From Avicii to Travis Scott, what music to expect from off campus venues?

For all you bright-eyed, eager new batch of first-years ready to throw yourselves into the full experience of freshers’, here’s an introduction to the music you can expect to hear from the nightclub venues in the surrounding area. 

The first thing to know is that your main go-to venues off campus will be in Leamington Spa and Coventry. By the end of the year you’ll learn that we have all most likely heard of, and received the e-mails from, Pryzm in Birmingham; yet you’ll probably only end up gracing that club at least once, if at all, during your entire year (no one wants to take a taxi back from Birmingham in the early hours).

For a relatively small spa town, Royal Leamington Spa delivers a fair range of venues fit for students including bars that transform into nightclub atmospheres at late hours.

A personal favourite, Leamington’s Neon is conveniently located just a few steps from the church bus stop and around the corner of the widely-praised Vialli’s for your late-night food stop. Neon is split into a main dancefloor downstairs where chart music, pop and dance remixes will be played, then an upstairs filled with R&B and hip-hop music. Expect to hear Fetty Wap, old school Nelly and vintage Usher on a good day while people grind to French Montana’s ‘Unforgettable’ in the dimly-lit spaces surrounded by explicitly read neon signs.

Living it up at Keep the Faith at Altoria. Image: Keep the Faith

If urban classics is your scene and then some, then a trip to downstairs Smack will satisfy your upstairs Neon needs. The likes of Kanye West, Future, Travis Scott and Gucci Mane are almost a given in the popular basement that sweats. Rap, hip-hop and R&B remixes will keep you dancing on the chairs all night and escaping for the occasional breather, just mind the long queue on the way in.

In contrast, upstairs Smack is mainly occupied by dance and electro remixes of pop music, providing a slightly wider floor space which is still filled to the brim. If you want the option to switch between both music genres from each room, I would caution you on Smack Saturday’s. My friends and I learnt the hard way that the downstairs room is only open on mainly Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, meaning you’ll be left with the relentless reverberation of EDM and dubstep music on themed nights.

Rap, hip-hop and R&B remixes will keep you dancing on the chairs all night and escaping for the occasional breather, just mind the long queue on the way in

Two smaller music venues situated next to Neon will satisfy the indie rock and alternative music lover. The Assembly has hosted gigs for bands such as The Kooks in just the past year, and provides indie nights with Propaganda on Friday’s and LuvBug on Saturday’s. Expect to hear bands such as the Foo Fighters and Paramore with their music videos on the big screen, and even an Arctic Monkeys themed night.

Joined onto The Assembly at the hip is Zephyr Lounge which has hosted up and coming acts such as Declan McKenna and seen rock, Motown and jazz themed nights with Itchy Feet. You can expect to hear Nina Simone, Elvis Presley hits, and the classic Stevie Wonder at these events.

Keep the Faith, not shy of fancy dress, offers underrated world music on separate floors with different themes

If it’s more variety you’re looking for, however, Leamington also happens to host the hidden gem that is Keep the Faith. Mainly a student night, curated by students, this club night is held at Altoria which can be found in the parade, on a corner just down the street from Smack. This unorthodox, expressive night, not shy of fancy dress, offers underrated world music on separate floors with different themes.

Not forgetting Coventry, the main club attraction for Warwick students will be the infamous Kasbah. A main floor with an upstairs balcony is filled by number one dance and pop hits, such as Avicii and Taylor Swift. The Kasbah main floor has also hosted club acts such as Cascada, whilst the side rock, alternative and metal music room has seen independent bands such as VANT take the smaller stage.

As it turns out, Warwick’s music scene is really quite diverse.