Gig 2: The Festive One!

 It’s that time of year again - yes, Christmas, if you haven’t noticed by the endless loop of jingles blaring from speakers and OTT decorations littering the streets. But also, Gig 2 here at Westwood Campus!  

 On the 14th of this month the Music Department will be hosting their second gig and final one of 2016, which overall, hasn’t been the best year what with saying goodbye to over 150 famous faces over the past 12 months including iconic artists such as Motorhead’s Lemmy, Prince, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and jazz artists including Sharon Jones and Mose Allison; as well as many other actors, radio presentors, and well-reknowned artists and individuals. On top of that we’ve had Brexit; seen Donald Trump win the US presidential election, gained a new female Prime Minister, and more personally, discovered we will be losing our beloved building and some of our tutors... I’m sure this year has blindsided us all at some point.

 All the more reason to get our creative juices flowing and work on sending a message out to the world: this year may have been crap, but that’s all the more reason to show we won’t be defeated and convey our feelings through our work.

 Acts from all the different levels will be performing on Wednesday night, collaborating with one another to showcase some amazing talent. 

 Acts will include the band Sheepskin (see their interview on pages 5-6), a festive Christmas Elf Band, a funk DJ set from Warm Dogs Milk,  and other music from Eva Donkin, Megan James, Emily Mulford, Jessie Law, Beth Harrop, Kayleigh Williams, and more.

 Everybody is welcome - doors open at 7pm, with entrance just £2 on the door for non-students. A physical copy of What's Up? Westwood Magazine will also be available for free at the entrance!

Bacchus: Why We're Still Loving Scarborough's Oldest Club

 Bacchus is quite possibly one of Scarborough's oldest nightclubs, and one of the only few to still survive. After 11 o' clock, follow down the dark alleyway on Ramshill Road, knock on the door and - if you're lucky - Sue, the lovely, yet formidable door lady will let you in. Ascend the victorian-style spiral staircase with care (especially if you're wearing high heels - you may get stuck) and you'll find yourself facing the bar and a good selection of beverages from ciders and lagers, to spirits (£3.30 for a double with mixer), shots, and bottles. 

 The walls are adorned with eerie-looking African voodoo masks that appear to, like the staircase, have been say there since the dawn of time. Sitting areas are dotted around the dance floor, with toilets down a corridor past the bar, and a DJ booth at the other end of the small room. Strobe lights beam down from the corners of the ceiling, creating bright streams of neon streaking through the otherwise dimly lit space.

 This place is more than a little eccentric, and certainly the decor hasn't changed much over the last 30+ years aside from a new carpet - so why does it seem to attract new people every year? Go in on a weekend and oftentimes you’ll struggle to even get to the bar for a drink. Thankfully the staff are very friendly and accommodating (promising you stay on their good side), and will let you put your belongings behind the upstairs bar for safe keeping, or sit upstairs to avoid the crowds if you get nervous - though with Bacchus, the main purpose is to dance.

The music works around an “anything goes” policy - approach the DJ and you are welcome to request any song you feel like moving to, although the queues can get long on busy nights. The club was once considered to be Scarborough’s “Gay Bar,” - but really, its just welcoming to everyone, regardless of gender, age, or sexual preference. Personally, this is why I like Bacchus - you can get up, dance to the music you like, get 3 drinks for under a tenner, and avoid the hordes of people across St Thomas street. As Bacchus can’t fit many more than 50 people at one time, you can guarantee even when its busy, and avoid the hordes of people across St Thomas street. As Bacchus can’t fit many more than 50 people at one time, you can guarantee even when its busy, its not as bad as town, and Sue keeps everyone on a tight leash - cause trouble, and you’re out, simple. And of course it’s free to get in, a rarity these days, another key reason why it seems to have survived over the years despite its slightly out-of-the way location.

 Generally, Bacchus is open 6 days a week: Monday to Sunday, from 11-2am everyday other than Fridays and Saturdays when it stays open until 3am. Check out the map below if you're not sure where it is - hope to see you there! 

An Adventure In: Amsterdam

 The other week my friend James and I decided to go for a spur of the moment holiday to Amsterdam. We booked in advance; and it came to £154 - £54 each for the overnight ferry  and coach to Amsterdam and back, and the rest for the train to Hull and the coach from Hull bus station to the ferry port! It was all really easy – we exchanged pounds for euros (you get Nectar points if you buy them at Sainsbury’s) then go into Hull for 2 and had lunch before getting the bus to the ferry port, and straight on the ferry by 8 o’clock with duty-free shops selling booze, tobacco and perfumes; two live acts per night, a cinema and casino.

The night’s sleep was lacking but it was really cool being able to go out on deck and look out at the views coming into the Netherlands. I had already practiced my Dutch using a  free app called Duolingo but most people there are bilingual anyway.
  We got an hour long coach to Amsterdam and wandered around seeing the beautiful canals, the mass about of bikes and coffee shops; the fairground in the city centre and looking through various museum windows. The Belgian beers are great and so is the food! A lot of places take student discount (NUS cards) too. I’d really recommend it as a cheap weekend break for students - it's truly such a vibrant student city with so much to do!

By Jessie Law