What your night out in Bristol will look like, based on what you play at predrinks

Start the night as you mean to go on

2 months ago

Picture the scene: After gearing up in your most y2k, private school outfit and taking a quick trip to Cotham off-licence to stock up on Barefoot wine and Lost Marys, the long-awaited night out begins. As the pres gets underway, someone hands you the phone, you’re caught off guard as they pop the all-important question: “Do you want to be on music?”. Your response to this question says it all really. Are you ecstatic to finally put on your carefully curated playlist that’s been weeks in the making? Or trembling at the thought of sharing what you belt out in the shower? The trajectory of a Bristol student’s night out can easily be predicted from their pres music.

Mix number 10

If your playlist has “mix” in the title you mean serious business. You see pres as more of a way to express your superior music taste, laughing smugly at anyone who suggests a bit of Rihanna. To you, music is an art form and pres is definitely not a joke. After explaining to anyone who will listen that you found this techno artist during your gap year in Berlin, you will inevitably end up in Crofters Rights or Love Inn.

Decks

If the decks are coming out at pres it’s game over. No one else will even come close to dictating the evening’s music, as you’ve nominated yourself to decide the vibe of the night. Seeing yourself among the likes of Sammy Virji, the music will inevitably be heavy drum and bass. Chat is silenced and lights are turned off, a far cry from the casual pres they were expecting. When everyone is nearly blacked out, the party will move to Lakota or Clock Factory for more of the same.

Girly movie soundtracks and musical theatre

This is a bit of a jump from the first two however, not all Bristol students fit the stereotype of “wannabe DJ” so it has to be included. We all know someone who insists on playing the Pitch Perfect riff off at any chance they get, no matter how much you protest. If your pres playlist consists of anything close to a musical theatre soundtrack, after singing your heart out for hours and making your way through a bottle of cheap rosé you will end up in OMG. Rapping the Hamilton soundtrack will quickly turn into screaming Beyoncé remixes and being held back from stripping on stage by your more sober mates.

Taylor Swift

This only really affects a very specific person. Nonetheless, I think we all know that these people will be found in Lizard Lounge on a Tuesday, fully kitted out in their Taylor Swift Society fleeces. They wouldn’t listen to anything else in their Wildest Dreams.

Smooth Jazz

Is it even really pres if you’re listening to jazz? It seems that word is too immature for people who play Chet Baker before a night out. It’s safe to say these people won’t be drinking anything less than the finest wine Sainsbury’s has to offer. At a push, they may end up in Mr Wolf’s, but more likely see themselves as too cool for clubs with a capacity over 10.

TikTok songs

Who hasn’t met that person whose pre-drink music consists of “underground” tracks from Drake’s newest album? You know it’s straight from TikTok when a familiar song sounds unsettlingly sped up or slowed down. The same songs will be played at every pres until everyone’s sick of them and some new ones start to trend. Pres can’t be too long though, as they will be stood in prime position at 9:30 in the la Rocca queue, ready to get straight on the VKs.