Laurence Fox removed from GB News over comments about female journalist

Lana Conway on 20 October 2023

GB News has terminated the contract of two of its presenters and suspended another following comments made by Laurence Fox about a female journalist.

Fox, who was speaking on the Dan Wootton Tonight Show, received widespread backlash after making debilitating comments about the journalist Ava Evans. The broadcaster said in response that it would be ending their relationship with the presenter.

Dan Wootton has also been suspended whilst an investigation by the broadcaster takes place and Calvin Robinson, a conservative political commentator and broadcaster has been sacked after defending Fox.

Ava Evans, the journalist at the brunt of this sexist attack, currently works as the political correspondent for the news platform, Joe, however, was on BBC Politics Live and discussing the topic of men’s mental health which spawned the misogynistic outburst from Fox and Wootton.

Evans responded to this backlash stating that “the clip speaks for itself… I’m a bit speechless”.

Fox, despite releasing an apology on X, formerly known as Twitter, still stands by his comments in telling all self-re-specting men to “run a mile from her, but regrets using the dysphemism “shag” in his misogynistic rant.

Olivia Piggott, a student at the University of Leeds criticised his ‘apology” stating that “the increase in entertain-ment-based online news channels such as GB News are permitting these misogynistic comments.

“Despite being fired, the fact that he is showing little remorse shows how this industry is fuelled and funded by these shock factor bite-size clips. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they get on these controversial figures, and therefore these news channels have a responsibility to viewers to prevent these bigoted guests on their shows.” MailOnline has now also ended Wootton’s contract, following the 7,000 overnight complaints made to the media regulator Ofcom which is investigating whether the programme broke the broadcasting code.

Ava Evans, the 29-year-old, has also recently revealed that she received an email from GB News after the eruption occurred, which stated that “what Fox said was not representative of the rest of the GB News outfit.”

In a society that is considered to be more diverse, it is uncertain whether there are still true misogynists at heart, or whether this outburst is simply the mindset of a few, disorderly individuals.

Dolores Forever Proving Themselves as an Indie Staple at Oporto, Leeds

Richard O'Brien on 19 October 2023 

Written by Richard O'Brien
Edited by Eve Moat

Let me take you back to March 2023, strangely with snow still on the ground in Leeds. Sat in the Leeds Student Radio office browsing a list of new songs provided by a promoter. While the list may have had 20 or 30 songs, one stood out. It was continuously clawing away at my attention each time I tried to continue my way through the list. That song was Dolores Forever’s ‘Good Time All The Time’. At the time, the band’s YouTube channel had 2 songs without videos. Since then, the band has slowly grown under the radar but is now ready for your attention with their first headline tour. While this may be their first headline tour, the indie pop group has been in the music scene far longer than you might expect.

After becoming friends at a house party, both working as songwriters at the time, the duo of Hannah Wilson and Julia Fabrin decided to form a band. Dolores Forever was formed releasing their first single ‘Kilimanjaro’ 2 years ago. Since releasing that debut track, the band has been progressing towards their original goal of playing in stadiums. Although it could be easily misunderstood, this dream is not born from a place of vanity. Rather, it is a fear of being labelled an acoustic band despite producing songs that demand to be played loud. Over the summer, Live at Leeds in the Park was filled with that noise. On Wednesday night, Oporto was the next stepping stone towards that vision. While the end goal may not be playing Oporto, the duo certainly didn’t show that. Making their way through the sellout crowd, admittedly a small one given the size of the venue, the two were dressed in Alice in Wonderland-esc dresses. The perfect contrast to their grown-up lyrics focused on the trials and tribulations of womanhood in the modern age. From the bands perspective, most songs focus on either money, death, expectations, or a combination of all three.

As a band still awaiting their big, breakout hit after 2 years, the setlist felt evenly weighted. Rather than waiting the full hour set for their biggest hit at the end, the earlier parts were evenly balanced with the latter. I would argue the band fired out the blocks swinging with their best tracks. As evidence, three of their four most-played songs on Spotify and their latest single all appeared in the opening third of the set. Reliably, Dolores Forever bingo was checked off with all songs featuring at least one of the themes of money, death, or expectations.

Another band with similar existential fears is The Big Moon. And fans of the indie queens should look out for Dolores Forever’s new track ‘Shut up and Eat the Pasta’ which previewed halfway through the set. Much like The Big Moon’s ‘Dog Eat Dog’, the song combines genuinely emotive lyrics with humour and the mundane. “Is this as good as it gets?” The band asks dejectedly before shortly moving on to singing “Shut up and eat the pasta, it’s going to taste great”, something all students can attest to. A slightly less enjoyable part of the shared human experience, break-ups, are vividly detailed in the aforementioned debut single. Although most seasoned gig attendees could have spotted the change in tone as the drummer exited the stage two-thirds of the way through the set, the stripped-back acoustic style came as a welcomed surprise. With an emphasis on lyrics, the duo drew attention to their songwriting capabilities leaving no listener questioning their origins in the industry. Just take the lyrics “When I fell, I hit so hard. Landing on the bones of mountain climbers.” Despite this brief change in tone – and lyrics – the duo were down but not out. An unreleased song about the pressure of the music industry and the need to keep going, sung with both vocalists facing toward each other for the majority of the track, felt like an insight into the band’s genuine friendship. That friendship was on full display as Julia laughed whilst explaining how she had previously (and more importantly, accidentally) set her hair on fire in Oporto, or as Hannah nervously reminisced about her phobia of talking in front of large numbers of people.

If the closing of the set is anything to go by, Dolores Forever should get used to the crowds. Arguably no lyric felt more relatable to the audience than “Serotonin in my mind keeping me awake” featured in the closing song ‘Party In My Mind’. Leaving the packed Oporto, every member of the audience knows exactly what Dolores Forever meant with that lyric.

ALBUM REVIEW: Jorja Smith’s New Album is Not Falling Down but Flying High

Emma Randall on 19 October 2023 

Written by Emma Randall
Edited by Eve Moat

Jorja Smith’s highly anticipated second studio album Falling or Flying (2023) encapsulates a symphony of smooth jazz melodies whilst engaging in a steady empowering narrative through syncopated basslines. The prerelease of ‘Little Things’ remixed by DJ Nia Archive catapulted the song into a viral sensation providing a fiery, club track which served to highlight the genius of the singer. The hugely positive reception to the remix allowed excitement and anticipation around the newly released album to blossom. A perfect soundtrack to the new season of autumnal cosiness, demanding the quietness of your own presence while listening alone, Smith’s rich voice comforts the ears whilst her sweet melodies flow throughout each track.

Tracing her journey into womanhood, the album opens with ‘Try Me,’ a lively and indie pop sound, allowing an expression of fierce independence to assert itself at the very beginning of the album. Smith sings to her past relationships and refuses to alter her true self-image creating her own identity absent of men. The second tack ‘She Feels’ reaffirms Smith’s attempt to create a version of her true self, she sings “They think that they know me here/ But I know you’d know I haven’t/ quite been myself for years.” After newfound fame during the release of her debut album Lost and Found, the singer’s five-year break and relocation to hometown of Walsall allows this album to meditate the effects of fame, challenging the ideas of self-identity. In a change of melody, ‘Little Things’ brings vibrancy and pace to the album following the opening two tracks. The syncopated, old garage style recounts the story of going to a club and having your eye on someone. This universal feeling is emulated in the track, the butterflies felt are literally imitated by the fast-paced synths. Blending seamlessly into ‘Flights skit’ British rapper J-Hus is introduced. Known for his features of Afroswing, the pairing works perfectly. The smooth R’n’B tones of Smith’s voice partnered with J- Hus’ slower rap provides ‘Feelings’ with a slower opening only to pick up power and pace towards the ending of the song. Smith’s deep voice also echoes Amy Winehouse in her ability to sing in a lower vocal range.

The titular track of the album ‘Falling or Flying’ reinforces Smith’s acceptance of life within the public eye and her ability to adapt her mindset to deal with the pressures of fame. Unable to tell the difference between flying up high or falling down low, Smith’s indifference to her perceived fame reassures the listener of her grounded mentality. Smith encourages the listener to think about the consequences of fame. The work that Smith has poured into the album resembles the work put into her own mentality against these pressures. The pop punk feel of ‘GO GO GO’ in the middle of the album showcases the wide variety of Smith’s vocal range, once again highlighting her versatility and ability to change the mood of the listener through a change in melody. ‘Try and Fit in’ continues the slower, indie inspired tone allowing for moments of peace and contemplation during the middle of the album.

Smith’s collaboration with Jamaican singer, Lila Iké on ‘Greatest Gift’ emphasises the importance of being there for each other through hard times. A clear friendship between the two singers manifests out of the track. Iké’s verse layers Smith’s vocals providing complexity and range to the track, as heard in ‘Cause you’re the greatest gift, just know that where you are is where you’re meant to be’. The song was recorded on Iké’s birthday, emphasising the title of the track, not only as a gift for Iké but also for their listeners.

In ‘Broken is the man’, Smith’s assertion of identity is clear. Her knowledge of her self-worth and independence speaks to past relationships and places the blame previously put on her to the men that have hurt her. In a sharp twist, ‘Make sense’ recounts the true and healthy love which provides Smith with a ‘home in you I’ve found.’ Smith’s smooth, deep vocals are echoed in ‘Too many times’ ‘Lately’ and ‘What if my heart beats faster?’ In ‘Backwards’, Smith’s higher pitched melody provides a welcomed change to the final tracks of the album, serving again to show the immense vocal range so unique to Smith. Smith’s assured voice and confident earthy tones propel this album into one of the best releases of the year. Her vocal ability soaring from low gravelly tones to high aerial notes signify Smith’s ability to cover the height of feelings between both states of flying and falling.

LIVE REVIEW: Mahalia at O2 Academy, Leeds

Hannah Hudson on 19 October 2023 

Written by Hannah Hudson
Edited by Eve Moat

Kicking off her UK and EU tour, Mahalia shook off her first-gig-of-tour nerves in an emotionally intimate show at the O2 Academy in Leeds, with a stunning performance that left the audience in a buzz of positive energy. For listeners like me who are curious to understand the stories behind the songs of an artist like Mahalia, this gig was a brilliant example of an artist inviting their fans into their world and personality. Weaving witty song introductions and off-the-cuff, goofy remarks between hip-hop beats and smooth neo-soul vocals, her authentic and open approach to live performance allowed her to completely claim the stage as her own.

Ahead of Mahalia’s performance, the crowd was warmed up by supporting band No Guidance, whose swoon-worthy harmonies, coordinated choreography and sculpted physiques transported listeners back to the heyday of boybands of the likes of NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. Finishing up with their 2023 EP title track ‘Is It A Crime?’, whose chorus asks “is it a crime to want them all? […] Too many beautiful girls in this world,” it was no surprise to see one band member casually throw up a ‘call me’ gesture at one lucky listener down below.

The brief interval following the support saw the majority female audience chatter between
themselves and slowly shuffle forwards towards the stage, eager to become part of the swell at the
front of the venue in full view of the stage in anticipation of the performance to come. Taking in the
audience around me, I felt a sense of comfort that I imagine many others feel when they come to
see artists like Mahalia – to some extent, you can assume the kind of person in the crowd by the
artist that they’ve come to see, and Mahalia’s distinctly feminine and emotionally candid lyricism
prompts the same feeling as having a coffee in the company of close friends (or depending on the
song, maybe a rum and coke in the club with your girlfriends).

Image Credit: @musicthroughemiescamera on Instagram

As the lights were suddenly lowered at 9pm, a supportive screech burst from the crowd as Mahalia
bounced onto the stage, a mane of long blonde braids flowing behind and visibly full of positive,
nervous energy. It was only suitable that the first track to be performed was ‘Ready’, the
introductory track to her most recent album IRL. This was swiftly followed by popular 2019 single
‘Simmer’ featuring Burna Boy, which saw both the audience and artist ease into the set as Mahalia
danced up and down the stage, singing to the crowd on all sides.

The end of the first two songs saw Mahalia take a sigh of relief, saying, “Okay I’m not nervous
anymore, I feel like I can release that energy!” Past her initial nervousness, the young artist
immediately eased straight into contextualising her new album IRL by joking about its creation
during the COVID-19 pandemic: “We had a panoramic, and that wasn’t ending, and it really felt like
heartbreak season; I definitely got my heart busted and broken but we’re here and we made it and
I’m very excited to just be here and just to be doing something real!” Seemingly feeling back at
home on stage, she breezed through a mix of songs from the new album such as ‘Isn’t It Strange’,
‘Plastic Plants’ and ‘Cheat’, mixed in with other fan favourites such as ‘Do Not Disturb.’

An acoustic, stripped back version of 2019 single ‘Grateful’ mid-set further showcased the strength
of Mahalia’s captivating vocals and songwriting capabilities, as she donned an acoustic guitar and
sang the melody to the crowd just like a lullaby. In similar stead, new album track ‘November’
featuring Stormzy continued the romantic atmosphere, with young couples in the audience
wrapping arms around each other and swaying to the rhythm.

The set then seamlessly slipped back into electronic backing tracks and funky live accompaniment,
with the band grooving alongside Mahalia and the audience to another swaggering new track,
‘Wassup’. ‘What You Did’ and ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’ played out the set just before a brief run off-stage, swiftly followed by an encore of the new and old classics ‘Terms and Conditions’ and ‘I
Wish I Missed My Ex’ respectively.

Image Credit: @musicthroughemiescamera on Instagram

Even after the final song, Mahalia stayed up on stage and danced with the audience members at the front as the exit music played out. Her infectious warmth was felt throughout the room and as the crowd dispersed, each friendship group left buzzing with post-gig satisfaction while dancing out of the O2 Academy’s doors. Her deeply personal music and intimate approach to live performance will undoubtedly continue to attract devoted fans for years to come.