Chauffeur Scam

DOZENS of jobseekers are out of pocket after applying for a bogus job through Jobcentre Plus.
They were duped into handing over cash by a fake chauffeur company, which was advertising for drivers through the Jobcentre Plus website.
One of the victims who was stung was 24-year-old Neil Moss from Liverpool believed he would be earning around £15 per hour.
He handed over £100 "key deposit" after being interviewed by Nationwide Chauffeur Services.
After borrowing the money from his parents he was told he would be contacted about starting work.
Mr Moss said: “When I hadn’t heard anything it just sort of clicked.
"I was really angry at first then I just felt devistated it really was too good to be true".
Karl Hammond, 40, from Nottingham was also taken in by the scam but did not hand over any cash.
He was outraged: "It’s shocking there is no vetting procedure for employers to go though".
Mr Hammond said: "I can’t believe someone would stoop so low and prey on people down on their luck".
The Department of Work and Pensions oversees Jobcentre Plus.
A DWP spokesperson said: "This activity is not tolerated. We do everything we can to root out bogus offers of employment; if we become aware that someone is abusing the system, we withdraw the vacancy and investigate fully".
He continued: "Our advice to an applicant has always been that they should never pay fees up front to a potential employer".
Officers from South Yorkshire Police who are investigating allegations of fraud have arrested a 43-year-old man from Sheffield. He has since been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

UPDATE (08/07/10):

South Yorkshire Police have charged a man following allegations of fraud.

43-year-old Mark Shortland, from Sheffield has been charged with offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act and appeared at Sheffield Magistrates Court yesterday (Wednesday 7th July 2010). He has since been remanded in custody and will appear at Sheffield Magistrates Court on Monday 12^th July 2010.

St Mary's Parish Church

THIS Saturday will see the streets of Widnes flooded with pantomime and Disney characters celebrating all in the name of religion.
St Mary's Parish Church in West Bank, is calling on the public to help them celebrate 100 years since the church was consecrated.
When opening St Mary's Church in 1910, Bishop F J Chervasse said "I have opened many beautiful churches, but none so beautiful as this".
A fun filled, four day, family event starting on Thursday, will see the crowning of the legendary Rose Queen, a tradition which has been upheld for more than 70 years.
Rhannon Ratcliffe, 10, will be crowned this years Rose Queen inside St Mary’s Parish Curch on Saturday.
Rhannon will be joined by generations of Rose Queens, pantomime and Disney characters from as far back as 1935 in a parade on the streets of West Bank at 2pm.
As well as fancy dress competitions and singing there will be a Flower Festival held from Thursday through to Saturday.

Indy Placement

A few weeks ago (with some persuasion from a lecturer) I decided to apply for a two week placement with the Independent over the summer. In all honesty I was in two minds about applying simply for the reason that as a student, the thought of being thrown into a national paper is so overwhelmingly daunting and I was petrified of being torn to shreds.

Nothing much changed when I decided to take the chance and apply, but talking it over with said lecturer, it made sense to give it a shot. Even with no guarantees of getting past the interview stage - it's all a great experience. And lets face it, nobody is going to get anywhere in life if they don't push themselves to try new things, and step out of their comfort zone. I think it's only then you can really test your capabilities and reach your potential, sounds like a cliche, yes! But this makes it nonetheless true.

After handing in a dubious CV - in the sense I went a bit overboard with the design (see nikkiowen.carbonmade.com for a good olde chuckle) I wasn't so sure I was going to be called for interview, however for some peculiar reason I was called in - Malcolm must have appreciated the intent behind the design even if it was slightly gung-ho.

To be perfectly honest, knowing that two of the third year print journalists had applied made the experience that little bit more nerve racking, this is simply because they have far more experience than me at this stage and probably more to offer the paper.

I went along today feeling relatively nervous and not knowing quite what to expect. I took along a portfolio of my work so far which went down really well and then had a chat about why I wanted the placement.

After getting myself worked up and staying up until 4am this morning playing about with my portfolio; debating on what to include and what to leave buried in a box. I'm pleased to say I thought the interview went really well. I was a lot less nervous once I'd got into the swing of things and answered a few questions. The feedback afterwards was undoubtedly encouraging, but more to the point it was endlessly constructive.

So, I came home to an email this afternoon:

Hi Nikki,

Just to confirm that you were successful in your application for the Independent work placement from July 19-30.

I am sure you will be great – just make sure you make the most of it.

If, for any reason, you are unable to take up the post then please let me know.

Malcolm Bradbrook

Course Leader in Print Journalism

University of Gloucestershire

Wakey!Wakey!

Hiding in a dark Brooklyn club, you’re bound to find lead singer and songwriter of New York band, Wakey!Wakey! Although Mike Grubbs may look like he’s in dire need of a warm meal and a haircut, this man can belt out an earth-shaking tune better than most.

With their first studio album, Almost Everything I Wish I’d Said The Last Time I Saw You, released last month the five-piece are on a high.

They produce a dynamic sound stemming from violins to guitars and drums, but it’s clear that the bands mojo lies with piano player Mike Grubbs. The distinctive sound they generate oozes with cool and never fails to pull at your heartstrings.

Mike’s definitely got that “tortured musician” thing going on, reminiscent of Athlete’s Joel Pott, his deep emotional lyrics could touch even the coldest of souls. With that being said, there is something insanely refreshing when Mike sits down at the piano and successfully merges indie-pop with his classical background.

Jumping in head first, Wakey!Wakey! are currently following up the album release with a series of live streaming events on Facebook every Monday.

In an exclusive interview Wesley Verhoeve, Family Records label president, let us grill him about working with the band and where the idea for a live stream came from. We also got to chat with Mike, getting his thoughts on One Tree Hill, and plans for 2010.

First of all Wesley, I’d love to know what attracted you to Wakey!Wakey!?

“The quality of song writing, Mike’s work ethic, kindness and commitment to his craft. The golden rule at Family Records is that I have to love both the music and the person behind it. It’s a very intensive business with a lot of possibilities for stress, it’s key that you connect well with the artist on a personal level.”

Let’s talk about live streams; they’re obviously a great way to allow the band and fans to connect. What sparked the idea of a weekly online gig?

Wesley: “To do a live stream was originally the idea of Robbie Mackey who is part of Team Wakey! and works for our distributor. We brainstormed and thought it’d be really cool to do the first one on a Monday right after that week’s One Tree Hill episode. Since OTH has gone on hiatus we’re going to jump into that time slot so that the fans have something to carry them over and give them their OTH and Wakey!Wakey! fix for the week.”

And what kind of feedback have you received from people?

Wesley: “The response has been phenomenal from fans and peers alike. Mike also really enjoyed it. It’s really great to connect so directly with fans and be enabled to take requests from all over the world. It’s really quite amazing. Another exciting thing that we could see happen live in the moment was that fans started talking together and forming a community around their mutual love for Wakey!Wakey!’s music, that warmed our hearts.”

Mike, One Tree Hill must have been a massive commitment; do you feel like you’ve gained anything from the experience?

“It has definitely shown me a whole new level of professionalism. When you see the crew working together so well, it’s inspiring. Also it’s made me much more comfortable with cameras which is handy in this profession.”

We’ve heard a few mixes of Wakey!Wakey! songs recently, but if you could collaborate with one artist, who would it be?

Mike: “I’m obsessed with the idea of collaborating with electronic artists right now. I’d love to lock myself in a room with Dan Deacon and Dave Sitek and see what happened. They’d probably start beating me up, but if I lived, I bet the music would be awesome.”

Wesley, if you were going to take a road trip anywhere where would it be and how would you get there?

“Haha great question. For the longest time I’ve wanted to take a two part road trip. The first would be taking the train from NYC across the country to San Francisco. The second part would be driving from SF up to Portland, then Seattle then Vancouver.

So, what would be playing on the stereo during this trip?

“I like traveling while listening to pop music. Some Phoenix, Jack’s Mannequin, some Timbaland produced pop hits from the early 2000’s. Depending on who I’m with I’ll attempt to put on an East Coast Hip Hop mix tape with some mid 90’s rap and cruise to that for a while. If there are long stretches of deserted parts of the country I will also bring some Sigur Ros.”

And for snacks?

“Snack wise I’d have to go with beef jerky, which I never usually eat except for the rare occasions I have to take a car trip that’s over 30 minutes long. It’s a staple in the Verhoeve travel kit.”

So, any plans to get over to the UK and Europe anytime soon?

Mike: “Hopefully by the fall. We always dream big, and setting up a tour is a huge undertaking, but I need to know what the other side of the pond looks like. Our bass player, Anne Lieberwirth is German, and she’s dying to show us her home. Also my costar India De Beaufort promises to show me the best spots in London. Who could say no to that?”

Shooting straight from a four-hour rehearsal to the Gibson Studio’s in New York, Mike sat down at the piano and belted out the latest single ‘Twenty Two’. Taking requests, old and new. ‘Blame You’ and ‘War Sweater’ were two that popped up repeatedly on the Facebook live chat from adoring fans across the world. Although the sound was slightly misty for the duration of the set, his powerful voice more than made up for it.

Wesley admitted there was room for improvement: “As far as changes go, we’re going to work on improving the quality of the sound and image.”

Mike took to the stage again performing at The Soapbox in Wilmington, NC this Monday, crystal clear sound proved any issues from the Gibson gig had been ironed out and left the crowd astounded in the little downtown club.

Under Great White Northern Lights

The seventh installment from Detroit rock duo, The White Stripes, comes to us in the form of a live album recorded on their 2009 Canadian tour. Entitled Under Great White Northern Lights, the album is everything you would expect from this well established band.

This album is ideal for a first time listener to the alternative rock sensation. If you haven't already heard of the band, you've obviously been hibernating under a rock since their 2003 breakthrough hit, Seven Nation Army.

This album is, for all intense purposes a greatest hits collection from The White Stripes. This is 17 tracks of everything a diehard fan of the band, or anybody looking for a taster of one of the most talented recording artists to date.

It's fronted by Jack White, who often carries "drummer" Meg White along like a hefty rucksack during this selection of songs. His guitar hero riffs and stylish distortion truly are the things rock and roll legends are made of.

The interchange between songs is seamless, making it hard to believe that the album was actually cut back in Tennessee, rather than just being a recording from one amazing night on a cold Canadian road.

Jack's powerful and emotional voice cuts through you with every verse. There are a few minor sound hiccups and playing about with his effects pedal, which can only be expected from any live gig.

This is by far one of the best albums the band has come out with in their 13 years together. The audience can be heard throughout the album, and in some cases this can ruin the feel of the music. This record is produced to perfection by Jack White himself, so although there is background noise present, you almost feel like part of the raging crowd.

There is a definite feel of being drawn into the venue, particularly when I'm slowly turning into you begins, it's hard to resist the urge to start clapping and singing with the gaggle of fans.

There's nothing particularly different about the music, but why should they change something that works so well? It is just what you would expect from The White Stripes, with massive amounts of feedback, distortion and overdrive that they have become renowned for. In any case you could (if you were being cynical) describe it as a rather mundane album from the multi-platinum selling artists. However, this is only because fans have come to expect so much from these two rock stars.

One thing that does stick out on the album is a cover of Dolly Parton's song Jolene. This is a classic song with a White Stripes sticker planted firmly on it. With Jack White's raw emotion and passion for the music that he's playing, and the lyrics that he's singing, it is easy to forget this song was written for a female vocalist.

I challenge even those who detest The White Stripes not to have spine tingling shivers when listening to this song.

Although it is slightly irritating, knowing that there is a distinct lack of new material from the band in recent years, there is a sense of fulfillment when you listen to the final song, the illustrious Seven Nation Army, and realise that this is a rare collection of truly great music by a truly great band.

Even with Meg White moronically beating on a drum kit in the background, like a child with a new toy, this is an album that can be played over and over again being enjoyed for exactly what it is... a brilliant piece of rock and roll.

Guinness

And finally, I think it's the shortest news story ever written for Crackerjack...

(Click on image to generate a larger copy)

Sean Hughes

Some more work...

(Click on image to generate a larger copy)