Student Clubbing 101

The UCAS guide might not dish out points for it, but the after dark activites on offer in Scotland's two biggest cities will have been a major draw for a lot of students who end up there. If you’ve come from any place which subjected you to a choice of cheesy clubs with sticky floors then get ready to embrace all the sights and booming sounds that Edinburgh and Glasgow can offer. The Skinny, of course, is a great place to find out where the best club nights are every month, but this is our pick of some of the most musically interesting and fun nights you can get stuck into without having to worry about your name appearing on a loan shark’s hit-list: cut it out, tick them off and then go and check out all the other cool places both cities have to offer. It won’t get you any extra credits but that’s not what you really came to university for, was it?

Glasgow

Monday: Burn at The Buff Club
You might be forgiven for asking what Monday’s are for aside from weekend recoveries, but with fifteen years under its belt, Burn has established itself as one of the longest running nights around. With tunes ranging from funk to electro, drinks on sale from £1.50 and a guestlist available to anybody with an internet connection it’s the ideal way to get the week started.

Tuesday: i AM at Sub Club
Born from a desire to create a club night for those who make music their top priority, resident DJ's Beta & Kappa have established i AM as one of the most exciting new student nights that the city has to offer. Along with the occasional guest, the pair can regularly be heard blasting out anything from house to hardstyle, all through Sub Club’s legendary sound system.

Wednesday: Octopussy at The Arches
Situated in The Arches, Octopussy is the grandaddy of student nights with a capacity that reaches well into four figures and a seemingly never-ending selection of rooms. The venue can become tricky to navigate after a few trips to the bar but whether you're getting married to a stranger at the chapel or chilling in the jacuzzi, Octopussy guarantees a night of unadulterated carnage.

Thursday: Luska at La Cheetah Club
Flying the flag for the centrally located La Cheetah is Luska which is making waves as a student-friendly night with a heart of thunderous techno. Resident DJ's Jack Swift and Dara Etefaghi spin the decks with the occasional guest, making it the perfect destination for those who like their music hard, drinks cheap and DJ booths shaped like spaceships.

Thursday: Rubix at Sub Club
Rubix is run by enthusiastic young clubbers with a passion for quality music who managed to convince the world-renowned Sub Club to open its doors on a Thursday night again. Great bookings at a good price and a chance to experience the place when its drink prices don’t force you to make a decision between partying and pawning your possessions.

Friday: Propaganda at ABC
On the night of the week when the oldies (anyone over 23) come to join the party, Propaganda ensures that the students aren't forgotten about with a night specialising in all things indie. While pubs and clubs elsewhere celebrate the start of the weekend by hiking up drinks prices, here they boast a wide selection of promos starting at just £1.50 as a special treat.

Friday: A Love From Outer Space at The Berkeley Suite
This night brings the peerless Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston to the decadent surroundings of one of the city’s best kept secrets once every eight weeks for an evening of electronic deviance designed for those who wish to dance. Having graduated to a prime-time Friday residence, it builds its slow groove to a raucous climactic cacophony which is both irresistible and irrefutable in equal measure.

Friday: Freaky Friday at Chambre 69
Freaky Freaky has built a massive following over the past year and has outgrown its sweaty beginnings in Nice 'n' Sleazys. Starting on September 20th, Freaky Freaky will host a monthly party in Chambre 69, one of Glasgow's best clubs. Expect R’n’B, cheap drinks, flat caps, and a good party.

Saturday: I Heart Garage Saturdays at The Garage
Unmistakable in its appearance (there's a giant yellow truck protruding from roof), The Garage holds students deep within its heart and caters to them at all times. Whether you want to chill out to r'n'b or have a dance to the newest chart releases, the drinks from just £1 mean you can party right up until 3am without breaking the bank.

Sunday: Church.
Go repent.

Edinburgh

Monday: Bad Habit at Cabaret Voltaire
This newly launched night will introduce some happening low frequencies to your Monday nights with a bass, beats and rhythm-heavy selection. A melange of genre blends from dubstep, drum ‘n’ bass, house and UK Funky are delivered by a plethora of the city’s best DJs. If you’ve tried everything else to shake off the post-weekend blues then this should be your go-to place for the recovery of last resort: doing it all again.

Tuesday: I Love Hip-Hop at The Bongo Club
Bongo Club’s free hip-hop night, which is about as much fun as Tuesday can be. The DJs are good selectors who dig out proper old school classics (which can pop up every few weeks) along with newer, less cool tracks from the likes of Usher and Rihanna. It's wild and there are always plenty of drunk uni kids droppin' it like it's hot.

Wednesday: Mansion at The Liquid Room
Mansion is the centre point for midweek student activity with multiple rooms, drinks from £1, free entry for girls before 11pm and a shisha garden. Spread across the The Liquid Room and The Annex, you will find the competing grooves of the finest house and electro or R’n’B and hip-hop all pushing to make this one big party.

Thursday: ZZZAP at The Annex
ZZZAP is a genuinely good night run by a collective of young artists and DJs, where the focus is on emerging, often local talent. The night is firmly centred on new music and and it’s pretty much bang-on with it. They’ve developed close ties with Aberdeen label Tuff Wax and Offbeat in Glasgow, bringing in artists like Lockah and Mirrors. Entry is a fiver and for Freshers’ Week they’ve booked the brilliant Bondax (Thur 13 Sept).

Friday: Numbers & Luckyme at Sneaky Pete's
The alternating Numbers/LuckyMe label parties on the last Friday of every month are super-cheap considering the sets on offer. Numbers, with Jackmaster and Spencer amongst their ranks, are internationally recognised DJ enthusiasts who know exactly how to build a great party, which makes for a highly charged and heady atmosphere. LuckyMe continue to provide their fresh, genre-splintered sounds with the indelible affiliate Hudson Mohawke making regular appearances along with other residents such as Eclair Fifi. Well worth the tenner you'd otherwise spend on your next few lunches.

Saturday: The Egg at The Wee Red Bar
When the rest of town gets swamped at the weekends with ‘normal folk’ then The Egg is the perfect happy hunting ground for students. It’s cheap, it’s fun and the music policy is dead on, playing anything that leans towards the alternative and indie, mixing classics and some well-hidden gems together, all without forgetting that this is a Saturday night.

Sunday: The Library
Seriously, hit those books.