‘I want to be a one-hit wonder': Comedian Margaret Cho releases first album in 8 years
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
17 hours ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on Berlin's ailing club scene: a unique inheritance needs protecting
Reflecting on his burst of musical creativity in 1970s West Berlin, David Bowie reportedly said that recording albums in a studio close to the Wall gave him a 'sense of being on the edge … I need the dangerous level, emotionally, mentally and physically'. During the 1970s and 80s, Bowie was not alone. The divided, fascinating city was famously a magnet for young people drawn by a music and club scene unique in Europe. Sadly, living on the edge has these days taken on a different meaning for Berlin clubs struggling to survive in altered times. In a sobering dispatch at the weekend, the Guardian reported that one of Germany's oldest and most important gay dance clubs has just declared itself bankrupt. Founded in 1977 – the year Bowie brought out his classic Low album – SchwuZ became a pioneering presence in the development of Berlin's LGBTQ+ networks, and a symbol of the freedoms available in a city with a thriving counterculture. It will stay open until October and has launched a fundraising drive, but the prospects look bleak. More broadly, Clubsterben (the death of clubs) is becoming an unhappy fact of Berliner life. Industry organisations warn that a combination of factors is undermining a proud cultural inheritance. Some clubs have failed to recover from the impact of the pandemic. Inflation and higher electricity costs have further ratcheted up the pressure. Soaring commercial rents and gentrification – in a city once described by its mayor as 'poor but sexy' – are cumulatively taking their toll. Busche, another famous gay and lesbian club with its roots in communist East Berlin, closed last month, citing rising costs. Wilde Renate, part of a more recent wave of 21st-century household names, will close at the end of the year, after unsustainable rent rises in the down-at-heel Friedrichshain district. Changing habits among the young may also be playing a part. One recent survey of Berlin club owners found that the estimated average age of clubbers was 30, with less buy-in from those aged 18 to 21. Generation Z loves an outdoor festival, but its relish for hedonistic excess in smallish independent venues may not be as pronounced as in previous generations. Cost-of-living related issues have undoubtedly contributed to a fall in overall club attendance numbers. In October, a celebratory festival will make the case for the 'long-term visibility and recognition' of the city's clubs. A fightback on their behalf is surely overdue. Last year the federal government added Berlin's techno scene to a list of Germany's 'intangible cultural heritage', compiled for Unesco. But the dangers faced by a sector that risks tipping into sad decline are all too tangible. Regulating commercial rents for locations deemed to be of cultural importance would be one significant way to offer a lifeline. From the Cabaret-style glitz of the Weimar era to 1990s techno startups based in urban wasteland, Berlin nightlife has always known how to adapt to the times. But a history so precious should not be abandoned to the whims of market forces. In recent years, many Berliners have mourned the demise of thousands of traditional corner pubs, or Kneipen, as rents have gone up and leases have not been renewed. The city's remarkable, historic club scene deserves to be treated with more care and respect. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Love Island's bookies reveal shock couple emerge as the NEW favourites to win just hours ahead of the final
Bookies have revealed that a shock couple have emerged as the favourites to win just hours ahead of the live final on Monday evening. As four couples remain to battle it all out on the hit dating show, Meg and Dejon were the latest couple to get the chop during Sunday's instalment. Now, Bookies odds have revealed that Harry and Shakira are tipped to win the ITV2 dating show despite the pair having had a turbulent time in the villa. According to Ladbrokes, the couple, who have only been together a week, are tipped to win by a massive 10/11. This latest twist has seen the new favourites' odds tumble from 6/1 over the weekend. It was with Yasmin and Jamie, but they have gone out to 7/2 from 11/8 as the frontrunners. Longtime favourites Toni and Cach are still 7/4 from 6/4, while Angel and Ty prop up the betting at 18/1. Cal Gildart of Ladbrokes said: 'After all the attraction, the tension, it comes down to tonight. And the odds don't lie! 'While Shakira and Harry might not be the most popular contestants among the fanbase, punters clearly think that the crown is theirs.' Shakira and Harry's love journey has been anything but smooth sailing. At the very first recoupling of the series, Shakira coupled up with Harry, which meant Sophie Lee was dumped from the island. However, after he put her through a brutal love triangle with Helena, Shakira cut things off with the semi-pro footballer. But after trying to make things work with Conor, she realised her feelings for Harry were still very strong. After she expressed how she truly felt to the gold dealer, it turned out he felt the same way. He then dumped Helena, leaving her heartbroken, and decided to pick things back up with Shakira. It comes after Meg and Dejon became the latest couple to be dumped from the Love Island villa after the ex-Islanders had their say. Maya Jama returned to the Majorca mansion for the dramatic scenes as the last days in the villa got well and truly underway. She revealed that couples Angel and Ty, as well as Meg and Dejon, were at risk of being dumped from the villa after receiving the least amount of votes from the public. Addressing the couples, she announced: 'I have some very important news. Can you come and join me on the lawn?' She then continues: 'As you know, last night Megan and Conor were dumped as a result of receiving the least amount of votes for most compatible couple. 'I'm now going to reveal the two other couples who received the fewest votes and are at risk of being dumped from the island.' But in a shock twist, Maya said that the bottom two couples' fate would be decided by their ex-contestants as they returned to the show. Each former contestant then gathered at the fire pit and were asked to share their honest opinions about the remaining couples. Maya continued: 'Today, one more couple will be dumped from the Love Island Villa. And that decision will be made by some very familiar faces. 'Welcome back guys. You must now individually decide which couple is the least compatible. The couple with the most votes will be dumped from the island immediately.' Meg and Dejon received the most votes from the former contestants, who decided that their arguing made them the least compatible. The winning couple will walk away with a cool £50,000 during the live finale on Monday night, with the British public determining who wins. Meanwhile, The Mail on Sunday can reveal the broadcaster will be reviewing the show later this month, with insiders forecasting the winter series and All Stars are facing 'the chop'. Love Island viewers this season have been rocked by the 'abusive' behaviour of the contestants towards one another, leading to 9,000 Ofcom complaints in a week and prompting the TV watchdog to begin an investigation. The charity Women's Aid even waded in by issuing a statement criticising the show as a place where 'women are often lied to, slut-shamed and manipulated'. One insider said: 'ITV is stuck between a rock and a hard place because this sort of behaviour is generating incredible viewing figures, with this series being the most watched since summer 2022 – it's averaging 2.4million viewers. 'ITV also can't be seen to be promoting the values some of these contestants are displaying – it's all getting a bit too much.' Another issue raised by the insider was 'over saturation', with viewing figures dropping since the launch of the winter series in 2020 and the All Stars last year. At its peak in 2019, it attracted 6million viewers a night, falling by a million a year later. And after the All Stars series was introduced in 2024, figures plummeted to an all-time low of 1million for the launch of this series. The insider added: 'The plan is to follow the US formula of one show a year with more vetting of contestants, higher quality and more control, which will mean the winter series and All Stars get the chop.' The majority of complaints were about the 'bullying' of Shakira Khan, 22, with one viewer saying: 'This isn't entertainment, it's emotional neglect.' Jessye Werner, of Women's Aid, said 'more must be done to educate contestants on sexism and misogyny'. And she praised viewers 'who call out these behaviours'.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Young Hearts review – arrival of dishy teen neighbour sparks queer first love story
Here is a movie from Belgium about young queer love, with an obvious superficial resemblance to Lukas Dhont's recent intense drama Close. But for all that this film shows an arguably refreshing and perhaps even radical refusal to problematise the central relationship, it looks pretty shallow in comparison. Elias (Lou Goossens) is a teen boy in rural Belgium, notionally going out with Valerie (Saar Rogiers), a girl at his school. His grandpa is a farmer nearby, his dad a composer of cheesy but successful pop songs. Elias is quietly stunned when a good-looking boy of his age moves in next door, just arrived from Brussels; this is Alexander (Marius De Saeger). They become friends; Alexander is perfectly calm and candid about being gay and then they become more than friends. They have to deal with homophobic bullying at school and Elias's discarded girlfriend has to handle her own feelings of anger and rejection. The drama sorts itself out neatly before the closing credits and the older generation on both sides seem to be very enlightened, which is surprising, if admirable, in the case of Elias's rural farmer grandpa. In the end there is something a little too smooth and passionless in the film – there is nothing, for example to match or even approach the great speech from Michael Stuhlbarg's caring father to Timothée Chalamet's heartbroken Elio in Guadagnino's Call Me By Your Name. Everyone knows that young love, gay and straight, is (mostly) about heartbreak and about moving on. I'm not sure that this film really understands that. Young Hearts is in UK cinemas from 8 August.
