The Tithebarn regeneration project: £700 million of redevelopment right here in Preston; with a huge department store, residential flats and a multi-screen cinema. Sounds great doesn’t it? But if you’re into alternative music it looks like it’s going to come at a price.
That’s because Warehouse, PR1 and the Venue are all within the red line zone that marks the rejuvenation of Preston. The council argument on this is that Preston has loads of bars and clubs, what’s a couple less? This is true Preston does have a lot of clubs but there’s a bit of a difference between Lava and PR1. They don’t exactly draw the same crowd.
Take Warehouse, three floors of Indie, Rock and Metal – pretty much every type of music under the alternative banner. There is nowhere else in Preston like this except PR1 and come 2010 when building work begins neither of them will be there.
Another thing, what else is there to do on a Tuesday night than go to PR1? You could always stay in I suppose but come on, you’re supposed to be a student – you shouldn’t be having nights off! Monday Squires, Tuesday PR1, Wednesday Lava, Thursday Promo and Friday Warehouse – that’s how it’s supposed to work, but the council is taking away two of those essential student nights out.
Alright so maybe it’s not your thing, that’s fine everyone has different tastes when it comes to music, but where are all the students that go to Warehouse and PR1 going to go when they’re not there? They’re coming to your club, they’re going to make it even fuller and more expensive than normal because there’s nowhere else to go; demand is up.
There’s another key place inside the council red line zone. That’s the Venue, as its name suggests a venue for gigs – alternative unsigned bands on the whole. Now when the Venue isn’t there anymore where are they going to go? The only other venue you’ll see unsigned local bands play is the Mad Ferret, and it’s fair to say that it doesn’t really have the capacity of the Venue.
So come on councillors, have a think about this – don’t kill of Preston’s alternative music scene. In fact, here’s a better idea – why don’t you go and do something about? Yes you. Get down to the Information Centre on Lancaster Road and tell them just what you think of their plans. You could always tell them to knock down something rubbish instead while you’re there. Lava for example.
November 5th, 2008 at 12:13 am
“come on, you’re supposed to be a student – you shouldn’t be having nights off!”
Exactly…
As students, we are investing in the rest of our lives, not pickling our livers. We all want to party when we’re young free and single, but get your education done and secure, THEN go out and celebrate. Do your Work, then you Play, not vice versa
We have to ask ourselves whether its either more important to use that 40 hours a week to read up and get a better degree and career prospects or more important to be out and pouring our money down our throats rather than on textbooks that the library is often out of stock continually on or less and less of (with more and more students).
November 5th, 2008 at 12:16 am
And another thing, how often do you see oriental international and mid-eastern students in pubs and nightclubs? Precious few, that’s because they are for the most part it seems beavering away knuckling down and surpassing the boozy brits in getting Firsts and upper 2nds!
November 7th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
The point I made was more a tongue in cheek reference to student life rather than a genuine appeal to students to go out and get drunk every night of the week. Also, this article is actually about the potential death of alternative music nights in Preston.
However, since you’ve broached the subject of student drinking habits perhaps it would be worth pointing out that the opportunity to go out and enjoy yourself is supposed to be part and parcel of student life. That doesn’t necessarily have to be drinking but should students wich to go out to places like Warehous and PR1 ona regular basis then there should be nothing wrong with that. The idea that you can work all of your university life and then play after is ludicrous – you go (hopefully) into a career and then the opportunities to go out and enjoy yourself are severely limited. There is never another opportunity like university in your life. I would suggest work hard AND play hard – it’s what student life is all about.
November 20th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Life doesn’t grind to a halt after your degree you know!