Why is Loughborough’s nightlife so terrible?

Loughborough has been the proud winner for six consecutive years of the Best Student Experience award, in the Times Higher Education league table.

This includes a number of things, from facilities, to the overall campus environment; but how has this happened when its nightlife is arguably one of the worst in the country?

In my eyes, university is a place where students should be introduced to new things, like fashion, politics, and music. But Loughborough night life ensures that its students are still made to listen to the same drab shit they had to endure when they were asking to borrow ID’s to have a “messy night out” in their local Oceana.

The SU claims to offer a wide range of music in its many rooms, ranging from “cheesy tunes” in Fusion, to (supposed) “grime” in Cognito (that ranging from Jay-Z to Kanye West). After being a student here for nearly two and a half years, I just get the impression that whoever decides on what music to play in the union does not have a clue as to what is current.

And no, I am not talking about “The UK Top 40”, because any musically uneducated moron can turn on the radio and listen to this in their house. I am talking about a more underground type of sound that a large majority of students at other universities have the chance of being exposed to.

Just look at what Nottingham students get to see at least once a week!

If you are a Loughborough student and you don’t know who at least two of these acts are, then it shows you how the university has blinded you (and potentially deafened you) with its endless playing of Wonderwall and Mr Brightside.

I understand that this alternative type of music may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it grinds my gears that one of the top universities in the country, supposed to have the best student experience, really doesn’t cater for a large majority of its students.

To this day, I still haven’t met anyone that goes to the SU on a weekly basis to see live music, played by people who appear at festivals all over Europe.

At Loughborough, we have the pleasure of having a chance to meet White Dee off of Benefits Street, (a woman who we all “obviously” aspire to be like), while in other uni cities like Liverpool and Nottingham, people fight for tickets to see the likes of Julio Bashmore, BrEaCh, Dusky, RL Grime, Zed Bias, Chris Lorenzo, Bicep, Rustie…the list is endless.

Although Loughborough have DBE events every few weeks, acts such as Redlight, Bondax, Benton and Hannah Wants are completely isolated to this night of (proper) music.

DBE is the uni’s only iconic night, and you would have thought that the fact that this event is nearly sold out every time it occurs, that Loughborough would invest in ensuring these types of acts play at the Union more often.

The town is no better, with endless “Meet and Greets” with the entirety of the Made in Chelsea cast. Loughborough really doesn’t have much to offer (unless you’re into queuing for 45 minutes to get a photo with a sweaty, pompous prat who may even buy you a Sourz shot if you’re lucky).

Thankfully, this has been upgraded to the infamous, world-renowned actor Steve McFadden (that’s Phil Mitchell from Eastenders), who I’m sure you are all just dying to see.

Even though at Loughborough you will undoubtedly have some memorable nights, it won’t be for the high quality music, but rather for the cheap VK’s and cheesy chips.