Hidden Sounds of Rock and Alternative Music at Warwick

Where to find it and who to find it with

If there is one thing that can undoubtedly bring students together, it’s music. From insightful lyrics to concept albums, the shared experiences of those who make music and those who listen is a dynamic that is incredibly unique and something you can only find in these fanbases. With Uni of Warwick being pretty much a self-contained campus, it may be difficult to navigate where to find this music when out of the city. But despite these appearances, this music and the emerging bands who are creating it can be found here. Below I have compiled a list of the events/places you can locate Warwick’s growing music scene.

Societies

This is probably the main space where you’ll be able to meet people with similar music tastes, but they don’t just offer a place for similar-minded listeners to socialise… With societies such as Rock Society (for lovers of Rock/Alternative/Heavy Metal/Classic Rock/Pop Punk), Offbeat (for lovers of Indie/Alternative music), Band Society (for lovers and creators of all genres, people interested in the technical side, or those who are passionate about supporting these bands/solo artists), etc. There are a lot of groups who can welcome you and get you involved in the music scene at Warwick. If you’re interested in actively getting involved with making music of your own then these are the people to go to, but even if you’re just someone interested in immersing yourself in the new music on campus then definitely consider joining one of these societies. The great thing about these societies, isn’t only the range of events within the groups but a lot of the time they also collaborate with each other. From attending concerts as groups, Battle of the Bands events, karaoke, tours, gigs, and pub crawls.

Events

Outside of the societies, there are also a few things to look out for. The first being the most regular and that is the Reflektor clubnights in the Copper Rooms on campus. There is a range of rock/alternative music played but you can almost guarantee that there will be some Arctic Monkeys, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, The Killers, Panic! At The Disco, and Paramore. It is probably the least popular of the copper room events but at around 11:30 a crowd picks up and it’s a lot of fun.

One of my new favourite events to attend is the weekly Battle of the Bands. With a really fun atmosphere and some really impressive artists performing, it’s currently one of my favourite nights of the week. Apart from these, look out for events happening around campus/openings/celebrations because there will typically be a tent for the musical artists of Warwick can perform. This happened last year for the opening of the new Faculty of Arts Building, and there was quite a crowd for the band stand with some impressive performances.

Venues to look out for:

While there are some things to occupy you on campus, there are other places off-campus which are pretty accessible to get to for a gig or a night out. The first being the most obvious, HMV Empire in Coventry is a really good place to go to for concerts. It’s directly in the centre of the city, near bus stops, and a good venue for live music. After this, it’s worth looking at the various venues in Birmingham. With cheap train tickets and a short journey even going to the O2 Institute or O2 Academy makes for a good night out. This last one is one of my favourite venues and I’ve mentioned it before in a previous blog post, but KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton is one of the best venues for live music I’ve been to. Similar to Birmingham, it has cheap train tickets and the journey isn’t too bad, this old factory is small enough to create an intimate atmosphere that makes the experience of live music even better.