MANCHESTER: WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY HERE

GRAFFITI VS STREET ART: Has Manchester been converted?

MCR

MCR speaks to Oasis photographer Brian Cannon

Bars, Bars, Bars Where to drink this October

OKTOBERFEST is back

LAUNCH ISSUE

A look back at the Manc music scene

Welcome!

The fact that you’ve picked up this magazine says a lot about you. We’ve created MCR to give you the inside on what’s going on in this truly magnificent city for those of you who are independent thinkers, doers, adventurers and creative leaders. In MCR we do things

differently and that reflects in our magazine. You can expect to find everything from Manchester fashion to Manchester finance within these pages.

Our Monthly magazine knows what the people of MCR want and with that we give you the inside stories, exclusive news and classic MCR tales.

Visually stunning, utilising high-quality paper stocks and published to the highest standards, we want MCR to be a unique voice in the lifestyle magazine market with an identity all of its own. A five-star product in all respects, we strive to work with top writers, photographers and art directors to consist-ently deliver content that is loyal to your standards of excellence- a magazine as quirky and confident as our readers.

If the above resonates, here’s the good news: we’re just like you. We have a wide range of interests and if we had to have a manifesto it would boil down to trust and credibility (and tons of fun mixed in.)

With us you will always know where you stand and you can depend on us to never let you down, while bringing you a selection of eclectic world- class content to both seriously amuse and expand your mind.

MCR readers, we believe, have a thirst to know more about this great city and the people in it all the time.

We’re proud to launch our monthly magazine taking a few chances- like marrying thoughtful content with stunning photoshoots and covering 12 different subject areas to keep you revved up and engaged. A web version with some television-style feature reportage is also in the works and will launch in the next couple of months.

What we won’t done is fill our magazine with positive product reviews and bar stories ect just because somebody bought an advert. That said, we will definitely engage our wonderful advertisers to give them a powerful platform to reach the most individual, unique readers in the city: our tribe- you.

Ultimately, MCR is a sort of grand experiment. God created MANchester on the sixth day and we’re going to write about it.

All comments are welcome.

2 MCR LAUNCH ISSUE

MCREditor/ Creative Director

Sophie Flint

Managing EditorSophie Flint

Art Director Sophie Flint

Picture Editor Sophie Flint

Sub Editor Sophie Flint

MCR is published by MCR MediaManchester

OCTOBER 2015 MCR

SVFlint Sophie Flint, Editor

Contents

8

LAUNCH ISSUE MCR 3

5MCR October Issue

4

7

9/ Manchesters graffiti artists speak out We speak to those making Manchester colourful

10/ EVENTS Where you need to be seen

11/ EVENTS

12-13/ Manc photographer

14/ Manchester from above

15/ MCR competition

4/ Manchester news this monthWe give you the latest manc gossip

5/ Oasis photographer Brian Cannon speaks to MCR We speak to Brian in light of his new exhibition

6/ MCR reviews Manchesters secret barA bar disguised as a laundrette

7/ The places you need to make your after work hauntThe bars you need to visit

8/ Graffiti VS Street art Manchester wall wars

@MCR_magazineUK

MCR OCTOBER 2015Im

ages

mad

e by

flat

icon

4 MCR LAUNCH ISSUE

A vintage shop in the Northern Quarter is celebrating this years Halloween by throwing a spooky sewing class,

which is open to the public for free, to encourage the upcycling of old clothes.

Junk, which is situated on Dale Street, is hoping to entertain Mancunians and teach them a thing or two about upcycling by holding a sewing party.

Upcylcing is the concept of making old materials into new, better materials. The stores ethos is centered around upcycling and creating new things out of old materials.

Everything in the store is recycled, from its suspended spindle shelving to it’s remolded fairy liquid bottle counter.

The hidden treasure trove of a shop, which sells clothes made from vintage fabrics such as bed sheets and saris, has been running for eight years and started it’s sewing courses in it’s basement three years ago.

Their mission is to show Manchester that just because something is old or broken it doesn’t mean it has to be discarded. Everything from a pair of jeans to an old sock can be made into something else.

Modelling handmade hat

Each year in the United Kingdom around £140 million worth

of used clothes goes to landfill, and as money gets

tighter more and more Mancunians could save money if they upcycled.

Emma explained: “If people knew how to take clothes in, make them tighter, patch up rips and even turn an item of clothing into

something completely new then there would be

more money in everyone’s pocket for other things.“We just want to show

Manchester how easy it is and have fun at the same time.”

The clothing and accessory store, which also has a sister shop in Didsbury, will be holding the event from 2-6pm.

Junk will also be playing spooky soundtracks for the event and offering free Halloween face paint to people getting involved.

The event, hosted on Halloween, highlights how easy it can be to learn to sew and how practical it can be to learn the skill.

Emma Eastwood, 23, who is one of the seven team members at the Manchester store, spoke about the event, which is the first of it’s kind.

She said: “People love our store because everything is made in Manchester, but lot of people could do our simple designs themselves,

“People genuinely don’t realise how easy it is to take something old and make it better.

“It’s a bit of fun because we get to help people make their own Halloween costumes out of old material and clothes, but it also promotes the bigger message, the fact that in Britain we throw away so many things that could be reused.

“People think it’s hard to learn how to sew but you’ve just got to go for it. You could save so much money if, for example, every time you were going to throw out a dress you made it into a new top.”

OCTOBER 2015 MCR

Vintage shop urges people to start upcycling clothes with Halloween event

The beer-fuelled German celebration is back so grab the lederhosen and get ready to dance on some tables with a stein full of

Bavarian’s bestAfter the success of last year Manchester

Oktoberfest is returning this autumn for another massive celebration of all things Bavarian.

2014 brought the 200-year-old celebration to Albert Square- and after its tremendous popularity - organisers have decided to make it even bigger.

This year the October party will be able to seat 2000 people, and they have redesigned the tent so the bar is easier for everybody to reach.

Carsten Raun, one of the Manchester Oktoberfest organisers, said: “Last year it was so popular so we have made it so more people could come.

“We want it to be a big party like last year. The aim is to have everybody dancing on the tables by the end of the each night.

“We have a band who tour with us in the UK, and they know the songs which will

get a British audience dancing.“We are bringing 25,000 litres of

Bavarian beer with us, and you cannot get it anywhere else. It is not for sale elsewhere and has been made especially for Oktoberfest so if you want to try it you must come.”

This year’s event will be held at First Street, due to high demand for tickets.

The beer, ‘Bavaria Festbeer’ is brewed to meet German purity laws and is always around 5 per cent.

Carsten added: “It is not as bitter as some beers, so people can drink a lot of it. If they want to.”

And if last year, the first time the celebration came to Manchester, is anything to go by it will certainly be a long weekend to

remember. Wearing Lederhosen is optional.The large tent, once assembled in Albert

Square will be filled with long tables, running the length of the tent, with one section being dedicated to the bar.

The event runs from Wednesday October 21 to Sunday October 25.

Sessions run from 4pm to 11pm Wednesday to Friday, 12pm to 11pm on Saturday and 12pm to 7:30pm on Sunday.

Oktoberfest comes to Manchester for the second time around

Images: Junk store

Images: Joel G

oodman

Oktoberfest last year was a great success

LAUNCH ISSUE MCR 5

Liam Gallagher’s clothing store, Pretty Green, is currently holding an exhibition celebrating the work of renowned Britpop

photographer Brian Cannon, who has worked with the clothing line on their Northern soul inspired Autumn/Winter collection.

At it’s King Street store in Manchester Pretty Green will showcase some of Brian’s work including some of Oasis’s most iconic record covers coinciding with the twentieth anniversary of their ‘(What’s the story) morning glory’ album sleeve.

Brian, 49, who has also been praised for his work with the likes of the Verve and Johnny Marr spoke of his work with Oasis, the Legendary Mancunian band.

He said: “After getting chatting to Noel over a pair of Adidas trainers in a lift in Manchester, the rest is history.

“It’s great to work with Liam again, and the exhibition opens up my work

to a whole new market.“My body of work as a whole is amazing.

No one else has a portfolio like me, I’m the best in the world and it’s as simple as that, so it’s great to be able to showcase it.”

Brian, who’s originally from Wigan, handpicked everything on show in the collection, he said: “No one is choosing what’s going in my collection, I’ve got a few logo’s on show as well as everything else,

“The logo I’m most proud of is the Oasis logo, the first time I met the whole band to discuss logos I decided to take some classic sleeve cover books with me,

“We were all drawn to the Rolling Stones covers because of their record company, DECA, logo.

“If you look at the DECA logo and then at the Oasis one I designed it’s basically the same. It’s a killer logo and I’m very proud of it.”

All of Brian’s album covers has it’s own personal story behind it and meaning, Brian explained: “We always make a point of using people we know for the shoots because models cost too much, and it

doesn’t mean as much to them as if you’re using people you know,

“Oasis’s first number one, Some Might Say, has my Mum and Dad on the cover. My Dad’s the guy with the wheelbarrow and my mum is in the cleaners outfit.”

At the exhibition people can also expect to find the classic 1965 Italian Lambretta, which has become a signature piece in any of Brian’s exhibition.

On show is also Oasis’ twentieth album cover (What’s the story) Morning Glory.

Brian spoke about this cover and said: “The guy walking away in the beige is me, we shot it at about five in the morning.

“That’s one of the busiest streets in London so it’s astonishing there aren’t any cars, it was exactly how you see it, we didn’t use Photoshop.”

Most of Brian’s work is Photoshop free, he said: “We stage everything we can for real, and that in itself has become a great story,

We always have a lot of fun with everything we do… it’s a been a great 25 years of Microdot, I’m so proud of it.”

Brian’s exhibition will be in Manchester’s Pretty Green store on King Street untill the end of October.

Brian Cannon exhibition comes to Manchester

MCR OCTOBER 2015

“No one

else has a portfolio like

me, I’m the best in the world and

it’s as simple as that

”

Imag

es: B

rian

Can

non

Brian with some of his album work

The Lambretta appears at each exhibition

OCTOBER 2015 MCR

6 MCR LAUNCH ISSUE

Manchester Laundrette isn’t what it seems

It’s said that secrets are better left unsaid, but some secrets are just too delicious to hide…

Disguised as a launderette tucked in between a bookshop and a takeaway on Mosley Street is a hidden bar that will make you feel as if you’re living in the time of the prohibition, sneaking around to get your fix of moonshine.

Only this isn’t 1920’s America, this is modern day Manchester and although it’s not necessary to hide away your bottle of gin or down your pint in a speakeasy, there’s something thrilling about visiting a bar that’s cunningly disguised as a launderette.

The Washhouse looks like a simple launderette, possibly a more modern, hipster launderette. The type that would know how important it is to keep your Levis looking vintage and separate your

Adidas from your Ellese.However, it isn’t a launderette,

the Washhouse is actually a bookings-only secret bar.

The Washhouse stays secret until the moment you step through its second door, which is masked as an industrial washing machine, complete with an array of underwear and clothes in the washer drum.

It’s not the sort of place you would visit for a quick pint after work with the lads, but the place you would want to visit just to check in on Facebook and let all your friends know you’ve been.

After all, to get a table you have to play along with their game of

secrets and leave a message on their answering phone telling them how many ‘items of clothing you want washing’ and what time you want them ‘washed’.

Once the ‘laundrette’ calls you back and confirms your table, or should we say request to drop off your dirty laundry, you’re good to go.

On arrival at the bar you’ll find yourself in a small room, complete with washing machines, washing powder and a phone on the side of the wall.

Once you step into this room, which is essentially widow Twankeys washroom, you will probably begin to question whether you’re in the right place… our advice would be to pick up the phone.

You will then be allowed through the door disguised as

a washing machine and like stepping through the wardrobe to Narnia you will enter another world.

From a launderette to a bar, this is where you can feel good times happening. The intimate, dimly lit bar, with its hushed house music giving off the vibes that make you want to sip cocktails like you’re from Sex and the City, is well worth the sneaking around.

The Washhouse has a menu made for cocktail lovers, with its cleverly named drinks and creative flavours it certainly has a long list of drinks to keep you sat happily in your private booth, swapping drinks with your fellow drinkers and scanning the menu like a magpie looking for silver.

From cocktails made with sugar puffs, to ones served with a slice of battenburg, it would be wrong to describe this menu as anything but unique, with a quirky set of drinks to keep your tab open.

There are also a large selection of cocktails to share. A clever and possibly tongue in cheek sharing cocktail is their ‘Gary’s Glitterball’ which is served distinctively in half a dancefloor disco ball.

Image: C

reative Com

mons Licence

MCR OCTOBER 2015

LAUNCH ISSUE MCR 7

The glitter ball is impressively filled with gin, elderflower, berry liqueurs and white grapes, along with lemon and cranberry juice. Then to top it off it can be filled with your choice of fizz including Prosecco, Tattinger or if you’ve just been paid or trying to impress the ladies a bottle of Krugg pricing in at £215.

With its secretive ethos and sneaky disguise the Washhouse is something you have to tick off your Manchester to-do list, after all, how many people can say they’ve sipped cocktails in the back

of a launderette? But remember to keep your lips sealed, you didn’t hear about this from us. MCR

MCR Verdict

Hipster rating

Romance rating

Originality

Taste

MCR also recommends

Mojo

Combining shabby New York City dive style chic with great liquor, EATS and Rock n’ Roll from the last

five decades - MOJO offers a slick, high octane environment with friendly and knowledgeable staff.

If you’re looking for a place to eat with friends or just somewhere to party through the night then Mojo’s is the place for you.

The now legendary upstairs Rhum Room is a favourite with Ian Brown and Andy Rourke in Leeds and after show parties for the likes of Elbow and the Foo Fighters in Manchester.

Baa Bar

Set on Deansgate Locks is a bar where cocktails become experiments.

A recent survey concluded that most cocktails are slightly rubbish and

grossly overpriced with some made from noting more than gripe and water and greed. The nerds at Baa Lab have engineered a new genus of drink; they are chemically pimped and will take you to new heights of wonkyness.

They have a large selection of shooters and shots to keep you going. As well as an array of cocktails priced reasonably and full of flavour.

Revolution Deansgate Locks is set back in Manchester’s distinctive converted railway arches in the south of the

city centre. With 5 unique bars, a dedicated restaurant and relaxing lounge area, Revolution Deansgate Locks can take you from a mouth-wateringly fresh meal to hand- crafted cocktails and smoothly into one of the best party destinations in the city.

Whether it’s a big night out or a few quite drinks then this bar is where you can find what you need.There’s something for everyone, whether it’s a pint or a cocktail.

Revolution, Deansgate

Imag

es: M

att

Eac

hus,

Soph

ie F

lint

OCTOBER 2015 MCR

8 MCR LAUNCH ISSUE

Over the past 20 years Manchester has become a walking sketch book, the streets are full of tales

and tags and in many ways the recent years has seen the city greet graffiti artists with its arms wide open.

Graffiti was once perceived as vandalism by the rebel in the baseball cap and Nike 110’s spraying his name, commonly known as a tag in graffiti world, all over town.

However over the years graffiti has become referred to as street art and those who once ran from the police with a bag full of spray cans are now hired as ‘professional street artists’ to create masterpieces on legal street walls.

Someone who has seen the city grow and adapt to not only accept graffiti but love it, is graffiti artist and writers writer Nathan, who can be identified on the street by his TASLE tag.*

Meeting at midday in a coffee chain shop in Manchester Nathan confessed in detail over his Americano about the graffiti culture, the late nights that come hand in hand when you pick up that spray can and how the buzz of spraying isn’t just thrilling, it’s addictive.

He said: “Once I got to college and I met people who were interested in graffiti I began perfecting my letters so they looked good,

“I first started painting trains and

then from there it hit the roof and I was obsessed with the scene,

“At 18 I met a fellow artist in college and I don’t think we destroyed the city but we did. Our crew was everywhere, our name was all over the city, I started getting appreciation from other graffiti artists.”

Nathans eyes lit up as he spoke about the nights that turned into days and his near misses with the police, who are always on the look out for people defacing public property,

He added: “It’s not just about writing your name on something, the buzz you get when you know you could get caught and then seeing your name written all over the place is just a feeling you can’t describe.”

Part of being a true graffiti artist seems to be the life that goes with it, when you’re bombing or spraying all over the place, that is your life.

Nathan explained: “No one wants to get caught, that’s part of the game and the

fun… see how much you can get away with.

“There are girls in Manchester who no one suspects but they just leave the club and spray all over the walls, meanwhile the police are out looking for people like me in

my hoody.” He laughs as he recalls the creative

ways he and his friends would use to get away with spraying their names.

“One guy I know dressed as though he was homeless, he went out looking like a tramp with his sleeping bag and spray paints and he didn’t get stopped once, he managed to spray paint all over the city.

“So that made me think ‘what’s not going to look suspicious?’ I decided to dress as a business man, in a suit, with a brief case full of spray paint,

“That idea didn’t really work out though because I had to run away from the police after being caught spraying my name on a skip.”

The fascinating stories of how graffiti artists painting on illegal walls kept coming, Nathan laughed: “Another friend of mine dressed in a HIGH VIS jacket as if he was from the council and painted in broad daylight, if the police asked him what he was doing he’d say he was doing it for a community project, that one would

always work, the police would even sometimes compliment his work saying things like ‘It’s about time the council brightened up this place!’

“I also used to know this couple in town who would be kissing each other in the middle of the street near a wall and one of them would be spray painting the wall at the same time…. No one suspected a thing.”

Over the past 20 years since Nathan has been involved in graffiti he’s seen both graffiti and the graffiti scene change. This is because graffiti has in many ways transformed into street art.

“More and more people are less interested in proper graffiti, which I class as writing on illegal walls, but now people just want to write on legal walls and paint

WORDS ON THE STREET

Sophie Flint speaks to some of Manchester’s homegrown graffiti artists about the difference between graffiti, vandalism and street art and uncovers secrets from the underground

graffiti world….

Illegal tagging in Manchester

LAUNCH ISSUE MCR 9

pretty pictures and call themselves street artists.”

Nathan himself is now more involved in the legal side of graffiti and he has begun getting involved in exclusive, legal painting projects in Manchester. One of those projects is Outhouse, which take place at Stevenson’s Square in the Northern Quarter.

Tasha Whittle, who came up with the concept of the Outhouse, spoke about the street art project that allows graffiti artists to get creative and paint certain walls in the area.

She said: “Outhouse started in 2010 after Stevenson Square was left to degrade by a previous project,

“The council own the space and as long as we’re given the all clear from the land owners we can let artists paint there.

“The project was named Outhouse due to the location previously being a public toilet!”

Artists who want to get involved volunteer by sending examples of their work to the team at Outhouse.

Another graffiti artist who has been tagging the streets since he was 11 is one of the founders of urban clothing company Bait MCR, which is inspired by street and graffiti life.

Darren* 32, from Manchester, had the same look in his eyes as Nathan when asked about his history in the city tagging illegal walls on the run from police.

He said: “Being a proper graffiti artist is all about the whole concept of it, writing on walls, looking at different peoples styles and creating your own style,

“It’s really artistic, and it’s a way of expressing yourself. I mean you get people

that do just vandalise but a lot of it is proper art and should be appreciated.”

A lot of people view graffiti as thuggish and assosciate it with gang crime, which could be true, but Banksy could be classed as a graffiti artist and his work sells for millions.

Darren explained: “I find it weird how Banksy could write his name on a wall and it sell for millions, yet if I get caught writing my name on a wall that’s defacing public property.

“A lot of real graffiti artists don’t really have much respect for Banksy because he kind of sold out the scene to

make money for him. I mean I wouldn’t be

complaining if I was him,

“But he does just use stencils and a lot of guys think he’s not a proper graffiti artist for doing

that.” Both

Nathan and Darren both

expressed that they were Team

Robbo, referring to a segregation in the graffiti

world where people class themselves as either team Banksy or team Robbo.

The notorious feud with Banksy and Robbo goes back to 2006 when Bristol-based artist Banksy painted over one of Robbo’s tags next to Regent’s Canal in Camden, which dated from 1985.

Robbo, originally from London,

became angry and retaliated by spraying his name over one of Banksy’s pieces, this started a tit-for-tat war where each would spray over each others work.

The famous graffiti fueled feud even brought Robbo, who’s also known as king Robbo, to Manchester in 2010 when two builders uncovered a suspected Banksy street piece.

Darren spoke about Team Robbo: “I suppose it can be seen as a bit childish, but when you look at it, it kind of answers your question,

“Graffiti and street art are very similar to people who aren’t involved in that scene but to those who are really involved like Robbo, who’s an old school artist, and Banksy who is more of a political street artist it shows how different the two can be,

“We’ve all got to respect each others work at the end of the day, but people do get judged if they start to take money for their graffiti work, but why shouldn’t they?

“I’ve done my running from police and perfecting my tags on a wall so why shouldn’t I make a living from it!”

Darren’s street clothing store, Bait MCR, was inspired by his time spray painting the streets, with many of the designs replicating graffiti tags.

As for the future of street art and graffiti in Manchester it seems like as the city becomes more accepting and societies views on tins of spray paint change we can expect to see more and more designs across the city, however, when venturing down the canals or through the railway tunnels those places will always be a hot spot for tagging and more classic ‘graffiti’.

* (TAG = Street name).**Some names have been changed for

privacy

MCR OCTOBER 2015Im

ages

: Vin

cent

Col

e, S

ophi

e Fl

int

Graffiti in the Northern Quarter on the Koffee Pot

OCTOBER 2015 MCR

10 MCR LAUNCH ISSUE

MCRWhere to be this month!Manchester is your playground

whethr it’s during the day, or at night time.

You’ll be completely spoilt for choice when it comes to Manchester’s nightlife. It has one of the strongest scenes in the country, boasting major club establishments and live music hot spots both big and small.

Take a look at our guide for this month online if you need any confirmation that there really is something for everyone.

Clubbing has many shapes and guises, from underground dance music clubs right through to commercial party nights.

The city has a pretty impressive live music heritage, and the talent that flocks to Manchester on a regu-lar basis cements it as one of the most relevant locations in the world of rock, indie and alternative. It’s also a major stop off on the touring schedules of most bands.

If you prefer a quieter night out, then Manchester’s bars range from cosy and

unique through to downright outlandish. For a more cultural outlook, then there is a vast selection of theatres and pic-ture houses to keep everyone entertained. One thing’s for sure, you won’t be stuck for stuff to do when the sun goes down in this town.

Whereas in the daytime you can take a stroll through the shopping centre, or learn something new at the various museums...

Hannah Wants is back and brings a huge line up to the famous Warehouse Project. She returns to Manchester after her sell-out gig at

the Albert Hall earlier this year. Combining bass, house and garage,

What Hannah Wants brings with her the likes of Friend Within,

My Nu Leng and Gotsome for an explosive night at the world famous Warehouse.

Returning to it’s original home on Store Street the night is not to be missed. Tickets can be bought online at

www.warehouseproject.com

Sola events returns to Gorilla, Manchester on Friday the 16th October to bring the mighty ‘Waifs & Strays’ to play some

banging house and techno.Waifs & Strays first appeared among

the new wave of house-leaning producers to emerge from Bristol’s ever fertile music scene back in 2010 alongside friends like Eats Everything and Julio Bashmore.

On the night there will be local support from Murr, Dan Partington, and SM One.

Hannah wants in the mix

The boys showing us what they’ve got

MCR OCTOBER 2015

LAUNCH ISSUE MCR 11

If you’re looking for something

different this Halloween head over

to Store Street for a sensational

party.

Join Skream and Daniel Avery for a

party not to be missed. Paul Woolford

and Gerd Janson will go back to back

followed by Leon Vynehall and Artwork

to name just a few.

Tucked away in the underbelly of

Piccadilly Station there is no better place

to have a spooky Halloween. Tickets are

selling fast so be quick to get yours.

Tickets can be purchased from the

official Warehouse Project or from

Skiddle.

If you fancy something different this month why not head over to Manchester museum of science and industry for their evaporation exhibition running all through

October. See seas, oceans and tides celebrated in

sculptural form by artist Tania Kovats. Winner of Cape Farewell’s James Lovelock Art Commission for 2015.

All The Seas presents water from all the world’s seas, collected with the help of a global network of people drawn in by the idea of bringing all the waters of the world to one place.

Playtime isn’t just for children.

In fact, studies have shown

that play can bring about

extraordinary results for

creative thinking in people of all ages.

Inspired by playful snowy scenes, this

art installation invites you to immerse

yourself in a pool of white balls. So, leave

your sensible self behind and jump in…

As part of Manchester Science Festival

Festival, creative design agency Pearlfisher

will drop 81,000 pearly white balls into

Manchester’s Museum of Science &

Industryfor the duration of the festival

from Thursday 22 October to Sunday 1

November.

Imag

es: M

att

Eac

hus,

Mus

eum

of S

cien

ce a

nd in

dust

ry

WHP has crowds of hundreds

Evapouration exhibition

Release you’re inner child

OCTOBER 2015 MCR

12 MCR LAUNCH ISSUE

Images: M

ax Dabrow

ski“It’s all about

capturing the perfect moment

”

LAUNCH ISSUE 12 MCR

MCR OCTOBER 2015

The art of street photography

The art of street and urban landscape photography is often strenuous and lonely, and for the most part unrewarding from a monetary standpoint,”

says New York City-based photographer Alvin Valentierra in an article he wrote for the Huffington Post. So why do it? For Alvin, it’s a therapeutic way to express himself. Street and urban landscape photography requires just you and your camera. It has a low barrier to entry compared to other types of photography that may require more expensive equipment and is a great way to begin to learn photography and find out what it is that you’re most interested in. The streets, particularly in NYC, provide

ample opportunities to try a wide variety of different types of photography, including fashion, architecture, events, and landscapes.

In Max’s case (above), he believes that his best work comes from a place of pain and anxiety. It’s all about capturing the perfect moment, and his ability to capture that perfect moment is often born from an unsettled place. In contrast to another street photographer, Eric Kim, Max uses inner turmoil to help him become a better photographer. These two photographers have taken very different approaches to street photography and have each produced great images.

To label himself artistically feels confining to Max. Rather than pigeonhole himself as

a street and urban landscape photographer, he would rather look at it at his having a preference for street and urban landscape photography. Street and urban landscape photography doesn’t pay the bills, he says, nor does he aim to change the world with his work. He wants to “capture beauty” how he sees it and have images to look at when he’s older. If his work is appreciated by others, that’s a bonus.

He laughs and jokes about his risky photography and said: “I sit on more roofs than Santa.”

OCTOBER 2015 MCR

14 MCR LAUNCH ISSUE

Images: M

ax Dabrow

ski

“I sit on

more roofs than Santa

”

MCR OCTOBER 2015

LAUNCH ISSUE MCR 15

Imag

es: M

att

Eac

hus

Competition time

At MCR we know how much you guys love to party so we’ve teamed up with The Warehouse Project Manchester to give

you lot a chance of winning a season pass.

To be in with a chance of winning we want you to send us a photo of you raving it up with your mates along with 100 words as to why you should be the chosen one.

If you win you’ll get two VIP passes for the whole of this season, meaning

that you could be attending Warehouse project twice a week.

The line-ups that you can be expected to witness are Paradise where you can rave your socks off to Jamie Jones, Knife Party, Bugged out to watch Skream and Feel my Bicep to name a few.

Make sure you send in your entry by

the 15th November to competitions@mcrmagazine.com

All images show the legendary WHP

MCR

NEXT MONTH

Manchester’s Northern Soul scene as it is today

Christmas markets come to town

Exclusive interview legend Clint Boon

Winter holidays

under £200