The Student Room Group

Much live music going on near Warwick?

Hey.

I've shortened my list of universities down to Warwick and Sheffield, and when I went to the Warwick visit day last week I found that the course was better than expected. :yep: Warwick is also a good step ahead of Sheffield when it comes to reputation, and it seems to have lots of cool societies going on.

But now comes that EVIL QUESTION about Warwick supposedly having a dull nightlife. :eek3: I'm not too fussed about lack of nightclubs, but I do love a good gig. Though I'm guessing that practically no notable bands come to Warwick Uni except maybe during the first/last weeks of the year, what are Leamington and Coventry like? How many bands a week, much variety, any moderately well known groups or is it mostly locals?

If the music scene is decent enough, you can put a +1 down for people who going to Warwick in 2009. :biggrin:

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Whilst Warwick obviously isn't the O2 arena, we do get our fair share of names. This year the big names have been kept to the beginning/end of the year because we've not had a proper venue due to the SU rebuild, but things should pick up again next year.

I know last year had We Are Scientists, Scouting for Girls, Idlewild, Pendulum, Feeder... there were more, but I can't remember them off the top of my head (I was just ecstatic about Idlewild b/c they're my favourite band :p:).

Things can only get better now that we're going to have a bigger and better venue.

Outside of campus I'm not too sure about the Cov/Leam scene. I know there are pubs and clubs that get smaller/local bands, but if they don't quench your musical thirst then Birmingham is only a ~20 minute train ride away.
Reply 2
The Union itself tends to host medium-draw / up and coming bands - before the Union rebuild we had Ash in 2007, Idlewild 2008, Bowling for Soup sometime before I came, Pendulum around twice a year. With the new Union complete in time for next year things should be about the same standard.

Leamington doesn't really have a notable music scene beyond grassroots, the only venue is really The Assembly. Coventry I don't know much about either, but Kasbah has a few big names.

Obviously the major gigs are in Birmingham at the NEC and Carling, which as N.S said is very easily accessible (20 mins to Cov station from campus then 15 mins to Brum, though you may need a taxi back afterwards).
Reply 3
Sort of connected, but not really...
How much of a metal/rock/alternative scene is there going off around Warwick?
Reply 4
Luce...
Sort of connected, but not really...
How much of a metal/rock/alternative scene is there going off around Warwick?


If you mean actually playing in a band, most people in Band Soc are of that kind.

And yeah like someone said above, Birmingham is close by, I'm going to go watch Jason Mraz there in a few weeks. Also have seen a few pretty big artists on campus like The Hoosiers, N-Dubz and Miri Ben Ari since I've been here and I know Eric Prydz was here a few weeks ago. So it's really not that bad and I am a HUGE music person, and while the arts centre don't have pop music, they have a good variety of classical and jazz. I don't think many popular bands come through England without going by London, Birmingham and Manchester.. Don't quote me on that though.
Reply 5
the_inept_one

But Coventry's Kasbah has some reasonable bands, and Leamington's just had a new venue built, but apparently it's a bit "jack of all trades master of none".


Which one's that? Just so I don't go lol.
Reply 6
I presume the Assembly?
Reply 7
On my open day (yesterday for Philosophy) I got told that the metal scene at Warwick isn't too bad. The day Motorhead or Judas Priest play at Warwick uni is the day my life is complete.
Reply 8
Warwick isnt really the best place for live music id say, apparently they struggle to get bands as they generally can only play one venue with in a certain radius and if they play brum they cant play warwick union (or so i heard!) For playing in bands its not too bad, as its only a small group of people into the more rock/metal scene if you join bandsoc your bound to meet pretty much everyone you need to! Be warned youll probably be playing the same 3 venues to the same 10-20 people though. Id rate both sheffield and nottingham as better choices for music scene and gigs etc I live in nottingham now and its about 100 times better for both seeing famous bands and also the local music scene (i cant say about the uni scene so much but the general nottingham scene is amazing)
It depends what you want. I can tell from living in Sheffield for 18 years that if you want to go see the big artists then it will take you a good part of 30 minutes to get from the accomodation which is a few minutes down the road from me to get the Sheffield Arena. Probably 15 minutes to get into the city centre to get to the Carling/O2/whatever its called Academy. The Leadmill and Plug are good places to go but since the Academy opened that's been getting bigger names plus that venue now has competition from the new Academy in Leeds. The problem with getting around Sheffield is the public transport which is crap, its never on time, timetables what timetables. I know public transport isn't perfect anywhere but in Sheffield it gets ridiculous sometimes.

When going to open days I used the Midlands transport to travel around Birmingham and on my way home my train went past Warwick. It was really good compared to Sheffield so for mainstream needs Warwick and Sheffield I reckon are the same, simply because Sheffield's buses are so poor. Hope that helps
Reply 10
stattotheblade

When going to open days I used the Midlands transport to travel around Birmingham and on my way home my train went past Warwick.


The nearest train station to Warwick uni is coventry, you have to get a bus from campus into coventry to get to the train station.

To be fair the buses and transport are pretty good round the uni, just seems like a lot of hassle to me to travel to coventry then to birmingham and back again, then prob having to get a taxi from cov back to campus as the buses dont run that late! May as well just live in a good city in the first place :wink:

Just my personal opinion of course.
Reply 11
Considering the fact that you're about to get a brand spanking new union, I'd say they'll be getting some amazing bands in.
Reply 12
Sobi
On my open day (yesterday for Philosophy) I got told that the metal scene at Warwick isn't too bad. The day Motorhead or Judas Priest play at Warwick uni is the day my life is complete.


Haaaaa.
I second this.
And also add A7X to the list. :biggrin:
I can only dream.
Reply 13
Luce...
Haaaaa.
I second this.
And also add A7X to the list. :biggrin:
I can only dream.


Oh, I don't know, if the Student's Union becomes The Student Empire with a dictator at the top, pretty much set. Though there could be bands such as Coldplay and Bowling for soup turning up... Again.:mad:
Reply 14
Sobi
Oh, I don't know, if the Student's Union becomes The Student Empire with a dictator at the top, pretty much set. Though there could be bands such as Coldplay and Bowling for soup turning up... Again.:mad:


Coldplay?!?!
Gaaaah. :frown:
Reply 15
Yup, it's for shame. Well, coldplay haven't turned up yet, and if they do I have they are greeted with gunfire and mass egging.
Reply 16
Sobi
Yup, it's for shame. Well, coldplay haven't turned up yet, and if they do I have they are greeted with gunfire and mass egging.

XD
Good plan.
I'd certainly join you with that.
Reply 17
Oh good stuff! Make sure you bring some sort of cow carcass to fire at them via the trebuchet I'm sure we can convince the fizzix people to build.
Reply 18
Sobi
Oh good stuff! Make sure you bring some sort of cow carcass to fire at them via the trebuchet I'm sure we can convince the fizzix people to build.

Haaa.
At least the most boring band in the world would die in a semi interesting way.
Just don't get me involved in building that thing...sounds scarily like maths.:eek:
Reply 19
Ah, maths and physics aren't too bad. Without them, the electric guitar would have never been invented. Neither would the microphone. Or quite a lot of things for that matter. For shame.