Students on De Montfort University’s Music, Film and Entertainment Journalism module pick the films, plays, music, TV shows and books that shaped them
My favourite film
Sometimes it’s David Lynch’s Eraserhead, other times it’s Shinya Tsukamoto’s Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Either way, both are bleak displays of industrial nightmares made by completely insane people who chose film over therapy.
My favourite band
My favourite band of all time is Tool. Their unconventional song structures, odd time signatures and polyrhythms are absolutely enthralling, and they are one of those bands which would sound completely different if just one member was replaced.
The lyric I love
“For the world that’s conditioned to use / I’m not weak just because I refuse / A world that you fell victim to / I am straight edge in spite of you” from XweaponX’s In Spite Of. When I thought my break from alcohol was only temporary, the Knocked Loose offshoot and their raucous anti-drug rage convinced me to fully commit to the straight edge lifestyle.
The first gig I saw
In the midst of discovering edgy alternative music for the first time, I saw My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way on his solo tour in 2015 with No Devotion as the support act who are, awkwardly, the remaining members of Lostprophets. My only memory of this gig was that I found it quite boring, but I was just happy to be in the same room as a member of My Chemical Romance.
The best gig I saw
The best gig I have ever been to was Tool in 2024. Their psychedelic stage visuals were beyond mesmerising and Danny Carey’s drumming in particular – which included a gong solo – was incomprehensibly phenomenal.
Overrated
While The Beatles aren’t a terrible band, they receive too much credit. Whenever I read one of those top 100 lists, it hurts to know that people genuinely believe that Paul McCartney is a better bassist than Les Claypool or that Ringo Starr is a better drummer than Danny Carey.
Underrated
David Bowie’s discography from the ‘90s onwards is far too overlooked considering some of his best work is in those albums. Ziggy Stardust is iconic, but I’d much rather listen to songs from Earthling or Blackstar.
