Planes Over Paris – The Trafalgar 24/01/09

When a band is called something such as this, it invites too many puns based on their name. I think to do this to a band of this calibre would be doing them a complete disservice. Planes’ have been together in this format for about a year now, previously going by the name of Gratiz 3 and raising quite a decent following on the Manx music scene. But now with the new name and new material, also with the addition of keys/synths and a tweak of their sound to a more atmospheric direction, there’s no reason why this band cannot achieve great things away from the Island. Last night’s show to a packed out Trafalgar went a long way towards proving this…

From the outset, you can tell that is a band that has made every effort possible to rehearse every note to the point of perfection and this is evident in the way that their songs are put across. With material of the quality of Someone Else’s Sun and Hospital Patio (both incidentally available to listen to on the Planes Over Paris MySpace page) you can hear the rare sound of 4 musicians playing as a single unit. Over the top of Ben & Martyn who are one of the tightest rhythm sections you’ll have the pleasure to hear are some wonderfully subtle synth sounds from new recruit Steff that for once in a band don’t overpower you and actually add to rather than detract from the overall melody. Topping this off is a rhythm/lead guitar combination from Paul that actually bucks the trend for most vocalists/guitarists, in that he doesn’t take control of the overall sound and treats the band as an extension of his instrumentation!

The gig itself was played to practically a full house in the Traf, in which Billy had had the foresight to move the tables out of the band room and into the green room, so for the first time in living memory, it actually felt like a gig in there and not someone playing at the top end of a furniture shop (now about moving that pool table out of there…). One thing that shows through is that, as intricate as these songs are, they are meant to be played live, but through a decent PA with a competent engineer as for the most part for the instrumental “post-rock” (a genre I know nothing about and had to be told what it meant!) passages, you need to be able to hear the individual instruments each playing their own lines, that’s not to say that what they play is indulgent noodling, but rather, an overall sound where all 4 (or 5 if you count the vocals) instruments contribute to the overall feel of the song.

Musically this is a band that has taken a variety of influences from the last 2 decades and managed to make disparate sounds somehow fit together. Last night I heard, amongst other things, old school goth, new wave, the late 80’s Manchester & Leeds sounds and (so I was told) the new post-rock style. It’s a very hard thing to explain in terms of what they sound like, but the closest I can get is an overall feel that The Bravery were a pastiche of, The Cult used to try to sound like around the time of Dreamtime & Love, The Sundays made commercialised and The Sisters Of Mercy had for a short while before they reinvented themselves as The Pet Shop Boys go to a funeral. Throw in some Mars Voltaesque time changes and that about sums things up (see what I mean!)

The only thing I can actually suggest is to go and see this band yourself as they defy description, but I can assure you that you will come away not unhappy and in these days of too many complaints about no gigs to go to and no venues to go see these non-existent gigs in, that can’t be a bad thing at all.

Here are some photos from the gig:

Photos by Martin Critchley

Isle of Man Limo

Picture the scene. You’re lying on your back staring up at the stars with your partner lying next to you, champagne at your hand and soft music in the background. You take a deep breath, rise to your feet and walk your partner slowly back to the stretch limousine waiting for you down the road. It’s your wedding anniversary and you wanted to surprise your loved one with a moonlight picnic in a secluded corner of the Island. Your limousine picked you up from home took you for a peaceful trip around the Island, then left you to your privacy at a romantic spot, alone with a glass of chilled champagne. It’s now time to go back home, and your ride is waiting to take you home in style.

This is just one of the many types of trips that can by organised by Chauffeur Drive, a Manx company that specialises in high quality transport that can be booked for trips, parties, outings or airport pick ups. Whether you’re collected with the top-end Jaguar or with their stretch limousine you can be guaranteed a pleasurable trip, in the highest quality transport available on the Isle of Man.

The limo is the ultimate in luxury on wheels. It can accommodate 8 people and boasts laser and mood lighting, 2 TVs, CD, DVD, PS2 and Karaoke. All these can be configured to your liking and can be adjusted to suit any mood and occasion. The vehicle can also be rented for a booze cruise around the Isle of Man. This is a 4 hour trip around the Island stopping anywhere you wish. Complimentary bubbly, ice and glasses are provided as part of the package. It’s also available for weddings, parties and any other occasion that you may require.

If you don’t want to splash out, the company also has an executive Jaguar available for private hire at standard taxi rates. This has a really smooth ride and offers a luxurious journey which won’t break the bank. It’s fully air conditioned, with a tasteful leather interior and a really comfortable ride.

Chauffeur Drive are always happy to adapt their services to whatever you need, so if you are looking for a stylish ride, send them a message on their website or give them a call on 07624-472658.

New Year Resolutions

The New Year often signifies new beginnings for us. It is an opportunity to rethink our lives and promise ourselves to fix what we think needs to be improved upon. Hence New Years Resolutions. I think a resolution is always a good thing. It need not be done just at new year but at any time of year. A resolution is exactly what it implies – resolve to maintain something.

In today’s day and age we are all health & green focused and it would not be unusual to find that most resolutions will be health focused or world focused. Now it is all very well to say that as of today, I will eat my 5 a day every day, walk everywhere and catch buses instead of drive, quit smoking and drinking and lose weight in the process. Truth is if you currently don’t do any of these, well suddenly doing all this will be an impossible chore. If you actually manage to maintain your resolution until the end of the week I would be majorly impressed. It is always far better to chose one resolution and stick by it no matter what, even when the going gets tough. And it will get tough. After all, if it were easy, you would not need to strengthen your resolve. And only when it has become part and parcel, should you attempt to add another resolution. And if you think you cracked it in a week… think again! The minimum amount of time it will take before it can be considered habitual is 9 weeks. Having said that I believe it is better to be prudent and give it a minimum of 3 months. And even then you need to keep a watchful eye. After all it is always easier to slip into a bad habit. Usually because bad habits taste better, are easier or simply more fun!!

I wish you the very best with your resolution(s) and hope that your find the strength and perseverance to stick to it!

Happy New Year!

Representing Yourself

The introduction of arbitration act 1996 was the start of many reforms to the legal systems to increase access to justice. What was fundamentally laid out in the act was that there were many paths that one could pursue to resolve a dispute. With lawyers fees on average in the area of 200 pounds per an hour getting legal advice, never mind actually pursuing it in the courts, was well beyond most people’s means. In consultation for the access to justice act in 1999 it was discovered that many disputes could be resolved cheaper, more quickly and better in number of process such as, Arbitration, Mediation, Conciliation, Med-arb, and Natural fact finding.

The courts have been encouraging Alternative dispute resolution since 1993 one can feel its influence in employment, social security, mental health, land, rent, and divorce. The last has been found to be less encouraged by lawyers who are probably keen to keep the fees gained when mediation is not used.

Having experienced a work tribunal myself, there are a number of observations that spring to my mind. In most tribunals it is normal for both parties to represent themselves. When pursuing claims under £10,000 pounds solicitor’s fees could very quickly eat up a large chunk of that money and that is before you have even reached the tribunal. So what can one do to ensure that you achieve the best result?

Well there is no doubt that it is about advocacy. It is about convincing the members of the tribunal that your case is the better one, and that they should make a decision in your favour. Although the decisions are binding you can appeal. So what to do in practical circumstances? Well it is about a number of principles. Knowing your case and applicable law beyond all doubt will increase your chances. Insuring that you participate in the proceedings and are good at presenting you argument will help too. I will deal with each one of these individually.

Knowing your case and applicable law beyond all doubt

Whether you are employing someone to do this for you or planning to do it yourself, you are going to need to know as much about the relevant matter as possible. Where do you start? Well lets say the case is about terms and conditions in your contract. One can quite easily find any number of books relating to employment law on Amazon. Make sure that you get the most update version as law never stands still and you would not want to be quoting something that is out of date. It is quite reasonable to drill down on just a small area of law. Most text books will give the important precedent relating to the matter. A precedent is the legal case that has defined the law in a certain area. When you have your precedent (i.e. Smith v Jones) you will need to read that case and dissect it for all the relevant information that will help your case and any other related information that was used in reaching that judgment. It may now sound daunting but anybody who regular reads and has a reasonable education with the proper motivation could be extremely well informed on the matter in relative short period of time. If reading is not your thing, than you will need to find someone who can be persuaded to do it for you and is up for the challenge. When you the have the relevant information it will be come clear what your argument is and what your chances of winning are. A word advice though, when examining the facts, always look for what can be argued reasonable and remember English law is not about punishing the other party; it is about putting you in the position you were before the breach.

Ensuring that you participate in the proceedings

I was recently watching criminal proceedings in a magistrate’s court. The defendant had an excellent case. Unfortunately he was let down by his presentation. In the first instance he turned up 15 minutes late. He was a road construction worker and turned up in his working clothes. He had by then unintentionally bordered on treating the whole proceedings with contempt. Even if the magistrates wanted to make a decision in his favour he made it very difficult. If you want your matter to be treated seriously it is important that you show the tribunal basic respect. Ensuring that you turn up on time and are properly dressed will give the impression that you are reasonable and seeking a reasonable solution. If this is too difficult than you are better off to be represented by some one who can do this. In all tribunals you can be represented by anyone you choose. So if this is not your forte find someone whose strength it is.

Presenting your arguments

Clarity is key, the only way to get clarity is to go over and over your argument. In the process of that you will than start to be come aware of your opponent’s argument and can prepare relevant questions for when that moment comes. Of course tribunals are not courts of law, they are usually a three panel member board and will try assist you in anyway they can.

With good basic planning you can achieve excellent results in whole host matters and it need not cost you the earth. Which is what justice is all about.

For Manx case law check out this site: www.judgements.im

This is also a good resource about arbitration:

• http://www.adrnow.org.uk/go/Default.html