Another cop show. Another shady cityscape. Another unorthodox detective who doesn’t play by the rules, but still gets results. Another tough as nails boss who’s always on his ass, but grudgingly respects him. Throw in some drug raids, a few chase scenes and, say, the murder of a witness, and you’ve got a mildly entertaining but strictly formulaic Sunday evening cop show. A poor man’s NYPD Blue.

This preconception – the generic label of ‘cop show’ – meant that The Wire took a little while to really make itself known as a quality TV drama that could rival the best HBO had to offer. While it was generally well received by the critics when it first aired in June 2002, it took a few years for it to really capture the public’s imagination. They needed time to look beyond the donut-eating detectives and see The Wire for what it really is – one of the greatest portrayals of the world we live in today.

The Wire is not just about the cops and the robbers, it’s not even just about the dock-workers, politicians, journalists, school children (the list goes on), that make up the rest of this meticulously detailed construction of a city. It’s about society. It’s about all the institutions, all the hierarchies and the power plays that we, no matter who we are, negotiate every day. Be it a low-level drug dealer or the city’s mayor, everyone’s got somebody to answer to. It is an examination of the defining structures that go to the very root of society, and it is ‘society’ that is The Wire’s main concern.

That’s not to say that it’s short on characters. One of its greatest achievements is to create a huge range of individual players, crossing all sectors of society, with none of them appearing thin or one-dimensional. The most likeable characters – such as Omar, a shotgun-toting gay anti-gangster who robs drug-dealers – are generally the outsiders, fighting outside institutional boundaries. These characters, none the less, are intrinsically linked to the society in which they exist – however hard you fight, you’re still stuck in the maze. The Wire offers no easy answers.

While it may have taken a while, The Wire now gets the kind of praise usually reserved for medical breakthroughs or The Sopranos. A weekly column in The Guardian analyses each episode and Harvard uses it for curriculum material on their urban inequality course, but apart from all that it’s also really, really enjoyable to watch. I defy you to watch an episode and not want to watch another.

In their final O-two column, Fight Like Apes give their thanks to you, the reader and hope to keep you satisfied with a quick quiz. There are prizes, apparently

Hi you. This is our last column with The University Observer. We hope we have kept your ears open and your pants poised. We’re going on tour this weekend and the good news is we have secured 24 Solpadeine for the journey.

Seeing as we’re not going to be talking to you for a while anyway, we were thinking we should tell you some stuff that we’ve been afraid to tell you before. Whoever guesses the most correct answers in our game of ‘Who done that?’ wins a date with all of us after a gig for 25 minutes. Send your answers to fightlikeapes@gmail.com. Go!

1)      One of us has athlete’s foot.

2)      Two of us have knocked down old-aged pensioners.

3)      One of us fled the scene of these crimes.

4)      One of us has a vagina.

5)      One of us pooed our pants during the recording of our second album.

6)      One of us used to play with Dire Straits.

7)      One of us coached a teenage girls basketball team.

8)      Two of us had life long dreams of joining the Billy Barry kids.

9)      One of us joined a knock off version.

10)  One of us worked at the pick ‘n’ mix at the cinema.

11)  One of us isn’t entirely sure what we did in college.

12)  One of us studied agricultural science & did an entire project on a potato.

13)  One of us kissed our cousin by accident.

14)  One of us has diplomatic immunity by accident.

15)  One of us owns a BMX.

16)  One of us passed our driving test the first time.

17)  One of us passed it the second time.

18)  It only took one of us five attempts.

19)  One of us claims to be allergic to salad.

20)  One of us was accused of urinating in the corner another band member’s kitchen by said member’s parents.

21)  One of us was once told very sternly to ‘calm down’ during sexual intercourse.

We feel much better for telling you all these things about us. We miss you and the way you would listen and never judge. Our heads hurt now.

If all goes to plan, we will see you at the UCD Ball this month. We hope it’s very good. So far we’ve received nothing from any of you for our birthdays so if you have anything you’d like us to have, please bring it to the ball.

Thanks,

MK, Jamie, Lee

‘So Long, Farewell’ – Sound of Music

Personally, I hate musicals, but you have to admit this classic has some catchy tunes that still have thousands lining up to pack the theatre. This song will have you leaving over-dramatically and, if you’re lucky, with maybe a tear or two.

‘Goodbye My Lover’ – James Blunt

Self-explanatory, but this song, although torturously lovey-dovey will see fit that your one true love leaves knowing how devastated you will be after they’re gone. Whether this devastation is from their leaving or being subjected to this song is open to debate.

‘Goodbye’ – Mary Hopkins

I don’t know who she is either but ‘Goodbye’ was written by Paul McCartney and was released in March 1969. The Beatles never officially released it, but Mary made it No 2 in the UK singles chart. I can imagine it now – the blond bombshell waving as you weep with all dignity lost, screaming for her to come back – ah, fatal love.

‘Goodbye’ – Ke$ha

This one will surprise you – you can actually hear her real voice. Well, at least I think so. Without the auto-tune, the bass and beat Ke$ha actually sings. It’s not my cup of tea, but at least she’s not brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack in this one.

‘Highway to Hell’ – AC/DC

Released in July 1979, ‘Highway to Hell’ was AC/DC’s fifth international studio album and the title track is an awesome tune, which will have you accelerating right outta here.

‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ – John Denver

Originally written by Denver, ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ was made a hit in 1969 when Peter, Paul and Mary released it as a single. Understandably cringeworthy, but a must when you’re taking off to pastures new.

‘Land Down Under’ – Men at work

I seriously doubt you haven’t heard this song. Released in 1981 on the debut album Business as Usual, the song ‘Down Under’ went No 1 in both the American, British and Australian charts. For anyone heading to the land down under, you won’t be the only one, I can assure you.

‘On My Way’ – Disney’s ‘Brother Bear’

Written by Phil Collins, ‘On My Way’ was released in 2003 as a soundtrack for the Disney animation ‘Brother Bear’. As it’s a Disney song, it’s an upbeat tune that’s perfect for the journey that lies ahead – did I mention it was from Disney?

‘Goodbye’ – Spice Girls

Please don’t pretend you don’t know the song, it’s easier that way.

“Take Me Home, Country Roads’ – John Denver

Dedicated to West Virginia, ‘Country Roads’ was released in 1971 and is one of Denver’s most popular and well-known songs. I’d be surprised if you haven’t heard it and trust me, you won’t resist singing along.

‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’ – Unknown

The only song that offers you step-by-step instructions for travelling  – step one: have a boat, step two: row the boat, step three: go down the stream and step four: try to be happy about it. Let’s face it; plane tickets are expensive when you’re on a tight budget.

With the passing of Elizabeth Taylor, Lorraine Haigney looks at a long career that defined fashion

On March 24th, reports that Dame Elizabeth Taylor had passed away were met with a sense of disbelief. The reaction is understandable; Taylor, after a 65-year career, seemed to have become a permanent fixture in Hollywood.

Trying to comprehend her passing is comparable to the disassembly of the Hollywood sign or having the walk of fame cemented over. The loss of the violet-eyed beauty is tragic, but her legacy, both as an Academy Award-winning actress and fashion icon, is something to be celebrated.

Taylor was only 19 when she starred in A Place in the Sun (1951), in which she played the role of the seductive other woman. She soon garnered attention and recognition from the public as both a talented actress and a silver screen beauty.

In the leading role as Cleopatra, in the movie of the same name, Taylor sported over 65 costumes, a record at that time, including a dress made from 24-carat gold cloth. Her blunt hairdo, short fringe and eccentric eye make-up is an iconic Hollywood image.

Taylor became the pin-up girl of Hollywood. She was refined and stunning in her dress as well as being seductive and provocative and her style, like her personality, was big, bold and brazen.

She sported tight-waisted dresses that accentuated her curves – a contemporary cut for formal wear still today, and was never shy to experiment. Whether it was boasting ostentatious head pieces, sporting a turban, or the bold use of brightly coloured makeup, Taylor was on the cusp of a fast-evolving world of fashion.

The actress’ glamorous lifestyle and taste was exemplified by her lavish jewellery collection. She was immensely passionate about it, going as far as to write a book entitled My Love Affair with Jewellery.

Taylor was rarely seen without a grandiose display of diamonds adorning her thin frame, which were regularly showcased just above a plunging neckline. Her affinity for large, loose curls hardly ever wavered and has inspired modern style icons such as Katy Perry and Dita Von Tesse.

Taylor’s diamonds, dresses and perfectly applied makeup seemed almost as much as part of her as her violet eyes, porcelain complexion and jet black hair. She never appeared looking less than perfect, favouring luxurious gowns and gems over casual attire. Her natural elegance and poise accentuated her style and ensured that the star would be forever remembered as the epitome of Hollywood glamour and refinement.

March 29th

James Blake – Whelan’s – €15

March 30th

Grant Hart (Husker Du) – The Workman’s club – €12

The Frames – Vicar Street – €30

Elbow – The O2 – €44.20

Roisin O – Whelan’s – €10

April 1st

Dum Dum Girls – Whelan’s – €17.50

Inspirations in aid of Barretstown Feat Glen Hansard – Olympia Theatre – €30

Modfest – The Village – €49.50

April 2nd

The Blackout – The Academy – €18.50

Westlife – The O2 – €54.80

The Saw Doctors – Olympia Theatre – €24

April 3rd

Japanese Voyeurs – Academy 2 – €13.50

Noah and the Whale – Whelan’s – €18

April 4th

McFly – The O2 – €39.20

April 5th

Children of Bodom plus guests – Vicar Street – €35.50

April 6th

Bowling for Soup – The Academy – €25

Bell X1 – Vicar Street – €33.60

April 7th

Cloud Control – Academy 2 – €13.50

Jessie J – The Academy – €14.50

Ryan Sheridan – Whelan’s – €12

Hamell on Trial – The Sugar Club – €15

April 8th

Esben and the Witch – Crawdaddy – €14

Artificial Intelligence – The Twisted Pepper – €11.80

April 9th

Today is the Day – Whelan’s – €21

Portugal the Man – Academy 2 – €13.50

Brooke Fraser – The Sugar Club – €13.50

The Unthanks – Vicar Street – €25

April 10th

Clare Maguire – The Sugar Club – €15

The Low Anthem – Vicar Street – €21

~

Gig of the Fortnight: Noah and the Whale

April 3rd – Whelan’s – €18

With their latest album, Last Days on Earth, under their belt, indie-folk band Noah and the Whale will be playing both Whelan’s and the Academy this April.

They’ll be playing the collection from Last Night On Earth including the single ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.’, which reached number one in the NME chart.

Their latest offering presents a more upbeat and cheerful sound in comparison to their 2009 album, The First Days of Spring, which focused more on the breakup experienced between lead singer Charlie Fink and former member Laura Marling.

With them showcasing new material since The First Days of Spring, catch them before they play Oxegen this summer.

- Laura O’Connor

In between gigs and slurping down Solpadine, Fight Like Apes’ Pockets takes a trip to the cinema where they encounter the Devil, Anthony Hopkins…and a horse named Paul

So we went to our first movie premiere on Sunday. A real showbiz affair. Lorraine Keane, Brian O’Driscoll, loads of people from Drogheda and us, Fight Like Apes. Jolly green giant I was excited.

The movie in question was The Rite, a real think piece directed by luminary filmmaker Michael Håfström, the mastermind behind 2004’s Drowning Ghost and 2005’s Derailed, the latter possibly being a metaphor for his floundering film career.

In one blistering scene of cinematic glory, Anto Hopkins, who towards the end of the movie has decided to hedge his bets and transform into Hannibal Lector, is being questioned by some actor from Drogheda.

[Re-enactment]

“Speak Demon speak,” says the young man from Drogheda.

“No,” replies Hannibal Lector.

(Anto has at this point become the devil for some unbeknownst reason that I cannot for the life of me understand).

“Tell me your name Anthony Hopkins,” says the young man from Drogheda.

“I will not tell you my name, Clarice!” says Anto to the young man from Drogheda.

“Pleeeeeease,” the young man from Drogheda pleads. “I am a very believable priest; now tell me your name.”

With that, Anto Hopkins lets out a scream. The word is familiar, but for some reason malicious. What a scream I’m thinking, the raw emotion, the power, the vulnerability, the complexity of character.

At this point I’m in love with this movie, I’m sharpening my pencil, getting ready to mark it down as a classic, practicing how to draw stars so I can give it five in a row. Anthony Hopkins is a revelation, a genius, a thespian, a master of his craft, a legend.

That is until our drummer Lee Boylan turns to me and says “here man, I never knew the devil’s name was Paul”.

There was also a scene involving the Devil being a horse for some reason.

After the movie we went to the after-party. There was free gargle and the young movie star from Drogheda was playing with his band.

Have you ever heard Maniac 2000 being blended into Billie Jean so seamlessly it seems like the same song? I have. If Hollywood doesn’t accept Colin O’Donaghue on the basis of his sheer acting ability, then that little trick might just seal the deal for him.

I bet Colin Farrell is shitting himself.

Fight Like Apes’ new single ‘Jenny Kelly’ is out now, and is available from all usual download sites.

There is no point in me telling you that The Sopranos is good. If you haven’t already seen it, then you should at least know. Ranked as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, The Sopranos frequently interchanges between the first and second spot with The Wire.

Described by The New York Times as possibly “the greatest work of American popular culture of the last quarter century”, thinking The Sopranos is very good is now just common sense. A bit like believing that education is important or that racial discrimination is bad.

The Sopranos is a show about gangsters, meaning that it delivers the sex, violence and ‘gang-talk’ that audiences have always lapped up. Yet The Sopranos does not only titillate us with beatings and blow jobs, it also explores issues like modern-day apathy, personal guilt and identity in crisis.

It is already a classic story and perhaps television’s greatest artistic achievement. Ironic then that the small screen, with all its scheduling limitations, is really not the best place to enjoy such an intricately constructed world.

Take the fifth episode of the first season for example. Tony Soprano takes his daughter to Maine to view colleges. On the way, he spies what he believes to be an informer on the Witness Protection Program, follows him and strangles him to death with a piece of electrical wire.

It’s an exciting episode, but as well as watching Tony brutally garrotte a “dirty rat fuck”, we also see him trying to establish an honest relationship with his teenage daughter despite the nature of his ‘work’.

We see him ponder the Nathaniel Hawthorne quote: “No man… can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which one may be true.” We hear his wife, Carmella, sum up a common concern of modern-day western society when she confesses: “I have forsaken what is right for what is easy.”

All this occurs in just one episode. Altogether The Sopranos comprises 86 episodes which generally fall between 50 and 55 minutes in length. Imagine if The Sopranos could only be watched on television once a week. How easy would it be to miss this one episode because you were talking rubbish in a pub somewhere? Yet if you did miss it, you’d be missing out on themes crucial to the rest of the saga, and missing out on so much of what it has to offer.

The Sopranos is a genuine artistic achievement, and it demands to be watched using modern equipment. It is a story so complex, rich and detailed that it needs to be watched from the beginning through to the end with no interruptions, and may often require re-watching. It is a phenomenon of the boxset age.

Following his appearance in UCD, Gillian Temple talks to Michael Sheen about his recent film with Woody Allen and his hilarious stint on 30 Rock

Some call him the great pretender, to others he is known as a chameleon, while his peers such as David Lan of the Young Vic Theatre refer to him as an “acting animal”. He has achieved great success in theatre and in film by capturing the unique and realistic essence of the characters he plays. Audiences have been won over by his convincing representation of his more iconic roles, from veteran interviewer David Frost to the mercurial charms of Tony Blair.

Yet despite receiving considerable critical acclaim in recent years, Michael Sheen plays down such praise. “We had no idea whether the audience would take it seriously or whether an audience would accept me as Blair,” he admits.

Moreover, it is hard to imagine that the film and theatre industry nearly lost this great treasure to Arsenal Football Club. However, Sheen’s father refused to allow him to pursue his football career.  As a result, Sheen endeavoured to follow other ambitions: “Somewhere at the back of my mind I always accepted I was going to be an actor.”

Sheen’s thespian roots stem from his attendance of the National Theatre of Wales and his studies with The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. During his second year of college, he developed a strong relationship with acting and was awarded the Laurence Olivier Bursary Award.

Following this accolade, his acting career began to blossom, as he won the role to perform alongside Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced on the West End. He recalls: “I went into this amazing first job and learned from Vanessa Redgrave and spent six months doing a play with her. It was incredible and it started my career.”

From there on in, Sheen was catapulted into the acting business and has never looked back. One surprising element of this journey was the root of his inspiration for getting into acting. “I think I’m the only actor who got inspired to be an actor by a critic: Kenneth Tynan. I found a book of Kenneth Tynan theatre criticism called A Prospect of the English Stage. I was reading his reviews of Olivia on stage and that’s what made me want to be an actor. It gave me a kind of something to aspire toward.”

O-two asks about his iconic roles, such as Tony Blair, Brian Clough and David Frost. How is he able to transform himself into these characters with such ease and conviction, and what gravitates him to these roles? “It’s ambiguity that I am most drawn to in characters,” he replies.

“I can only play myself. The only raw material is me, and so when you’re playing a real person, it’s a long process. I can get somewhere hopefully close to some kind of spirit of them, or at least my connection to them. So I’m ultimately playing myself in a different set of certain circumstances.

“It’s a long process for me. I completely immerse myself in the life of the person. Brian Clough was a Sinatra fan and he liked ‘Saturday Night Sunday Morning’, so you find little clues, like knowing those snippets of information.”

Continuing to detail his approach to immersing himself into roles of specific characters, Sheen explains: “With Albert Finney, you watch that film and you say ‘Ah I see, so Clough was kind of basing himself on the Albert Finney character’, so you start to get a sense of how much he was kind of creating a myth of himself and how much he was self consciously playing the role of Brian Clough at times.

“It behoves us all as artists to try and make people more human, to strive to understand people in all their complexity. You put all that stuff together and hopefully at the end of it comes a great performance.”

The common denominator of all these biographical characters that Sheen plays lies in their difficult personas. Pondering the issue, Sheen elaborates on the difficulty playing such unfavourable roles like Tony Blair. “Funnily enough, the more I find out about the person, the less judgemental I become.

“People always say: ‘what do you think about Tony Blair having played him three times?’ I have less and less of an opinion about him. The way I’ve played Blair has always involved the idea of a mask and that one of his tools that he uses in the earlier days.”

In The Special Relationship, it will be Sheen’s third time playing Blair. Written by friend and colleague Peter Morgan, he is partly responsible for Sheen’s other performances of Blair along with David Frost and Brian Clough, having written the scripts to all these films.

O-two asks about his relationship with Morgan and how he deals with handling the factual elements of these roles: “It’s a very dangerous area I suppose, because people are inevitably going to watch something and partly feel that’s the way things were, so you do have to be incredibly careful.

“It’s not about the person; it’s about the story. The reason why I’ve played these real-life people is because on the whole, they’ve all been written by the same man.”

Throughout the interview, Sheen shows great enthusiasm in his answers and was only too delighted to cover the many aspects of his career in theatre and film. He fondly recalls stories about Tom Hanks being starstruck by Diane Ross, or his excursion with Javier Bardem to the Irish and Welsh rugby match last year.

Sheen currently resides in Los Angeles to be closer to his daughter Lily, but he has no interest in the Hollywood lifestyle and the film star image. “I don’t really know what a film star is,” he says. “I don’t think of myself as a film star, I think of myself as an actor. Hollywood is the shittiest area you could come to visit. It is a myth, it’s a state of mind, so I think being a film star is like that.”

What is most appealing and inspirational about Sheen’s outlook on the film industry is his enthusiasm to branch out and to educate himself with regards to the different areas of film production. “The more I work in film, the more I start to appreciate other people’s jobs within it. I’m more appreciative of what it takes to make a film and the work and artistry that goes into all the different areas of it.”

Sheen’s current project sees him work alongside the legendary director Woody Allen in Midnight in Paris – a film that is said to be premiering at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Other actors have often perceived Allen as difficult and intimidating while working on a film with him. Sheen describes Allen as “fascinating and very funny. He used to make me laugh all the time.

“What I found fascinating about Woody was that he doesn’t let you play subtexts at all. Characters are revealed to what he chooses to write about in each scene, he is a pre-Freudian director. He doesn’t want actors to play what’s going on under the surface, he just wants you to play the surface constantly, and then the revelation of character comes through the actions he gives to the characters in the scenes.”

In ­O-two’s mind, the whole interview has been building up to quizzing Sheen about his experiences on 30 Rock and working with Tina Fey. Sheen’s execution of Wesley Snipes, which he described as an “English dickhead”, was possibly the most memorable aspect of season four of 30 Rock.

At this point, Sheen becomes especially animated: “It was really intimidating because of Tina Fey. The whole group of writers on it, that are very young, are so sharp and so brilliant. Tina would say: ‘Oh don’t worry about that the script, this time just do whatever you want to do.’ So that was kind of scary but brilliant, as you realise that she writes for you specifically and then the character kind of evolved and got weirder and weirder the more she worked with me.”

Continuing his discussion on 30 Rock, Sheen informs O-two that he would be returning as his Wesley Snipes character in the near future: “I’m really looking forward to going back. We had this idea that we would recreate Wesley Snipes movies, but for my Wesley Snipes.”

Listening to Sheen, it is clear he has a vested interest in 30 Rock and enjoys working with Tina Fey. However, he refuses to be drawn into comparing Allen and the 30 Rock star. “You can’t really compare them, they’re both brilliant and have brilliant minds.

“Woody is an auteur and Tina is a brilliant comedy actress and writer. They both have a sense of being very good at documenting what life is actually like in a brilliantly funny way. But Tina Fey plays a mean game of Boogle, so maybe she would edge it just for that.”

The immediate future for Sheen sees him return to Port Talbot next week to continue his work on stage with the National Theatre of Wales on a project he has been working on for two years that will premiere over Easter. He describes it as “a continuous performance that lasts for 72 hours over the Easter weekend.

“It’s a modern secular version of the Passion of Christ taking place all over the town and using the community of the town. It has been a long-held ambition for me, having grown up in that place to go back.” But if you can’t get over to see him in Wales, O-two suggests you indulge in some more quality viewing of 30 Rock season four.

Michael Sheen was in UCD last week to receive the James Joyce Award from the Literary and Historical Society.

This fortnight, May Kay discusses touring, filming, and their continuing obsession with Solpadine

WE’RE GOING ON TOUR AGAIN! Thank the Gods. It’s been so long. It’s been awful. It’s been boring. My sleeping pattern has gone back to normal and everything. Disaster.

We’re releasing the second record in the UK in a couple months. I miss the taste of 3am Ginster’s slices in my dehydrated mouth. I miss waking up on the floor of the van beside some dried in beans. I miss waking up in the middle of the night to wild jungle noises that turn out to be the collective snores of four drunken men. It’s very interesting stuff, I’ll record it for you sometime.

There are a few things to do before we leave. The van door is falling off and our bums keep getting sore, because there are metal things rising from the depths of the seats. Also, Lee is pretty high maintenance so we have to remove an entire row of seats in favour of a clothes rail (he has some weird fear of creases). He totally goes into a meltdown. On the up side, the UK haven’t gone all tyrannical on us about our beloved Solpadine, so we can look forward to fog free heads the morning after gigs thanks to our fizzy friends.

Hopefully, we’re going to do some gigs around Ireland before we leave so we’re getting some new merch together beforehand. Hands up who’s never imagined having figurines of themselves?

Thought so. You all have!

It has to be possible. The only question I’d have on them is whether or not you’re obliged to stick to your actual body proportions when designing them, because I just don’t see the point in that case. Do you not just usually get your own head on a Barbie body and that’s literally it? No ‘actual proportions’ stuff please.

Another thing to take care of before we leave is a video for the first single ‘Jenny Kelly’. If any of you budding filmmakers are out there looking for a project, make up an easy €0 budget video for us. We’d love it if you did. I’m unimaginably good at setting tables, but I’m beginning to think that’s where my extreme creativity ends, so I need your help.

Tip: If anyone’s looking for a money-making scheme, how about making an enormous batch of reinforced cable ties. The election candidates all seem to have gotten a raw deal from wherever they got theirs. The streets are paved in posters.