| About Chris... | Nottingham is the first 'real city' that I've ever lived in, and I love it; though coming from the somewhat dull countryside surrounding the cultural wasteland that is Milton Keynes, it could be said that it didn't have to live up to much. I'm currently a post-graduate at the University of Nottingham, which takes up a pleasingly small amount of my week. In my free time, I love being creative. I can sometimes be spotted photographing strange things, and have become involved with the local music scene, though to my shame not as a performer. Instead, I've become mixed up in student journalism as the editor of the Uni magazine, Impact. People who aren't passionate about something; be it music, art, writing, sport or whatever; tend to worry me somewhat; fortunately, Nottingham offers a wealth of opportunities to immerse yourself in pretty much anything you could imagine. So please, get stuck in. |
The name says it all. Rock City. It’s a large, dark, dingy place with a tired-looking exterior that probably hasn't had a facelift since the 1980s. It’s the kind of place that not only looks like it might play music by and for people with strange haircuts, but in fact does. This, I suppose, saves on advertising. But to write the place off as a somewhat scary throwback to a bygone era would be a mistake, for Nottingham’s Rocky City is a vibrant, diverse venue that caters for people of many musical and follicular persuasions, and can be damn fun too. With a capacity of 1,900, Rock City is Nottingham’s largest non-arena music venue. Despite its industrial chic it has, since opening in 1980, played host to acts from a diverse musical spectrum from Madness to Kraftwerk to Marilyn Manson. | "All in all, Rock City is a bit dirty; you're likely to get a little sweaty. You may even end up smelling a tad strange afterwards." | | Chris Regan |
More recently, hip-hop innovators The Roots have played, and the venue has hosted some of Detonate’s largest drum 'n' bass nights. Even more bewilderingly, Girls Aloud are taking to the stage for 2004’s Christmas party. All this from a venue supposedly famed for its sticky floors. Admittedly, there was a time when one was assailed by a number of odours (none of them pleasant) upon entering RC, but thanks to re-flooring and refurbishment over the summer this is now considerably diminished and rock revelers can breathe easy. Literally. It’s still a dark place, but when the lights are down for a gig or a club night that hardly matters – in fact, it can improve the feeling of intimacy the crowd gains during a performance. As it is, gig-goers can stand just feet away from their musical idols, and there are a number of raised areas and a balcony so that the vertically challenged can still get a look-in. These factors make Rock City one of Nottingham’s finest music venues, though on gig nights drinks (both alcoholic and non) can be pretty pricey.
 | | Amy Winehouse at Rock City |
On club nights, however, the drink is both plentiful and cheap, and these can be some of the most enjoyable times spent in the ‘City. Different nights cater for differing tastes in music, from metal and emo (Saturdays) to 80s (Fridays), or more modern pop fare on a Thursday. Far from being a threatening place to dance the night away, Rock City has a relaxed, anything-goes atmosphere in which you're likely to bump into people and get bumped into yourself, but in which nobody really minds. That, and you can dance however (badly) you like… All in all, Rock City is a bit dirty; you're likely to get a little sweaty. You may even end up smelling a tad strange afterwards. However, there’s no disputing that it’s a fun and relaxed ‘alternative’ to comparable student cheese-holes or Nottingham’s more upmarket, style-conscious locales.
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