Latest news with #Titan:TheOceanGateSubmersibleDisaster
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Definitely Maybe? Probably not. Oasis, mix tapes and looking back
My wife is watching Mix Tape. She tells me that I should watch it … with her, but every evening I find myself needing to unwind from the 2-hour horror show of getting the 4-year-old to sleep by engaging in something lighter such as Jimmy Saville: A British Horror Story, Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster and Churchill at War. Maybe she thinks I need something happier in my life, as she often links my dour middle-aged, grumpy (but uproariously funny) demeanor to my love for Roy Keane and Noel Gallgher. The irony being that I've been a Liverpool fan all of my life and I don't listen to Oasis, ever. But most likely, it's some kind of reminiscence of our own blossoming romance of the late 90s/early 2000s when I made a mix tape for her every week. One of these masterpieces may have included an Oasis song, and most likely it was from Definitely Maybe, but I can't be sure. We were at the tail end of the mix tape by the late 90s/early 2000s, and there was practically nobody copying whole albums onto tapes by that stage. But in 1994 it was still popular, and this is how I received my first copy of Oasis' debut album Definitely Maybe. I turned 18 that year, a seismic time in any young person's life. I had come of age, buying my first pint in a pub… ahem, insured on my Mam's car, lots of carefree, reckless nights where I didn't even come home (others where I got my Mam to pick me up) and my school years were wrapping up for good in May - until I realised I enjoyed the Leaving Cert so much that I decided to do it again the following year. My tardiness with study no doubt influenced by the fact that I had started to play gigs the year before. Places like The Baggot Inn, The Earl Grattan, The Rock Garden, The Fox and Pheasant and the somewhat less salubrious Lorcan Community Centre in Santry were victims to my early escapades on stage. If I wasn't playing gigs, I was going to them - too many to mention for 1994. My friend John Fitzgerald from Santry Close was usually on the pulse with new music and would often turn me on to something that was new and bristling underground. He was also responsible for opening my eyes to the glory that is Erasure, which was weird for me as a guy who liked his guitars loud. But I'm thankful as Erasure led me to Depeche Mode, New Order, OMD, Kraftwerk and many more excellent synth bands of the time. One day in the spring of 1994, John gave me the 7" of Blur's latest single Girls & Boys (for me to copy of course, not to keep). Blur were by no means an underground secret at this point as their third album was about to be released. But if Leisure (and specifically) Modern Life is Rubbish hinted that something great was to come from Blur, I wasn't really paying attention. I had erroneously labeled them as another English indie band, but when Parklife arrived in April 1994, I was converted. I love Blur, and this might give some context as to where my loyalties lay a year and a half down the road when the U.K. tabloids and their music press counterparts helped fill the coffers of the respective record labels of Blur and Oasis by creating a marketing frenzy for the 'Battle of Britpop,' capitalising on the fact that both artists were releasing singles on the same day. Ironically, with Country House and Roll With It, the 'Battle of Britpop' featured two of the most cringeworthy, and awful three-and-a half-minutes in either artists' canon. Later that year, I had a similar experience. Rehearsing in the aforementioned Lorcan Community Hall with three guys who had asked me to ditch my old band and join theirs, the 15-year-old guitarist (soon to be converted bass player) Gav Fox told me about this new group from Manchester (I was already put off) called Oasis. I think he mentioned something about The Beatles! Anyway, he had Definitely Maybe on cassette, and needless to say I took it and I copied it. On first listen, it was clear that Oasis had something a bit special, if also a bit derivative. Listen: Oasis superfans talk to Today With Claire Byrne ahead of their Dublin shows This was certainly no 'Madchester' band; the guitars were loud, very loud, it was brash and bristling with attitude, but the driving force of their songs was melody. It was apparent that we were dealing with a serious songwriter. And, certainly at that time and arguably not since, Liam's vocals were incredible. His p**s-and-vinegar snarling also held a timbre that was full of character, and he seemed to go completely against the common trope of singing from the stomach - it was all in his throat. And he looked great. Noel was the songwriter, leader and creative drive of the band, but it wouldn't have worked without Liam. Definitely Maybe was like Never Mind The Bollocks for Generation X. Young guys with hooks, attitude, rebelliousness and an album that was all killer and no filler. OK, the drums were a bit crap and Noel often flew very close to the sun when it came to being "influenced" by other songs. Coca-cola, anyone? This would also bite them in the arse later when Whatever was released. But so what - who isn't influenced by the world before them, and wasn't the 1990s all about postmodernism anyway? I barely paid attention to Oasis after 1997, which is not to say that they were not capable of greatness here and there. But then came the infamy. If Liam's swagger helped to bring the sex, drugs and rock n' roll notoriety that the image-conscious English music press so voyeuristically hold sacred, it worked against them in their drive to achieve world domination and a rightful place at the table of the greats. His inconsistency live, his ability to miss shows and his incapability to pander and schmooze an American audience left Oasis with a big hill to climb. If we think of the great frontmen as travelling salesmen, Liam was certainly not one of those. Which is not to say that he didn't have his own, very unique and not unappealing style on stage. But it's more than just that. I was excited by Oasis, I even bought a t-shirt when I saw them supporting R.E.M at Slane Castle in 1995. They were okay that day, R.E.M were outstanding (has there been a better frontman than Michael Stipe?). For me, it never got better than Definitely Maybe. I didn't love (What's The Story) Morning Glory, save a couple of good singles: Some Might Say (which sounds like a hangover from their debut longplayer) and (arguably) Wonderwall. But I could understand the widespread appeal of that album, the production was more lush, there were more acoustic guitars, more strings and a sing-along epicness that wasn't as prevalent before. I always suspected that Oasis lived off a bunch of songs that Noel had accumulated over the previous 10 years, but when the vault ran dry, they were in trouble. Although that argument loses credence when you consider that they released Roll With It so early in their career! Liam's voice, as cool as it was, lost a bit of its magic just as the new songs did, until he eventually became a sitting duck for parody. You can sing from the throat when you're 22 and get away with it (regardless of the abuse), but you won't get away with it forever. The caveat here is that he seems to be singing quite well on this latest tour and no doubt has the bit between his teeth to be tour-fit for this one. What followed (What's The Story) Morning Glory was the bloated, mid-tempo, layered dirge that was Be Here Now. How bad can an album be when All Around The World is actually a single? And when helicopters show up in videos, you know a band has lost the run of themselves. I barely paid attention to Oasis after 1997, which is not to say that they were not capable of greatness here and there. Contrary to my description above, one of the tracks on Be Here Now - Stand By Me - is up there with their best, but again apparently Noel had that in the locker for awhile. Some other later singles stand out, such as Little by Little and Stop Crying Your Heart Out. Ironically, with Country House and Roll With It, the 'Battle of Britpop' featured two of the most cringeworthy, and awful three-and-a half-minutes in either artists' canon. Noel is often better when he's bringing a bit of melancholy to his songs, and usually you'll find this on those that he sings. He's funny, sharp and acerbic with a laser tongue when it's warranted. But when it's him and the acoustic, there is something different, possibly his Irish roots bringing a more pensive tone to his songwriting and delivery. Oasis' last release on Creation Records was The Masterplan in 1998. Comprising B-sides and cuts that did not make it on any of their previous albums, it's clearly better than Be Here Now and really should have been the third album. Oasis were so brash and confident in 1995 that they included the song The Masterplan as a b-side to Wonderwall, even though it was far too good to be a b-side. Ah, the folly of youth. This, alongside Talk Tonight and Half The World Away hint at another direction the band could have taken for a different album after (What's The Story) Morning Glory, one that maybe would have served them better. I saw Oasis one more time following that Slane show in 1995. It was in Landsdowne Road in 2000, how I came across a ticket for this gig warrants a whole other article. But suffice to say my estimation for the support band Supergrass, and in particular Gaz Coombes knows no bounds. Oasis were okay that night. Although I live about a 10-minute walk from Croke Park, I won't be there to see them this month. To be honest, I wouldn't mind going, just for the craic. And in fairness, the footage of the tour so far looks pretty good. The dynamic pricing hoopla has been discussed to death at this stage, but it sticks with me. Dynamic pricing is like buying a house. Initially the price is determined based on market conditions and when the property goes on sale, the price is solely determined based on demand. Basically, how much the buyer(s) will pay. I suppose that is fine when buying a house, but when buying a concert ticket, I can't engage. I thought artists' might be above it when giving their "fans" a show. Also, you cannot transfer that Oasis ticket that you purchased on Ticketmaster. This isn't uncommon but it is always the artist's decision when it does happen, it prevents 'touting' … apparently. 30-plus years down the road from the release of Definitely Maybe, Oasis are making millions as a good 'greatest hits' band and their audience will be treated to such in Croke Park in a few weeks time, and will no doubt love it. My morals aren't sufficiently high enough not to sit in my back garden and have a listen, and who knows? It might even inspire me to rustle up a banging Oasis playlist on Spotify for my wife. The TV show being the only mix tape that she will see these days.
Daily Record
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Netflix Titan viewers horrified over OceanGate CEO chilling remark minutes before sub implosion
Netflix viewers have been left 'freaking out' about a documentary about the fatal Titan submarine implosion in 2023 Netflix fans have been left disturbed by a scene in the documentary about the fatal Titan submarine sinking. The new documentary, titled Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, tells the story of the lead up of events to the deadly implosion deep underwater while five people were on board on June 18, 2023. Since the film dropped on the streaming platform earlier this month, the OceanGate expedition documentary has become its most-streamed title. Many Netflix viewers are tuning in to discover more about what led to the fatal implosion of the sub which has been on its way to see the wreckage of the Titanic, two years ago today (Wednesday, June 18). Much of the conversation in the documentary is centred on Stockton Rush, the OceanGate CEO who led the creation of the deadly submarine. In one crucial scene, Rush is shown firing OceanGate's former director of marine operations, Scot David Lochridge, after he raised worries about the vessel's carbon fibre hull. However, another eyebrow raising moment occurs even earlier on in the film. Just mere minutes in, video footage shows the passengers boarding the submarine, with Rush brushing off any worries about its safety. He said: 'There's really nothing that happens that requires an immediate response. OK, so if you hear a alarm, don't worry about it. The best thing you can do is don't do anything.' Viewers highlighted this footage as one of the documentary's most eerie moments. One wrote: 'The OceanGate documentary on Netflix starts out from the viewpoint as you're slowly being sealed inside the Titan as Stockton Rush is saying 'don't worry about any alarms. Horrifying..' Another chimed in: 'I'm only five minutes into Titan: The OceanGate Disaster documentary on Netflix and I'm already freaked out. 'If the alarm sounds, do nothing' wtf?' The documentary also revealed how Rush had went forward with the expedition despite the fact he never received any third party classification for it to go ahead. Lochridge previously knocked heads with Rush when he previously steered the sub into a dangerous position during a trip to the SS Andrea Doria wreckage on a tip which took place ahead of the Titan tour. At one stage in the film, Rush can be heard chillingly stating: 'I have no desire to die and I'm not going to die. What may easily happen is we will fail [but] I am not dying. No one's dying under my watch. Period.' When the news first broke that the tourist expedition to view the wreck of the Titanic had disappeared off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, the story quickly spiralled into a media frenzy. After a four day search, it was confirmed that the Titan had suffered a 'catastrophic explosion' around the time communications ceased. The onboard victims included Rush, 61, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son and University of Strathclyde student, Suleman, 19. British adventurer Hamish Harding, 58, was also a passenger as well as French deep sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, who'd been on Titan's maiden voyage in July 2021.
Hindustan Times
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Titan the OceanGate Disaster review: Netflix documentary examines shocking reasons behind the tragic implosion
Some true stories are too outrageous to have occurred in the first place. The new Netflix documentary from writer-producer Mark Monroe, Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, is one of those kinds. It examines the vaulting ambition of one powerful CEO, Stockton Rush, that led to a very man-made tragedy. (Also read: Mountainhead movie review: A hangout trip with tech billionaires turns nasty in this blunt satire by Jesse Armstrong) The summer of 2023 turned into a frenzy of online speculation and coverage on the mysterious disappearance of the Titan submersible. The fatal accident claimed the lives of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Sulaiman Dawood. The documentary is less about the disaster, and arrives loaded with that information like a death knell waiting to be heard. Instead, this is more of an interrogation into the fact that why such a disaster took place in the first place, when it could have been entirely avoided. This was not an unforeseen tragedy. As the documentary proceeds in sobering detail over decades-long archival footage, video interviews, audio messages, and legal proceedings, we are shown that there were clear signs and multiple warnings that were sidestepped for as long as they were, without any consequences. At the centre of this is the maddening ambition of CEO Stockton Rush, who went ahead with the idea of constructing the central cylinder of the Titan using carbon fibre instead of the commonly used titanium. Multiple employees and engineers voiced their dissent, and upon no proper addressal of such a grave issue, were left with no choice but to leave. The documentary returns to this point multiple times over the course of its runtime, where the central unit that went ahead with the mission anyway was driven by a cult-like alignment with the lead voice. Tightly edited with a demonstrable point-of-view approach to the multiple concerns that came much before the actual implosion, Titan The Oceangate Disaster moves ahead with confidence and poise. The film, however, strangely remains cold in dissecting the response to this tragedy all over the world. As much as it is a film about a truly alarming tragedy, at its heart, it is about how the powerful (big swinging d***, as Rush intended to become) get away without any consequences in the real world. Due to the rampant oversight of so many safety and regulatory concerns in the room where the powerful made the decisions, lives were lost. This is but one specific, unavoidable tragedy- but there are so many microaggressions that take place every day, inextricably linked to the common man's fate. Rules only apply to them. Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster is now available to stream on Netflix.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Who was Stockton Rush? OceanGate CEO focus of Titan implosion documentary
Who was Stockton Rush? OceanGate CEO focus of Titan implosion documentary Show Caption Hide Caption Newly released footage captures sound of Titan submersible imploding Newly released video appeared to capture the sound of the Titan submersible imploding on its way to visit the Titanic wreck in June 2023. Netflix released "Titan: The OceanGate Disaster" on June 11, a week before the two-year anniversary of the 2023 implosion that killed five people on a voyage to view the wreckage of the Titanic. The documentary focuses on the role of OceanGate CEO Stockon Rush and his role as CEO of OceanGate "his quest to become the next billionaire innovator," according to the documentary's synopsis. "'Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster' makes a belabored point that OceanGate's failings leading to the implosion stemmed from Rush's leadership," Eric Francisco of Esquire wrote. "His short temper and arrogance permeated in all his efforts to build a business around deep-sea commercial tourism." There were five people aboard the submersible on June 18, 2023 and were killed in the implosion: Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French maritime and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and a father and son from one of Pakistan's most prominent families, Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood. A series of hearings were held in 2024 as part of the investigation, and a lawsuit has been filed by the family of Nargeolet, claiming all five passengers probably experienced "terror and anguish" in their final moments. The hearings revealed one of the final messages sent from the crew before it was crushed by the pressure of the ocean: "All good here." Here's what you need to know about Stockton Rush. Who was Stockton Rush? Rush, 61, was a member of a prominent family in San Francisco and a descendant of two signers of the Declaration of Independence, SF Gate reported at the time of the implosion. The outlet reported that he was working as an aerospace engineer for McDonnell Douglas when he married his wife Wendy in 1986. Rush co-founded the company in 2009 and oversaw OceanGate's financial and engineering strategies, company's website said before being taken down in the wake of the implosion, USA TODAY previously reported. Titan danger: Titanic sub took on extreme danger, while 'breaking the rules' "We have heard the baseless cries of 'you are going to kill someone' way too often," Rush wrote in 2018 – according to The Conversation – after being told he was putting lives at risk using his experimental submersible. "I take this as a serious personal insult." In an interview with CBS News Unsung Science, he talked about his dreams of being an explorer − "I wanted to be sort of the Captain Kirk" − and fears about going underwater. "What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface," he said. Still, he insisted on the safety of submersibles and the value of taking risks. "I mean, if you just want to be safe, don't get out of bed," he said. What happened to Titan? The submersible imploded about 1 hour and 45 minutes after its trip began, resulting in the deaths of its five passengers. Two weeks after the incident, OceanGate said on its website it had suspended "all exploration and commercial operations." Its headquarters in Everett, Washington, were shuttered. Its business license expired on June 7, 2024, according to Washington Department of Revenue records. The nonprofit research wing of the company, called OceanGate Foundation, was launched in 2010 but also closed in 2023, according to department records. OceanGate Inc. also operated a subsidiary, OceanGate Expeditions, out of the same office. According to Washington records, it closed on March 31, 2021. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to investigate what caused the implosion. Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, Isabella Butera, Phaedra Tepham – USA TODAY
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The New OceanGate Documentary Dives Into the Depths of the Titan Submersible Tragedy
Two years ago, OceanGate's Titan submersible imploded in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. Now, amid ongoing investigations by the U.S. Coast Guard, Netflix has a new documentary that proposes—citing sound evidence and on-camera interviews with sources that were formerly close to OceanGate—just what went wrong on the ill-fated journey to the site of another prolific sea disaster, RMS Titanic. Much of it has to do with OceanGate's eccentric late CEO, Stockton Rush, one of the five victims of the 2023 incident. On June 11, Netflix released the documentary Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, which documents the circumstances behind the June 2023 incident that spawned countless memes and endless speculation. While the movie dives deep (ahem) into the specifics of the Titan's implosion, including pointing out the submersible's carbon fiber construction that was vulnerable to deep-sea water pressure, the movie points a finger at Rush, who is described by subjects in the movie as "arrogant" with a major "temper." "I worked for somebody that is probably borderline clinical psychopath. Definitely a narcissist," said Tony Nissen, a former engineering director at OceanGate in the movie. "How do you manage a person like that who owns the company?" In the movie, Stockton Rush is described as having a "privileged background" originating from generational wealth; his family tree includes two signers of the Declaration of Independence. Subjects in the film recall Rush hoping to fashion himself as a billionaire explorer like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, with his eyes set on Earth's oceans instead of Mars. "Big swinging dicks" was a term Rush liked to say out loud and often, and being a "big swinging dick" himself was an explicit goal. (Rush was not a billionaire, but he had money to burn nonetheless.) Joseph Assi, a videographer hired by Rush to capture OceanGate's expeditions, says that one of Rush's personal philosophies was that "accessibility is ownership." As Assi says in the documentary: "If there's a small island in the middle of the ocean, and you're the only one you can access it, it doesn't matter who owns it, you have ownership over it because you have the accessibility to get to it. And he truly believed in that." Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster makes a belabored point that OceanGate's failings leading to the implosion stemmed from Rush's leadership. His short temper and arrogance permeated in all his efforts to build a business around deep-sea commercial tourism. This included trying to skip critical testing conducted by third parties—which is standard practice in the industry—and cutting costs where possible, such as in the aforementioned use of carbon fiber materials which cannot sustain oceanic pressure. Rush also verbally stated he could and would "buy a congressman," which alarmed many OceanGate employees. Rob McCallum, a consultant, recalls in the documentary: "Stockton said that he decided that he saw no need for classification, for third-party oversight. I stood up and said, 'I'm sorry I can't be part of this conversation, nor can I be associated with OceanGate or this vehicle in any way.' And I left. He had every contact in the submersible industry telling him not to do this. But once you start down the path of doing it entirely yourself, and you realize you've taken the wrong turn right back at the beginning... You have to admit you were wrong. That's a big pill to swallow." Rush is also described as having a callous attitude towards employees, refusing to take accountability for his failures. For example: In 2016, Rush and OceanGate hosted an expedition to the SS Andrea Doria. The trip nearly ended in disaster after Rush brought their sub into a dangerous spot; David Lochridge, OceanGate's Director of Marine Ops and a more experienced pilot, took over controls and got everyone aboard safely to the surface. Though Rush thanked Lochridge, the CEO turned cold towards him, later excluding him from important communications. Rush eventually fired Lochridge, in a tense meeting heard in the movie via audio recording. Later, Rush suggested promoting another OceanGate employee, Bonnie Carl, to take over Lochridge as the next lead pilot. But Carl was an accountant who headed the HR department, and had no experience as a submersible pilot. Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster is a cut above typical straight-from-the-headlines Netflix documentaries, as a level-headed if straightforward deep dive (again, ahem) about a disaster that dominated the news cycle two summers ago. But while the ins and outs of a deadly trip into the sea have morbid appeal, it's the movie's interrogation of one man's toxic hubris that makes Titan a worthy watch. You Might Also Like Kid Cudi Is All Right 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks
