Here it is, NME's Student Guide 2006. A guide to all the UK's major cities sits just to your right. Where to drink, eat, shop and watch bands. It's all there.
Natalie Thomas works at Sure Radio
“Sheffield is famed for its ‘village atmosphere’ and northern hospitality – the massive student population get on pretty well with the locals. The city is in the middle of a massive regeneration project and hoping to shake free typical associations with its gloomy and industrial past. The work-inprogress does clutter the skyline with cranes at the moment, but it still manages to be Europe’s greenest city. Not content with being ‘the home of British cutlery’, Sheffield has also spawned the collective musical genius of The Human League, Pulp, The Long Blondes and Arctic Monkeys. Finally, it has the highest retention of graduates of any city, meaning that once you’re here, it’s a reit bugger to leave.”
University Of Sheffield
Contact: Western Bank, S10 2TG;Tel: 0114 222 8500
Website: www.sheffield.ac.uk
Student Union: www.sheffield.ac.uk/union
Number of Students: 25,500
Boy/Girl Ratio: 43:57
Famous alumni: Martin Fry of ABC, Eddie Izzard, director Stephen Daldry, David Blunkett MP and Helen Sharman – Britain’s first astronaut no less.
The Steel Press
www.sheffieldsteel press.org.ukStudent newspaper distributed free every fortnight around campus.
Sure Radio
http://sure.shef.ac.ukRuns full-time on the internet and on campus, with an annual two-week FM broadcast, usually in the autumn. The station also makes outside broadcasts.
Sheffield Base
www.sheffieldbase .comExcellent, informative online student newspaper, which focuses mainly on music and reviews.
Freshman’s Boutique
6-7 Carver Street, S1,tel: 0114 272 8333;
www.freshmans.co.uk
A treasure trove of vintage clothes, with new stuff arriving almost daily. It’s always worth popping in to see what’s new.
Record Collector
233 Fulwood Road, S10 3BA;tel: 0114 266 8493
Located in Broomhill, they can sort you out for vinyl and second-hand CDs. Also an advocate of local music, so likely to stock EPs and demos from new talent.
Spin City Records
9 Westfield Terrace, S1;tel: 0114 276 2088
A fantastic vinyl specialist with all the rare and second-hand music you could want. Uber-friendly staff too – you’ll be in there for hours.
The Devonshire Cat
49 Wellington Street, S1;www.devonshirecat.co.uk
One of Sheffield’s most rated pubs with five permanent and seven guest ales at all times.
Fox & Duck
227 Fulwwod Road, Broomhill, S10;tel: 0114 266 3422
A popular pub owned by Sheffield University’s Students’ Union. Great place for cheap drinks and they allow you to bring in takeaway food.
Broomhill Friery
197 Whitham Road, S10 2SP;tel:0114 266 2802
Generous portions of cheap, delicious food. You’re likely to make some of your best friends in the 3am queues.
LINCOLN
GigsUniversity Of Lincoln Students’ Union
www.lincolnsu.com/
The first term sees an impressive line-up featuring Tiny Dancers (October 13), Air Traffic (October 20), The Zutons (November 25) and Bromheads Jacket (December 9).
Pub
Adam & Eve
25 Lindum Road, LN2 1NT;
tel: 01522 537108
Everything you need is right here – old locals, knackered jukebox, the odd band, and a top notch beer garden.
Club
The Quayside Club,
www.myspace.com/ yoyoindie
Every Saturday, this plays host to an offshoot of the famous Hull-based indie night Yo Yo.
Shop
Sonic Sounds
Guildhall Street
tel: 01274 678550
Lauded as Lincoln’s best independent record shop.
Food & Drink
Brown’s Pie Shop,
Steep Hill
Make the effort to walk up the appropriately named Steep Hill for this, and you’ll be rewarded with some wholesome English grub.
HUDDERSFIELD
GigsThe Picturedrome,
Market Walk, Holmfirth
A cosy venue, this place has seen the likes of The Bluetones drop by recently.
Club
Tokyo,
The Old Court House, Queens Street
Opened last year after a revamp, Tokyo describes itself as both “opulent and decadent” and on a Tuesday the city’s indie populace hit Club NME there.
Shop
Byram Arcade,
HD1
This arcade is home to the more kooky offerings, as well as GTR Guitars, renowned for its friendly staff..
Food & Drink
Head Of Steam,
St Georges Square, HD1
Hugely popular real ale pub conveniently situated in the station. Also has a very cheap menu of food from around the world.
Fuzz Club
The Faversham, 1-5 Springfield Mount, LS2 9NG,tel:0113 243 1481;
www.shef.ac.uk/union/fuzzclub
Locals bust into this student club, for the shit-hot new bands, £1.50 snakebite and sexy clientele, so book early to stake your rightful place at the bar.
Corporation
Milton Street, S1 4JU;tel: 0114 276 0262;
www.corporation.org.uk
Fridays and Saturdays see everything from classic rock to metal to goth to electro. This is also a fine alternative gig venue: InMe and Bring Me The Horizon booked in for the coming months.
Razor Stiletto
Praavda, Charter Square;www.razor-stiletto.co.uk
Described as “Oxfam-glam, Netto-fabulous”, Razor Stiletto is a monthly night with bands, DJs and alternative cabaret. Electro glamour-pusses rub shoulders with trannies and dandies.
The Leadmill
6 Leadmill Road, S1 4SE;tel: 0114 221 2828;
www.leadmill.co.uk
Sheffield’s biggest live music venue. Arctic Monkeys fans might be interested in the monthly Reverend Soundsystem night run by The Reverend .
The Plug
14-16 Matilda Street, S1 4QD;tel: 0114 276 2676;
www.the-plug.com
Sheffield’s biggest live music venue. Arctic Monkeys fans might be interested in the monthly Reverend Soundsystem night run by The Reverend.
The Grapes
80 Trippets Lane, S1 4EL;tel: 0114 249 0909
Small pub, with a cosy upstairs gig venue that’s an important venue for new bands. All the big names started out here!
Stag Works
John Street, S1 2HHtel: 0113 234 1155;
A grade-II listed Victorian building, 100 yards from Sheffield United’s ground, these rehearsal rooms are a far cry from your usual shithole in an industrial complex.
2Fly Studios
John Street, S2 4QUThe legendary recording studio where Alan Smyth has produced a who’s who of Sheffield music, from The Longpigs and 65daysofstatic to Pulp and, of course, the Monkeys.
Avid AV
Unit 3b Chaucer Yard, Countess Road, S1 4TE;tel: 0114 220 0585;
www.avid-av.co.uk
Stocking DJ, PA and visual equipment, and staffed by some top guys who are happy sorting you out for anything from student house parties to mega stadium events.
Dorian Cox, The Long Blondes
“Sheffield is in parts a real retro futurist mess, but I think it’s got a unique charm. You can walk around and imagine you’re in a Pulp song. The city is very DIY, which I think is the reason so many bands come out of here. It’s a bit strange, there isn’t an awful lot of organised alternative stuff going every night (compared to somewhere like Leeds), but people just make their own entertainment instead, putting on their own little events and gigs, which is much more exciting. We all met studying here – eventually you keep bumping into the same people in record stores, charity shops and gigs, and that’s how we got to know each other. Sheffield is stuck in some kind of ’70s timewarp, but I love it.”
“A set of disused steel units that they’re trying to flatten to build housing, but it’s home to almost every practicing band, fanzine or creative person in the city.”
“A real old man’s pub off the beaten track, but with Egyptian décor inside and palm trees in the garden – a proper find.”
“We filmed one of our videos there – in 25 years people will visit it on The Long Blondes tours of Sheffield!”
“It’s dominated by students and the area has some of the best charity shops in the city. Don’t go in any of the pubs though, unless you like fighting.”
“Five minutes on the bus to get some fresh air and wonderful views; nice to remind yourself there is a real world out there.”
