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tarisilmarwen · 3 years ago

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RobStar Week 2021, Day 6 - Formal Night

(Have a RobStar/BBRae double date for this prompt as a two for one special!)

---

"Do we have to go to this?" Beast Boy whined, fidgeting a little as Raven straightened his bow tie. "Can't we just like, video conference in or something?"

"Metropolitan Society of the Arts hasn't quite nailed down simulcast technology yet," Robin said in explanation, helping the changeling into his dinner jacket. "We could watch the livestream, but it'd be really laggy, and we'd lose connection more often than not." He brushed Beast Boy's sleeves off when he was done. "Besides, this is culture. It's good for you."

Beast Boy gave an uncertain whine, but made no further comment, as Raven withdrew to slip her faux-fur-lined shawl around her shoulders and Starfire moved in to futz with his hair, smoothing it down into a semblance of orderly flatness.

"Do you not like the opera, Beast Boy?" she asked him, making sure his hair was to her satisfaction before stepping back and tugging up her long gloves again.

"Never really been my thing," he admitted, reaching up and feeling the slicked-down hairdo. "Always puts me to sleep."

Robin wound an arm inside Starfire's, his jacket sliding neatly against the silk of her gloves. "I wouldn't blame you," he laughed. "Opera is kind of an acquired taste."

Starfire beamed at him, her eyes sparkling. "It reminds me of the poetic ballads we would perform upon royal holidays," she commented. "I am very excited for this."

Beast Boy shrugged, grabbing up his wallet and shoving it into his back pocket before reaching to grab Raven's hand. "Well, as long as you guys enjoy it, I think I can manage."

Raven gave a wry smile as she entwined fingers in his. The contented feelings of love and happiness from their double dates were like a warmth on her senses, familiar and comforting. Starfire's eager excitement and the anxious thrill racing inside Robin at the thought of doing something with her she loved never failed to make the empath feel... more at ease, somehow.

The looks of adoration they traded with each other, the casual level of comfort they felt... She and Beast Boy were still navigating their awkward newfound feelings for each other but Raven very much hoped they could reach that level of ease with each other.

Beast Boy did like to cuddle, so that was a good start.

She squeezed his hand encouragingly, leaning in to whisper in his ear.

"I snuck your gameboy into my clutch," she told him. "If you can stay awake until intermission, we'll sneak off and find a quiet corner."

He looked confused and bewildered a moment, but then seemed to light upon her insinuations. "Ohhh, leave the happy couple alone for an hour, I get it," he said with a grin.

Fortunately Robin and Starfire were busy fussing over who was going to hold the tickets and didn't hear their private exchange.

*** Starfire's eyes were shimmering; she clutched hands over her heart as she listened with rapturous emotion, her Tamaranian powers almost haywire inside her with the strength of her feelings.

Beast Boy was snoring lightly in his seat, his head slumped over the top and drooling a little from his mouth, but Raven didn't seem to mind, leaned against his shoulder and quietly listening to the music with a faint smile.

Starfire could feel Robin's eyes on her instead of the performers, watching her reaction to every line, every moment, but she barely paid attention, so enraptured she was with the moving story and the beauty and technique of the singers' performances.

The main soloist was onstage now, pouring her heart out into a powerful aria about difficult love and Starfire felt herself ache for the poor fictional girl, doomed to forever be apart from the one she treasured and adored.

She clapped vigorously with the rest of the audience as the act concluded, peeking aside at Robin when he stood up, and doing the same.

"What is this called?" she asked, observing the same phenomenon from patrons down below on the floor.

"A standing ovation," he explained, saying it into her ear. "It's basically used to compliment the performer, tell them they did a really great job."

Starfire beamed and clapped harder, joining the chorus of appreciation for the soloist, who stepped forward and took a quick bow as the lights came up.

Beast Boy snorted and startled awake, shaking his head and quickly wiping the drool away with his sleeve. "What'd I miss?" he asked.

Starfire jumped into an explanation at once, her dress swishing around her ankles as she turned eagerly to Beast Boy. "The heroine and her lover both snuck away from their houses for a secret rendezvous, in which they proclaimed their eternal affection for each other. But the heroine's stern guardian found them out, and attempted to duel the lover to the death. He barely escaped with his life and now the heroine has been locked in her room and has conveyed that she feels she cannot live without him."

"Oh." Beast Boy scratched his ear. "So pretty normal stuff, then."

"It was so moving!" Starfire exclaimed, her voice almost breathless. "The lyrics of the aria were so beautifully poetic!"

Behind her, Beast Boy observed Robin, his eyes shining at Starfire like she was the beautiful piece of poetry.

He smirked a little to himself. "Yeah I'll bet. Hey Rae." He nudged Raven conspiratorially. "You remember where the bathrooms were? I uh... kinda need to use the men's room. Fast."

She caught on to his excuse, rising from her seat with him. "Well don't pee on the floor, I'll get you there," she assured him, trying to hide her grin.

She quickly enveloped them in black energy and teleported them away.

***

He'd known Starfire was a sap—known for ages, really—but it still surprised and alarmed him when the Tamaranian princess burst into tears at the conclusion of another powerful number.

"Woah, woah, hey!" he said in concern, turning in his seat towards her at once as the applause filled the auditorium, almost drowning him out. "Star, are you okay?"

She hiccuped, her breath hitching and stuttering as she tried to get her words out. "It is just—so sad!" she managed around choked sobs. "They can—never tr—truly be accepted by their families!" Big wet tears were sliding down her cheeks, running the mascara Raven had so painstakingly helped her apply earlier that evening. Starfire fumbled in her clutch purse for a tissue, her hands shaky, Robin eventually producing his handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing away at her eyes, worry pinching between his brows.

She looked at him gratefully when he finished, whispering a strained, "Thank you."

He nodded silently but sent an anxious glance back towards the door that led into their private balcony box. Raven and Beast Boy had been on a long bathroom break.

Where the hell are they?, he wondered anxiously.

Turning his attention to his distraught girlfriend, Robin wrapped arms around her shoulders and waist, rubbing up and down her back, trying to soothe her back to emotional stability. She calmed as he held her, her sniffles settling down, quieting into a somber ease.

"Sorry," he said. "I should have warned you this one had a tragic ending."

"It is not that," she mumbled, hiding her face against his lapels now, vibrating the words against his chest. "It is.. very silly but... these kinds of... melodramas about love and romance," she began, raising her head slightly, looking into his face with sad green eyes. "It just brings up... old buried feelings," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Starfire took a deep breath, wringing her gloved hands. "For the longest time... I feared you did not have any desire to be with me," she admittedly quietly.

That stung like the knife the heroine had stabbed herself with in Robin's own heart, and he gripped her tighter, fiercely. "I know," he whispered in apology. "I was stupid. I kept putting up excuses for why we shouldn't be together, and I hurt you with how long I stalled, afraid of my feelings." He shook his head. "Afraid of myself, of being vulnerable."

"That is not how you feel now," Starfire said with conviction, looking at him adoringly.

He grinned. "Nope," he agreed. "I can say it now. I love you, Starfire, and I never want to be without you again."

Her smile cracked her face and she flung herself at him, capturing his lips with a kiss as the audience applause and cheers down below became deafening.

***

Raven had the audacity to look completely unbothered as Robin stalked up to her, with Starfire trailing behind, leaned up against the wall just outside the men's bathroom with her arms crossed casually. Beast Boy sat indian-style on the floor next to her strappy sandals, thoroughly engrossed in his handheld gaming device, beeping softly as he mashed buttons.

Robin set annoyed eyes on them. "And where exactly have you two been?" he demanded.

"What?" Raven replied, shrugging. "Starfire gets a little overpowering on the senses when she's emotional. I figured I'd spare myself the headache."

"Besides dudes," Beast Boy piped in, not looking up, "we figured you two could use some alone time. You guys haven't been on a real date in ages."

"Is that what you were doing?" Robin pressed, still a little irritated. He nodded his chin towards Raven's shoulder, where her dress strap was askew, down around her upper arm. "Having alone time?"

Raven coughed lightly and surreptitiously reached to fix her strap and cover it over with her shawl.

"The sentiment is appreciated," Starfire spoke up, eyes soft but strained, "but I was looking forward to spending the time with the both of you."

"Well, the night's still young," Beast Boy said, standing up, his Gameboy loose in one hand. "I'm sure we can find something to do that we'll all like."

"Oooh!" Starfire exclaimed breathlessly, turning to her date. "Robin, there are newborn giraffes at the Jump City Zoo!"

"Sounds good to me!" Beast Boy said, immediately grinning. "Rae?"

"Nice quiet evening with only a few people and lots of calm content animals? Sounds up my alley," she quipped.

Robin had trouble finding his words for a moment, having been quite distracted by the warm golden chandelier light glistening in Starfire's red hair and the adorable eagerness with which she looked at him, and stammered a bit before his brain shook itself back into order.

"Uh... that's—I mean—uh... uh yeah, sounds—sounds good to me."

She gave him a peck on the check affectionately, amused by how easily she could still flummox him, and slipped her gloved arm through his elbow, settling comfortably into his side.

"Would we not be overdressed, though, in this attire?" she asked, slight worry wrinkling her brows.

"You should keep the dress on," Robin blurted, then blushed heavily and trailed off into babbling again. "It—I mean it uh—it suits you, green always—uh it looks—it looks really great on you and—"

Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "Ugh, they're like the model couple, it's disgusting," he commented aside to Raven.

"Revolting," she agreed with a smile. After a pause she shouldered away from the wall. "C'mon," she urged.

Giggling, Starfire tugged her still-blushing boyfriend along as the two couples made their way through the glimmering tiled halls of the theater towards the exit.

---

So I’m not saying that Raven and Beast Boy totally had sloppy makeouts in the men’s bathroom but... yeah I’m totally saying that lol.

#robstar #bbrae #robstarweek #Teen Titans #robin #starfire #raven #beast boy #fanfiction #prompt fics

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invisibleraven · 3 years ago

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For the handholding prompts! Rukebox + 11?

Luke hated New York. It was so big and busy, crowded with people who shoved and pushed without giving you a second thought. He still wanted to play here, conquer Madison Square Gardens, but being a tourist here sucked.

"Come on Luke! We have to hurry if we want to get rush tickets to Hamilton!" Julie called, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards where Reggie was waiting. He grabbed onto Julie, the three of them hurrying towards the theatre.

They wove in and out of the crowd, not letting go of each other so as to not lose each other in mass of people. Luke didn't really mind holding onto their hands, honestly any excuse to touch Julie and Reggie was fine with him. If he could function without the use of his hands, Luke would probably never let them go.

They arrived at the theatre, and stopped when they saw the mass of people in the line to get tickets and Reggie grimaced. He knew they all had their hearts set on seeing this show, but the chances looked slim. "Julie, do you still wanna try for tickets here or should we go to our second choice?"

Julie looked at the throng of people in front of them with dismay. There was no way there would still be tickets left once they got even half way through the line. She had so wanted to see the sensation that was this show, especially when it was written by a fellow Puerto Rican, but it seemed it was not to be. Not this time, but she knew that one day they would be back here. Maybe famous enough to get tickets offered to them, maybe doing shows that frantic college students on vacation would rush to try and get. But for now, they needed a plan. "Do you think we can get to the Belasco in time?"

"If we run," Luke said, "maybe we can get there before the doors close. Come on!" He grabbed both of their hands, and took off.

"Luke it's the other way!" Reggie called, Julie giggling from his other side.

"Oh yeah, I knew that," Luke replied sheepishly. He then turned around, running in the other direction, still holding tight to both of his partners hands.

They made it to the ticket office panting for breath, and someone must have been looking down at them, as there were three seats all next to each other still available. The seats weren't great, but they were affordable and available, so the trio took them. They quickly found their seats, hands still clutching each other as they took in the theatre, the car and scarp metal decorating the stage. They bounced in anticipation for the genius of John Cameron Mitchell to begin, grinning as the lights lowered and the usual reminders about cell phones rang out. They had already silenced their phones before they left the hotel, so there was no problem there.

Then, a loud booming voice echoed through the theatre, "Ladies and gentlemen, whether you like it or not... Hedwig!" The audience erupted into rapturous applause, and though Luke found it kind of hard to clap while still holding Reggie and Julie's hands, he didn't dare let go, not for anything. Not even for Hedwig, but he did let out an ear splitting whistle, earning him a few glares, but hey, it was a rock show musical, what did they expect?

The three of them loved the show, bouncing around in their seats, singing along when prompted, and Luke kind of regretted not being able to sit in the front row as he watched various audience members get car washed or smooched rather viciously by the star of the show. Though he silently thinks he would pay to see how red Reggie would have gotten if he was picked to experience either.

The three of them only let go of each other's hands at the end of the show, leaping up to give the cast a standing ovation, but as the masses left the theatre in hopes of an autograph, they linked palms once more, and went out into the New York City night, ambling of towards their hotel, never letting go of one another as they walked, discussing the show, and planning on what they would see next time they came to visit.

#okay so this is slightly based on my own nyc visit when hedwig was playing at the belasco #also i feel like it's a show they would all enjoy and appreciate #filled prompts #ficlet #rukebox #peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms

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trbl-will-find-me · 7 years ago

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A Little Night Music (1/3)

Phantom of the Opera AU. (I should warn that this is probably not for Phantom purists. I’ve taken some liberties with plot and timeframe to better accommodate some plot and character bits. There’s also, you know, aliens. That being said, the Phantom plots is all here --- along with most of the XCOM cast, past and present. There is also a distinct lack of Phantom/Christine --- or their XCOM equivalents.)

[Washington, DC October, 1920]

She wakes in cold sweat, the memory of blue skin, flowing white hair, and horns like a ram still fresh in her mind.

Her eyes roam the room, as if expecting some intruder. Instead, she is greeted by the familiar sights of her armoire and dressing table, the pictures on the wall, the sunlight streaming through the curtains, the shadow of a dirigible projected on her bedspread. Next door, she can hear Lily puttering about, no doubt doing her best to reassemble her latest toy before the school day.

There is no phantom, she tells herself. It’s a superstition.

She washes her face and dresses for the day. She takes tea and breakfast with the Doctor and inquires after his work on the Elerium engine, before catching the first streetcar to the theatre.

“Heard we’re meeting the new owners today,” Jane says as they struggle into their costumes.

“Still can’t believe Volk is selling this place.”

“Come on, Elizabeth. He hasn’t been the same since the fall of the Czar.”

“He was born here!”

She shrugs. “When the old country won’t let you go, it won’t let you go.”

L’Assassina’s s high C ricochets through the corridor.

“She’ll be in rare form today,” Jane groans.

She shrugs. “When isn’t she?”

“Ladies! Gentlemen! Fools! Beggars! Before we begin today, I have introductions to make. As you know, I will soon take my leave of you, and of this theatre. But! I leave you in the most competent of hands.” He gestures with a flourish, and bows towards the man standing next to him, a broad, bald, hulking figure barely encased in his suit.

“I represent a council of investors who believe your institution holds significant cultural value,” the man says, never bothering to introduce himself, “and represents a significant stake in artistic relationships with the Others.”

“Grazie mille, Signor,” L’Assassina says, doing her best to affect a convincing Italian accent, and dropping into a deep curtsy.

Jane hides a snigger in Elizabeth’s shoulder.

“You’re inviting her wrath,” she whispers.

“Her wrath needs no invitation.”

“Herr Spokesman,” Frau Vahlen steps forward. “Welcome to our home. I bring you tidings from the Ghost. He instructs your council that box five is to be kept open for his use, and reminds them that his salary is due.”

“Your … ghost?”

“The Ghost. Did Herr Volk not inform you?”

Volk’s cheeks color.

“Ah, allow me to correct the oversight. This theatre is under the protection of … a spirit. We do as he asks, and he ensures the crowds are large and the reviews ebullient. This, in exchange for a small salary, and a private box.”

The Spokesman turns to Volk. “Is this true?”

“Of course it is,” Vahlen continues, as if the question had been posed to her. “Look around.”

“And what is this small salary?”

“Oh, about thirty-five-hundred. Though, with your investors, perhaps you can make it four thousand.”

“Frau Vahlen, I am not sure of your customs in this theatre, but we will not cave to the demands of an extortionist specter.”

“Very well, Herr Spokesman. But, he will not be pleased.”

She draws in a deep breath, and tries not to let the tension creep into her shoulders. It is the fourth time L’Assassina has put a hold on rehearsals to berate someone for something so inconsequential as to be unnoticeable even to the maestro.

“Da capo, per favore.”

She feels something sick and heavy pushing at the back of her mind. Everything slows and she struggles to think straight. She wants to scream at the sensation of something, someone, in her head with her. This is always the feeling she has the moment before it all goes ---

One of the backdrops crashes to the stage, narrowly missing the company’s pride and joy. It snaps her back to reality for a moment, before her focus is entirely fixed on trying to counter the nauseating loss of her own sense of self.

In the background, she can vaguely make out L’Assassina screaming at Volk and the Spokesman, spittle no doubt flying from her mouth. She feels as if she is being suffocated, the world starting to glow grey and purple at the edges. She can’t focus anymore, can’t fight, it’s like drowning, can’t push, can’t ---

“Elizabeth could sing it.”

The presence falls from her mind instantly.

“Jane,” she hisses.

“She speaks the truth, Herr Spokesman,” Vahlen offers. “Fraulein Regan has shown real promise.”

“I ---“

“Regan, come,” Volk orders.

“I hardly think a chorus girl will be a suitable replacement,” the Spokesman said. “She’s certainly pretty, but ease on the eyes does not a fine soprano make.”

She hopes the offense does not read on her face.

“Signorina,” the maestro says, gently. “From the beginning of the aria, if you please.”

She drops her shoulders and grounds herself, letting the tension out from her body. She draws in a deep breath, and waits for the maestro’s cue.

Her voice rings clear and true, easily ascending the high notes without sacrificing the warmth of the lower ones. She lets the music flow through her, reveling in it, in the way her voice carries through the space. This, she thinks, is what it’s about.

“Well, Mr. Spokesman,” Volk asks with a leering grin.

“I stand corrected.”

“And we’ll either need you in early or late tomorrow,” the stage manager says. “Costume will need to adjust the fit of the gown.”

She nods. “Of course. I’d prefer early tomorrow, if that’s a possibility.”

“8 A.M. sharp.”

She nods. “Thank you. 8 A.M.”

She pulls her coat around her shoulders in the mid-October breeze, and decides to walk home, rather than take the streetcar. This is her first real, leading role: no longer a chorus girl, no longer ensemble, but the lead. It is what she has spent years working for --- and is an incredibly lucky break for someone her age.

She wishes she could be excited, but she is only filled with a quiet dread.

She knows the intrusions, whatever they are, are growing more frequent, or, more accurately she suspects it. There are gaps where there shouldn’t be, holes where details should weave the story.

It is not medical, that much she is sure of. Away from the theater, at Doctor Shen’s or out in the world at large, it does not happen. She is herself, happy and whole. Her thoughts are her own, her movement, her actions. She can tell herself the story of the day without gaps, without questions.

By that same train, she doubts it is psychological.

She knows that the Others have established clinics, free places of help. She knows it would cost her nothing, that those who have gone in have reported miracles.

Maybe it is her grandfather’s superstitions carried with him from Ireland, but she does not trust them.

The Shens eat dinner late; it is the only thing that allows her to eat with anyone, instead of on her own.

“How is rehearsal?” The Doctor asks.

“Our leading soprano almost got crushed under a backdrop today, and then she quit.”

“Oh my.”

“Did the pulleys give?” Lily asks.

“Sorry, little one. I forgot to ask Wallace. Everyone seems to think it was human error from what I heard.”

“Who’s stepping in for the diva?”

“Me.”

“Well done!” The Doctor offers, smiling. “And so young, too.”

“I’m sure it’s just temporary. L’Assassina will be back. She could never abandon her public.”

“Why is she blue?” Lily asks.

She shrugs. “Some of the Others are. Not many, but a few.”

“Is she really an alien?”

“Lily,” her father interjects.

“Her skin really is blue, so take that for what it’s worth. All I can tell you for certain is that she’s a pain in the rump.”

The little girl laughs.

“Really, Elizabeth,” he says, turning his attention back to her. “Congratulations. It is quite the accomplishment.”

She smiles. “Thank you, Doctor.”

As long as she is on stage, she is safe. The thing, the presence, takes its leave and she can feel and focus and function as her own whole person. It’s when she is off, in the wings, in the dressing rooms, in the corridors backstage, that she loses herself.

At night, in her dreams, she hears him, beckoning her on, demanding she comply. It’s a crushing pressure in her skull, a ringing in her ears, a voice that she can’t block out. It’s the memory of her limbs, moving of their own accord; of her very consciousness, restrained against her will; of blue skin and a domineering voice.

It is coming for her, that much she knows

She steps into the theatre four hours before curtain on opening night, and wants to run.

You don’t have to do this, she tells herself. You could walk away. But, she knows in her heart, she can’t.

She sings the show as if it might be her last, her one shining moment before succumbing to the insistent pull of the darkness. Her voice carries out across the theatre, strong and lovely, the way she’d always imagined it would. She exists only in the moment, in the truth of the work and the rush of the adrenaline.

The applause are rapturous and the final standing ovation is something from a dream.

But the night is not yet finished with her.

Her make up is off and her hair loose when the knock comes at her door frame, and Jane’s head pokes its way in. “You’re being summoned. Apparently, we had important guests.”

Lizzies raises her eyebrows. “Who’s summoning me?’

“Mr. Spokesman himself.”

She follows Jane out into the hall and almost stops dead in her tracks.

The Spokesman is there, yes, but there is someone far, far more important.

The voice. The face. The carriage. She’s relieved to find he hasn’t changed. “John? John Bradford?” She asks, disbelieving.

“Ah, I see you’ve already met the Captain,” the Spokesman says.

“You were lovely,” he says, handing her a bouquet of sunflowers.

“They’re beautiful,” she says, beaming up at him. “Oh! Wait a moment!” She dashes back into the dressing room, and sets them on her table, before flitting back out, and catching him in a hug. She can feel laughter in his chest, and smell the aftershave on his skin.

He is real, and he is here.

He releases her after a moment, standing back to brush a stray tendril of hair behind her ear.

“As you can see, Captain, talented and lovely,” Frau Vahlen offers as she passes by.

She reaches up pressing a hand to his cheek. “I had no idea you were in Washington. I would have --- I would have said something.”

“Don’t think twice about it. Fate’s funny.”

“Captain!” A voice calls, and his face falls. “I don’t suppose you’ve got much free time?” He asks.

“I could find it, but it works better if I tell you where to find me.”

He reaches into one of the interior pockets of his uniform jacket, and hands her a pad and pencil. She scribbles down her address, and passes it back to him. “We don’t rehearse Sundays.”

“Clear your calendar. I intend to impinge.”

“I’m expecting it now.”

His smile broadens, and he catches another stray lock. “I have to go, but I’ll see you soon.”

“Thank you for the flowers,” she says, squeezing his hand. “Go before you upset someone.”

He shrugs. “For you, it’d be worth it.”

She watches him go with a glint in her eye.

“You seem to be better connected than we’d thought, Miss Regan,” the Spokesman says. “Interesting. Very interesting.”

As she returns to her dressing room to finish changing, she’s overwhelmed by that familiar, gut wrenching sensation.

The whole world goes black.

The thought of his visit is the only thing that rouses her from her bed, and through the next show. The slog through Saturday and its performance are agonizing. She feels the force, the creature with its blue skin and monstrous teeth, pushing at her mind, forcing its way in time and time again.

By the time he comes to collect her, her nerves are raw.

They walk the loop of Potomac Park, enjoying each other’s company and the sounds of the Tidal Basin. Her arm is comfortably looped through his, and she fights the urge to rest her head against his shoulder.

“The dressing room is nice, but I try to keep out of it.”

“I was surprised you didn’t take advantage of the relative calm.”

“As a rule, I try not to be anywhere too quiet in that theatre.

“Why?”

“You’ll think I’m loony.”

“I doubt it.”

She draws in a breath, then lets in out. She knows she’ll have to pick her way through the question carefully. “I lose time there. Not in the sense of being so engrossed in what I’m doing, but in the literal sense. I’ll be somewhere, doing something, and then the next thing I know, I’m somewhere entirely different with no memory of how I got there. It’s like something else is in my head, pulling the strings. Hours have passed. I don’t know why it happens.” She shudders. “And it’s happening more.”

His brow furrows. “More?”

She nods. “I can’t shake the sense that, whatever it is, it’s coming for me.” She shivers in the bright October sunlight. “After you left last night, it was another two or three hours before I went home. If I can account for half of that, it’s generous. I told you: you’d think I was loony.”

She’s surprised to see worry written on his face. “What does Dr. Shen say?”

“About the late arrivals? He doesn’t. Just takes it as part and parcel of having me as a tenant.”

“You must be a good tenant.”

She smiles. “I try. I’ve been with him since before he perfected the engine. I wasn’t rattled by explosions, or small fires before breakfast. I pay on time, I help where I can, and the first gentleman caller I bring to his door is you.”

“Like I said, good tenant. But if he takes it as the norm, then someone has to be concerned.”

“Who would be?”

“You are their lead soprano.”

“That’s still new. And it’s only until L’Assassina decides she wants to make her grand return.”

He frowns. “You don’t know that. Did you see the reviews this morning?”

She nods. “I did. But no human soprano generates the same kind of buzz as she does. It may have been fifteen years, but the awe for the beauty of the Others hasn’t died. I’m too young to be leading, anyway.”

“I was there last night. You’re not.”

“Why were you there, anyway?”

“I was invited by the Captain and his wife. It’s not the sort of thing you turn down.”

She nods. “It doesn’t sound it.”

“I’ve had a few too many missing persons cases. They thought a distraction was needed.”

“Why does the Navy have you investigating missing persons? Sounds like a civilian matter.”

“Not when it’s intelligence personnel going missing.”

“Defectors?”

He shakes his head. “By all accounts, loyal officers.”

“Strange.”

“Very.”

“In any case, I’m glad it brought you backstage last night.”

“I couldn’t not come say hello.”

“With sunflowers?”

“I used my time at intermission productively,” he grins.

She smiles back at him. “I’m impressed you remembered.”

“How could I forget? I spent three summers bringing you every one I could find.”

She blushes. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too. I’m sorry I couldn’t write more.”

“Part and parcel of intelligence work.”

“When you’re abroad, at least.”

“But you’re stateside for now?”

“Permanently. I’m overseeing operations for the eastern half of the country.”

She lets out a low whistle. “You wasted no time making a name for yourself.”

“Lucky breaks.”

She shakes her head. “You sell yourself short.”

“Anyone could have done it.”

“You’re twenty-seven and overseeing Aero-Naval Intelligence for the entirety of the eastern United States. Anyone could have done that? No.”

His cheeks redden.

“So, you do still blush,” she teases.

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Would you really have me any other way?”

“Absolutely not.”

They come to an agreement. He greets her backstage, she changes with the chorus, and deposits her costume in the dressing room, staying enmeshed in chaos and noise for as long as possible. He then escorts her back.

Their nightly strolls become the highlight of her day. He chases the worst of the dread from her mind, keeps the creeping fear at bay. He listens without judgment, without questioning the sanity she herself sometimes doubts. Slowly, the nightmares lose their hold on her, and she finds her dreams suffused with far more pleasant imagery.

At the end of the two week run, she’s forced to confess: she’ll miss their ritual. She doesn’t want it to end.

“Who says it has to?” He asks when she brings it up. “There’s nothing that says it does.”

“You don’t mind?” He chuckles. “Lizzie, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I like being around you. If that’s how my day ends, it’s better for it.”

They are standing on Doctor Shen’s front step.

“I know, “ she grins, “but it’s nice to hear you say it.”

“If you’ve got time tomorrow, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

“I have the next week off,” she nods. “I’ll be free all day.”

“Good,” he says. “Then, it’s a date.”

They stand staring at each other for a moment, and then his lips are on hers --- or maybe hers on his. She cups his cheek with one hand, the other resting on his shoulder, and his arms are wrapped around her waist. He breaks the kiss first, ever mindful of appearances, and presses one to her forehead instead. “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.”

#fic #central/commander #phantom au

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manutdfcmedia · 7 years ago

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MANCHESTER UNITED 4 NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 Premier League | 18 November 2017 | Old Trafford | Attendance: 75,035 | Scorers: Martial 37, Smalling 45+1, Pogba 54, Lukaku 70; Gayle 14 The returning Paul Pogba inspired Manchester United with a goal and an assist as the Reds came from behind to beat Newcastle United 4-1 under the bright lights of Old Trafford. Jose Mourinho admitted before the match that his side had missed the influence of his big stars and Pogba, who had been absent since the opening Champions League match against Basel on 12 September, played a pivotal role throughout. He first set up Anthony Martial's leveller after the Reds fell behind early to a Dwight Gayle strike. Chris Smalling turned it around seconds before half-time, heading in Ashley Young's cross, before Pogba put the game to bed with a second-half tap-in. Romelu Lukaku then grabbed his first Reds goal in eight games late on, smashing in the fourth of the night, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his long-awaited return to action with 13 minutes to go, to the delight of the Old Trafford crowd. As well as Pogba and Ibrahimovic, Mourinho had the luxury of recalling Marcos Rojo to the matchday squad after he had recovered from his long-term injury and took his place on the Reds' substitutes bench. The first chance of the game fell to Lukaku, who latched onto Antonio Valencia's low, front-post cross, but he fired over from five yards. Before this game, the Reds were the only side in the five major European leagues yet to concede a top-flight goal at home this season, but that record was ended as Newcastle took a shock lead. DeAndre Yedlin beat Young to the byline and pulled the ball back for the arriving Gayle, who capitalised on a Victor Lindelof slip to fire low past David De Gea, via help from the post. Yedlin nearly doubled Newcastle's lead five minutes later but he dragged his shot wide of the far post. That seemed to wake Mourinho's men up and Lukaku could have levelled the game, but he headed Lindelof's expert long ball over the bar. United continued to probe and were back on level terms through Martial's seventh of the season; he headed past Rob Elliot at the back post following fantastic skill and a stand-up cross by that man Pogba. Lukaku then had a shout for a penalty waved away but, with the next attack, the Reds had turned it around. Young whipped in a dangerous in-swinging cross, which was met by the towering leap of Smalling, who headed in his first goal of the season via the outstretched leg of Elliot. The Magpies were close to being level seconds later as Isaac Hayden's shot was saved by De Gea, before Matt Ritchie's rebound deflected off Gayle and, fortunately for United, evaded the post. United started the second half much brighter than they did the first and it didn't take long to end the game as a contest, as Pogba grabbed the goal his performance deserved. Lukaku was sent free down the left and he crossed for Marcus Rashford, who in turn headed across goal for United's no.6 to tap home from a couple of yards out. Lukaku so nearly played in Rashford for the fourth but his pass was too strong, as the Reds brimmed with confidence. Newcastle did threaten at the other end as Murphy's 35-yard curler was brilliantly tipped over by De Gea. Pogba, who was given a standing ovation as he left the field on 70 minutes, watched on as Lukaku re-discovered his goalscoring touch for United. The Belgian, fresh from becoming Belgium's all-time record scorer, cut inside and played a neat one-two with Juan Mata, before smashing past Elliot into the roof of the net. A second standing ovation of the night was given to United's new no.10, Ibrahimovic, who replaced Martial in the final quarter-hour. The big Swede's every touch was rejoiced as he looked to pick up where Pogba left off and so nearly got in on the act with an acrobatic bicycle kick, which Elliot tipped wide. It was a near-perfect night for Mourinho and United, who are now unbeaten in 38 consecutive fixtures at Old Trafford, but it's the returning Pogba who will grab the headlines. THE LINE-UPS United : De Gea; Valencia (c), Lindelof, Smalling, Young; Matic, Pogba (Fellaini 70), Mata (Herrera 83), Rashford, Martial (Ibrahimovic 77), Lukaku. Subs not used : Romero, Rojo, Shaw, Lingard. Booked : Smalling. Newcastle: Elliot, Yedlin, Lejeune, Clark, Manquillo, Ritchie (Aarons 66), Hayden, Shelvey (c), Murphy, Gayle (Diame 77), Joselu (Mitrovic 72). Subs not used : Darlow, Gamez, Mbemba, Perez. Booked : Hayden. TALKING POINTS #POGBACK WITH A BANG Pogba picked up where he left off before his unlucky injury lay-off, scoring on his return as well as setting up Martial's leveller with an expert cross. Aside from the key influences on the scoreline, Pogba dominated the midfield, showcasing his array of passing, and added the energy missed in recent weeks. He was quite rightly afforded rapturous applause as he departed on 70 minutes. UNITED'S NEW NO.10 Pogba wasn't the only big name to return to the United team as Ibrahimovic came on to replace Martial. His every touch was cheered as he sat in behind Lukaku and Rashford and looked to influence the game at every opportunity. A great sight to see the big man back! WHAT'S NEXT FOR UNITED? The Reds turn their attention back to the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday as they travel to Switzerland to face FC Basel (kick off 19:45 GMT). United will secure qualification through to the knockout stages with a just a point.

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babymilkaction · 6 years ago

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The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins and Mrs Sabina Higgins to attend screening of Tigers whistleblower film

Aamir shows Mrs Sabina Higgins, Ireland’s First Lady, the evidence of malpractice that caused him to resign from Nestlé.

Irish Examiner

A standing ovation and rapturous applause greeted Syed Aamir Raza, as he joined the panel of experts, following a recent private screening of the emotive and powerful movie Tigers.

The Last word with Matt Cooper

http://www.babymilkaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/MattCooper.m4a

Jen Hogan @mama_tude

Last night’s screening of the #TigersMovie & the panel discussion that followed was quite simply incredible. This is a movie more people need to see. Unethical practices in the area of babymilk promotion is something that we all need to be aware of. @sraamir15 you’re a hero!

Light House cinema, Dublin, Monday 8 April, 2019

Screening of the movie Tigers in the Light House cinema hosted by BFLGI (Baby Feeding Law Group Ireland). President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina, Syed Aamir Raza (the main protagonist of the movie), Patti Rundall, Baby Milk Action UK (one of the characters portrayed), Professor Donal O’Shea, the HSE Clinical Lead for Obesity — Dr Cathal McCrory, Research Assistant Professor, TCD, Professor Roy Philip, Consultant Neonatologist, University Maternity Hospital, Limerick, and Laura McHugh, National Breastfeeding Coordinator, HSE. Also present, Mr Shahzad Dastgir Nousherwani, from the Pakistan Embassy.

Tigers is based on the true story of a former Nestlé baby milk salesman in Pakistan called Syed Aamir Raza (played in the film by major Bollywood star Emraan Hashmi) who took on the industry with the help of Baby Milk Action and IBFAN (the International Baby Food Action Network) when he realised that babies were dying as a result of his work pressuring doctors to promote formula.

Ireland’s President Michael D. Higgins, was sadly unable to come at the last minute, as his dear friend Sally O’Neill, of Trocaire, died in a car crash that day. We were honored that Ireland’s First Lady, Sabina Higgins, (far right above) was able to attend for the whole evening and promised to do all should could to help. (From the left: Aoife Hearne Patti Rundall and Syed Aamir Raza).

The marvellous Baby Feeding Law Group Ireland Team – including Malvina Walsh, Elizabeth O’Sullivan, Aoife Hearne and Claire Allcott.

Mr Shahzad Dastgir Nousherwani, Deputy Head of Mission from the Pakistan Embassy.

A central theme of Tigers is the inappropriate sponsorship of the health care professionals and how this can influence the advice and support parents receive.

The Baby Feeding Law Group (BFLG) was set up in the UK in 1997 following the adoption of the first of 8 World Health Assembly Resolutions to call for Conflicts of Interest safeguards in child health (1). BFLG Ireland was formed in 2017.

Since 1997 over 20 leading health professional and civil society organisations have worked together in an effort to bring UK and EU legislation on the marketing and safety of formulas and baby foods into line with WHA requirements (2). Over the years legislation has been strengthened – although it still fails to meet the minimum needed, especially in relation to look-alike formulas for older babies. These products are nutritionally inferior and often high in sugar, but are aggressively and misleadingly marketed – fuelling the obesity epidemic. Most BFLG members, such as the Royal College of Midwives and the Community Practitioners and Health Visitors’ Association, now have strong Conflict of Interest policies.

In the last few months the British Medical Journal (3) and the Royal College of Paediatrics have decided to stop taking formula company adverts and funding . C4’s Despatches – The Great Formula Milk Scandal also tackled this subject.

More information on Tigers

Contact: [email protected]

Patti Rundall [email protected] +44 7786 523493

Notes:

(1) The1996 WHA Resolution (49.15) states: “Concerned that health institutions and ministries may be subject to subtle pressure to accept, inappropriately, financial or other support for professional training in infant and child health”…urged Member States:….(2) to ensure that the financial support for professionals working in infant and young child health does not create conflicts of interest, especially with regard to the WHO/UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative;

(2) Baby Milk Action IBFAN UK EU Chronology 1981-2018

(3) Calling time on formula milk adverts. BMJ 18 March 2019: The British Medical Journal (BMJ) and its sister journals will no longer carry adverts for breastmilk substitutes. The ban will apply to advertisements in The BMJ and other BMJ journals, including Gut, Frontline Gastroenterology, and Archives of Diseases in Childhood, as soon as possible. The BMJ says: “We have chosen a complete ban because previous attempts to implement a due diligence approach have failed. This will have a substantial effect on our revenues—a loss of an estimated £300 000 (€350 000; $400 000) in 2020. The ban on product advertising is not a boycott of the companies themselves. We will honour existing contracts for formula milk advertising, but the final advert will appear later this year. We are not alone in doing this: in February the RCPCH announced it would no longer accept funding from formula milk companies at a loss of £40 000 a year through event sponsorship and advertising.”

(4) EU Legislation and Global trade Although, as mentioned above, EU legislation on baby food marketing fails to meet WHO marketing requirements, in terms of food safety, its Precautionary Principle and the EU charter of Fundamental Rights are stronger than many. This is important especially when it comes to trade, where food and agri-business interests dominate. World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules in comparison are essentially the lowest common denominator for trade in the 21st Century.

At Codex meetings where global trading standards are set, it is often a fight to ensure that standards protect human health. Baby Milk Action – IBFAN UK has attended Codex nutrition meetings every year since 1995 in order to strengthen Codex standards and bring them into line with WHO recommendations.

Baby foods and the new threat of Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) are current hot topics on the Codex agenda. The EU phased out the routine use of antibiotic growth promoters between 1997 & 2006. If the UK leaves the EU – it is not clear if it would support the adoption of strict Codex standards or follow the US and others who fail to put human health first. Without effective action at national and global level, common infections and minor injuries – the kinds of things we have been able to treat for decades – will emerge as killers once more.

The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins and Mrs Sabina Higgins to attend screening of Tigers whistleblower film was originally published on Baby Milk Action

#breastfeeding #infant formula #Nestle

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twenty6magazine · 8 years ago

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LCM: London Collection Men Day 2

KATIE EARY

If anyone can turn a set of pyjamas into a high-end ensemble with an ideology of lounge luxe, it would be Katie Eary. The British designer is known for her bold and quirky designs, and this collection definitely falls in line. Taking stimuli from the 1960's, her AW17 collection features psychedelic swirls and animal print, which can be seen on silk robes, shirts, and trousers all inspired by pyjamas and night time wear. The styling imitated this particular stimuli with bouffant hair and red tinted glasses being seen throughout the show. With orange being the predominant colour, the collection also features a couple of outerwear pieces in a slightly less vibrant colour scheme of grey and brown. However the slightly duller in colour jackets don't take away the contributions the other garments have made to the vibrant and eclectic collection with a bed time theme. The show itself showed the other side to the meaning of a 'bed time theme'. On seeing the sexual nature of the invitation to the show we knew the show would have a few seductive elements.

The show was opened by the gorgeous model Daisy Lowe. She appeared at the top of the runway in front of a wall filled with naughty balloons designed to resemble a woman's upper body. She then fiercely strutted down the runway, with a sexy, smouldering, look on her face wearing a silk dress that barely covered her derriere and posed for photographers at the other end. The other models then followed her footsteps and the show had begun. Voluptuous balloons were not the only props used throughout the show. Models also held hands with teddy bears as they sashayed the catwalk, all the while adding to the overall spirit of the show. The show was closed once again by Daisy, although this time she appeared hand in hand with Katie Eary to which she received rapturous applause and standing ovations could be seen.

CHRISTOPHER SHANNON

Christopher Shannon took us around the world during his AW17 LFWM show. The collection had a strong sense of streetwear meets sportswear with a 90s vibe, following on from the re-imaging of Sports Direct he designed for his SS17 collection. In Sports Direct's place Shannon chose to add a contemporary twist to legendary designers Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, and Timberland. Modifying CK to CS (Constant Stress), Timberland to Tumbleweed, and Boss to Loss. These slogans were emblazoned onto sweatshirts and showed us rebirthing brands is evidently becoming Shannon's trademark style. Models solemnly strutted down the catwalk to the sound of Cilla Blacks, Anyone Who Had A Heart with flags fixed to their faces. Another continuation of the SS17 show as then the models had denim attached in the same way. Gay pride, the Union Jack, and the Welsh flag; three things close to his heart, were the main flags that could be seen as well as flags of other European countries. This idea were inspired by the way football fans paint their faces when attending matches.

Key looks of the collection include track tops underneath knits and sweatshirts paired with skin tight leggings, tracksuits, and jeans. Ripped denim was also heavily featured; a key and popular trend of the current season. Black was most commonly seen however splashes of bright reds, pinks and purples were thrown into the collection. Some funky, and interesting shapes were also noted, a black puffer jacket almost looked as though it was going to fall off the model with rips, trailing and protruding aspects was particularly accredited. Christopher Shannon was the first ever designer to be awarded the BFC\GQ Designer Menswear Fund in 2014, and has now been shortlisted for an Emerging Menswear Award at the British Fashion Awards. As a result, 2017 is set to be an extremely promising year for the for the quirky and inspirational designer.

MATTHEW MILLER

‘Fear itself’ was the theme and visual language of Matthew Miller’s AW17 somewhat emotional runway spectacle. This manifestation was centred on the post-truth era.

The post-truth era refers to dishonesty and deception in contemporary life. At one time we had truth and lies. Now we have truth, lies, and statements that may not be true but we consider too complaisant to call false. It is the unknown. Through the spirit of the show, Miller encouraged and taught us the importance of protecting oneself in this era, physically and mentally.

Pensive models paraded a collection that had connotations towards compassion, unity and of course fear. Models did so to a voiceover describing the thoughts, feelings, and actions of a person when they are under such distress. The styling was very close fitting to the theme. Model’s faces were made to look pale. Some had red stripes from their nose to their chin, others had lines drawn under their eyes; a likely representation of the tears people cry when fear is thrust upon them. Other faces were left bare.

The collection itself was almost entirely black. There were peeps of colour every now and again through the use red scarves that models either held or wore around their necks. One black and white floral coordinate, and one coat with the same pattern were also seen coming down the runway. Other ensembles included tailored trousers, which were teamed with wool duffle coats, jersey tops, and leather jackets. Simple, yet eloquently stylish and inspirational. At the end of the show models lined down the catwalk holding large red and black flags. They paused for a few moments before individually turning around and walking back. The flags they carried almost signified a surrender to the fear. An idea that no matter what we do, fear will always find us.

ASTRID ANDERSEN

The AW17 Astrid Andersen collection continues the streetwear mixed with sports luxe design aesthetic Astrid has become renowned for. Her collections are known for offering comfort with an undeniable high-end sense of style. Considering the season, appropriately outwear is the main focus of her next range with every model being seen wearing a coat of some kind. These coats were layered on top of casual corduroys, formal velvets, and lace, all set in a traditional colour palette of camel, burgundy, navy, and black.

Astrid’s aim for the collection was to revisit why masculine opulence is being neglected in the way men dress today, and to try to and bring it back in ways of exploration, elaboration, and exaggeration. She has done this by transforming basic tracksuits into stylish ensembles through the use of juxtaposing different fabrics and using fashionable prints such as leopard. She also debuted a flat cap in her AW17 collection, could this be a sign Astrid is branching into the world of accessories?

FASHION EAST

2000 was the year the Old Truman Brewery established a non-profit, revolutionary organisation. Sponsored by Topshop, Topman, and The Greater London authority, the initiative aims to nurture emerging, young designers during the challenging times of the early stages of their career.

Each season they offer a select number, chosen by Lulu Kennedy, a chance to showcase their collections during fashion week. As well as this, the designers are guided and mentored by Fashion East and a panel of fashion industry experts. Triumphs include Katie Eary, Christopher Shannon, and J.W. Anderson. This season, the lucky chosen ones were a brand called ‘Art School’ made up of designers Eden Loweth and Tom Barratt, as well as ‘Rottingdean Bazaar’ founded by James Thesus Buck, and Luke Brooks.

The first presentation you were met by when entering the Topman Show Space, belonged to Rottingdean Bazaar. Rottingdean are a brand who intend on firstly being a showcase, and hope to eventually open a shop. This was their second time showcasing at LFWM. Some elements were the same including a follow on from the sweaters that had the words ‘yes’, ‘no’, and ‘maybe’ stitched on them in tights. However, there were plenty of new things to look at too. Fake care labels were hung up as if for sale, black tack rings embedded with roman coins were examples of this.

Art School’s presentation brought their collection to life on an entirely different level. Teaming up with the Theo Adams Company, we were given a performance that almost felt as if we were at the theatre. Miming, to the backing music, and dancing in time to the rhythm, there was a play on the word ‘school’. This was seen through a ‘follow the leader’ format; one dancer obviously being the teacher in front of pretend mirrors suggesting they were in a dance class. Art school strive to create clothing that is suited to no gender. The collection features clothes that the designers have re-interpreted from their own wardrobes in an attempt to elevate queer style as a response to the times in which they live; sequins, jewels and flares were a big part of the collection. The press release read, ‘these are the clothes of dancers and artists living free from constraints’.

TWENTY6X

Words by Alice Lamaison

Images courtesy of VOGUE UK

#twenty6magazine #LCM #katie eary #christopher shannon #matthew miller #fashion week #men collection

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happymetalgeek · 5 years ago

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Tonight was road trip time from Belfast to Dublin, because tonight was a special night in the 3 arena. Tonight was when the one and only mighty TENACIOUS D, Jack and Kyle, were landed to launch their European Post-Apocalypto Tour.

It was an uneventful drive down and going via the toll roads its basically a very easy drive straight down to the 3 Arena. Even with the bitingly cold wind whipping round the queue was already well formed well ahead of opening time. Once we were in it was plain to see that tonight was a special night for Tenacious D fans from across the island as the floor and seated areas were filling up quickly. The buzz in the 3 Arena was very loud indeed.

Photos by Darren McVeigh MetalPlanetMusic.com

Then the lights went down and the rumbling sounds of thunder and lightning booms from the stage. A quick stunned silence spread throughout the arena before a roar went up as two guys walked onto stage and picked up their acoustic guitars. Its important to point out this was not Jack and Kyle, it is in fact WYNCHESTER. The support act and touring with Tenacious D. Fronted by Kyle Gass Band vocalist Mike Bray and Tenacious D electric guitarist John Konesky. The band released their self-titled debut album – Wynchester in 2018.

With a “Hello Dublin” they launch into their title track from their EP “Spreading The Gospel Of Good Times”. Immediately they stamp how incredible they are with their brand of powerful booming country rock. The audience is stunned at what they are witnessing but soon rallied as they got into the catchy rhythm pouring of the stage. Once they finished to a rapturous applause the interaction was just as good with a “What’s going on Dublin?” and the joking begins. It’s a perfect start, not only was the opening song a sledgehammer of pure excellence in masterful vocals, lyrics and acoustic guitar but the guys are chilled, down to earth and ready to chat and have a bit of fun. The two tag team chatting back and forth with each other “Everyone ready for the D? we love those guys as they taught us a lot. Taught us about Satan, about Sasquatch, Keilbasa Sausage and Ronnie James Dio!” to the last a roar of approval filled the air. And with that they performed a fantastic countrified rock version of “Rainbows In The Dark” before then heading into their own “Two Man Job”

Introducing the next song as a new one “South of the Border” was just perfectly rocking out until there seemed to be a problem with the mic cable. One of the roadies ran out to fix it during this impromptu intermission to which the crowd in true Irish response sang out their lungs with “Olay, Olay, Olay, Olay”. Once it was fixed and as they started back up, they praised the audience for the magic powers of their chanting.

On they went with the drinking song “Ridge Runner” which seemed to be in tribute of the perfect Guinness before dropping a wonderful cover of “Easy Like A Sunday Morning”. They finished off with “High Desert Rambler”

And so the intermission for the set change. Down went the lights and on came an animated show on a screen in front. And Lo! From the stage came the entrance theme of Post-Apocalypto to herald the saviours of rock!

Photos by Darren McVeigh MetalPlanetMusic.com

To a massive deafening roar, the dynamic Duo of Jack and Kyle strode into the light and started playing their absolute hearts out kicking off with “Hope”. It was a little jarring to begin with as between the band and the audience was the screen. But it was quickly forgotten as everyone there began to slip into a trance of a fully immersive show as the Tenacious D performed their new album with added D as the slideshow and story telling from Jack and Kyle taking the jam packed arena on an epic journey of post-apocalyptic psychedelic proportions.

Interspersed between “Making Love”, “Take Us Into Space” and “Fuck Yo-Yo Ma” the animation pulled the story onwards into the type of madness only Jack and Kyle can create. On went the musical odyssey with “Daddy Ding Dong”, “Robot” and “Colors” until the end began to speed up with “JB JR Rap”, “Woman Time” and “Save The World”. Everyone was entranced as the story played out in front of them roaring with applause and pure joy all topped off with hilarious rude, crude and lewd jokes involving penises, vaginas, bums, a terminator that kills, sucks dick and fully kitted out to pleasure man or woman. The sheer lunacy of the plot line, the animation, the intermixing of Tenacious D performing live and the energy was a perfect storm of a piece of performance art of epic proportions.

And so the first half (yes! First half) of the gig came to close with the “Post-Apocalypto reprise”

Photos by Darren McVeigh MetalPlanetMusic.com

The screen disappears and in an almost jump scare moment Jack and Kyle strode unexpectedly to the fore of the stage as Jack calls out “Thank you Dublin. We missed you. You’re looking good and even better than we remember”. The crowd were going apoplectic with joy. “That was our album Post-Apocalyto. Now its time for our greatest hits!” The roar of approval was deafening.

Then they launched into “Rize of the Fenix” and “Low Hangin’ Fruit”. The absolutely packed almost fanatical D fans went insane jumping, rocking and singing along. Up came the infamous “Sax-a-Boom” as the trance beats dropped like a hammer dropped from a 30 floor high building as Jack kept stopping in disappointment. “no, no. This isn’t dancing.” Each time they started up again and then stop to cajole more dancing from the audience until both the floor and the balconies ‘be trippin’ out’. The security staff were freaking out with all the balcony dancers letting go. It was a beautiful childish moment taunting the poor guys just trying to do their job.

It settled (if you can call it that) back down a bit with “Roadie” before the ineviable moment when Jack and Kyle argue on stage in a moment of wonderful theatrics as Kyle loudly declares “I quit” and walks off stage to roars of “awwwww” from the arena. Jack follows only to be heard saying “He’s gone? What? Cancel the show? NO!! I need the money……for cocaine. What? This mic still on??” before he rushed back out and without a word the audience knew what was coming next with “Dude (I Totally Miss You)” and then “Friendship”.

The crowd were on a complete joyous high as “Kickapoo”, “Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown)” and “The Metal” were played with utter perfection. While Jack’s incredible vocals were pitch perfectly loud, so too the crowd fought back singing each and every word back.

“Dio” landed with just as much force before “Wonderboy” took everyone to a new level of experience. The sheer joy in people’s hearts showed clearly how much Tenacious D are beloved, how rapturous it felt to have Jack and Kyle physically grace the 3 Arena and how superb a performance was happening there in that moment.

Could it go any higher?? Well, yes. Yes, it could as the universally lauded song “Tribute” became a fully participation moment. The floor went mad with a mass of bodies heaving in time, lungs being pushed to hard and vocal chords pushed to their very limits as everyone was determined to become one with Tenacious D in that moment of ecstasy.

They finished their set with “Double Team” before thanking everyone. The applause was thunderous, it shook through everyone there.

And yet there was one last burst of musicality that night as Jack, Kyle and the band came back on to perform a cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak” before finishing with “Fuck Her Gently”.

The final applause of appreciation was capped with a full standing ovation from the balconies. And thus the tale was spun, the band and audience were spent and the lights came up.

The whole show is something unique to behold, as a Tenacious D show should be. Wynchester were more than impressive and would be well worth seeing as headliners themselves. They rocked everyone’s socks off with relaxed, skilled and professional guitar mastery. Flawless, even when the set had its own hiccups. Tenacious D were transcendent, resplendent and 100% awesome. The first half was a weird musical Monty Python journey that just landed every song perfectly, even with the five minutes screwup from the slideshow. It was an accident, but the way they turned the whole thing round with usual comedic aplomb it could be something to watch out for. The second half of greatest hits was like a dream state for anyone who has ever heard of Tenacious D. each song and tune rammed home with passion and genuine energy. It was impossible for anyone there not to be moved or stand still. No one was leaving without a massive grin on their face as if they had the greatest and chillest trip with the Sasquatch in the world.

It is a show that you could watch night after night without ever getting bored. You really, really, really need to see Tenacious D live. That is all.

Originally on Metal Planet Music

GIG REVIEW: @tenaciousd Bring The Post-Apocalypto Rock To Dublin Along With #WYNCHESTER @jackblack @GassLeak @Metalplanet72 @mcd_productions @ColumbiaRecords @MikeBrayMusic @JKonesky Tonight was road trip time from Belfast to Dublin, because tonight was a special night in the 3 arena.

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mrmichaelchadler · 6 years ago

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The Right Side of History: Backstage at the 91st Academy Awards

“This is my sixth glass,” quipped Spike Lee, drink in hand, upon entering the press room of the 91st Academy Awards. “And you know why.” The trailblazing director of such masterworks as “Do the Right Thing” and “When the Levees Broke” had just earned an Oscar for adapting Ron Stallworth’s memoir into the acclaimed Best Picture contender, “BlacKkKlansman,” along with fellow scribes Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz and Kevin Wilmott. What should’ve been a joyous victory became bittersweet at best when Peter Farrelly’s intensely divisive “Green Book” took the night’s top prize, besting a slew of titles that favored diversity and representation over old-fashioned comfort food. Lee’s film is as unsettling and immediate as Farrelly’s is reassuring and eager to please. The focus of “Green Book” is an interracial friendship between an Italian-American bouncer and the African-American pianist he’s been hired to drive on a concert tour across various southern states during the volatile 1960s. 29 years ago, Lee received his first Oscar nomination for “Do the Right Thing” in the screenplay category—and lost—while “Driving Miss Daisy,” a strikingly similar feel-good picture about an elderly white woman’s friendship with her black chauffeur, was crowned as the year’s best film.

“Every time somebody is driving somebody, I lose,” Lee laughed while cavorting about the press stage, which he visited in the aftermath of the telecast. “But they changed the seating arrangement.” When pressed for his thoughts on the film to which he lost the Best Picture prize, the director said, “I thought I was courtside at the Garden. The ref made a bad call.” Lee’s prolonged sipping of his drink spoke more volumes about his frustration than any fiery elaboration. Yet he still credited April Reign’s #OscarsSoWhite campaign and the efforts of former Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs in creating the path that led him to win his first competitive Oscar, just three years after he was given an Honorary Award for career achievement. He also reflected on the alarming relevance of “Do the Right Thing,” where he tackled not only racial tensions and police brutality but gentrification and global warming. I instantly flashed back to the film’s 25th anniversary screening at Ebertfest, when an audience member suggested that the events portrayed onscreen had little relation to the present. It was mere months later that Ferguson occurred—a real-life mirror image of the famous climatic sequence in Lee’s 1989 film. By ending the story of “BlacKkKlansman,” chronicling a black police officer’s infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan, with a sudden cut to the white supremacist demonstrations in modern-day Charlottesville, Lee reaffirms that racist movements are not only still active but woven into the fabric of our culture.

“The coda of this film is where we saw homegrown red, white and blue terrorism,” said Lee. “The murder of Heather Heyer was an American terrorist act. When that car drove down that crowded street in Charlottesville, Virginia, the President of the United States did not refute, did not denounce the Klan, the alt-right, and neo-Nazis. Whether we won Best Picture or not, this film will stand the test of time being on the right side of history.” Lee told the press in attendance that he had prepared two acceptance speeches, one featuring a list of people to thank and the other, more artful draft, which he decided to go with instead. “I said to myself, ‘Self, your black ass may not be up here again, so let me go with the speech,’” the director recounted, and it’s a good thing he made that decision, since it resulted in one of most stunning monologues in recent Oscar history.

“The word today is irony,” said Lee after arriving onstage. “The date is the 24th. The month is February, which also happens to be the shortest month of the year, which also happens to be Black History Month. The year 2019, the year 1619. History, Herstory. 1619 to 2019, 400 years. 400 years our ancestors were stolen from Mother Africa and brought to Jamestown, Virginia, enslaved. Our ancestors worked the land from can’t see in the morning to can’t see at night. My grandmother, Zimmie Shelton Reatha, who lived to be 100 years young, was a Spelman College graduate even though her mother was a slave. My grandma saved fifty years of Social Security checks to put her first grandchild—she called me Spikie Poo—through Morehouse College and NYU Grad Film. N.Y.U.! Before the world tonight, I give praise for our ancestors who helped build this country into what it is today along with the genocide of its native people. If we all connect with our ancestors, we will have love, wisdom, and will regain our humanity. It will be a powerful moment. The 2020 presidential election is around the corner. Let’s all mobilize. Let’s all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing! You know I had to get that in there!”

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The applause from members of the press that greeted Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga, who shared Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay Oscars for “Green Book,” was conspicuously chilly when contrasted with the rapturous ovation that welcomed Lee moments later. Their film’s portrayal of the bond between Vallelonga’s father, Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), and the far more fascinating musician Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), has been blasted as “a symphony of lies” by members of the late pianist’s family. Yet Vallelonga insisted that he told the story in the precise way that Shirley had instructed, arguing that this perspective on the subject is as valid as any.

“If you're discussing the Don Shirley family thing, that falls on me,” said Vallelonga. “Don Shirley himself told me not to speak to anyone. He told me the story that he wanted to tell. He protected his private life and all the other miraculous things about him. He's an amazing man. He told me, ‘If you're going to tell the story, you tell it from your father and me. No one else. Don't speak to anyone else. That's how you have to make it.’ He also told me not to make it until after he passed away. So I just kept my word to that man. I wish I could have reached out to Don Shirley's family. I didn't even know they really existed until after we were making the film, and we contacted his estate for music. Then the filmmakers invited them all to screenings and discussions. But I personally was not allowed to speak to his family, per Don Shirley's wishes. I'm an Italian from New York. They call that a stand-up guy. I kept my word to the man, and that's the reason for that. But Don Shirley and my father had an amazing story together. They went on the road and changed each other, and I think that comes out. That's why the film is what it is. It's because of the both of them.”

The pro-Trump tweet from 2015 that led Vallelonga to delete his Twitter once it was unearthed a month ago was echoed in a question directed to the filmmakers about whether Tony might’ve been a supporter of the current president.

“I never thought of him as a MAGA guy,” said Farrelly. “It's a different era, and whether he would have been one of those guys, I don't know. But he was a guy who was flawed in the beginning. For a couple of months, he was in a car with a man who was completely different from him, and they got to know each other, and they realized they had a lot more in common than they thought they did starting out on this journey. The message is, ‘Talk to each other, and you'll find out we all have a lot in common.’ It's a hopeful message, because sometimes it seems like there is no hope, but there is. All we have to do is talk, and we get closer together. I know that sounds corny and like, you know, Pollyanna-ish, but it's the truth. The only way to solve problems is to talk.”

Though Alfonso Cuarón’s widely perceived frontrunner, “Roma,” lost to “Green Book” in the Best Picture category, it did become the first Mexican nominee to win Best Foreign Film, and also picked up richly deserved honors for Best Director and Best Cinematography. Cuarón’s astonishing portrait of an indigenous maid in Mexico City who becomes a second mother to her client’s children was based on the actual woman who helped raise the filmmaker and his family during the turbulent early 70s. In his second acceptance speech of the night, Cuarón quoted French icon Claude Chabrol, who responded to a question about the New Wave by declaring, “There are no waves, there’s only ocean.” Cuarón then stressed that his fellow nominees, including Paweł Pawlikowski—who also directed an achingly personal, black and white stunner, “Cold War,” have proven that “we are all part of the same ocean.” The filmmaker also thanked the Academy for recognizing a film centering on “one of the 70 million domestic workers in the world without work rights, a character that has historically been relegated in the background in cinema. As artists our job is to look where others don’t. This responsibility becomes much more important in times when we are being encouraged to look away.”

In many ways, “Roma” serves as a spiritual companion piece to the director’s 2006 thriller, “Children of Men,” another immersive film tackling the challenge of bringing new life into a chaotic world. When I asked Cuarón about the parallels between these films, he replied, “I don't really see my films after I finish them. I prefer to see other people's movies. I don't really think so much about my films. I know that thematically and in terms of cinematic approach, they have a lot in common, but I would go farther back, probably to ‘Y Tu Mama Tambien,’ which is very connected to this film. But yeah, I will tell you something. The whole theme of birth—I was not even aware that I had been repeating that in my films until you journalists, people from the press and critics mentioned that. So yeah, I guess that there is a connection, but it's more up to you to find it.” Before he left the room, Cuarón expressed his gratitude to members of the press for being “amazingly respectful and supportive” to him during the long journey of awards season.

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Another interviewee who made a point of thanking critics, surprisingly enough, was Best Actor winner Rami Malek, star of Bryan Singer’s poorly reviewed yet phenomenally profitable Freddie Mercury biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” His sincerity and sweetness were so infectious that it left no doubt as to why Academy voters favored him on their ballots, in addition to the fact that his performance single-handedly carries much of the picture. “I don't think critically the decision on this film was unanimous,” said Malek, dryly making the understatement of the evening in his first words to the press, “but I do appreciate everything you guys had to write. As a kid, I read criticism of film, and I learned so much from it. So no matter what, I still do very much appreciate you.”

Malek got choked up when recalling the “tough battle” of making the film—most of it attributed to Singer, the fired director and alleged perpetrator of sexual assault who still was never mentioned either on or offstage—and how unlikely his Oscar win was in light of it. He also spoke about growing up as a first-generation American, the son of Egyptian immigrants, and how his status as an outsider made it all the easier for him to identify with the lead vocalist of Queen.

“I grew up in a world where I never thought I was going to play the lead on ‘Mr. Robot’ because I never saw anyone in a lead role that looked like me,” said Malek. “I never thought that I could possibly play Freddie Mercury until I realized his name was Farrokh Bulsara, and that is the most powerful message that was sent to me from the beginning. That was the motivation that allowed me to say, ‘Oh, I can do this. That man steps on stage and he moves people in a way that no one else does. He has the ability to look everyone in the eye and see them for who they are. And that's because he was struggling to identify himself. All of that passion and virtue and everything burning inside of him allowed him to look to everybody else and say, ‘Hey, I see you.’ Not right here in the front—I see you there in the back. I see all of you, I will play to all of you, and together we will transcend. Because it's not about being from one place or looking like one thing, one race. Any of that. We are all human beings. And forgive me for this, but collectively we are all the champions.”

Mahershala Ali’s unwavering class and genuinely humble demeanor also led him to emerge unscathed from the controversy endured by his film, as he received his second best Supporting Actor statuette only two years after his win for “Moonlight.” In the press room, he spoke warmly about his fellow nominees, all of whom had roles that fit the definition of “supporting player” much more than Don Shirley, who is practically a co-lead in “Green Book.”

“Any of those gentlemen could have been up here and would be, obviously, deserving of being up here,” said Ali. “They did wonderful work, beautiful work, work that inspired me. So to be the one that was chosen to get to hold this trophy again, it's not something that I take lightly. It's not something I take for granted. If anything, it makes me more aware of all the people that have really contributed to my life, from childhood to my team that works on my behalf and is always looking to take advantage of the best opportunities that are fit for me. And so I'm very grateful. The first one helped me get ‘Green Book.’ I don't think if I had won—I wasn't just getting offers like that, you know. Getting an Oscar for ‘Moonlight’ changes your profile. It gets you in other rooms, and it shines a light on your work. You could have been around for 15, 20 years and suddenly people notice you. I’m really grateful for that, because I've been wanting to work and expand and stretch. This was the first time I got to stretch my legs.”

Whereas Malek and Ali were largely favored to win their respective categories, hardly anyone expected Olivia Colman to claim Best Actress over seven-time nominee Glenn Close, who was considered to be unbeatable after her surprise win at the Golden Globes. No one appeared to be as shocked as Colman, the brilliant British star of Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite,” whose speech was so endearingly gobsmacked that it even got a laugh out of Close. By the time she arrived in the press room, Colman was almost entirely at a loss for words. I told her that I knew she was one of the great actors as soon as I saw her in Paddy Considine’s 2011 gem, “Tyrannosaur,” and asked how she went about finding the tragic in the absurd—and vice versa—as the neurotic queen in Lanthimos’ film. “Well, that is lovely of you,” Colman gushed. “That is a lovely thing for you to say. Thank you very much.” And then with a giggle, she answered, “I don’t know…sorry!” Later she admitted, “I could not tell you what I'm feeling. Next year, I might be able to put it into words, but I don't know what to do with myself at the moment.”

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The pangs of disappointment undoubtedly experienced by Close were shared by your’s truly near the beginning of the telecast, when Jimi Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s visual powerhouse, “Free Solo,” won Best Documentary over Bing Liu’s Kartemquin production “Minding the Gap,” one of the very best films I’ve ever seen. So deeply was I invested in its victory that I wore a shirt baring its title under my tuxedo, if only to ensure that the film would have a presence in the press room regardless. Liu’s film is a testament to the cathartic power of cinema, enabling its subjects to see themselves reflected in each other’s story, as they open up about their experiences of domestic abuse and how it has shaped their young adulthood. I was reminded of the film when listening to the riveting words of Regina King, winner of Best Supporting Actress for “If Beale Street Could Talk,” directed by one of Liu’s most high-profile champions, Barry Jenkins. Recounting her most wrenching scene in the film, where her character, Sharon, encounters the woman who mistakenly believes she was raped by “Fonny” (the fiancé of Sharon’s daughter), King said she drew upon her own experiences as a woman.

“If we have not experienced a violation on that level firsthand, we have lifted a sister up through that,” King said. “Every woman that had something to do with this production [had] the understanding and the need to make sure that it was very clear in the story that we all knew that she was raped. It wasn't Fonny, but she was raped. And we hold each other up through a secret that shouldn't be a secret, so often. That's the beautiful thing about the #MeToo movement. It has gone beyond that with creating opportunities for women to find their voice—even beyond just being violated sexually, but being marginalized. When you have put in the work to be at the table and are denied a seat at the table, this movement has allowed us and has inspired us to say, ‘No, I am supposed to have a seat at that table.’ That energy was going on throughout the production of this film. Barry supported that and lifted it up as well. When you have men and women working together, pretty amazing things happen.”

There’s no question Lady Gaga would agree with King’s words, as she joined co-writers Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt in the press room following their Best Original Song win for their showstopper, “Shallow.” Gaga appeared with Bradley Cooper onstage for an uncommonly intimate performance on their signature tune, recapturing the chemistry that ignited their duets—both musical and otherwise—in the movie.

“There are many songs written for this film, but there was one song that was written with true, true friends of mine that I've known, and who know everything about me, the ups and the downs,” said Gaga. “And the truth is people see what they see on the outside. In some way, shape, or form, at times, we become architects. The truth is, I was so determined to live my dreams and yet there was so much in the way. There were so many things I did not anticipate that broke me, that tortured me, that traumatized me. And I think sometimes, what you are trying to clarify, is that people think that it comes easy to us because when we show up and we have our suits on, that it's all okay. But the truth is every single person on this stage has been through so much. We are friends. We have worked on ourselves in life. We have tried to heal through the torment of this industry and being artists. And the truth is that this is very, very hard work. It is not for the faint of heart. But I would never want to imply that anyone in the world is faint of heart. I wanted everyone tonight to feel like they could be each one of us on that stage.”

When she was handed her Oscar, Gaga said that she looked it in the eye and “saw a lot of pain. I saw all the things that I've been through. And I also felt the camaraderie and the truth of the pain that the men standing next to me have been through as well.”

“The song itself is a conversation, and it's between a man and a woman,” said Rossomando. “I think that maybe there's some timing involved where people's hearts are open to that conversation. Maybe that's why it's translated so widely. Someone sent me a couple videos this week of an entire church congregation singing the song. And it actually brought me to tears.”

“I really believe in my heart that the unfortunate truth is that our cell phones—as I watch you all typing—are becoming our reality,” said Gaga. “It's becoming reality for the world. And in this song, we provide not just a conversation, but also a very poignant statement. I wish to not be in the shallow, but I am. I wish to dive off the deep end, and watch me do it. I think this is something that speaks to many people. And during, I think, a very shallow time, it's a chance for us all to grab hands, dive off into the water together, and swim into the deepest depths of the ocean that we can.”

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Though “BlacKkKlansman” was passed over for considerably lighter fare in the top category, an equally incendiary picture went on to be named Best Live Action Short Film. Israeli director Guy Nattiv’s “Skin” centers on a family of white supremacists and the senseless violence waged by its monstrous patriarch. When he severely beats a black man for having a harmless interaction with his son in a supermarket, the hateful sadist eventually finds himself having what can only be defined as an out-of-body experience. Asked whether the film was intended to be a response to the racism frequently voiced by President Trump and members of his administration, producer Jamie Ray Newman said that she and Nattiv weren’t necessarily trying to make a political statement.

“Guy is the grandchild of four Holocaust survivors,” said Newman. “He grew up with stories about the Holocaust. I'm Jewish as well, and I think that we just deeply want to explore. In the short, we explored how what you teach your children is going to perpetuate the next generation. We have a five-month-old, so we see she's a sponge. Everything we do, she inherits. The film starts out with a father shaving his boy's head because he's literally carving him in his own image. And the feature, which is next, is a true story about a very famous skinhead who was covered in neo-Nazi tattoos, and through the collaboration with a black activist, got all of them taken off. I think that the beauty of Guy as a filmmaker is he doesn't pound anything over your head. He's subtle. He doesn’t have answers, but he shows you the questions.”

While watching the film, I was struck by its excerpted inclusion of Mica Levi’s indelible score for Jonathan Glazer’s “Under the Skin.” It’s something only film musical aficionados would likely spot, and I couldn’t resist asking Nattiv about his soundtrack choice, considering Levi is one of the most exciting composers working today. “Mica Levi is probably the musician that influenced me more than any musician right now,” he told me. “I’m very influenced by her work, and I think that our musician was too. Inspiration is what I would call it. I hope to work with Mica one day on my next film.”

It’s only fitting that “Captain Marvel” stars Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson presented Spike Lee with his Academy Award, seeing as Marvel had a hugely successful evening, with Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” scooping up three accolades including the first Oscar for Lee’s longtime costume designer Ruth Carter. As the first-ever black recipient of the prize, she admitted to the press that she had been dreaming and praying for this night to arrive because of what it would mean for the young people coming behind her. Carter said that her innovative use of 3-D printing may have “tipped the iceberg” in her favor. It was UCLA professor Julia Koerner who developed the algorithm for the isicholo—the South African married woman's hat—in her computer and sent it to Belgium for 3-D printing.

“There were several iterations of the ‘Black Panther’ story through every comic book writer and illustrator, but it all started with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and their idea that the black community in the 60s needed a superhero,” noted Carter. “And guess what? The black community in 2018 needed a superhero as well. So with that, we created a new Wakanda because it's a forward nation. It's forward in technology. So we couldn't really use the old tech from the other comics. We had to create new tech. And with that, the door was open to us to be creative. […] I love the neck rings from the Ndebele tribe. I love the use of leather skins from the Himba women. I love the symbolism of the beadwork on the Dora Milaje. I love how their costume honors the female form. It shows that you can also be beautiful and be a warrior without being exploited.”

Another key member of the “Black Panther” team, Hannah Beachler, also made history as the first black production designer to be honored with an Oscar. Fighting back tears, she credited Coogler with enabling her to stand before the audience “with agency and self-worth,” and likened the massive undertaking of the project to “eating an elephant one spoonful at a time.”

“A lot of the inspiration came from where we located Wakanda on the continent, because if people were going to migrate, they were going to migrate around that area,” said Beachler. “So we took a very anthropological look at how the country was placed on the continent, and then from there, you've got your Omo Valley tribes that are in southeast Ethiopia. It's like they migrated down to Wakanda, and that became our river tribe. These were our inspirations. We wanted to be as real as we could.”

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Few films I’ve seen in recent memory earned as euphoric a reaction as this year’s Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” When the titular superhero’s co-creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, who both passed away last year, turned up at the end in a dedication card, the entire audience at my screening rose to its feet and cheered. After recounting this experience to the film’s trio of directors—Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman—they told me that they had intended on mentioning the late comic mavericks in their acceptance speech, but were cut off by the music.

“We were going to thank Stan Lee and Steve Ditko for really inspiring this whole thing, and for being a force of believing that all of us—human beings—have the potential and the capacity to be heroes,” Persichetti told me. “Phil and Chris had put together a treatment for us to make a movie that challenged the audience to believe in themselves, believe in their neighbor and really be positive and make a difference in the world. And possibly be a mentor or be heroic. That was really it.”

Joining the trio onstage were the film’s co-writer/producer Phil Lord and producer Chris Miller, the extraordinarily inventive duo behind “The Lego Movie,” who are fully committed to expanding representation in cinema, as evidenced by the vibrantly diverse ensemble in “Spider-Verse.”

“When we hear that somebody’s kid was watching the movie and turned to them and said, ‘He looks like me,’ or, ‘They speak Spanish like us,’ we feel like we already won,” said Lord in his acceptance speech.

“To be a storyteller, it's really just about connecting with your audience, whether it's your little kid that you are putting to sleep or, apparently, millions of people who go see your movie,” reflected Persichetti in the press room. “So I think it's just validation of being a human and sharing the experience of being a human. It's kind of an amazing career.”

Added Miller, “To feel like you have affected someone else's life positively, one way or another, is a really magical thing that we don't take lightly.”

After the briskly paced three-hour-and-17-minute telecast came to a crisp close, I ran into Bing Liu, his mother and “Minding the Gap” producer Diane Quon outside the Dolby Theatre. I showed them the shirt I had been wearing under my tux all night, and they insisted on taking a picture of it. Liu may not have gone home with an Oscar in hand last night, but I have no doubt that when he encounters someone whose life has been deeply impacted by his work, he knows in his heart of hearts that he’s already won.

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haruharumusic-blog · 6 years ago

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Live Review: Alter Bridge @ The Royal Albert Hall

In recent years it’s become a trend for rock artists to juxtapose their distorted guitars with the elegant power unique to an orchestra. Metallica were the pioneers of this through their legendary S&M performance, and now American titans Alter Bridge have taken to the stage. Showcasing an eclectic set in two parts that appealed to old and new fans alike, they highlighted their diverse discography of hits to rapturous applause and standing ovations.

Kicking things off, ‘’Slip To The Void’’ created a sensual tension through the minimal intro before descending into beautiful hard-rock chaos.

‘’Lover’’ became even more solemn and distressing to the heart in the best way. Alter Bridge somehow make us enjoy heartache and keep us gagging for more.

Throughout the glorious 21 song set the band never felt overshadowed. With the power of Parallax every song received an ambiance boost. Tracks that continually build such as ‘’Addicted to Pain’’, ‘’Waters Rising’’ and ‘’Fortress’’ benefited immensely from the new arrangements. Cult favourites ‘’Words Darker Than Their Wings’’ and ‘’blackbird’’ became absolutely ethereal.

The group are fierce performers, but have no qualms about cracking out schoolboy grins and egging each other on, engaging in distortion-fuelled shred battles. They remain a group of good guys, kind to each other on stage and warm to fans on the floor.

The anthemic ‘’Open Your Eyes’’ sent us off into the cold October night with hope in our hearts and faith in humanity restored. With Alter Bridge around the world truly feels like a better place.

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fashion-sight · 6 years ago

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Gucci dances with death in high-glamour horror show - The Guardian

The Guardian

Gucci dances with death in high-glamour horror show The Guardian At the end of the show, Gucci's long-haired creative director, Alessandro Michele, appeared out of the flames, like a fashion apparition, to receive a standing ovation. The rapturous applause might not even have been the highlight of his night. Half an ... Gucci Cruise 2019WWD 6 fashion trends spotted at the Gucci Cruise 2019 showVOGUE Paris (press release) Gucci Cruise 2019 Fashion Show Features LA's Chateau Marmont LogoHollywood Reporter HarpersBAZAAR.com -Fashionista (blog) all 37 news articles »

#Gucci

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bethshootsbands · 7 years ago

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Waterparks Gig Review + Photos

Waterparks Review – 10th March @ Concorde 2, Brighton

As they entered the stage to a rapturous and piercingly shrill applause, Waterparks headlined Brighton’s very own Concorde 2 last night kicking off the last leg of their UK tour. Opening the show with 11:11, an acclaimed fan-favourite from their latest record, the trio were extremely energetic and received an amplified crowd response. As always, frontman Awsten Knight delivered powerful vocals whilst Drummer Otto and guitarist Geoff played with astonishing dexterity and velocity all around with Awsten leaping into the crowd after swiftly progressing into notorious hits Blonde and Peach (Lobotomy).

The Texas pop-rock trio had recently put out their new album ‘Entertainment’ back in January following on from their successful debut ‘Double Dare’, the band are heading in an exciting new direction and steering slightly from their traditional pop-punk influences. Having also performed Crave from their 2016 Cluster EP and incorporating a couple of older tracks such as Royal, Take Her to the Moon and the colossal hit Stupid for You from their previous record into the setlist was a pleasant aspect for fans that are familiar with their older material.

After an acoustic rendition of Lucky People, inviting Patent Pending’s Joe Ragosta back on stage to share FaceTime stories and Knight posing with a fan-made sign declaring ‘fuck Costa’ (yeah I didn’t get it either), the gloom boys performed knockout track Not Warriors that prompted several fans in the audience to hold up signs that read ‘You Saved My Life’, notable lyrics from the song itself that take me back to my own emo days claiming bands like All Time Low saved my life. Ah, nostalgia.

Having previously attended Waterparks’ last Brighton show at The Haunt back in September, it’s worth noting the growth in capacity of fans between the two shows, especially since the release of ‘Entertainment’, with Concorde 2 having a larger main stage capacity of 600. Whilst the majority of the crowd still consisted of 14-year-old girls, excluding their parents who lingered around at the bar, I was pleasantly surprised to see a fair number of older males in the audience too, possibly suggesting that Waterparks are starting to reach new audiences? Though having played at Slam Dunk Festival two years in a row, and with such incredible support from Dead! and Patent Pending, this tour was bound to attract at least a few pop-punk fanatics.

As they leave the stage for the obligatory encore, a couple of front row fans had thrown roses on stage to which Knight comedically re-enacted a dramatic standing ovation scene. Returning to the stage, the show continues with a tedious performance of Crybaby contrasted with the final song on the setlist TANTRUM, which is by far the heaviest track from Entertainment with Awsten really pushing his vocals to the limit screaming “hey, look what you’ve done now” with intense emotion and raw angst.

The only downside of last night’s gig had to be the lack of mosh pits, but I understand given the context of a younger audience this was probably for the best. Overall the gig was a great effort from all bands and a great way to end the UK leg of the tour although, as much as I love Waterparks, they were majorly outshined by Patent Pending’s opening set. Being an older band, I feel Patent Pending have the upper hand when it comes to experience and spreading a great message of suicide prevention through their music whereas Waterparks, although they have some great songs and good intentions, still have quite a way to go in order to achieve a certain level of maturity and mastery at their craft but I’d really love to see them get there.

#review #waterparks #gloom boys #photography #uni work

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eliza-spencer · 7 years ago

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Review: Moses Sumney at Sydney Opera House, 8 February 2018

Few indie artists can say they’ve performed to a packed Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House, and the wonder wasn’t lost on Los Angeles native Moses Sumney.

A soulful mix of R&B, folk, and jazz, Sumney was accompanied by Sam Gendel (Percussion, Woodwinds, Electric Guitar,) Mike Haldeman (Electric Guitar) and drummer ‘Lucky’ Paul Taylor, who has toured with indie-pop artist, Feist.

Coming off St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in Sydney, Sumney commanded the venue. Dressed in signature all-black and opening with a live mix of ‘Self-Help Tape,’ his mystical vocals filled the Concert Hall and cast the crowd into mesmerised silence. Four microphones allowed for complex vocal loops, body percussion and the airy falsetto that fills so many of his records.

Surrounded by rich haze and dim lighting, Sumney’s spectre loomed in and out of view for the first portion of his performance. Incantations and mutterings featured as the backing for remixed tracks from Aromanticism, his debut full-length album after releasing two EP’s.

Clearly comfortable in his surroundings, perching on amps and conducting the crowd during ‘Man on the Moon,’ Sumney fashioned the atmosphere with ease. Dedicating ‘Make Out In My Car’ to “everyone who has never been kissed, which by the looks of it, is most of you,” his personality shone through even the most brooding interludes.

Remaining relaxed, he took song requests from the crowd, and shared a story about his mother calling in the middle of his sound check. The atmosphere wasn’t what you’d expect from one of Sydney’s most prestigious venues, but Sumney’s indie charm rang through all the same.

Let down by an out of time lighting program, at one point taking cues from the vocalist himself, his performance remained bewitching. A black curtain disguised intricate looping devices linked to his four microphones, a synthesiser and electric guitar.

Oozing practiced skillfulness, he casually strutted the stage, returning to his instruments just in time to record the next loop.

Returning for an encore, Sumney admitted that it felt “too soon” to finish just yet. Standing alone with his guitar in hand, he concluded the night crooning a sparse rendition of crowd favourite, ‘Plastic’.

Ending with rapturous applause and a standing ovation, Sumney appeared as much in awe as the crowd, thanking them for coming to see an “indie artist with only one album.”

At the end of the evening, two teens in ripped tees and high-waisted slacks ran through the Opera House cheering after managing to nab a copy of the set list, while a family discussed his performance with wonder. The evening seemed to exceed the expectations of even the artist and his management, whose small, single, merchandise stall was congested enough to block the exits.

With upcoming performances at Coachella, Homecoming and Bonaroo Festivals, the stature of Moses Sumney is certain to keep rising.

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friend-clarity · 7 years ago

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FULL TEXT: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's Speech at Israel's Knesset

Below the following article is the full text of the speech

Pence Visits Israel's Capital; By Meir Soloveichik Jan. 23, 2018 Jerusalem WSJ

Multitudes of gentiles are also Zionists. That has no precedent in the Jews' millennia-long history.

As I walked out of the Knesset following Vice President Mike Pence's Monday afternoon address, an Israeli cameraman turned to me with a jovial expression. Speaking in Hebrew, he asked me about the man whose speech he had just heard: "Was that the messiah, or the vice president of the United States?" He was, perhaps, referring to the rapturous reception Mr. Pence had received from the Knesset members and the hundreds of spectators in the gallery. Yet the cameraman was also probably struck by how religious, and biblically based, the speech was. Mr. Pence threaded his remarks with references to Scripture, a rhetorical technique Knesset audiences have rarely heard from a political leader since Menachem Begin resigned as prime minister in 1983.

Mr. Pence's address was one of the most Zionist speeches ever given by a non-Jew in the Knesset. The vice president is a devout evangelical Christian, and he said that in the birth of the modern state of Israel, we see nothing less than a fulfillment of the biblical promises of God. The speech was a milestone in American-Israeli relations, and a window into the heart of many American Christians who, like Mr. Pence, observe Israel's emergence with wonder and reverence.

Drawing on the Book of Deuteronomy, Mr. Pence described how through "conquests and expulsions, inquisitions and pogroms," and a Holocaust "that transformed the small faces of children into smoke under a silent sky," the Jewish people nevertheless "held fast to a promise through all the ages, written so long ago, that 'even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens,' from there He would gather and bring you back to the land which your fathers possessed."

Citing Isaiah, Mr. Pence suggested that in Israel's 1948 founding "the Jewish people answered that ancient question: Can a country be born in a day, can a nation be born in a moment?" For Mr. Pence, the birth of modern Israel also reaffirmed the Jews' covenantal bond to both the Holy Land and Jerusalem, where "Abraham offered his son Isaac, and was credited with righteousness for his faith in God," and where "King David consecrated the capital of the Kingdom of Israel." In the emergence of the modern Jewish state, Mr. Pence concluded, we see the hand of God: "The miracle of Israel is an inspiration to the world."

These are powerful words, and many Jews in attendance felt the vice president's description of the Jewish state as a miracle comported with their own view. Yet it is worth noting one wondrous occurrence Mr. Pence didn't mention. For many centuries the Jewish people received little love and much hate from the nations of the world. Today tens of millions of non-Jewish Americans share Mr. Pence's sincere affection for Israel.

As the vice president noted, certain predictions in Hebrew scripture about the Holy Land have actually come true in the past 70 years: The Jews have returned, their state has been re-formed, and the desert is blooming. Yet Isaiah also predicts that one day multitudes of non-Jews will be moved by devotion to the God who dwells in Jerusalem to shower love upon the people whose capital it has always been. Anti-Semitism is still rampant, of course, and Israel remains surrounded by states seeking its destruction. But the existence of multitudes of gentiles who are also Zionists has no precedent in the Jews' millennia-long history.

Mr. Pence received a sustained and resounding standing ovation when he spoke in Hebrew. Many visiting statesmen have tried out a Hebrew phrase or two in the Knesset, but the vice president went further than previous American leaders. Noting that April marks the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding, Mr. Pence reflected on this historic milestone: "I say, along with the good people of Israel, here and around the world: shehecheyanu, v'kiyimanu, v'higiyanu la'z'man ha'zeh."

Strikingly, Mr. Pence didn't translate or explain. The American reporters travelling with the vice president may not have understood what he'd said. But most Jews in attendance recognized his words as an expression of gratitude to God, "who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and allowed us to reach this day." The blessing has been recited by Jews for thousands of years. We speak it when we receive joyous tidings and when we commemorate historical miracles. Many in the audience felt like saying the blessing themselves, not only for the miracle that is Israel, but also for the blessing that is the millions of Americans who, like Mike Pence, love the Jewish state.

It's a blessing that many Israelis, and many Jews around the world, will not soon forget.

Rabbi Soloveichik is minister of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York and director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought of Yeshiva University.

Credit: By Meir Soloveichik

FULL TEXT: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's Speech at Israel's Knesset

'In the weeks ahead, our administration will advance its plan to open the United States Embassy in Jerusalem, and that United States Embassy will open before the end of next year'

Haaretz Jan 22, 2018

Read the full address by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday. During his speech, he was interrupted by Israeli Arab lawmakers in protest of the address.

President Rivlin, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Speaker Edelstein, Leader Herzog, members of the Knesset, justices of the Supreme Court, citizens of Israel – (applause) – it is deeply humbling for me to stand before this vibrant democracy – (applause) – to have the great honor to address this Knesset, the first vice president of the United States to be afforded that privilege here in Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel. (Applause.)

And I bring greetings from a leader who has done more to bring our two great countries closer together than any president in the past 70 years – the 45th president of the United States of America, President Donald Trump. (Applause.)

Thanks to the president’s leadership, the alliance between our two countries has never been stronger, and the friendship between our peoples has never been deeper. And I am here to convey a simple message from the heart of the American people: America stands with Israel. (Applause.)

We stand with Israel because your cause is our cause, your values are our values, and your fight is our fight.

We stand with Israel because we believe in right over wrong, in good over evil, and in liberty over tyranny.

We stand with Israel because that’s what Americans have always done, and so has it been since my country’s earliest days.

During his historic visit to Jerusalem, President Trump declared that the bond between us, in his words, is “woven together in the hearts of our people,” and the people of the United States have always held a special affection and admiration for the People of the Book.

In the story of the Jews, we've always seen the story of America. It is the story of an exodus, a journey from persecution to freedom, a story that shows the power of faith and the promise of hope.

My country’s very first settlers also saw themselves as pilgrims, sent by Providence, to build a new Promised Land. The songs and stories of the people of Israel were their anthems, and they faithfully taught them to their children, and do to this day. And our founders, as others have said, turned to the wisdom of the Hebrew Bible for direction, guidance and inspiration.

America’s first president, George Washington, wrote with favor to “the children of the stock of Abraham.” Our second president, John Adams, declared that the Jews, in his words, “have done more to civilize man than any other nation.”

And your story inspired my forebears to create what our 16th president called a “new birth of freedom.” And down through the generations, the American people became fierce advocates of the Jewish people’s aspiration to return to the land of your forefathers – (applause) – to claim your own new birth of freedom in your beloved homeland.

The Jewish people held fast to a promise through all the ages, written so long ago, that “even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens," from there He would gather and bring you back to the land which your fathers possessed.

Through a 2,000-year exile, the longest of any people, anywhere, through conquests and expulsions, inquisitions and pogroms, the Jewish people held on to this promise, and they held onto it through the longest and darkest of nights. A night that Elie Wiesel proclaimed “seven times sealed.” A night that transformed the small faces of children into smoke under a silent sky. A night that consumed the faith of so many and that challenges the faith of so many still.

And [Tuesday], when I stand with my wife at Yad Vashem to honor the 6 million Jewish martyrs of the Holocaust, we will marvel at the faith and resilience of your people, who just three years after walking beneath the shadow of death, rose up from the ashes to resurrect yourselves, to reclaim a Jewish future and to rebuild the Jewish state. (Applause.)

And this April, we will mark the day when the Jewish people answered that ancient question – can a country be born in a day, can a nation be born in a moment? – as the State of Israel celebrates the 70th anniversary of its birth. (Applause.)

As you prepare to commemorate this historic milestone, I say, along with the good people of Israel, here and around the world: Shehecheyanu, v'kiyimanu, v'higiyanu la'z'man ha'zeh. (Applause.)

Seventy years ago, the United States was proud to be the first nation in the world to recognize the State of Israel. But as you well know, the work we began on that day was left unfinished, for while the United States recognized your nation, one administration after another refused to recognize your capital.

But just last month, President Donald Trump made history. He righted a 70-year wrong; he kept his word to the American people when he announced that the United States of America will finally acknowledge Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. (Applause.)

The Jewish people’s unbreakable bond to this sacred city reaches back more than 3,000 years. It was here, in Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah that Abraham offered his son, Isaac, and was credited with righteousness for his faith in God.

It was here, in Jerusalem, that King David consecrated the capital of the Kingdom of Israel. And since its rebirth, the modern State of Israel has called this city the seat of its government.

Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. And, as such, President Trump has directed the State Department to immediately begin preparations to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (Applause.) In the weeks ahead, our administration will advance its plan to open the United States Embassy in Jerusalem, and that United States Embassy will open before the end of next year. (Applause.)

Our president made his decision, in his words, “in the best interests of the United States.” But he also made it clear that we believe that his decision is in the best interests of peace. By finally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the United States has chosen fact over fiction. And fact is the only true foundation for a just and lasting peace.

Under President Trump, the United States of America remains fully committed to achieve a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. (Applause.)

In announcing his decision on Jerusalem, the president also called, in his words, “on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites, including at the Temple Mount, also known as the Haram al-Sharif.” And he made it clear that we're not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders.

And President Trump reaffirmed that, if both sides agree, the United States of America will support a two-state solution. (Applause.)

We know Israelis want peace, and we know that Israelis need no lectures on the price of war. The people of Israel know the terrible price all too well. Your prime minister knows that price. He himself was nearly killed in battle, and his beloved brother Yoni was killed while courageously leading the Entebbe hostage rescue 41 years ago.

And you, who know the price of war, know best what the blessings of peace can bring – to you, to your children and future generations.

The United States appreciates your government’s declared willingness to resume direct peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. And today, we strongly urge the Palestinian leadership to return to the table. Peace can only come through dialogue. (Applause.)

Now, we recognize that peace will require compromise, but you can be confident in this: The United States of America will never compromise the safety and security of the State of Israel. (Applause.) Any peace agreement must guarantee Israel’s ability to defend itself by itself.

Now, there are those who believe that the world can't change; that we're destined to engage in endless violence; that age-old conflicts can’t be solved; and that hope itself is an illusion. But, my friends, President Trump doesn’t believe it. I don’t believe it. And neither do you.

I stand here today in the city whose very name means peace. And [as] I stand here, I know that peace is possible because history records that Israel has made the very difficult decisions to achieve peace with its neighbors in the past.

Over the past two days, I’ve traveled to Egypt and Jordan, two nations with whom Israel has long enjoyed the fruits of peace. I spoke with America’s great friends, President Al-Sissi of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan, about the courage of their predecessors who forged an end to conflict with Israel in their time.

And those two leaders prove every day that trust and confidence can be a reality among the great nations who call these ancient lands home.

In my time with those leaders, and with your prime minister, we discussed the remarkable transformation that is taking place across the Middle East today, and the need to forge a new era of cooperation in our day and age.

The winds of change can already be witnessed across the Middle East. Long-standing enemies are becoming partners. Old foes are finding new ground for cooperation. And the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael are coming together in common cause as never before.

Last year, in Saudi Arabia, President Trump addressed an unprecedented gathering of leaders from more than 50 nations at the Arab Islamic American Summit. He challenged the people of this region to work ever closer together, to recognize shared opportunities and to confront shared challenges. And the president urged all who call the Middle East their home to, in his words, “meet history’s great test – [and] conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism together.” (Applause.)

Radical Islamic terrorism knows no borders – targeting America, Israel, nations across the Middle East and the wider world. It respects no creed – stealing the lives of Jews, Christians and especially Muslims. And radical Islamic terrorism understands no reality other than brute force.

Together with our allies, we will continue to bring the full force of our might to drive radical Islamic terrorism from the face of the Earth. (Applause.)

I'm pleased to report that, thanks to the courage of our armed forces and our allies, at this very moment ISIS is on the run, their capital has fallen, their so-called caliphate has crumbled. And you can be assured we will not rest, we will not relent, until we hunt down and destroy ISIS at its source, so it can no longer threaten our people, our allies, or our very way of life. (Applause.)

Now, the United States and Israel have long stood together to confront the terrible evil of terrorism, and so we will continue. And across the Middle East, Arab leaders have responded, as well, to the president’s call with unprecedented action to root out radicalism and prove the emptiness of its apocalyptic promises.

As President Trump made clear in Saudi Arabia, we will continue to stand with our allies and stand up to our enemies. We will work with all of our partners to starve, in his words, “terrorists of their territory, their funding and the false allure of their craven ideology.”

We will also support faith leaders in this region and across the world, as they teach their disciples to practice love, not hate. And we will help persecuted peoples, who have suffered so much at the hands of ISIS and other terrorist groups.

To this end, the United States has redirected funding from ineffective relief efforts. And, for the first time, we are providing direct support to Christian and other religious minorities as they rebuild their communities after years of repression and war. (Applause.)

The United States has already committed more than $110 million to assist Christian and other religious minorities across the wider Middle East. And we urge our allies – here in Israel, in Europe and across the world – to join us in this cause. Let's work together to restore the rich splendor of religious diversity across the Middle East, so that all faiths may once again flourish in the lands where they were born. (Applause.)

As we work to defeat the scourge of terrorism, and give aid to those who have suffered at its hands, we must also be resolved and vigilant to prevent old adversaries from gaining any new ground.

To that end, the United States will continue to work with Israel, and with nations across the world, to confront the leading state sponsor of terror – the Islamic Republic of Iran. (Applause.)

As the world has seen once again, the brutal regime in Iran is merely a brutal dictatorship that seeks to dominate its citizens and deny them of their most fundamental rights. History has proven, those who dominate their own people rarely stop there. And increasingly, we see Iran seeking to dominate the wider Arab world.

That dangerous regime sows chaos across the region. Last year alone, even as its citizens cried out for help with basic necessities, Iran devoted more than $4 billion to malign activities in Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere across the region. It has supported terrorist groups that even now sit on Israel’s doorstep. And worst of all, the Iranian regime has pursued a clandestine nuclear program, and at this very hour is developing advanced ballistic missiles.

Two-and-a-half years ago, the previous administration in America signed a deal with Iran that merely delays the day when that regime can acquire a nuclear weapon. The Iran nuclear deal is a disaster, and the United States of America will no longer certify this ill-conceived agreement. (Applause.)

At President Trump's direction, we're working to enact effective and lasting restraints on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Earlier this month, the president waived sanctions on Iran to give the Congress and our European allies time to pass stronger measures. But as President Trump made clear, this is the last time.

Unless the Iran nuclear deal is fixed, President Trump has said the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal immediately. (Applause.)

Whatever the outcome of those negotiations, today I have a solemn promise to Israel, to all the Middle East and to the world: The United States of America will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. (Applause.) Beyond the nuclear deal, we will also no longer tolerate Iran’s support of terrorism or its brutal attempts to suppress its own people.

Last year, our administration more than tripled the number of sanctions targeting Iran and its leaders. And just this month, the United States issued tough new sanctions on Iran.

But I have another message today – a better message – from the people of America to the proud and great people of Iran: We are your friends, and the day is coming when you will be free from the evil regime that suffocates your dreams and buries your hopes. (Applause.) And when your day of liberation finally comes, we say to the good people of Iran, the friendship between our peoples will blossom once again. (Applause.)

While at times it may seem hard to see, those who call the Middle East their home have more that unites them than divides them – not only in common threats, but in the common hope for a future of security and prosperity and peace, and in the common ancestry of faith that runs throughout these very lands.

Nearly 4,000 years ago, a man left his home in Ur of the Chaldeans to travel here, to Israel. He ruled no empire, he wore no crown, he commanded no armies, he performed no miracles, delivered no prophecies, yet to him was promised “descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.”

Today, Jews, Christians, and Muslims – more than half the population of the Earth, and nearly all the people of the Middle East – claim Abraham as their forefather in faith. Only steps from here, in the Old City of Jerusalem, we see the followers of these three great religions in constant contact with one another. And we see each faith come to life in new and renewed ways every day.

At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we see a Christian child receiving the gift of grace, in baptism. At the Western Wall, we see a young Jewish boy being bar-mitzvahed. And at the Haram al-Sharif, we see young Muslims, heads bowed in prayer.

In Jerusalem, we see all this and more. And so today, as I stand in Abraham’s “Promised Land,” I believe that all who cherish freedom, and seek a brighter future, should cast their eyes here to this place and marvel at what they behold.

How unlikely was Israel’s birth; how more unlikely has been her survival. And how confounding, and against the odds, has been her thriving. You have turned the desert into a garden, scarcity into plenty, sickness into health, and you turned hope into a future.

Israel is like a tree that has grown deep roots in the soil of your forefathers, yet as it grows, it reaches ever closer to the heavens. And today and every day, the Jewish state of Israel, and all the Jewish people, bear witness to God’s faithfulness, as well as your own.

It was the faith of the Jewish people that gathered the scattered fragments of a people and made them whole again; that took the language of the Bible and the landscape of the Psalms and made them live again. And it was faith that rebuilt the ruins of Jerusalem and made them strong again.

The miracle of Israel is an inspiration to the world. And the United States of America is proud to stand with Israel and her people, as allies and cherished friends. (Applause.)

And so we will “pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” that “those who love you be secure,” that “there be peace within your walls, and security in your citadels.”

And we will work and strive for that brighter future where everyone who calls this ancient land their home shall sit “under their vine and fig tree, and none shall make them afraid.”

With an unshakeable bond between our people, and our shared commitment to freedom, I say from my heart: May God bless the Jewish people, may God bless the State of Israel and all who call these lands their home, and may God continue to bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

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