An idiot’s guide to a niche night out in Leicester

So you’re sick of the O2. You hate the music, you hate the bouncers, that weird guy from your halls is itching to force convo, and above all else, you need more edge.

After experiencing the entirety of the extensive acts offered on a Friday at the O2, from DJ OneF’s Greatest RnB and Garage Anthem mix to the other end of the spectrum to DJ OneF’s Greatest RnB and Garage Anthem Mix, you’ve decided Shabang isn’t cutting it anymore.

The love affair is well and truly over.

Now what?

There’s an abundance of niche underground clubs in Leicester, you just haven’t bothered finding them yet.

Sophbeck

First of all, take care to remember the golden rule of clubbing: Don’t judge a club by its mural.

The image on the outside of Sophbeck might be an off-putting expression of horror or it could remind you of your reflection the morning after a tip-top night on the town.

And yeah, come 6am closing time the copious amounts of DnB, Techno or House will leave you bearing a similar mental anatomy to that of Samuel L Jackson’s.

The crowd here are generally students (they take NUS), and the music’s played across two floors, with two bars. There’s also an apt chill out sofa room for when you need a break from skanking to the beatz.

Basement

Across the street from Sophbeck at the bottom of New Walk there’s Basement. It’s a good shout for when you’ve had a shit night at Mosh but you want to keep drinking.

Hit up Loaded on a Tuesday- bass, electric and hip-hop roll on til 5am for those that have a mid-week siesta.

The Music Cafe

TMC is situated on the other side of the city, so it’s less frequented by UoL adventurers. Fridays and Saturdays are the only nights TMC is open, same as Sophbeck, but they put on a variety of nights from soundclashes to reggae jams to free raves (for those whose purse-strings are a little tight).

Streetlife

Streetlife is the hub of underground nights in Leicester. Situated on a grimy industrial estate just outside of the town centre, the warehouse-raver-favourite has events on pretty much every weekend. Popular bass-heavy student nights like Overground Sessions and Beastwang often use the large capacity and chilled management to their advantage.

Since Christmas there’s been some pretty sick independent acts such as Mike Skinner and Craig Charles. If you have no coursework and no commitments ruining your upcoming week, or even if you do, this is the place to go to get completely wrecked and forget what prick recommended you go.

Whilst the daunting prospect of leaving your comfort zone might not be everyone’s cup of tea, these clubs are definitely worth a try. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find there’s more to life than Taylor Swift, Pit Bull, and three VKs for a fiver. Or maybe not.