Preston Club Night Reviews

Warehouse

http://www.warehousenightclub.co.uk/

50 St Johns Place, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 3XX

The smoke screen clears. A lone emo kid (circa 2004) sways, orange vs in hand. Is this what I paid £5 on the door for?

                Well yes, as a former teenage goth girl, this club is like a beautiful time machine. If anyone at school ever called you ugly and you went home and listened to Adam’s Song (a fairly juvenile exploration of suicide) and cried then this is the club for you.

                Okay, I’m being purposely specific for comic effect, but what I’m saying is the ground floor appeals to our generation of formerly side-lined teenage rockers almost masterfully. Firstly, the overall décor isn’t very nice. At all. The clientele are a mix of people who liked pop punk in 2003 and people who, from their fashion choices, appear to think it still is 2003. The drinks are cheapish, £2 for vs or vodka and mixer and you’ll need a few in order to bounce around to the guilty pleasures in store. Pop-punk, emo, hardcore, nu-metal and the like.

But you’ll probably start on the top floor listening to current, mainstream music; fool yourself you’re going to act like a normal person. Sexy dancing to Nicki Minaj. I say that, but it’s probably the floor with the weirdest people. Then make your way down to the Indie floor, full of those hip and trendy kids that like “The Black Keys” and “Mumford and Sons” and wear “chinos”. But you’ll always drift down to the ground floor.

Warehouse: bring your side-fringe.

Lava & Ignite

http://www.lavaignite.com/preston

On the recently pulled Uclan meme page, someone wrote over a picture of the Uruk-Hai:  “Lava Ignite: looks like sluts are back on the menu boys”. Now aside from the offensive notion of women being on a menu (I’m cool… I’m not a feminist… LOVE MEEEeee), I feel like this just isn’t the case. Rather than the girls being particularly slutty, the lads are particularly creepy. Seriously. Gropey McTouchyson all up in this club. Well, to be fair, it’s mostly that massive bottom floor where all standards of decency are smashed. Like the glasses on the dance floor. (This, by the way, is a massive inconvenience to those wearing heels.)

                There are pervs on the Indie floor too, they just don’t seem so active since it’s harder to hide. But say we ignore all this. Every Wednesday is the “Fuzzy Logic” club night; you’ll want to go then since the drinks are cheaper.  The music is suitably current and there are lots of seats for when you’re tired of the glass-ridden terrain. It’s a big, fashionable club, usually £5 on the door, you’re going to go there.

 What? What do you want from me?

Macs

http://www.ybdclub.com/

Friargate, Preston , PR1 2EJ

Maccy Mac Macs. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more soul destroying and sticky. Urgh.

                Seriously though, what is the deal with Macs? The place is bizarre. You pay £3/£4 to get in on the understanding that they will throw you out when they feel like it. You want to finish your drink before you leave? Ha, lowly drunk student. You are not worthy of basic customer service. Sometimes they stay open later than the billed time in order to suddenly switch from LMFAO and Swedish House Mafia to Evanescence and Nickelback resulting in a thoroughly confused clientele.

                And the beach bar. Um…what? The slushes are delicious but how does this fit in with the overall concept of Macs? It even seems to be staffed by a different breed of human to other members. I mean, they’re happy. And kind.

                Then there’s upstairs. Where they play hip hop tracks that no one really knows. And has massive couches in a hidden area that no one sits on through fear of what they are surely glazed with…

                The best thing about Macs is the floor by the stairs. It invariably becomes slippy. People fall. Every single time.

                And yet, I will still go. See you there next Tuesday; I’ll be the one by the stairs laughing.

Roper Hall

http://www.screampubs.co.uk/roperhallpreston

Friargate Preston PR1 2EE

I’m impressed. In a distinctly underwhelming, Prestony way.  Roper Hall is a pub with a club situated above it. It’s the only club I’ve visited here that’s made a real effort not to fall into the tacky/sticky route (see: Lava & Ignite, Macs, Squires). It looks vaguely cool and modern  which means it quickly jumped to top of my list as favourite night club in Preston (fanfare sounds). Seriously though, it’s decent and this is all we can ask for. There’s a “Quids Night” in which you can buy delicious Malibu and coke for £1.25, a glorious change to the alcopops I usually end up sipping. My only niggling concern is the music. To quote Morrisey; “hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ. Hang the deeeejay, haaaang the DJ” and mad vegetarian ramblings.

                Really, if you’re going to play Hanson (and I strongly advise against this) don’t do it before everyone’s drunk. It’s like the first rule of music school. Probably.

Source and 53 degrees

http://www.uclansu.co.uk/ents/source.php

http://www.53degrees.net/

Brook Street, Preston, PR1 7BQ

Now I hate student unions ever since the whole fees debacle but bless them, they tried. First, let us turn our attention to the CATEGORICALLY IRRESPONSIBLE Thursday “quids night” at Source. £1.25 a pint, £1.50 bombs, £1 for various spirits. You won’t save money; you’ll buy three times the drinks. Then wash them down with several Glitter Bombs like the classy bird that you are.

                Can I actually take a moment to appreciate Glitter Bombs? You’re drinking real gold. True, it has a Cash 4 Gold value of minus 0.0000002 pence; but it’s there. Ultimate luxury.

                Basically, Source is a good place to go before you hit the *ahem* real clubs every Thursday.

                53 degrees, I have to say every time I’ve been… I’ve been… well… it’s just not that good is it really? It’s like going to a lecture on dancing and drinking. They do it by the book. And if I wanted books. I’d hang out in the library all night. With the other losers.

Sorry nerds, venture outside of campus for once in your life.

The worst thing the government has ever done to us...

There is no way you can have missed the rising tuition fees; it has been talked about non-stop on the news since the decision was made. To be honest, it is the worst thing the government could have possibly done.  What on earth makes them think that students are going to continue choosing to go to university? 

With universities either doubling or even trebling their fees from the academic year 2012/2013, is it any surprise that the number of applicants has dropped by 12% since the announcement of increased fees? A 12% decrease is over double what universities had in 2006, the year tuition fees rose to £3000 from £1200. That, in my eyes, proves that raising fees is a negative move – how it even came across as a positive one to MP’s is a question I’d like an answer to! The figure shows that young people are deliberately not choosing to enter into higher education because of a decision the government have made. How on earth students are expected to be able to pay back their tuition fees is beyond me. That is without adding the student loan for living costs into the equation as well! The government needs to hear to opinion of the thousands of potential students out there that are going to be actively affected by this stupid move – they need to know how their decision is going to destroy lives!

Never mind that the government, in correspondence to the raising of tuition fees, are changing the policy of loan repayment. From September you will have to earn £21000 per year before you begin to pay off your £27000 tuition fee debt. However, the repayment period is still thirty years. Although, you can start off by paying small amounts per month, I have worked out (with a calculator, of course, and it took me ages) that to pay back £27000, which is tuition fees alone, never mind living costs, over thirty years, you will be paying back approximately £75 a month if you want it to be paid off in thirty years, and that is without adding the 3% interest per year. Now, pardon me for thinking this, but how on earth is anyone going to be able to afford to buy a house or even begin to live independently with that hanging over them?

I know what you’re thinking; ‘but I have to earn £21000 a year anyway before I have to start repaying’.  £21000 a year is a starting wage for most professions, such as teaching. So just think about that when applying for your student loan, because the more you start to earn after your first few years in a job, the more you have to pay back, and the more you’ll be out of pocket. It is an outrage. You can tell this legislation has been put together by people who do not have to worry about money troubles or debt. I bet most of the MP’s could pay their children’s tuition and living fees up front out of their own pocket with their salary. They do not have to worry about money troubles – they even get provided with allowances to fund their living! They need to come down to earth with a bang and see just what they are doing to the less privileged young people in society. The young people, who, despite the amazing potential they may have, will never get the chance to show it because they just cannot afford to be in debt for the next thirty years of their lives. That could be over half of their working career gone.

Everyone should have the chance of higher education! Universities have existed for centuries, and over the years there have been so many protests and changes made to allow certain people to attend them. For example, when people of lower class backgrounds began to gain access to education and when women fought for the right to have access to the same level as education as men. So why throw all that away by increasing tuition fees and making it impossible for people to go to university and make a better life for themselves? It has been statistically proven that you have better opportunities in the employment world with a degree. A Guardian article states that employment figures for university graduates with a First rose to 90.4% in 2009/10.Therefore, everyone should surely be given a fair chance to enter higher education? It seems to me that with the government raising tuition fees, thereby averting potential students from applying to university, they are taking away their right to secure their own future with a well-paid job?  Education is the most important part of someone’s life. Without education, there is very little you can do with your life – education is a necessity.

The government is destroying the future for many young people. As of this year, only the privileged students, whose parents earn enough money to be able to either pay their fees or give them some way of support in paying them back, will even consider going to university. The students who are of lower income families will not have this opportunity, and so cannot fulfil their dreams of a job that may require a degree. These young people could end up in dead-end jobs, living off the council – simply, because they have no other choice! The government is taking away our right to education!

---

Walking The Balance Beam - A Student's Life

Being a first year student myself, I am all too familiar with the ups and downs of relationship building, whether it is friendship making or the more interesting… Love life. The first year in university is one of the best years of a student’s life. Not only do we have to settle into a new place, but also a new way of studying. It can be a lot to take on at once, and before starting the first year, there is always the worry of making friends.

But there’s no need to worry. It’s inevitable that your flatmates will be the first group of friends you make in university. After all you do have to live with them for a whole year.

Then of course there are the friends you will make on your course. I can almost guarantee there will be, at some point, a time where you have to work in partners or groups to complete a task. If you are left to choose your own groups, it can be a little scary approaching people. But remember, everyone is in the same boat as you, apprehensive and nervous. Though, in my opinion, it really isn’t something to worry too much about. Even lecturers take into consideration the difficulty and worry of making friends. They are there to help as well as teach.

Balancing out workload and friends/partners can be difficult. You have to learn to prioritise, which, especially during your first year, is very hard. The first couple of weeks of university are known as Freshers weeks. And what happens during Freshers? You go out, party, meet new people and enjoy every minute of it. Then suddenly you’re thrust into the work life uni is for:- attending lengthy lectures, workshops and seminars. You might be saying to yourself, ‘surely balancing all this out isn’t easy right?’ truthfully, it isn’t, unless you’re one of those people who don’t like to go out a lot.

Then the little Devil may appear and you might say to yourself, ‘Oh, I’ll just go out tonight and do my work over the weekend.’ Then it’s the weekend. You decide your work won’t take too much time so you go out the Saturday night, then before you know it, it’s the night before deadline and you’ve locked yourself in your room, working until early hours in the morning in order to hand in your assignment on time. Again, this is most likely going to happen. It happens to all of us, and not just in your first year. This can happen throughout your university life. This is why prioritising is important.

So what if your friends and/or partner are begging you to come out? There’s a simple answer to that. Look at which is most beneficial to you in the long run. If they’re truly your friends, they should understand and appreciate you have to do your work. I mean, true friends will let you rearrange a different time to go out, a time when you’re free and not when you have a very close deadline. Easier to rearrange social time then it is to change the date for a deadline.

For those who commute to university via train or car, balancing work and social life is a lot more difficult. There’s not only workload and a social life to organise, there is the additional travelling time to consider. For those who take the train there is the option of doing some work whilst travelling, but let’s face it, it must be difficult to concentrate with bustling people around you. And if you drive a car to uni, then there is definitely no time to work, unless you have a state of the art computer that will make note of everything you say… Not likely. Though, the concept of having a computer you simply had to talk to in order to do essays and assignments would be a fine thing. I know I would like one.

If you decide to take up a job, whether it is because of financial situations or just because you want a job, more organisation is needed to know when you will have time for work and time for friends. I personally don’t have a job. No, it’s not because I’m lazy, I just think, for myself: I won’t be able to fit a job in around my work. I much rather focus my time on uni work than worrying about whether I will have time, to not only finish my assignments, but to be able to fit in SLEEP! I’m not against getting a job, but I would say it is a situation that does require attention and a lot of thought.

Unfortunately, I can vouch for myself… Leaving assignments until the last minute is NOT good. You become completely stressed out and you start to snap at people around you. When I had a History assignment due, which I left to the last minute of course, bad idea… I had to barricade myself in my room for a week, with only Weetabix and lots of tea to keep me going. Yes, you have been warned! Trust me; you don’t want to start snapping at those around you. After all, it’s not their fault; it’s down to you to know when it’s time to say no. it’s a situation we students all face and have to deal with when it arises; it’s definitely a test of your willpower. But take comfort in the fact you are not alone, many students before and many students after you, HAVE and WILL survive the process.

Kony 2012

You will have all heard of this, unless you’re in a country without internet (rather ironically, like northern Uganda), it’s basically the biggest internet phenomenon of the year. There are a lot of different stories about it, but my biggest issue with the number of stories is that very few of them focus on Uganda. People are all too busy whining about the Invisible Children’s use of money, or laughing at Jason Russell touching himself in public (which yeah, is absolutely hilarious), but seriously, there are bigger issues here. Basically in this, I’m gonna break down the whole ridiculous video but probably not the whole invisible children thing. People should be smart enough to find out where the money they are donating goes. The majority of this is going to be about the situation in Uganda, who Kony is, and why the call to remove Kony from power is probably a bit too late.

The video is the slickest thing ever; it clearly cost a fair amount of money to produce. Most people now will have watched it, or at least have done what I did, which was watch 15 minutes and then get filled with a sense of moral righteousness that rendered the rest of the video unimportant. I also had to get to the pub, but mostly the indignation thing. There have been a ton of videos and articles on this one video, and one I watched recently was of the reaction to the video in northern Uganda. Let’s put it this way, it wasn’t great. One of my main problems with the video is that, as one of the Ugandan viewers put it “They’re all white”. Except of course for that one guy that was friends with Jason Russell. It’s all a bit odd, there is footage of the cutest, most Aryan kid saying “we need to stop the bad guy” and pointing at a picture of Kony. It isn’t just me that sees this as a weird “we whites will sort out the problems of black people because we’re just so damn good”. A few people have got this impression and it’s bizarre. Sure we want to help but this video is too much about the charity and not enough about what they do, or what the actual issues are. It simplifies it all way too much, so it’s a case of good guy’s vs. bad guys. Anyone over the age of 12 knows almost nothing is exactly that simple. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Kony is a bad guy; I’m just a bit vague on who the good guys are.

Anyway, about Kony. First thing you need to know is that he is a certifiable maniac. Like this guy is an honest to god lunatic. He thinks he’s a prophet or something, but from what the people who have met him have said, he acts like a deep spiritual kinda guy, he’s also  nervous about meeting new people. Who knew crazy people could have a softer side? Anyway, he served as an altar boy for a bit. At some point he started gaining a ton of support. He was the witch doctor in his town for a while and he and his followers all got a bit... spiritual. They belief he channels the Holy Spirit, or something like that. Now, as far as I can tell, he wants a theocracy, which is basically when a country is governed by religion, in this case Christianity. We’re not talking like the sane, love your neighbour kind though, we’re on like, crazy, literal belief in the bible territory. I mean, its fine, a load of weirdo’s in America and I assume other places, take it literally, but I think letting that sort of thing rule your country is a terrible idea. I mean, Kony LITERALLY believes that if you wear a cross on your chest, you’re protected from bullets. LITERALLY. And he tells his child soldiers this. You can see why this guy is considered to basically be a loon. Although, I think the think we mostly have an objection to is the kidnapping children, murdering their parents and turning them into child soldiers or sex workers. I don’t really need to say anything about that, we all acknowledge that anyone who exploits children in any way needs to be stopped.

A problem I encounter here though, is that I’m not sure who the good guys are. From the research I’ve done I’m fairly sure the Ugandan government are not the good guys (one article I read claimed that the Ugandan president started the damn child soldier thing there), but I’m also pretty certain we aren’t either. I mean, the support for Kony’s arrest is now largely made up of us, students, who haven’t got a freaking clue about the situation, other than the fact that “Kony is a bad guy.” I love the idea of social activism, I love that teenagers want to change things, and make a difference but can we at least but the tiniest bit of effort into finding out about it, instead of basically watching a video and going, “oh, this looks cool, Kony must be bad, the nice American guy with the cute kid says he is.” It’s like, people used to say Hitler was good, and people used to just believe it, because they couldn’t be bothered finding out the facts. It’s obviously different in this case, because Kony is actually what the video says, but STILL.

I think the point I’m trying to make is, don’t just believe the shit you’re told. It’s nice to think you can make a difference but at least figure out what difference you’re going to make first. I think the reason people have got so worked up about it being a trending topic on twitter and loads of people sharing the video, is that we went a bit brainless after watching it. Filled with a sort of insane certainty that the nice man on YouTube was going to make us part of something big and important (and you can’t deny, it was that patronising). Sure we can be part of something big and important; I just think that we should have thought a bit more about it first.

There’s also a pretty high chance this whole thing is a bit late. Kony isn’t even IN Uganda anymore, Obama sent troops there last year (Obama gets shit done), the Ugandan’s that have been interviewed said they want money to rebuild now, not to fight wars. Attempting to capture Kony by force hasn’t worked in the past 20 odd years, why should it now? I think the best course of action is to donate money to charities we know will actually put the money to good use, even if that money doesn’t necessarily go to Uganda, and if we want a change there, if we really want to remove Kony from power, the only way that will happen is if we put pressure on our governments to act, because charities can raise awareness, and help rebuild lives, but they aren’t militarised and they aren’t going to change things without the support of our governments.