Archive

Faithless, Pure

‘Looking for the truth in a fucked-up society can be a very lonely and thankless task. The system has always been rigged in favour of the rich and powerful. If you think about it, the whole of the Western world is built on greed, gangsterism and piracy, so there isn’t a good role model for anyone to aspire to. Our political leaders like to peddle the myth that you can improve the lot of the poorest without challenging the powerful. Well, no, actually. History tells us otherwise.’ Download: PDF...

Linda Evangelista, Pure

I get told a lot that I look like Linda Evangelista. Then we have this little argument. I say, ‘Well, I am,’ and they go, ‘You can‘t be, because she‘s taller.’ And I say, ‘No, she’s this height,‘ and they say, ‘No, she‘s taller,‘ and so it continues. I have that little discussion about two or three times a week. Download: PDF...

Damon Albarn, Pure

For Damon Albarn, London’s calling again. But this time it isn’t the hedonistic, Union Jack-garlanded capital of Good Mixers and diamond geezers evoked by prime-time Brit Pop, it’s something far more complex. This is the city as symbol of a country already drowning where, he says, ‘The tidal wave has come already… both the actual tsunami and a metaphysical one’. By now you’ll already be familiar with the Good the Bad and the Queen’s debut record, a strange, melancholy look at what it means to be English in the 21st...

20s speakeasies, T&G

There’s something about the heady days of prohibition and the thrill of sneaking into bars through hidden doorways that holds timeless appeal – which goes some way to explain why today’s best cocktail parlours, in the fashion capitals of London-Paris-New York, are looking to the 20s and stealing a touch of the era’s decadence. Download: PDF...

Syria’s lost cities, Voyager

Country Escapes, Voyager

THERE’S NOTHING QUITE SO ROMANTIC as the British countryside in winter. All that tramping through muddy leaves, followed by scones and jam in front of a crackling fi re. But with such huge choice these days, deciding where to stay is the hard part. The British country hotel has undergone a renaissance in recent years, so much so that the typical chintzy, crumbling manor houses of yore have gone the way of the smoky pub and all but disappeared. Instead, there’s a new breed of country hotel that’s every bit as...

Anna Calvi + Most Wanted, Voyager

IT WAS LIKE WATER AT THE END OF THE DESERT,” says singer-songwriter Anna Calvi, remembering the moment she received a letter of encouragement from Brian Eno, who told her that her music was “full of intelligence, romance and passion”. Eno wasn’t the only one to be impressed. After he mentioned her to Nick Cave, Cave invited her to support him on his group Grinderman’s 2010 tour. Since then, she has released her debut album and been included in the BBC’s Sound of 2011 list....

Steve McCurry + Gourmet Buzz, Voyager

BEST KNOWN FOR HIS HAUNTING PORTRAIT of the Afghan girl with the luminous green eyes from the 1980s, Steve McCurry has travelled to the far corners of the earth to capture some of the world’s most unforgettable and evocative images of war and peace. The award-winning American photojournalist has witnessed disaster, horror, love and passion everywhere from Beirut, Cambodia and the former Yugoslavia to, in the aftermath of 9/11, New York City, where he lives three months out of the year when not on travel assignments. “My life is shaped by...

Culture Edit, T&G + Ed Sheeran, Voyager

Aravane Rezai, Voyager

WHEN ARAVANE REZAI WON GOLD for the Islamic Republic of Iran, she did so in front of a female-only audience. Sporting conventions differ in Tehran from those in her birth country, France, but the enthusiasm for the game and determination to win are the same in both cultures. Born in Saint Etienne to Iranian immigrant parents, who spoke Farsi to her at home, Rezai holds both French and Iranian passports and, despite normally playing for France, has twice represented Iran in the Women’s Islamic Games. She has built up an extensive...