Why Crisis at Rock City is the best night out in Nottingham, maybe the UK

Ask any current or graduated Notts students to name the single best club in the city of Nottingham and they will answer with little delay: Crisis.

Whilst it is true that the floors are sticky with VK residue, the bathrooms could be better, and rugby lads fill the bars with their blue shirts, ties and DO, I’m here to argue why this institution is Nottingham's best.

When you think the best clubs of the country, you’ll generally picture three litre Belvedre bottles on tables, sparkling champaigne, red bottoms and Givenchy. Crisis has none of that unfortuantely, yet, rather admirably, it still achieves the feat of being the best club that this Midlands city has to offer.

Nothing ammounts to the preperation that a Crisis night entails. Six days before you'll need to have incredible hand-eye coordination to snag a ticket off of the FIXR app otherwise it's Buy/Sell for you.

If you're on a sports team, the night starts for you at 6pm, at the pub, then at another one, then at someone's house in Lenton, then at Red Bar, then finally stroking through the doors of Rock City.

If you hadn't tried your luck on a BUCS team, pre-drinks still live up to expectations. Price doesn't concern you on this Wednesday night out. You're more concerned about getting trollied way too quickly before doors open at 9pm for queueing to start.

You pay your £6 and trot past the BCL room, feeling the promising vibes of the night flow through you. You order a few shots, maybe a Strongbow, maybe a vodka orange, just to set yourself in for 10pm when the whole of the university storm through the main doors. Ahhhh, feels like home.

Move into the main room at 10:30pm and the whole main room of Rock City is packed to the brim with eager first years all the way to post-grads awaiting the night ahead. You see your ex on the main dancefloor, you head to the bar for something to continue your drunkedness.

If you're the chosen one, you can pick your corner of the club depending on where your 'group' is. The football corner is left of the stage, so is the medics and rugby bar, a mixture of testerone, blue Ralph Lauren shirts, and ties.

Blue shirts and ties: a staple for the sportsmen on this Wednesday social night

The main room, with the floating 'Crisis' signs and balloons, is loaded even by 11pm. Now you can start your night. Sufficientlly waved and with your mates, you can cut shapes on the dancefloor to the same tunes that you hear every single Crisis night.

Why is the music so great here? It's a mix of a school disco and relevant Top 40 tunes. You'll shout out the lyrics to Mr. Brightside with your closest mates clinging onto your arms. Cue the flashing lasers and bang, you're onto your fourth vodka orange.

Even if you're not a smoker – you'll end up in the smoking area at some point. Out there is everyone you've met since day one of Freshers Week. Your hallmates from two years ago, a girl you met one night at Shapes and the boy who always sits right beside you in your lectures.

Back inside you go, and people who've you never talked to in halls, somehow feel the need to buy you a drink and talk about what awkward meeting you once had in the corridors.

It's 3:30, the lights are coming on in the main room as the DJ directs everyone to the front doors thanks everyone for coming. You're still buzzing from the best night out you've had…this week.

When the night does come to an end, you pass through Rock City's graceful doors and into the golden arches of McDonalds 500 meters down the road to purchase whatever greasy, filling meal you can lay your eyes on.

There's no other way to end a Crisis night than devouring a Maccies near the taxi stand outside a Tacobell and Mega Munch whilst you ponder on how your life got so great at univeristy and how you can't wait for next Wednesday night to come again.

The reason why Crisis is the best night out in the city is because this night is more than a night, its a social gathering. If you're lucky to get tickets, lucky to go with a good group, your night as Crisis is a social acceptance into a world that many Nottingham students may never come across.