It’s not just workers who need a union
Not content with what either the University or the city of York has to offer, your dedicated Bar and Resturant editors Victoria Hallam and Lucy Peden have been scouring the country to find the finest student union nights on offer
Although no one can think of the York social scene without a certain degree of affection, the repetition of tired student standards in Ziggy’s can wear out the patience of even the most dedicated reveller. Attendance at most campus events is high: Club D regularly sells out and the turnout at the pre-barcott initiative left no doubt that York students have an appetite for entertainment.
Ask York students if they would a) like a proper Union and b) go to it, and the idea is met with as much enthusiasm as a proposition to bomb down the Roger Kirk and build a 24-hour subsidised gourmet restaurant in its place. The campaign to turn the aforementioned MDF palace into an SU building has, however, been unsuccessful; we were told that the transformation could not take place “for fire reasons.”
Our aim here is not to declare the failure of campus bars, but rather to continue the push for an alternative alongside what already exists. After all, it is probable that most people who had the chance to experience this year’s Access All Areas would have been seriously disappointed by the fact that you were unable to access more than one area! Surely a central venue, which could play host to campus events, would mean that blunders like this could be avoided and York could up its game in the campus events stakes? Anya Deplin is from Manchester University and whilst visiting York attended a Club D event. What did she think? “It reminds me of a school disco: a converted dinner hall with a DJ at one end and bouncers following you around like teachers. Is this the best your university events get?”
A central venue would allow the university to run regular club nights which might actually encourage more students to attend their respective college bars for pre-event drinks, with the bars running offers in conjunction with the events. It would also provide a place where students could meet together without the pretence of college rivalries and build university spirit. Patrick Chester, a second year at York says, “I’m disappointed we don’t have a central bar because it would give the students from all the colleges a chance to mix more and create a unified atmosphere within the university. Having a central bar would enable the uni to hold bigger, more popular events. It doesn’t make sense that events like Club D and Langwith Large can only hold a small proportion of the total population on a Friday or Saturday night.”
The success of York’s numerous clubs and societies is evidence that the university is not lacking in spirit. York has a successful comedy club that frequently features famous acts, but this event is shunted to the low–capacity Wentworth Bar. There are music societies for every genre from jazz to techno, but it’s hard to appreciate the eclecticism when you’re trying to rock out in a dining hall. And, even though York boasts the most profitable student cinema in the country, it’s hard to unwind in the distinctly unglamorous Physics lecture room.
We scoured the country’s student unions in search of inspiration, and we certainly found it. We returned dismayed at the realisation that York simply does not compare to the variety offered by a union. Take, for instance, Leeds University. Leeds student Scott Drummond told us, “Every Friday night everyone heads down to the union for Fruity. It’s a really good night and it’s always packed every week. The union also hosts nights for DJs and bands. I’ve seen MC Skibadee, Killers, Maroon 5 and The Lost Prophets, so it caters for a wide range of music tastes.”
In making the decision to charge full top-up fees, York has placed itself within an elite academic set. However, until the University commits itself to successful student entertainment, it may find that prospective undergraduates look elsewhere for the ultimate student experience. The good news is that you can visit any student union in the country with a valid NUS card, so the real thing is only a train ride away.
Sheffield Union
“Have the best night of your life every night”, (or so goes the quote on the union’s web site.) This is a promising statement to us sheltered York students who have probably experienced the worst night of their life at the (decidedly sticky) hands of Ziggy’s.
Sheffield’s ‘Tuesday Club’ features live artists and DJs playing the latest hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass. The Guardian has described it as “the north’s only kicking midweek music fest.” With past guests including Jazzy Jeff, Roni Size, Roots Manuva and Mr Scruff, to name but a few, it certainly gives Breakz something to live up to.
‘Juice’ is a notoriously popular student night at the union and is usually a sell out event. With two rooms of pumping tunes and 2-4-1 on all bottles, Carling and Worthingtons at only £1.60 a pint, it’s easy to see why this event is a big crowd puller.
Friday nights see ‘Urban Gorilla’ playing cutting edge house breaks and techno artists; finally a university that can treat its students like sophisticated consumers as opposed to bombarding them with the Baywatch theme.
Leeds Union
Leeds Union has 6 venues offering a wealth of entertainment and events. The union has a 2100 capacity and has hosted gigs from the likes of the Kaiser Chiefs and Basement Jaxx.
Bar Coda offers a variety of different nights, with the first Saturday of each month being host to ‘Rock of Ages’ - a witness to metal and rock. ‘Brighton Beach’, the second Saturday of each month, features soul and freak beats. Finally, the ‘Wendy House’ on the third Saturday of each month plays indie, rock, and alternative sounds.
Mine hosts the ‘Legends of the Dark Black’, a monthly drum ‘n’ bass event, but also offers more sedate vibes in the form of ‘The Blowout’, which features live Jazz, monthly on Mondays.
‘Fruity’ is the main student night at the Union and seems remarkably similar to Sheffield’s ‘Juicy’! But we’re not complaining. With a shot of Smirnoff and a mixer, and San Miguel at only £1.50, Leeds’ favourite student night gives the pull of town a run for its money. If Oceana puts you in a daze, Fruity is a worthy alternative.
Manchester Union
Manchester Academy has long attracted big name acts; the Kooks, Zutons and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are lined up to play this coming month. In comparison, the York student body have been treated to the musical expertise of Liberty X, Javine and, who could forget Bradley from S Club…
On a Wednesday night, the Academy is host to Club NME, featuring the “most talked about bands”, the drinks are cheap and this is a big crowd puller for those looking for an escape route from all that student cheese. It has been described as, “an ultra-sonic jerk-fest of indie pop prodded with electro punk funk.”
Friday boasts “the hottest night in the student calendar:” ‘Club Tropicana’. The club promoters tried desperately to draw us in with the promise of cheap drinks and beach related décor, but, despite their best efforts, students were giving the place a wide berth in favour of a wild night on the streets of Manchester. However, their capacity to provide a constant flow of live, new music certainly makes up for this.
Best of the Rest
FND @ The Union, Loughborough
Super-sleek venue with lashings of chrome and all the VK you can drink. The black leather sofas give the union a sexy, intimate vibe- a clever trick given that the building is the same size and shape as a branch of DFS. The music is not as cheesy as your average SU night, as lots of Lufbra lads and lasses like to bump and grind to R&B, but every effort is made to cater for most tastes (unless you’re into death metal). Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, a nice man sells chips from a little hatch on the way out.
Faze at The Strand
An upscale meat market for students at LSE, Kings and UCL, this is the guilty pleasure of choice for the posh-but-cool student scenester set. Non-Londoners will watch with fascinated horror as the DJ segues seamlessly from a Queens of Noize bootleg into the Cray Frog tune. Faze suffers from a severe snakebite deficiency but they do a roaring trade in miniature TVR shooters. The floor-to- ceiling plate glass window in the upstairs bar gives a jaw-dropping view of the city skyline- shame about the sticky floor.
The Ark, Nottingham
This is what Jumpin Jak’s would be if they didn’t let hen parties in- the juxtaposition of an enormous bar and an enormous dancefloor topped with the roof of a barn. The Ark is the only place to end up if you can survive the rigours of Nottingham’s infamous (and illegal) Campus fourteen bar crawl. It’s a standard SU, but the DJ does dispense Eastern European alcopops at random intervals during the evening.
