The club hype is false: gigs are much better

From the very start of university, Freshers’ Week embeds it into us that clubbing is the only way to spend an evening. Or at least it is made out to be the best place to be. Looking back on my Freshers’ Week, I worry deeply if drunken escapades at Tiger Tiger and Loop are really the pinnacle of a university night out.

Entering my second year, I realised I got it all wrong. In no way are the club nights ever as brilliant as they are made out to be. Instead, London hosts some of the best gigs in the world, which are a much cooler way to spend an evening.

When you manage to look moodier than Jake Bugg

I’m not ancient and tired of clubbing. Don’t get me wrong; I’m still partial to a night at Loop. However at around 11pm, (rather early to be leaving pre drinks), being charged five pound and then spending even more on drinks gets expensive. One of the best things about London is night after night cool up-and-coming bands perform for free.

It costs you nothing to dance to a band that you really love and it’s a great way to introduce you to an artist. Also, on occasions when I’ve been looking for a ticket to a gig, random people who couldn’t go have given me their ticket, for free. Honestly, for free. They’d much rather know someone went and had a great time rather than letting the ticket go to waste.

Making friends with Ed from Yuck

Even on the occasions in which you decide to spend a little more money and treat yourself, you’ve consciously decided it is worth your money to see that band/ artist. The excitement to see that band is enough to keep me intoxicated for the night. Meanwhile, Wednesday night I have to consciously ready myself for Loop and drink far too much. Everyone does. Listening to Justin Bieber whilst dancing on a weirdly coloured dance floor, surrounded by the world’s largest collection of glitter balls is not something that excites me. It only begins to excite me, and the rest of you, after several drinks. So at gigs, not only do you get to see that band you’ve been waiting to see for a billion years, but you also don’t need to spend a copious amount of money on drinks preparing you for the night ahead.

It also seems that every night you go out to a club, the following morning always begins with 9am lesson. Whatever that 9am is, I can guarantee after a night out clubbing that you will take nothing from that class. If you had gone to a gig instead, you’d probably be back before the clock strikes 12, warm and cosy in bed with those happy post-gig blues. Nothing beats the feeling of getting the tube back, talking with friends you went to the gig with enthusiastically about how great it was, knowing you have a good night’s sleep ahead of you. Plus, you’ll be one of the only people to ace that class the next morning.

Gig pals, friends for life

Lastly, the people I meet at gigs are great. On occasion I’m more than happy to head to a gig alone, and honestly if you love the artist you’re seeing, I can’t recommend doing this enough. You’ll end up socialising with people who are equally as keen on that artist, and will make lifelong friends in the process. It’s genuinely so much better to do this, rather than drag along an unenthused friend, who will simply never get why you like Jake Bugg so much.

All in all, we’re fools if we don’t make use of being in London and what it has to offer: we have to stop wasting our time thinking these club nights will get any better, we need to embrace going to more gigs. After all, we’d be less sleepy, wealthier, and potentially happier students.