…last-minute outfit changes and the cheap wine being drunk out of coffee cups just cannot compete with going to the club...
Kate Sturrock - Arts Sub-Editor
Arguably, pres are the best part of the night out. The excitement mixed with the rushed makeup and last-minute outfit changes and the cheap wine being drunk out of coffee cups just cannot compete with going to the club. When getting ready for a night out, I love listening to iconic pop anthems. Katy Perry’s ‘Last Friday Night,’ and ‘California Gurls’ are absolute staples for me. Any One Direction songs are also complete non-negotiables. They’re such childhood throwbacks which are absolute pop perfection.
Social life can be a top priority for Newcastle students, making pre-drinks a non-negotiable ritual for every night out…
Estra Arthy - Music Sub-Editor
When I think about my years as a student, some of my most favourite memories are the ones that took place before the night out even began. There is a very specific atmosphere when friends get together for pre-drinks, one that’s wrapped in excitement and anticipation. Social life can be a top priority for Newcastle students, making pre-drinks a non-negotiable ritual for every night out. Whether it is a collaborative playlist that was made in first year that just keeps getting added to or a Spotify jam, each friend group has its own favourites. A must for me will always be ‘Young Folks’ by Peter Bjorn and John, followed by ‘Boys in the Better Land’ by Fontaines D.C or ‘Kids’ by MGMT. These reflect exactly what pre-drinks mean to me: learning new drinking games, losing track of time, a mad rush for an Uber, and most importantly, being with friends.
In my opinion, if you're manning the aux, you've been trusted with a pivotal job, the most important job, crucial in deciding the trajectory of the evening ahead…
Bethan King - Music Sub-Editor
Like my fellow Sub-Editors, I believe pres can be the best part of an evening, but the playlist is everything. It makes or breaks the night. In my opinion, if you're manning the aux, you've been trusted with a pivotal job, the most important job, crucial in deciding the trajectory of the evening ahead. To ensure you kick things off right, I think the number one rule for a perfect pre-drink playlist is keeping it relevant to whoever is in the room. Music taste is subjective, so whatever you're playing at pre's must accommodate the atmosphere of the night out and the people going on it. For example, if we're heading to The Dog & Parrot or TheCut, I'm putting indie-rock classics on: think The Smiths or Arctic Monkeys. If the destination is Tropicana or Tropiloco, I'm playing pop anthems, whatever is on the radio and crowd pleasers: think Sabrina Carpenter or ABBA. But personally, I'm a GDT and Cobalt Studios regular: I'm usually surrounded by groovers, house-heads, or anyone who loves the underground scene. My friends and I want to dance. That means my non-negotiable songs require a solid beat and/or a heavy drop (my apologies to Katy Perry). I'm constantly hunting for new music and my playlist changes regularly, but five tracks that have relentlessly remained on my Spotify liked songs are: ‘Release Me’ by Angelina; ‘Gotta Get through This’ by Daniel Beddingfield; ‘Born Slippy’ by Underworld: ‘The Cure and The Cause’ by Fish Go Deep, Tracy K and Dennis Ferrer; and ‘Superstylin’ by Groove Armada.