l
Catering for the student clubber.
LISTINGS: GLASGOW 52 EDINBURGH 63
Serious homework
Everybody hates students. but club promoters are now trying desperately to cater tor them. Ay'ril Mair finds out how and why.
’l‘he archetypal idea olstudents is one ol unadulterated misery. (‘loseted in bedsitland. be-spectacled. bc-cardiganned. pile ol' l’enguin classics at hand. .‘ylorrissey's maudlin tones their only consolation. This is one common misconception. there is another that ol the permanently pissed layabout. dodging lectures in favour of yet another lunchtime session in the pub. yet another cy'ening spent drinking instead ol‘studfi'ing. 'l‘his bears a closer resemblance to the truth. For most students an essential part ol a degree curriculum inyolyes the consumption ol copious quantities of cheap lager while dancing the night away.
With an estimated 2S3.llllll young people studying at educational establishments in Scotland — a large proportion olys hich are based in the (‘entral Belt — the entertainments market for such an audience possesses considerable financial potential: something about which club organisers and owners are clearly conscious.
"l‘bere are three yery dilterent sorts ol student clubbers.” attests ( )rde .‘yleikle. a member ol (ilasgow‘s inlamous Slam crew . ‘liir‘stly . those who want a specilically student orientated. student populated club and w ill therelore otrly go to student unions. Secondly. those w ho want a student style ol‘club but outwith the campus. .’\nd lastly. others who are aware ol current lashion and music trends and w ant to go to a club which
reflects that.‘
Graeme Provan and Graham Hall otShag and Alphabet
But according to Ian .lacksott. the man behind l’lot‘al Riot one ol the most successlttl clubs to emerge lr‘om ltdinbttrgh‘s blossoming alternative scene. there is a lttlltlttlltc‘ltlttl llaw with the in—hottse cntet tainrnent proy ided by uniyer‘sities and colleges themselyes. ‘lhe popularity ot clubs with the student popttlation.‘ he says. ‘ts a direct negatiye comment on the way which their unions are rtrn. .I\lter spending all day in a uniyersity or college atmosphere. most ol them ittst want to lorch about it all lot‘ a w hilc.~
l’red l)eakin. the organiser ol the now-legendary 'l'hunderball one—oil‘s and presently l).l—ing at ladinburgh's \Vildlile and New Shrnoo clubs. enlarges on the situation. ' l’he most important thing about clubs tor students is that they are cheap. cheap. chcapf he says. "l‘he cheaper the better. Basically students want a student union that isrrt a student union. Nobody wants to go to a speciltc student club nobody ilbk'\\lltkikilll\.i
'l‘his is a statement to which lan .lackson readily adds his assent. ':\ lry ely attriosphcrc and cut—price alcohol are the most important things.‘
he agrees. ~.'\ltlslc‘ comes \cc‘tllttl. and cy c‘lt then.
let‘s lace it.
most students seem alraid to alienate themselycs and preler the blander elements ol the indie market.‘
‘Tylttsicallx to appeal to students you rust need to play any thing which was cool six months :rgof agrees ( iraeme l’roy an. w ho along with par'tner~in—crimc ( iraham l lall is responsible lot
the long-running student—lricndly' Shag. as well as
Alphabet. which opened its doors tor the first time in ( ilasgow last week. "l‘hat‘s why the Manchester thing is so popular now. because
cy'ct‘yltody else is sick til it .'
While most clubbers now hold the rising ot‘ the north in contempt. students are increasingly attracted to this dancclloor‘ r‘cyoltttion. lttdecd. the marketable potential ol' .‘ylanchester is equalled only by the commercial Viability ol'the past. a phenomenon to which ( iraham llall bears testament. ‘As a general rule nobody plays anything that‘s in the charts except ‘.‘\1‘ sounds.‘ he says. ‘but oddly enough. really crap chart singles metarnorphisise a l‘ew years later into things people look back on l'ondly and really want todance to.‘
l lence all those old ( ireasc Saturday Night
l-‘eyer Staying Aliye records. which lind their way
onto Shag‘s playlist with an alarming regularity. Such recycling may not win any prizes for originality. bttt it certainly pulls the punters. But not eyeryone will sacrilice their higher artistic principles l'or linancial gain. ‘Althottgh we do adyertise in and around campuses to attract the student crowd. we don‘t pander to them.” ()rde .‘sleikle explains. 'Rather. it is more important to try and raise their awareness. to adyance the boundariesol'theirconsciousness.~
this is something which l lall and l’royan will Itcycr' achicye but neither do they want to. For them. the pleasure principle is all. "l‘here are student clubs eyery night ol the week.‘ says l’royan. ‘btit l'ew seem to capture the spontaneous silliness ol it all. You iust cant be too serious. It you play things like ‘l‘he \‘v'ombles. people might not dance. btit they‘ll be singing along. there is more to a successlul club than l'illing the dancel'loor.‘
'Student clubs are basically a recreation ol' the Sixth l‘orm School l)isco. where you set out to snog as many people as possible] I lall conl'esses with typically sell-ellacing mockery. ‘l‘rn still trying to recapture that atmosphere so somebody might possibly want to snog me. but it's not happening. f
clubs. Details olwhothey are when we get them: in the meantime. watch out tor a venture lrom the F. R boys springing up elsewhere— and possibly one in Gtasgowtoo . . ..
I Still in Edinburgh. and
ITalking Loud hearsthis weekthatbig changes are aloot at Edinburgh's huge Network venue. Out—a mere month betoretheir tirstanniversary party—is the still blossoming Floral Riot; in are tour as-yet-uncontirmed new
the Calton Studios new
cheapskatesoutthere. News reaches us here at List Towers that one ortwo unscrupulous club promoters mightbetrying to save on advertising costs by inserting theirllyers between ourpages in city newsagents. Welldon't. okay? It's not big. and it‘s not clever. It‘s also a sure way to guarantee no more publicity onthese pages. I New on the Edinburgh scene isacollaborative venture between the city‘s hardcore dance experts. Sex Beatand Dream. XS takes place at Wilkie House on 30 March and 27April.
managementhas made some commendable changesto its ‘post industrial‘ venue. The most impressive of these is the introduction olregularlive club acts on a Friday night? expecta line-upolnames big enoughto rival even those puton by Glasgow‘s mighty Tunnel. Next lortnightleaturesthe Stereo MC‘s and K-Klass; inthe nearluture lookoutlorsole Scottish dates bythe deelovety S-Express on5 April. and the Dream Warriors on 16 May. IJustatriendly wee word olwarningtoatlyou
and promisestechno. electro. and heavyheavy house.
year. but ilyou really want to go back to Tenerite then looknoturtherthan
IRumours abound onthe ‘Sundanse‘.lrom14—28 WestCoastregardinga Junethis summer. possible massive Organised bythose
all-nighterbeing held at Glasgow Barrowlands in earlyJune. We hearthat those Slam boys are involved somehow. but otherthanthat . . .well. who knows? Talking Loud will. however. endeavourto find out and bring you the details as soon astheyare hnahsed.
lYetmore holiday news. Talking Loudthoughtthat Italywas happenin'this
Streetrave people. it's 14 days ol “madness and mayhem‘ at Playa De Las Americas—massive warehouse parties. live acts and DJs- and all lor £348. It you watched “A Short Film AboutChillin‘ andare tempted by the idea olsea. sun and lun then be warned — it's nothing like that. ltis. however. a lorra lorra laughs. Phone 0292611676 tor more into.
J
'l'he List 22 March -- 4 April 199151