the skiddle student guide 2015

the skiddlestudentguide

03

Guide to the Cities Your student guide to your new city.

08

DJ Premier Interview The don of the boom bap opens up about Dr Dre and Straight Outta Compton.

10

Hardwell Read our interview with the World Number One DJ.

14

Kagoule We spoke with the Nottingham trio hailed as one of the UK’s best new bands.

18

Charlie Hedges Advice Charlie gives you some advice on life as a student.

the inside track to your city’s nightlife

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As the UK’s biggest what’s on guide, Skiddle.com has all the information you need to make the most of your university life. From dingy raves in darkened rooms to decadent, goliath sized festivals and sweat-drenched mosh pits - we’ve got it covered.

This student guide is a snapshot of that. We’ve run through some of the biggest cities in the country, and picked out some of our favourite venues, clubnights and live music haunts as a taster of what’s on offer, whilst the interviews and news stories inside give you a feel for the kind of coverage we host on Skiddle.com

For the next few years you’ll be in a position like no other, your life no longer revolves around Friday and Saturday night revelry, opening you up to a whole new world of partying. You’ll in effect have a seven day weekend, and if there’s one thing we know, it’s how to get the most out of them.

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—Whether you’re embracing student life for

the first time or returning to it for another year, one thing’s for certain - there will never be

another time in your life quite like university. You’ll never be thrust into a situation like this again, where you’ll meet such a huge number

of people, be exposed to a whole host of brand new experiences, or get to have so much fun -

and we’ll be on hand to help you get themost out of it.

—

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manchesterskiddle.com/cities/Manchester

SANKEYS skiddle.com/groups/sankeys

Sankeys has been at the epicentre of Manchester’s electronic music scene for well over two decades, and has previously nabbed the award for best club in a DJ Mag poll.

GORILLA skiddle.com/groups/gorilla

Located next to Oxford Road station, Gorilla’s under the railway arches charm has made it one of the premier destinations for lovers of both clubs and live music. You can see the likes of Deerhoof, Claude VonStroke, Oneman and more playing there this autumn.

SOUND CONTROLskiddle.com/groups/soundcontrol

With three separate floors, Sound Control is one of the most versatile venues in Manchester. You can expect to witness everything from dark and punishing drum & bass to psychedelic rock as they continue their mission of intriguing, eclectic programming.

DEAF INSTITUTEskiddle.com/groups/deafinstitute

Another venue right in the student community off Oxford Rd, The Deaf Institute runs everything from underground indie gigs to poptastic club nights via monthly disco funk orgy fam*. The food is also excellent.

ALBERT HALLskiddle.com/groups/alberthall

The stunning, historically significant Wesleyan chapel has rightfully returned to the heart of the Manchester Music scene. Its jam-packed roster promotes the finest in live music and houses some cracking club events too. Wolf Alice, Johnny Marr and Chvrches are amongst the acts confirmed for the autumn.

NOW WAVEskiddle.com/groups/nowwave

One of Manchester’s longest running live music promoters, Now Wave consistently hosts events showcasing the sounds of tomorrow, with live performances from the likes of PINS, LA Priest, Mac Demarco and Jamie XX all due in the coming weeks.

SOUP KITCHEN skiddle.com/groups/soupkitchen

Soup Kitchen has a knack of booking some of the very best artists and bands during the week and weekend, with Slam, Mr Ties, Quantic and Hooton Tennis Club slated for the coming weeks. During the day the venue also provides top quality food and beers in a superbly laid back atmosphere. JOSHUA BROOKS skiddle.com/groups/joshuabrooks

Featuring some of the best club nights in the city, Joshua Brooks’ newly refurbed club space looks and sounds incredible, whilst attracting artists like Surgeon, Boris and ANT TC1. Also check out the Meat Free parties which never fail to delight.

VICTORIA WAREHOUSE skiddle.com/venues/35106

The city’s landmark clubbing space has housed massive events from Composit over the past few years, who have brought the likes of Steve Aoki, Hardwell and Laidback Luke to Manchester. Underground clubbing authority Sankeys will also make use of the immense venue by staging Sankeys Warehouse there throughout the winter.


Gorilla

Albert Hall

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ARTS CLUB skiddle.com/venues/56119

Not only do live acts come to play within the theatre-style main room, the epic venue also houses two of the city’s most loved club nights, Circus and Chibuku, which cover the full spectrum of quality dance music.

THE MAGNET skiddle.com/venues/987

Recently renovated, this venue is considered one of Liverpool’s gems. From disco to techno and live music, nights hosted by Hustle and Evol showcase genres with a special flair in the basement space, whilst its weekly Comedy Cellar provides plenty of Saturday night chortles. FREEZE skiddle.com/groups/freezeliverpool

With an emphasis on incredible venues, Freeze have gained legendary status through their ability to pair an artist and a venue harmoniously. They’ve joined up with the mighty Cream to host Asylum, and Scenery Records for regular house and techno nights at The Garage, starring the likes of Levon Vincent and DVS1.

CAMP AND FURNACE skiddle.com/venues/30720

As a prominent part of the city’s Baltic Triangle area, Camp and Furnace boasts a restaurant, bar and fan park for the football and is considered one of the city’s best cultural hangout spots. The converted warehouse has an emphasis on the outdoors, brought indoors - it’s incredibly spacious and acts like an urban park.

THE KAZIMIER skiddle.com/groups/kazimier

Not only does The Kazimier’s main venue feature state of the art production and visuals, The Garden area located just outside is just as visually pleasing. The venue will be graced by the likes of Xiu Xiu, William Basinski and renowned club night Abandon Silence over the coming weeks, but will be closing for good at the end of the year. Make sure you experience it before then.

THE SHIPPING FORECAST skiddle.com/venues/17581 Come day time, The Shipping Forecast is the perfect place to grab a drink and a bite to eat, and when night calls, they open the doors to The Hold, their basement space, whilst the bar gets rowdy with a delightfully eclectic soundtrack.

THE GARAGE skiddle.com/venues/46762

Another venue that sits within The Baltic Triangle, The Garage plays host to some of the most exciting underground events in the city, including its own night Peach, Rubix and now Scenery Records and Freeze.

LEAF skiddle.com/venues/25774

Located on Bold Street, Leaf is primarily a unique, independent tea shop. They have put care into the night time use of the venue equally as much as the day time, welcoming a steady influx of under-the-radar, up and coming bands to make use of the distinctive setting. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis are among the upcoming bands.

CREAM skiddle.com/groups/cream

Cream needs little to no introduction, being one of the most famous club nights in the world. A raft of international DJs make their way to Cream every year, whilst this year sees its last ever turn at the place where it all began - Nation, as well as the return of Asylum, a riotous techno feast held in the grounds of an abandoned mental asylum.


liverpoolskiddle.com/cities/Liverpool

Asylum (Credit Anthony Mooney)

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MINISTRY OF SOUND skiddle.com/groups/ministryofsoundlondon

Probably the most famous club in the UK, MoS has been going strong since the dawn of the nineties, and still hosts the biggest and best DJs in the world on a weekly basis. A must visit destination for any serious dance music lover.

STUDIO 338 skiddle.com/venues/38150

A unique space which boasts a club and world class terrace, Studio 338 host showcases from some of the finest clubs in the world, such as Pacha Ibiza, Elrow and Manchester’s Sankey.

EGG LONDON skiddle.com/groups/egglondon

A short walk from Kings Cross station, Egg London has been going for over a decade and a recent refurb has maintained its reputation as one of the best joints in the capital - its custom built Flipside sound system is a major draw for many international DJs and discerning clubbers.

LONDON WAREHOUSE EVENTS skiddle.com/groups/lwepresents

One of London’s best promoters, LWE cover all forms of dance music across a variety of cool and interesting spaces, taking on old fashioned warehouses and open air spaces for daytime parties in the warmer months.

JAZZ CAFÉ skiddle.com/groups/thejazzcafe

Based in Camden, the Jazz Café boasts a wide variety of brilliant live gigs, with hip hop, funk, soul, disco and, of course, jazz within its rich melting pot of sounds.

VILLAGE UNDERGROUND skiddle.com/whats-on/London/Village-Underground

Set in the uber chic Shoreditch region, Village Underground is a fantastic warehouse space which boasts four recycled Jubilee line trains as its creative spaces. By night the warehouse is home to the likes of Clock Strikes 13 and Soundcrash’s eclectic clubbing programme.

LOCK N LOAD skiddle.com/groups/locknload

The guys behind Clapham Common’s SW4 festival host magnificent raves throughout the year too - the next few months see Andy C, Ram Records and the DJ Mag Top 100 party at various venues around the city.

ELECTRIC BRIXTON skiddle.com/groups/electricbrixton

Formerly The Fridge - one of the most celebrated clubs of London’s history, Electric Brixton maintains that legacy with stadium sized production and sound values complementing world class acts such as The Bug, Nicky Romero and Autechre in the coming months.

londonskiddle.com/cities/London

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MINT WAREHOUSE AND MINT CLUB skiddle.com/groups/mintwarehouse

Mint boast two different rave-ready spaces in the city as well as a festival at Wetherby Racecourse at the end of September. Mint Club has one of the biggest student focused parties in the city, Mint Mondays, whilst the Mint Warehouse is a 1000 capacity three roomed venue a stone’s throw from Leeds train station.

CONTROL skiddle.com/venues/44754

With a capacity of over 3000, Control is a state of the art superclub with a sound system to match and a top notch weekly programme supplanted by regular appearances from the DJ elite. Control Saturdays are well worth checking too, with discounts available for large groups.

THE WAREHOUSE skiddle.com/venues/1283

Around for well over thirty years, The Warehouse has played a pivotal role in the evolution of clubbing in the North. Welcoming some of the greats of pop, rock and dance music in its past, the venue continues to live up to its reputation with a run of searing parties penned in for the rest of the year.

CANAL MILLS skiddle.com/venues/34620

One of the city’s most well-loved venues, Canal Mills is adored for its range of art exhibitions, theatrical projects and film screenings. As well as live gigs and electronic dance music events which regularly ensare appearances from the toast of the underground.

THE FAVERSHAM skiddle.com/venues/46218

Smack bang in the middle of the student heartland, The Faversham serves both as a sublime pub and bar space as well as a home to a number of brilliant, intimate clubnights.

HIFI CLUB skiddle.com/venues/11906

Variety is at the heartbeat of HiFi, with a comedy night every Saturday supported by live music and club nights of all genres on the other nights of the week, with Latin, Afrobeat, funk and tropical disco specialists Bugalu being one its most loved soirees.

BEAVER WORKS skiddle.com/venues/11316

Situated on the outskirts of the city, Beaver Works provides four rooms of weighty sound systems and high end lighting rigs to provide the ultimate raver’s habitat. Expect to find a fine selection of jungle, breaks, house and bass on offer on a weekly basis.

leedsskiddle.com/cities/Leeds

Canal Mills


DIGITAL skiddle.com/venues/2195

Described as the ‘Fabric of the North’, Newcastle’s flagship superclub focuses its attentions on top drawer programming and state of the art sound and visuals. Promoters like Goodgreef, Module and Elektriqa often use the venue to champion the best in dance music of all genres. Think Tank also bring bands to the space, with Eliza and the Bear, Gengahr and The Ordinary Boys on the way

COSMIC BALLROOM skiddle.com/venues/6648

For the past few years the Cosmic Ballroom has been one of the city’s most well-loved spaces for dance music, and its reputation shows no signs of abetting any time soon. Troupe bring both My Nu Leng and Redlight to the venue this year.

HOOCHIE COOCHIE skiddle.com/venues/23942

Hoochie Coochie is an intimate venue that somehow manages to get some of the biggest names in soul, house and jazz to appear. This year alone sees Dimitri From Paris, The Brand New Heavies, John Morales and Jungle Brothers make appearances.

WORLD HEADQUARTERS skiddle.com/venues/2186

The underground, musically driven World Headquarters is certainly one of the friendliest clubs in the city, with emphasis on regular weekly nights of high calibre music, from hip hop and soul to jungle and house, via a whole lot more.

THE CUT skiddle.com/venues/14924

A mere five minute walk from Central Metro Station, Newcastle’s inner city, alternative club space hosts three hugely popular weekly nights. Ranging from party hip hop to nineties R&B, deep tech house to disco, electro to funk, The Cut has become a prime student destination, with regular night Loop a favourite amongst discerning clubbers.

newcastleskiddle.com/cities/Newcastle

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How much of the UK hip hop scene have you been up on, you feeling the grime sound at all?

Yeah I been up on the grime scene for a while, I mean even with drum and bass during the nineties I’ve checked the UK. From Gilles Peterson and the whole acid jazz thing, that was around the time that drum and bass started to kick in so you know, I seen it. Blak Twang’s music, Dizzee Rascal, even Tinie Tempah and what he does now in this generation, all that stuff.

I experienced all those stages of the change and growth of the music out there in the UK you know. I always try and be up on the regions that we go to just to see how close it is to what we do, from the American perspective of where it was created at, especially New York.

You’ve collaborated with Dr Dre finally on his new album Compton on the track ‘Animals’. What was that experience was like?

That was our first time working together in the studio. We’ve always been on a level of mutual respect and that’s as far as it went, so when it came to the point of doing a record together it was just dope because our vibe clicked right away.

You know we knew each other already since 1989, and we recognised each other’s work and had that respect, but it’s different to that working behind the boards but with this it did. He honoured my opinions, there was no interference. I like the fact that my opinions were not only welcome but he also understood why I wanted to make those changes and he knew exactly what I meant. He would just hear it and if it sounded cool we’d keep it and then move forward.

And how do you feel the album came out as a whole then, you like it?

Oh yeah I love it, it’s like a movie. Some people are saying on social media aaah it’s wack, it’s trash and I’m like you couldn’t of possibly listened to it that quick. People saying there’s no singles for the radio - it’s a soundtrack to a movie, it’s not a record for the clubs, it’s a soundtrack.

Have you seen the film?The movie is amazing, very well done. Everybody played their part, the guy who played Eazy looked like and acted like Eazy-E. I know Suge Knight, I know Ren, I know Yella, I know everybody and they way they act - and everybody’s character in it are right and true.

DJ PREMIER

Legendary hip hop producer DJ Premier heads to Bristol this winter, and we caught up with him about what he thinks of the UK hip hop and grime scene, working with Dr Dre, and his thoughts on Straight Outta Compton the film.

The movie is amazing, very well done. Everybody played their part, the guy who played Eazy looked

like and acted like Eazy-E.

READ THIS INTERVIEW IN FULL AT skiddle.com/news

DJ Premier

““


MOTION skiddle.com/venues/9204

One of the best clubs in the country, Motion manages to showcase the biggest and greatest names in dance music on a near weekly basis, with flagship night In:Motion a particular favourite. Big Narstie, High Contrast, Oneman, Bonobo, Shy FX and Toddla T are just some of the upcoming guests.

THEKLA skiddle.com/venues/1480

Whether you’re a live music fan or an all hours clubber, chances are Thekla will be serenading you at some stage during the upcoming months. Blackalicious, Blossoms, and Wheatus all hit the live stage in autumn.

TB2 skiddle.com/venues/1207

Also known as Timbuk2, the venue has been open for over a decade and specialises in the kind of bass and dub focused sounds that Bristol is loved for. There’s an abundance of nooks and crannies in its myriad of arches and caverns, making it more intimate and intriguing than most conventional club set-ups.

BIG CHILL BAR skiddle.com/venues/53876

Located in the heart of the old city, Big Chill hosts everything from Bristol’s best jazz funk musicians to local and international DJs, whilst the food, and in particular the cocktails, are some of the best in the city. We recommend getting a Big Chill community card from the bar too to get you a tonne of free stuff.

DOJO skiddle.com/venues/3614

Dojo specialise in the best way to experience dance music - a small dark and sweaty space with the emphasis placed firmly on the music. Legendary Bristol night Just Jack cut its teeth here many moons ago, whilst Dojo is still the spot for the smaller and more adventurous promoters the city has to offer.

LAKOTA skiddle.com/venues/1846

Situated in the only remaining part of the Stokes Croft Brewery, Lakota’s unique, industrial setting is a perfect fit for the parties it throws and the huge line ups it attracts. Working closely with some of the biggest Bristol promoters, Lakota welcomes Logan D, Cause & Affect, Fabio & Grooverider and Dub FX in the near future.

bristolskiddle.com/cities/Bristol

MK at Motion (Credit Jake Davis / Here & Now)

Check out:skiddle.com/freshers for your local freshers

guide

10

hardwell

Responsible for headlining the world’s biggest dance music festivals, the mighty Dutch producer and DJ has enjoyed two years at number one in DJ Mag’s defining poll.

I love the passion of the UK crowds.

Although EDM is predominantly massive in places like America, the UK still has a really strong and thriving scene, especially when it comes to festivals. How would you say that the USA compares to the UK?

The UK remains one of the central destinations for electronic music. It’s produced many of the scenes biggest artists and given dance music some of the world’s most iconic clubs and festivals. The U.S. has much to offer and whilst dance music originated in America, the country’s overall scene is still very much maturing in comparison to the UK.

The big room sounds like electro and progressive house are still growing in the U.S. but it’s also completely dominated everything from television to radio. It’s exciting to see the change in America.

If you had to pick one, what is your favourite city in the UK to play if you were to take into consideration the venues, crowds and general atmosphere?

That’s such a difficult question to answer because the UK’s scene is so diverse and the crowds are so different from city to city. London is always a great place to play but then when you head up north you’ve got places like Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle, as well as places like Glasgow in Scotland and Belfast in Northern Ireland, which are all great cities with these really wild crowds.

For me, I love the passion of the UK crowds. Take Ibiza for example, you know 100% that the majority of the ones who will be on the dancefloor first, stay the longest and are going crazy will be from the UK. As a DJ who likes playing to up for it crowds, I really love that!

Summer and festival season is coming to a close. What would you say has been your favourite gig from the past few months?

I’ve had so many amazing shows this year. I loved playing main stage sets at places like Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, Exit festival, EDC Las Vegas and a couple of weekends ago at Creamfields. Hosting my own festival arena at places like EDC Las Vegas, Tomorrowland and Tomorrowland Brazil with my Revealed Recordings label has been a highlight for me.

But one event that’s really stood out for me this year has been my Ibiza residency at Ushuaia. We took the concept in a different direction this year launching a new event called ‘Hardwell’s Carnival’. Obviously launching anything new in Ibiza is a gamble, so I was a little nervous how it would turn out.

Would the crowds get it? Would the carnival theme be something the Ibiza crowds would be into? But I’m really happy that the new party has been a huge success! We’ve had some incredible artists join us this year such and all the shows have been utterly insane. Summer 2015 has been probably my best year on the island.

You still hold the prestigious top spot for the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs and you’ve scooped numerous awards for your performances and music, is there anything you’ve hoped for that you’re yet to achieve when it comes to stuff like that?

Winning a Grammy would be something and of course I’d love to hold on to the world #1 DJ award for another year. My main focus right now is on my United We Are Foundation. I want to grow the charity and use my position to build something that can make a social difference to communities around the world.


Hardwell (Credit: Gerard Henninger)

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It’s impossible to escape bass music when you’re clubbing, from clubnights such as Chibuku and The Tuesday Club up to festivals like Creamfields, SW4 and Boom Town. This is why we at Skiddle have proudly worked in partnership with the Bass Music Awards since 2013 - we think it’s vital to shout about this buzzing music scene. The categories this year stretch across everything from ‘Best House Single’ to ‘Best Deep Bass Single’, ‘Rising Star’ to ‘Best Label’ and there’s even an award for ‘Best Remix’. And of course, the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement’ and ‘Outstanding Contribution’ titles which will see the likes of Annie Mac go head to head with Shy FX and DJ EZ up against Mary Anne Hobbs.

The BMA representatives for this year are Hannah Wants, Tough Love, Coco Cole, Friction and Funtcase – highlighting the breadth and also the quality of talent that is picked up, with the artists themselves compiling the nominations for their respective category.

For the first time this year, Bass Music Awards is taking over one of the most influential and iconic clubs in the UK, if not the world – Ministry of Sound – to host the ceremony on Thursday 12th November. The event will see BBC Radio 1’s DJ Target and Adele Roberts present the prestigious awards to the winners, followed by a huge all-night after party with stages hosted by Rompa’s Reggae Shack and last year’s ‘Best Label’ winners Never Say Die.

The team behind the Bass Music Movement have made it their mission to create a platform that showcases the musical components within the industry which make electronic enthusiasts tick. So, if you’re big on grime or down for drum & bass, into heavy beats or prefer just plain catchy ones, the awards have got it covered. Artists, labels and promoters are eagerly waiting to see if they’ve picked up a gong this year. Who nabs it is all down to you!

BASS MUSIC AWARDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH SKIDDLE

The Bass Music Awards celebrates and commemorates the artists, tracks, labels and clubs that make the genre so exciting and diverse. Every year it gives you the chance to cast your vote on who you think has been relevant to the scene, whether it’s behind the decks, in the studio or promoting award-worthy parties.

FIND OUT MORE AT skiddle.com/bassmusicawards


As your tastes have developed and you’ve been exposed to more things, do you think your radio show has changed as a result?

Yeah, totally. And music changes. Radio, for me, is the best platform for new music. Clubs, parties and festivals are not always the kinds of places to explore brand new music and stuff that isn’t necessarily party music. As styles and fashions change, as producers come and go, of course the style of the show is going to change. It’s inevitable for anyone, whether you’re on the radio, in a club or even in just your house.

And how are Radio 1 with those changes? It really wasn’t that long ago they would put some of their DJs in pretty tight boxes. You’d have the dance music show, the Friday night rock show etc. Did they never give you a remit and are they fine with it evolving?

I’ve never had a spec that they’ve asked me to stick to. I guess when I started the show I was playing a wide range of dance music - new Jamaican bits, new British bits, new European bits. I would put it in the dance music bracket, but it was quite wide. Nowadays that’s like a lot of DJs, a lot of the shows on the network are the same.

If you look at Fridays, you’ve got Annie (Mac), she plays a massive mix of stuff, Pete (Tong) plays broader than he ever has, B.Traits, again, same thing. Then on Saturday you’ve got the 1Xtra takeover, Mistajam, who plays a very, very big range of music and Target, who plays a bit similar to me.

I think the way people consume music, it’s a lot less purist than it used to be and that’s reflected in radio. Other selectors aren’t so much playing in boxes as they once were. The listener or even the raver is the same. I never really have a problem in gigs, let alone on the radio, in moving around stylistically.

Sheffield DJs Winston Hazel and Pipes and liberal parties like Kabal obviously had a big influence on you, but you’re away from that scene now, living in London. Are there any DJs where you are, in a club setting, that hold so much of an influence on you, who transmit that kind of energy?

I think that thing is so uniquely Sheffield. I’ve done so many gigs around the globe with different people and, don’t get me wrong, there’s amazing things about all of them, but what we’re talking about, that really individual, Sheffield style of playing records, with a Jamaican twist, is unique to Sheffield and unique to Kabal.

When I go back and play there it’s mad. I might have come from playing a massive festival or playing America or Japan, but when I go back to Kabal to play records with those two guys there’s this addictive and incredible energy, not only in the party, but in the way they put the records together. It’s just so individually Sheffield.

There’s loads of great DJs out there who I rate, but none who have that kind of energy. I know loads of great dancehall DJs who can juggle fast and they’re really on top of their music. I know people who can blend styles together really well, I know good DJs who play house, garage, techno, drum & bass, but that weird amalgamation of Sheffield electronics and dancehall is very individual to Pipes and Winny really. Fucking brilliant.

TODDLA TToddla T took time out of his busy studio and DJing schedule to talk to us about forthcoming gigs, his Radio 1 show, DJing, his background plus the places of his key influence - Jamaica and Sheffield.

That really individual style of playing records, with a Jamaican twist, is unique

to Sheffield

Toddla T

READ THIS INTERVIEW IN FULL AT skiddle.com/news

““


PLUG skiddle.com/venues/4635

Plug is one of the city’s leading multi-purpose music spaces. With plenty of student nights nestled alongside a killer clubbing roster and live sets from the likes of Wolf Alice, Foxes and Purity Ring, placing it at the centre of Sheffield’s nightlife.

FEZ CLUB skiddle.com/groups/thefezclub

The 500 capacity clubbing space features a hefty Funktion One sound system and a no frills clubbing environment, complete with darkened warehouse vibes and unflinching, high quality music.

FOUNDRY, STUDIO & FUSION skiddle.com/venues/2594

Part of the Sheffield Student Union, Foundry, Studio & Fusion brings world class talent to the Union every day of the week, with the much loved Tuesday Club supplying the best in bass driven sounds. Bondax are amongst the first confirmed for the autumn.

HOPE WORKS skiddle.com/venues/38432

Hope Works is one of finest purveyors of underground techno not just in Sheffield, but in the whole of the North, with the likes of James Ruskin, Nina Kraviz, Martyn and Randomer already booked this season.

THE NIGHT KITCHEN skiddle.com/venues/54646

Based in the shell of one of the city’s most infamous cutlery factories, the club’s décor takes direct inspiration from its past and is home to a number of quality club nights, with Jimmy Edgar and Roman Flügel just two of its most recent guests.

CORPORATION skiddle.com/venues/3011

For rock, indie, and metal lovers, Corporation is where it’s at. Students can look forward to Corporation’s run of Fresher’s Week specials including a frat party, skool disco, and more, followed by a live programme that stars the likes of Hacktivist, Raging Speedhorn and Alabama 3.

sheffieldskiddle.com/cities/Sheffield

Hope Works (Credit Liam Taylor)


Guitarist and lead vocalist Cai answers the phone on a Friday afternoon and declares he’s hungover, “I had an album launch last night at Rough Trade with a free bar.” He then adds, “There was a 25 day old baby there, the guy brought him without any ear filters. We were like, what the fuck are you doing man? It was a great night.”

MEET KAGOULE.

How was school life, was it just you three jamming and heading to gigs?

I was into things like thrash metal and grindcore, Scandinavian rock and then Lawrence kind of introduced me to lighter music, you know the indie stuff?

I think that’s when I started to change my tastes. And then we’d jam, we’d do stuff like Arctic Monkeys and whatever was in NME at the time. And then Lucy had really cool shoes and awesome hair so we gave her a bass guitar.

How do you guys come to write a song?

I could never play drums like Lawrence can, no matter what, I can’t play drums at all. I’m trying to beatbox a riff and he’s like “what the hell are you talking about Cai?” He just does his thing, “I’ll just leave it to you, you’re really good man, do what you want.”

I bring in a riff, we’ll jam on that for a bit, Lawrence always comes up with something we’re into. I don’t think we’ve ever had to

say “don’t do that” to him. He kind of adds a lot of dynamic to the songs, a lot of hooks in the song are in the drums.

Lucy is so good at quality control, you can write a riff and in your head it’s the best thing ever, but she’s like “that’s a fucking Foo Fighters riff”, and you check it out and it’s like “oh damn it is”. Without her there’d be so much crap in the music.

Lawrence draws all of your band artwork right, is he always drawing weird shit?

Oh my god man I can’t even fucking get into it, it’s such a beautiful way to start drawing. He’s definitely not drawing still lifes and flowers and all that, he came from the other side. He’d just like doodle in his maths book and yeah he has no intention to be an artist or anything; he never took art or anything, he just like drew in his book and stuff.

He does the pen on paper and I just decided I wanted it to be themed with all the images and logos. I wanted everything to be a different shade of bruise colour and then I ended up with yellow which is kind of like skin in a way, but I really wanted a yellow album.

kagoule

Kagoule


RAINBOW VENUES skiddle.com/groups/rainbowvenues

Probably Birmingham’s most well known musical hotspot, The Rainbow Venues offers a myriad of different spaces all kitted out with sublime sound and lighting systems designed for raving and live music appreciation. Bondax, Hannah Wants, and Loco Dice all hit the venues this year.

HARE AND HOUNDS skiddle.com/groups/hareandhounds

Located in Kings Heath in the south of the city, Hare and Hounds has in the last few years really established itself as a prime venue for live music and clubbing. Greg Wilson, Todd Edwards and Craig Charles are just some of the future guests.

THE INSTITUTE skiddle.com/venues/19260

Situated in Digbeth, The Institute is one of the city’s leading live music venues and has a gig list that reads like a who’s of who of popular music, with Wolf Alice, Mac Demarco and Stereo MCs amongst the next artists lined up.

NEXT DOOR skiddle.com/venues/50384

Next Door is the Rainbow Venue’s recently opened sister venue, catering for the more intimate clubnight. In it you’ll find everything from cutting edge bass music and brutalist techno all the way to upfront house, with a vibe unrivalled in the city.

LAB 11 skiddle.com/venues/29442

Lab 11’s vision rests on uncompromisingly forward thinking sounds that celebrate the best of local and international talent. If you’re a true aficionado of dance music there’s few better spaces in the UK to experience it.

birminghamskiddle.com/cities/Birmingham

Rainbow Venues



NIGHTVISION skiddle.com/groups/nightvision

The combined might of two of the city’s biggest promoters, Musika and Xplicit, has led to a programme of unadulterated quality in the city over the autumn and winter. The season kicks off with Joris Voorn and Route 94 before unleashing its full roster across some of the city’s best venues.

THE LIQUID ROOM skiddle.com/venues/3872

One of the main venues selected by Nightvision, The Liquid Room also boasts an eye catching live schedule which includes Rae Morris, The Polyphonic Spree and Johnny Marr between now and the end of the year.

CABARET VOLTAIRE skiddle.com/venues/2925

Nestled at the foot of Blair Street, inside what is essentially a cave, the two floored delight holds a mixture of clubnights and live gigs. Its charm rests squarely on its unusual, pokey surroundings, creating one unique social set up that’ll keep you coming back for more.

SNEAKY PETE’S skiddle.com/venues/10295

Open seven days a week from 1pm to 5am, Sneaky Pete’s boasts some of the best midweek parties around with all forms of alternative music covered, giving way to more established guests from the electronic music underground at the weekend.

CITY NIGHTCLUB skiddle.com/venues/17709/

Located opposite Edinburgh’s Waverley train station, this huge space usually caters for the more accessible forms of music, with appearances from TOWIE cast members and regular club nights due over the season.

BONGO CLUB skiddle.com/venues/1045

A venue very close to the local’s hearts, the Bongo Club relocated in recent times but still boasts the same charm that’s endeared it to music lovers looking for something a little off the beaten track. Expect a soundclash of dub, reggae, funk, Northern soul and hip hop to soundtrack your dances into the early hours.

edinburghskiddle.com/cities/Edinburgh

Nightvision



SUB CLUB skiddle.com/venues/2166

A haven of house music since the late eighties, Sub Club is not only well loved in Glasgow, but widely respected across the globe. Helmed by revered residents Harri and Domenic of Subculture, Sub Club also boasts a sound system widely regarded as the city’s best.

SWG3 skiddle.com/venues/17243

A non-profit organisation dedicated to furthering the city’s rich artistic history, there’s an abundance of poetry, exhibitions, food markets and band showcases across the week, with a more dedicated clubbing menu in the warehouse - Julio Bashmore and Dusky both arrive in autumn.

LA CHEETAH skiddle.com/venues/14799

Sitting underneath popular bar and eatery Max’s, which itself benefits from brilliant in house DJs and generous drinks prices, La Cheetah’s clubbing programme is one of the best in Glasgow, with leading lights in house, techno, electro, disco and rock regularly on the roster.

SAINT JUDES skiddle.com/venues/36934

Upstairs the bar is a dream for alcohol connoisseurs, with an in depth selection of beers and cocktails complemented by stunning food menu. Downstairs though the newly refurbished club space rocks upfront dance music of all kinds, with a Funktion One sound system matched by a notoriously up for it crowd.

COLOURS skiddle.com/groups/colours

Scotland’s longest running events promoter has no shortage of triumphant raves up its sleeve this autumn, with the likes of Deorro, Carl Cox, John Digweed and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike recent or upcoming guests.

CLUB ACTION skiddle.com/venues/64639

Love Action has this month launched an exciting, intimate basement clubbing space in the city, open each weekend through to December. With a 400 capacity and names like Catz ‘N Dogz, Sidney Charles, and B.Traits already hooked in, Club Action is well placed to make its mark on the city’s thriving scene.

glasgowskiddle.com/cities/Newcastle

Colours


But success like this doesn’t come overnight; from blagging work experience at 13, being a tea girl at Kiss and working through a three year journalism degree - Charlie Hedges is proof that hard work and determination pays off. Here’s what she has to say on the subject:

“So you’re starting uni and coming at you from every single direction is somebody giving you what they think is the best advice for you, when all you’re thinking is ‘Fresheerrssss’ weekkkkkkk!’

Freshers’ feels like a fresh start - you’re about to meet the people you are potentially spending the next three years with, it’s a big deal. Even though this week is one to be enjoyed (fully) my advice is to never forget why you’re at uni in the first place in terms of where you’re aiming for in three or four years time.

I don’t want to sit and give you loads of guidance about what to do and what not to do as I personally think uni is about finding your own feet and working out what’s best and maybe not so good for yourselves - I can only tell you briefly what I did and hope that might help you guys somehow.

When I was 13 I applied to work for a magazine through an advert in the paper. From 13-17 I wrote articles and would contact/bug celebrities’ PAs and ask to literally interview anyone who would have me. Then randomly when I was about 15 my dad, who is a London black cab driver, picked up one of the Kiss FM DJs at the time. I got in contact with them and asked if I could interview them which I did. I then kept in touch with the guys and a week before starting uni I got a phone call offering me a job as a tea girl/runner for the breakfast show… of course I took it.

I used to get into Kiss at 4:30am, work on the show until 9am and would then drive from central London to my uni based in Harlow College (I studied for a BA (Hons) in journalism) and did this for three years.

Fortunately when I finished uni I’d already secured myself a job.

Now this isn’t to say during this time I didn’t go out and have a life, because I certainly did, but I think for me the best thing I could have ever done was to get work experience early on in my degree as the contacts you build and the opportunities you get through actually working seemed to honestly outweigh a lot of everything else I was doing/learning.

Try it, contact some companies in the areas you want to be working in, see if you can get some runner work or part time work even if it’s unpaid (which it most likely will be) and build on your contacts and knowledge in that area.

I wish you guys all the luck in the world and if anyone needs any advice please feel free to contact me on my Twitter page and if I can help I will - @charliehedges. And of course enjoy Freshers’ Week, trust me it’ll be a good un!”

charlie hedges advice piece

With 1.8 million listeners each morning on her award-winning Kiss FM show, a top rated iTunes podcast that also features on British Airways flights across the globe, and DJ gigs up and down the country each weekend, it’s fair to say that Charlie Hedges has come a long way since her student days…

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One of the best ways to further yourself, particularly if writing and journalism is your thing, is to become one of our cherished contributors. We rely on a network of eager wordsmiths across the country to help us present the best insider knowledge on the nation’s best events - our voices in the rave trenches, gig correspondents and food connoisseurs are the lifeblood of our extremely busy editorial section.

If you’re passionate about live music, clubbing or food, and you think you’ve got what it takes, then we’ll provide free access to gigs, artists and clubnights across the country, as well as almost every major festival around.

The work would initially be voluntary but we can in some cases offer the future prospect of paid employment. We’ll also help develop your abilities as a writer with coaching and feedback, nurturing your talent to help make you better at what you do.

Drop us an email at [email protected] for more information.

Acid house started in abandoned warehouses and fields, Ibiza is rife with parties on beaches and in caves, and in Lancaster, Skiddle works alongside adventurous promoters A Wing to bring some of the biggest names in house, drum & bass and disco to Lancaster Castle - a Grade 1 listed disused prison.

A Wing’s next run of events sees Hospitality’s Camo & Krooked and Bondax banged up over the last weekend in October.

A Wing

a wingDance music has a habit of turning up in the most unusual of places.


*Terms and Conditions apply. Exclusions apply. Valid student ID required.

Goody bags are limited and subject to availability.

SCOTLANDGLASGOW - FRIDAY 25TH SEPT

SILVERBURN - THURSDAY 8TH OCT

THE NORTHLEEDS - TUESDAY 29TH SEPT

MANCHESTER - TUESDAY 29TH SEPT

(After party event. See social for details)

PRESTON - TUESDAY 29TH SEPT

LIVERPOOL - WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPT

SHEFFIELD MEADOWHALL - THURSAY 1ST OCT

TRAFFORD CENTRE - TUESDAY 6TH OCT

MIDLANDSMERRY HILL - TUESDAY 29TH SEPT

SOLIHULL - FRIDAY 2ND OCT

BIRMINGHAM HIGH STREET - THURSDAY 8TH OCT

BIRMINGHAM BULLRING - THURSDAY 8TH OCT

SOUTHWESTFIELD LONDON - WEDNESDAY 7TH OCT

WESTFIELD STRATFORD - FRIDAY 9TH OCT

the skiddle student guide 2015

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