, at getting into the characters, we just knew it’d be a really fun show.

The Meat Counter

Seemingly a daft question, but how has 2011 been for you, personally?
Haha. Well, it’s been the most hectic year of my life, work-wise. All good, really. Bit of a whirlwind. Trollied came off at the same time as another sitcom pilot, a bunch of sketch shows and a book, so there were times when I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Insomnia became a feature. Mustn’t grumble, though, cos I’ve been at the other side of the spectrum – begging producers for work, slaving for months on scripts that go nowhere and you never get paid for, and that’s much worse than being too busy. Much, much worse.

You’ve assembled a great cast, with some big names as well as some relatively unknown talent. How easy was it to get the likes of Jane Horrocks and Mark Addy on board and were you concious of them not necessarily being “the stars” of the show (it being much more of an ensemble)?
That was all down to the producers, so I don’t really know too much about how easy/difficult that was. I think they might have told me but I wasn’t listening. I was too busy banging on about my own crap. But I do know that our writing team were dead excited about the idea of it being a mix of big names (who will, obvs, drive viewers to your show) and relative unknowns (always cool).

Oh I can’t stand calendars, full stop. All those pages of days, weeks, months, years. I never know where I am with them!

When you were writing the character of Margaret, were you hoping she’d become one of the cult comedy figures of the year?
Rita May, who plays Margaret, is a bloody legend. We knew Margaret was funny on paper (or in Final Draft) but when she opened her mouth and said those words aloud for the first time, Margaret became a gajillion percent real. I love Margaret. And Rita.

What other comedies have been your “managers specials” this year (see what I did there, with the comedy supermarket pun)?
Brilliant. Good one. *attempts a weak high five* I’m playing catch-up with a lot of stuff, but it’s been a great year for UK and US comedy, both of which I’m a nerd for. Fresh Meat, Rev, Community, Spy, Parks and Rec, Black Mirror, Psychoville, The Office, Misfits… I’m sure I’ve left some out. But hey, what can you do?

Customer Service at its finest

Where will you be spending (or where did you spend) Christmas this year?
I’m spending it with family, in-laws and friends, as ever. Although Xmas makes me a teensy bit humbuggy (at least outwardly) I do secretly kinda like it a bit. I also sometimes put a little bow on my tortoise Linus’s shell, to get us both into the spirit.

What are your plans for 2012? Any particular aims?
Nope. Planning ahead isn’t really a forté for me. I think I’m due a trip to the dentist. I’ll at least try and sort that out.

Why can't she work at Morrisons?

Lastly, when can we expect to see Trollied back on our screens, and can you give us any hints as to what we can expect to happen at Valco?
Series two is well underway, and begins fliming in Spring 2012, so I imagine it’ll be on the telly sometime late in the Summer. Our writing team is bigger, stronger and noisier than before, we’ve got some ace new characters up our sleeves, all the old ones are coming back, and everything’s going up a notch. Fans are gonna love it. Haters can swivel.

Trollied is repeated on Sky One, and Series One is available on DVD. You can follow Nat Saunders on Twitter (@RatBanjos), and see some brilliant sketches (including the fantastic Misery Bear) at www.wormhotel.com.

The Fades

The Fades – I see dead people. A story that centres around Paul, an unpopular teenage boy, and his struggle to cope with his emerging supernatural powers. In the mainly American dominated market of sci-fi, horror, and drama, The Fades was a complete delight and unusual to boot. A British series that was intelligently written, and emotionally engaging, and thus completely trouncing some of the dross that us sci-fi fans have put up with recently (V and Terra Nova to name a couple). Never pulls its punches, and because of this, delivers some amazingly hard hitting scenes. A new series is planned for next year, so try and catch up, it’s well worth it.

Trollied

Trollied - One thing that I think British TV has been missing for a while is a decent sitcom. Produced and written by people with a string of hits to their name (including The Office), Trollied was the first of a few British gems this year. Set in a supermarket, and with a talented ensemble cast that all add value, it’s easy to see that this show will run for a while. If you’re a fan of this show, keep checking back, as I’ve only managed to go and get an interview with one of the writers!

Spy

Spy - Following hot on the heels of Trollied, Spy was another new British comedy that hit the ground running. It’s your basic everyday story of a bloke going for a council job and accidentally getting a job as a spy for MI5, while trying to win the constant battle of wits with his far more intelligent son. A top cast, with the brilliant Darren Boyd finally getting a well deserved lead role, and Robert Lindsay stealing as many scenes as possible.

American Horror Story

American Horror Story – If I could use two words to describe American Horror Story, they’d be “fucking mental”. A family move to a new house to try and give themselves a new start. Sadly though, they’ve chosen a house with a bad history, and one that doesn’t want to give it’s new inhabitants an easy ride in the slightest. Everyone in this show has something to hide, and even though it’s only seven episodes into season 1 (in the UK at time of writing), you just know it’s going to get a whole lot more freaky before things start getting resolved. One of the best things to be imported from the States in a long while. Supernatural, horrific, terrifying, and utterly compelling.

Only Connect

Only Connect – This has been around for a few years now, (hidden away on the wonderful BBC4) but I feel is worthy of a mention, simply because it’s the one quiz show on TV that I am utterly hooked on (and not just because I’ve got a bit of a thing for the host). There are very few quiz sows that make you think, they all seem to just rely on knowledge, and not intelligence. Only Connect however, requires both. Not only do you have to know stuff, you have to be capable of such abstract thinking as to spot connections between things that should have nothing in common, at all. It makes University Challenge seem like a pub quiz machine in comparison.

So there you go, my random TV highlights of 2011. Stay tuned (if indeed you can be tuned to a blog) for my interview with Nat Saunders, co-creator and writer of Trollied. Very excited about that. And so should you be.

Ben Marwood

So, this year is drawing to a close, and I thought I’d inflict on you some of the highlights of my year. Then I realised the general highlight was winning £12.80 on the Euromillions, and I’ve managed to impart that knowledge in the space of one sentence. So instead, I’ve decided to write a bit about my favourite music, TV, and films from the past year.

First up is Ben Marwood, a singer/songwriter hailing from Reading, who released his debut album (Outside There’s a Curse) this year on Xtra Mile recordings. I first saw Ben when he was the support act at a Frank Turner gig last year (one of Frank’s festival warm up shows). His witty lyrics, down to earth demeanor, and keen ear for a tune really got the crowd going, and I certainly hoped that wouldn’t be the last I saw of him. Luckily, it wasn’t. 2011 has seen the aforementioned debut album release, and a full tour supporting Frank Turner (which I was lucky enough to attend). He’s very graciously agreed to answer a few question just for this site, so without any more wittering from me, on with the interview.

Since the album release earlier this year, you’ve been a very busy boy. How has 2011 been for you personally?
Overall, pretty good. I think this year was the year that I’d been waiting for for a long time. Xtra Mile and I got our acts together and released the debut album, and I think it was well received. Certainly it did well enough to merit a second album. And also, me and Frank (Turner) finally did the tour we were always talking about. That was really something; he is a great guy. I cannot emphasise enough how rare it is in this industry to find someone who is down-to-earth having sold that amount of records. His team are also great guys, and at a professional level too. I don’t think a harsh word was spoken all tour. Plus they didn’t make me get up in the morning, which was great news. Having Franz Nicolay as support was a big bonus too – now there’s a gentleman, and immensely talented. It was good to catch up with him and Chris T-T on their tour last week. Of course, the year wasn’t all good: the Sony warehouse blaze in Enfield in August wiped out most of the remaining album stock so I was forced to take to the road for the headline tour this autumn with just some Xtra Mile endorsed CDR-s to my name, and that tour itself was a tough slog – working Monday to Friday and then heading out for shows at the weekend was the only way it could be done though, and I owed it to Xtra Mile, Frank and I to follow up the May tour. My friend Ben (Morse) recently laughed at me for being a tortured musician recently because I was bitching about the tour. That’s the reason I keep him around, to keep me in check. Of course, it’s not the shows that cause the problem, it’s doing them in conjunction with the working week. I figure in 2012, I’ll do things more sensibly.

The obligatory moody shot

What are you most looking forward to for 2012? Any particular aims?
Yes, I need to move house in February, I also need to spend some time with my neglected other half in the States, also I need to get a new album recorded. At the moment there’s a small delay in funding, but that’s why I work. I didn’t approach Xtra Mile to fund the project because I think spending other people’s money adds an extra element of pressure that I don’t really need, so now it’ll be completed when it’s completed. I was aiming for a May release but I think Autumn 2012 is more likely, but I have a surplus of material for the album so there’ll likely be other releases alongside the album. I just realised I haven’t answered your question properly, so here goes: the thing I am looking forward to most in 2012 is finishing the album, and taking some time to myself without waking up every Sunday morning on someone’s floor.

Where will you be spending Christmas?
With my dear immediate family. I like a family christmas these days! I think you appreciate the family element the older you get. When I was younger, I just appreciated the presents. It’ll be good though – I’ll head home Christmas Eve after my brother finishes work, we’ll all stay in the same house for probably the only time all year, then spend Christmas Day together. On the 27th my other half arrives at Heathrow for what is threatening to become a tradition of her spending New Year in England. I go back to work on the 28th. Booooooo.

Do you have any pre-gig rituals?
If only! If I did, I wouldn’t spend so much time pacing around a venue before I’m due on stage. I’m definitely a Pacer. Sometimes people try and talk to me immediately before my set and I must come over like a total dick; I’ll be distracted and terrible conversation. General public: this isn’t because I hate you, it’s because there’s a little guy in the back of my head going RHHRHRRHR YOU HAVE TO PLAY A GIG and that can be pretty distracting. I always imagine him as the guy from the front page of my website. In general everyone who lives in my head is an MS Paint stick figure.

I’m a big fan of your District cover, you and Frank playing that together in Stoke was one of the highlights of my year. Do you have any plans for any other cover versions for b-sides? For example, would you go mainstream a la the Live Lounge?
Aaaah, the cover debate. Aside from the covers I’ve already released, there will likely be a cover amongst the second album’s collections. Whether it sees the light of day on an album or an EP or as a free download remains to be seen, but it’s recorded, it was spontaneous and, like ‘District’ at the time, 95% of people I meet won’t have heard it before. I really lucked out when Frank released ‘District’ before I did, I think it helped the way it was received, and it was a pleasure to do that live on the tour with FT and in some cases Mr Nicolay. As for Live Lounge, holy shit, if there was ever a more mundane set of compilation albums then I never want to hear it. Maybe we can start releasing re-makes of popular Hollywood films with the lead actors swapped around. Maybe Cameron Diaz can do ‘The Queen’ whilst Dame Helen Mirren stars in ‘There’s Something About Mary’. Sound like a bad idea? That’s exactly how I feel when I hear Arctic Monkeys reinterpreting Take That. I’d reinterpret all of those CDs to smashed.

The trusty six string

How do you manage to juggle the music with your day to day job? And which do you see as your “real” life?
Honestly? They’re both my real life. My day job pays me well, I worked hard at my degree to be in this kinda position and it affords me healthcare benefits that, frankly, my position in the music industry cannot. At the same time, I would go insane if I wasn’t doing some form of music stuff, and so they both have their place in my life. If I had to jack one in, it would be the day job, but then the second album would be recorded using two empty yoghurt pots and a piece of string onto an old unwound cassette. As I do more shows and get more offers it is getting increasingly hard to juggle the two, but as long as I don’t try too much I won’t flip out and go postal. Generally I’m quite an introvert – my idea of a perfect day is staying in my house and not going outside unless I need milk for more tea, so to have a second occupation that is quite socially intense is.. interesting. But hey, I spent long enough playing to no-one to be able to fully appreciate the position I am in now, and I’m not stupid enough to think I have only myself to thank for it.

Outside There's a Curse

Some of my favourite lyrics this year have been from your album (particularly the “hate all life’s unanswered questions, but you still hurry home to watch Lost”). What have been the snippets of songs that have stuck out for you?
Are we talking.. my own stuff? If so, “outside there’s a curse / a test of the tired and terse” would be mine, or “you don’t have to be a looker just to see you’ve lost your way”. Other people’s lyrics are so much better though. To that end I would heartily recommend you check out, if you haven’t already, The Mountain Goats’ album ‘All Eternals Deck’, particularly ‘High Hawk Season’. John Darnielle can turn a good phrase, that’s for sure. I’m going to predict that the best lyrics of 2012 are going to come from Franz Nicolay’s next album. His new material is so good I’m going to write two new songs for the album to compensate.

I'm stood on 341 DVDs right now...

Following on from the Lost reference, do you watch much TV? What box sets fill your spare time?
I don’t spend too much time in front of the idiotbox these days, largely because I have Freeview and there are only so many repeats of QI you can watch in a year. Recently I have been enthused by Charlie Brooker’s ‘Black Mirror’ mini-series and Psychoville series 2 was great. As was Campus, though I didn’t ever get around to watching the last couple of episodes. I caught only one episode of X Factor this year, which was one of the benefits of being out every Saturday evening. In terms of box sets, I’m a sucker for DVDs. The Oxfam Music shop in Reading is superb, but I don’t get time to watch what I buy. Subsequently I just buy and buy and buy, and then I end up with a big pile of DVDs I’ve never seen. From here I can see I’m currently waiting to watch Green Wing, which I’ve bought especially so my girlfriend can watch it (since it’s never repeated on TV). The best box set of all this year would be Futurama Season 5 but that’s not out til boxing day. It is great though.

Every time I’ve seen you play, you always have a cool t-shirt on. Where do you get your threads?
It really depends! I used to go to Topman and Urban Outfitters, which is a bit trendy for me now. These days most of my cool stuff comes from internet sites. I think I’m going to get some maths-based ones soon because I think I’ve developed too much credibility this year and I need to be taken down a peg or two.

You can vist Ben’s site here (his blog’s well worth a read, plus there are a few free downloads), and you can follow him on twitter at @BenMarwoodMusic

Great Scott!

5. Dr. Emmett Brown in Back to the Future- This is a movie death that serves as a bit of a shock. Why kill off one of the main characters right at the beginning of the film? Well, it certainly adds an air of poignancy in this case, with Marty heading back to 1955 and seeing the doc as a younger man, and trying to tell him about his future demise. It turns out the doc has perhaps misinformed some Libyans of his intentions, using their weapons grade plutonium to build a time machine instead of the bomb they wanted. Back in the 80s, terrorism was a simple affair, and the Libyans rock up at the shopping mall car park in a campervan, with a massive rocket launcher. They dispose of the doc with a short burst of machine gun fire, as Marty looks on, horrified. Luckily, he’s got a time machine handy, and after sorting out some family issues, he writes the doc a letter explaining the circumstances of his death. Without reading it, the doc rips it up, claiming not to want to know anything about his own future, for fear of destroying the universe. Luckily for the sequels, he ignores his own advice, and Marty arrives back in 1985 to find the doc was wearing a bullet proof vest. Sod the universe, eh?

I really like that hat.

4.Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars – Sometimes, death in a movie is a sacrifice for a greater good, and that’s the case here. Our band of plucky heroes are struggling to escape in the Millennium Falcon, Obi Wan having disabled the tractor beam holding them in place. However, they’re running out of time. What’s the best way to buy people a whole load of time? That’s right, a light sabre duel to the death. Obi Wan decides to take on his one time apprentice and now the most evil man in the universe, Darth Vader. It’s a tense fight, both men evenly matched, the old master against the pupil. However, the more experienced man sees that to enable his friends to escape, he must sacrifice himself. Vader strikes, Obi Wan disappears, and his Jedi robes fall to the floor. It’s not all bad news though. Even though he’s not alive any more, his spirit lives on, and talks to Luke, giving him advice. Instead of seeking medical advice for the voice in his head, Luke simply believes all he’s told, even to the end of the film, where Obi Wan’s disembodied voice guides Luke in destroying the Death Star with his eyes shut. That’s just showing off.

This is actually official uniform

3. Setsuko in Grave of the Fireflies – This may not be a film you’ve seen, and if that’s the case, I strongly urge you to seek it out. Set against the backdrop of the end of World War II, it tells the story of a brother and sister struggling to survive after the death of their mother, while their father is away at war. It’s not a spoiler to say that the kids ultimately die, the opening scene of the movie pretty much sets that up. The tale of the children is told in flashback, narrated by Setsuko’s older brother, Seita. After their mother dies following a bombing of their house, they have little option but to move in with an aunt, who is resentful of having to feed them. Shortly after, they move out and find a new home in a dissued bomb shelter. Things go from bad to worse, and pretty soon Setsuko is suffering so badly from malnutrition, it’s fairly clear she’s not going to make it. It’s pretty much at this point that the only natural reaction as a viewer is to pretty much fall about in tears, particularly as you see her brother desperately trying to help. The character is so tenderly portrayed that you genuinely forget you’re watching an animation. An essential film, and one of the most moving you’re likely to see. Go find it, you won’t be disappointed.

Ahhhh, fuck it!

2. Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid- Some movie deaths are tragic, some are defiant, and some are just all guns blazing. This is one of those. Two fundamentally nice men, albeit criminals, dream of a better life. However, that wouldn’t be much of a film, and so poor choices and bad luck conspire against them and things go from bad to worse. So much so that they end up badly wounded, and without ammo, in an empty house, surrounded by the Bolivian army. I hate it when that happens. When you find yourself in that sort of situation, there’s only one thing to do. Inexplicably find a load of bullets and take as many of the bastards out as you can in a suicide run. On the plus side, you will look immeasurably cool.

You're welling up right now, aren't you?

1. Mufasa in The Lion King – If there is any film studio that could be described as the master of making grown men cry, then that studio is Disney. And for me, the weepiest of all is the death of Mufasa in The Lion King. As is often the case, it’s not the actual death itself that is the worst part, it’s the heart wrenching scene that sees Simba try and wake his dad up, only to realise he’s not going to, and so curls up under his motionless paw. This was the first time that a Disney animation had depicted the death of a main character on screen, and it’s still one of the most powerful moments in all of their films. Combining a sense of injustice over Scar’s duplicitous plan with a genuinely distressing sense of Simba’s loss and unfair guilt, it’s a scene that resonates on a number of levels and emotions. If you can watch this without at least getting a lump in your throat, then I’m not sure you’re human.

So there you go, my top ten movie deaths. I’m sure you’ll disagree with some, and hopefully agree with a few too. Got a bit maudlin toward the end there, but then what did you expect? I was talking about death after all.
Hope you’ve enjoyed the first couple of top tens I’ve done, I’ve got a few more lined up. If you’ve any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment or get in touch here.