The Skinny Student Handbook Scotland 2014 by The Skinny

.CO.UK

INDEPENDENT

CULT U R A L

J O U R N A L I S M

Contents

08 Heads Up provides your cultural calendar for the next twelve months, making sure you have at least one thing a month to do

We profile the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee - spoiler alert, we like them all

Begin your musical education with our list of a dozen of the finest Scottish cult albums, from 1980s rock through to modern hip-hop

From early moving pictures that scared confused crowds to the modern enormoblockbuster, we take a quick-fire look at the history of film

Get down in style with our look at clubbing across Scotland’s student cities

Art students take note, as we explain just how to get this whole ‘art’ thing to work for you

Take a gap year trip to Thailand, a land of beautiful temples and slightly dodgy rafts

Find out where to get good jewellery, cutting-edge menswear and clothes by the kilogram in our shopping guide

30 We look at student theatre, the Edinburgh Fringe, and whether students should expect a fair ride from critics and the public

STUDENT HANDBOOK

THE SKINNY

Take your first steps in the worlds of creative writing and spoken word with our introduction to the scenes

36 Hack into Scotland’s growing tech scene

with our introduction to the hacker space community

40 We showcase the work of four of the best graduates from Scotland’s art schools in our Showcase

Eat healthily and be good to the planet at the same time with our look at student food co-ops

48 Our Deviance section provides a guide to having good sex

49 If a fluffy grey poodle called Francis watching you cook doesn’t encourage you to try out the kitchen, we don’t know what will

50 Ever fancied learning capoeira, or engaging in murder mysteries? Find out how in our guide to Scotland’s student societies

55 We give you a start on your cultural journey around Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee with our comprehensive venue guides

Fred Fletch gives his highly unorthodox but useful advice for the student year ahead

2014 – 2015

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Editorial

t’s the most wonderful time of the year, a time that everyone has secretly been waiting for since spring. While hilariously long summer breaks are nice, the start of the new university calendar is a time of excitement and joy – there are new facts to learn, new flatmates to alienate and annoy, and new things to see and do. While we can’t really help with the first two parts of that sentence, other than to recommend you carry a notepad at all times and wrap your smellier food in cling film before putting it in the fridge, the third part is where we come in, with our annual Student Handbook. Over these 84 pages, we’ll bring you up to speed on cultural life across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee, allowing you to jump headfirst into that whole ‘being a student’ thing. We’ve compiled a list of 12 of the best cult Scottish albums over the years for you to get your ears around, while in Film we’ve gone even further back in time and charted the history of cinema from the very beginning. We’ve also taken a look at the theatre, comedy and club scenes across Scotland, and highlighted some of the best nights and events. If you’re keen to spread your wings and fly (culturally speaking), we’ve got guides to the spoken word and literary scenes in Scotland, an introduction to the tech and hacker scene, and a run-down of some of the weird and wonderful student societies to fill your weekday evenings. If you fancy travelling we have a tale from the depths of the Thai jungle that will both inspire and terrify you, and our resident agony uncle Fred Fletch has provided his advice for the year ahead, which will also inspire and terrify you. On top of all that, we’ve also put together a guide to well over 100 of the best places to eat, drink, dance, watch and be otherwise culturally active in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee. We’ve

even provided maps, so you won’t get lost. Consider this Handbook your introduction to cultural life in Scotland’s cities. Carry it with you at all times, along with that notepad from earlier. You might need a bag. [Peter Simpson] Editor: Peter Simpson Designer: Craig Gallacher Production Manager: Eve Somerville Contributors: Emma Ainley-Walker, Samuel Best, Alan Bett, Ally Brown, Fred Fletch, Izzy Gray, Alice McGurran, Ronan Martin, Cathleen O’Grady, Kate Pasola, Sacha Waldron Illustrator: Louise Lockhart Sales Executives: Tom McCarthy, George Sully, Gillian Brown Maps: © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA (openstreetmap.org) THE SKINNY Editor-in-Chief: Rosamund West Lead Designer: Maeve Redmond Commercial Director: Nicola Taylor Sales Director: Lara Moloney Company PA: Kyla Hall Publisher: Sophie Kyle Get in touch: E: hello@theskinny.co.uk T: 0131 467 4630 P: The Skinny, 3 Coates Place, Edinburgh, EH3 7AA The Skinny is Scotland's largest independent entertainment & listings magazine, and offers a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business. Get in touch to find out more.

E: sales@theskinny.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the explicit permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the printer or the publisher.

STUDENT HANDBOOK

THE SKINNY

Heads Up Read, eat, drink, laugh, dance and generally live it up over the next 12 months thanks to our at-a-glance guide to the year ahead

Compiled by: Peter Simpson

SEPTEMBER

Get right into the swing of things at two events that show off the scale of the Scottish cultural landscape. Try some of the world’s best craft beers at Craft Beer Rising at the Drygate brewery in Glasgow, or check out Arika’s Episode 6 programme of film, music and performance celebrating “working class American dance, black poetry, queer counter-publics” and much more besides. Craft Beer Rising, 19-21 Sep; Arika Episode 6, 2628 Sep. Hogmanay

Pleasance Sessions

Photo: Eoin Carey

DECEMBER

Edinburgh does do tradition very well, and the Hogmanay Street Party and accompanying fireworks is one of the best ways we can think of to bring in the new year. The 2013 line-up featured Django Django, Chvrches and King Creosote, with multiple stages along the length and breadth of the city’s most famous street.

JANUARY

OCTOBER

Edinburgh University’s student union plays host to the Pleasance Sessions, a series of gigs from some of Scotland’s best bands. We draw your attention to ‘The Skinny presents...’ show on 18 Oct, featuring Remember Remember and The Phantom Band. In louder news, the Nightvision series of curated club nights continues in Edinburgh, with a major Halloween party at the Corn Exchange. Nightvision events continue throughout 2014, so keep your eyes peeled for more info.

Start 2015 as you mean to go on with Celtic Connections, the Glasgow festival celebrating folk and roots-inspired music. From sessions by genuine folkies to performances by some of Scotland’s best modern acts, the festival prides itself on doing a little bit of everything, making it the perfect event to inspire you in the wake of Christmas and New Year. 15 Jan - 1 Feb.

Celebrate Scotland’s LGBT cultural community at the 21st Glasgay! festival which continues into November. Comedy, film, theatre, dance and more are all on the agenda, with legendary director John Waters and comedians Sara Pascoe and Vikki Stone among those set to make appearances. 20 Oct–15 Nov. 8

LISTINGS

Celtic Connections

THE SKINNY

Photo: Jassy Earl

NOVEMBER

The Glasgow Film Festival returns in February, offering a more laid-back alternative to Edinburgh later in the year. Elsewhere in the city, Rachel Levine, winner of The Skinny Award at last year’s RSA New Contemporaries exhibition, brings her subversive sculpture works to the CCA’s Intermedia gallery. Keep your eyes peeled for more details.

MARCH

JUNE

Edinburgh’s Film Festival takes a slightly more glamorous tack than its cousin in the west. The world’s longest continually-running film festival is big on red carpet premieres, big-name appearances and events featuring Hollywood A-listers. That said, the annual June extravaganza does feature a whole host of great documentaries and new British work, as well as a very fruitful relationship with big studios such as Pixar.

Glasgow’s annual Comedy Festival may not be the corporate monolith on the way in August, but much like its film equivalent it still has plenty to offer all-comers. There are big shows from the likes of Simon Amstell, there are small shows in bars and venues across the city, and there are crazy events such as the annual Comedy Pub Crawl, which is just as good an idea as it sounds. 12-29 Mar. T in the Park

JULY

It’s heading to a new venue this year, but expect the same old mix of big names and up-and-comers when T in the Park rocks up at Strathallan Castle in Perthshire from 10-12 Jul. If you prefer superheroes to superstar DJs, and interesting characters to ‘interesting characters’, check out the Glasgow Comic Con on 4 & 5 Jul.

RSA New Contemporaries

APRIL

The best of 2014’s art graduates will see their work on the walls of the Royal Scottish Academy in April as part of the RSA New Contemporaries exhibition. Turn to page 40 to see some of the work that will feature, courtesy of the artists in our Skinny Showcase.

MAY

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design kick off the degree show season here, with the graduates of the class of 2015 showing off their hard work to the good people of Dundee. Degree shows in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen follow in the weeks ahead. 23-31 May. 2014 – 2015

Edinburgh Fringe

AUGUST

There’s only one place to be in August, as the entire creative world tries to squeeze into the middle of Edinburgh for three weeks for the Fringe and various other festivals. We'll be hosting The Skinny Showcase for the second time, bringing together four graduates from four of Scotland's art schools (ECA, GSA, DJCAD and Gray's) as part of Edinburgh Art Festival. We'll announce the artists in June, so you could find yourself exhibiting next year…

LISTINGS

Photo: Jassy Earl

FEBRUARY

The Skinny on Scotland Each of Scotland’s three main student cities is great, but which is the appropriate kind of great for you? We’ve weighed up the pros and cons of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee to help you find out whether or not you’re in the right place EDINBURGH n incredible news, something has changed in Edinburgh since last year. Yes, the trams are finished, so now the locals are back to solely complaining about students and Fringe theatre types. Other than that, ‘The Capital’ is much the same as it always has been – lovely architecture, oodles of history, and thousands of students spread across four universities (Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt, Napier and Queen Margaret) and the art college. You’ve got your slightly posh students, your vaguely grungey students, your beardy Mediterranean students and a whole host of others – the best and worst of studentdom are here, so be ready to make friends, excuses, and/or a quick exit. The vast student numbers mean that ‘the kids’ spread right across the city from Morningside to Leith, but the whole place is so white and middle-class that only the most daring Edinburgh students are confronted by anything remotely urban. Nice pubs, big hills, and the world’s biggest arts festival – what more could you want?

“Edinburgh features the best and worst of studentdom, so be ready to make friends, excuses, and/or a quick exit” 2014 – 2015

Words: Peter Simpson Illustration: Louise Lockhart

GLASGOW lasgow is cool. Cooler than Edinburgh at any rate, with dozens of gig venues, nightclubs and bars each of which the people of 'The Capital' would gladly swap a panda for. Still basking in the afterglow of the Commonwealth Games, Scotland’s biggest city exists in a state of constant flux, which the students from Glasgow, Caledonian, Strathclyde, the GSA and the city’s various colleges all add to. The West End is the heart of studentland, with its cool bars and nice houses, while the South Side is a good alternative for people who don’t want to spend ALL THE MONEY on a flatshare with seven other people. The City Centre has nice shops, but be sure to be out of there by nightfall, and the East End… hosted the Commonwealth Games! It’s big, it’s interesting and it’s exciting – we like Glasgow.

DUNDEE tudents like Dundee, as they are big fish in a small pond. In fact, with Abertay, Dundee and Duncan of Jordanstone all in attendance, the pond is fit to burst. The main student area to the west of the city centre is nice and compact, and there’s an air of change about the place which is pretty refreshing. Some of the city’s more egregious architectural crimes have been taken care of, an outpost of the V&A is on the way (eventually), and until then there’s plenty of art and history to take in and student bars to fall out of. It’s got everything you need, and it isn’t even Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Find out what's going on in each of these cities at theskinny.co.uk/listings

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Cult Listening Your CHVRCHES playlist is not enough – here’s 12 musthave Scottish records for the discerning fresher

Words: Ally Brown

Boards of Canada

usic is one of the things this country does best, so it’s not enough to just recognise 500 Miles, Take Me Out and The Mother We Share. Here’s 12 albums you should seek out with haste, and plenty of follow-up recommendations too, that will hopefully prompt a full-on love affair with contemporary Scottish music, or at least allow you to blag your way through a party chat with a muso. It’s by no means comprehensive – don’t be silly – but it’s a damn good start. Orange Juice – The Glasgow School (2005) You’ll know Rip It Up as one of the funkiest of early-80s guitar-pop anthems, but Domino’s compilation The Glasgow School focuses on the wonderful early years of Orange Juice, where you can hear them connect the dots from jangling surf-rock to chiming pop-punk. Their influence on Scottish music extends much further – you can

hear the imprints of their experiments in Belle & Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand and Django Django, while their contemporaries on the Postcard label, Josef K, should also be investigated. Cocteau Twins – Treasure (1984) There’s no mistaking the sound of the Cocteau Twins, a band so influential they virtually define the term ‘dream pop'. That’s because their ethereal sound, all smudged by cotton wool until its fine lines are obscured, is topped by the distinctively indistinct voice of Elizabeth Fraser, so perfectly high, drifting lyricless among the clouds, like a feverish Kate Bush singing in tongues. Treasure is probably their finest collection, though Heaven or Las Vegas (1990) includes their best-known song, the title track.

MUSIC

THE SKINNY

Idlewild – 100 Broken Windows (2000) As far as Scottish indie-rock goes, 100 Broken Windows has few peers; indeed The Skinny’s readers ranked it the best Scottish album of the first decade of this millenium, of all genres, a few years ago. After the promising punky debut Hope Is Important, the album represented a developmental leap forward: from scrappy teens learning their trade to educated young adults mastering it; next came The Remote Part, which landed them on Top of the Pops and briefly, in the mainstream as Scotland’s biggest rock band. As usual, the prelude was better.

The Beta Band – The 3 EPs (1998) It’s by now a tedious cliché, and often an outright PR lie, to say of a band that they effortlessly mix different styles to create their own, but listening to The Beta Band in 1998 was like an exercise in style-spotting and a revelation of the dreary conservatism of everything else. Scotland’s most impressive Beta disciples are The Phantom Band, whose three studio albums are among the best this country’s produced in the last five years. But Beta singer Steve Mason is still active and still producing brilliant and diverse music, as King Biscuit Time, Black Affair, and as himself: last year’s album Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time was one of the finest he’s ever made. Mogwai – Happy Songs For Happy People (2003) Mogwai are one of the touchstones of the genre known as post-rock, and certainly Scotland’s best representatives of the style. With little singing, few lyrics and unusual rhythm, Mogwai focus instead on dynamics of noise, moving between gentle and heavy sections over several minutes in long songs. Arguably more impressive live than on record, still several of their releases are essential, particularly 2003’s ironically named Happy Songs.

The Cocteau Twins

2014 – 2015

MUSIC

The Beta Band's Steve Mason

Photo: David P Scott

Belle & Sebastian – Push Barman To Open Old Wounds (2005) Belle & Seb are the kind of band who inspire life-altering love in their biggest fans, and merely transient tears, awe and happiness in the rest of us. Second album If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996) is often said to be their best; third record The Boy With The Arab Strap (1998) bizarrely won a BRIT Award; latest release Write About Love (2010) proved they hadn’t lost their touch; but perhaps the best place to start is Push Barman To Open Old Wounds, an extraordinary collection of singles and B-sides that showcases their varied styles and touching lyrics over a period of years. After exploring the band’s discography, local disciples Camera Obscura and Butcher Boy deserve investigation too.

Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight (2008) Frightened Rabbit have been one of Scotland’s biggest success stories in recent years, building from the solid but little-heralded debut Sing The Greys (2006) to now touring worldwide and releasing fourth record Pedestrian Verse (2013) on major label Atlantic. The catalyst to this success was undoubtedly The Midnight Organ Fight, which earned the group fans worldwide thanks to the open-hearted songwriting of Scott Hutchison. Without exciting anyone stylistically, The Midnight Organ Fight ’s personal and witty lyrics connected with just about everyone who listened to them.

Boards of Canada – Geogaddi (2002) Like Mogwai, Boards of Canada are internationally known as kings of their genre: though in this case it’s not so easy to name. Boards of Canada’s style is to blend snippets of sound from hundreds of sources, including recorded nature and computer-made beats, into warm, evocative collages, rarely with propulsion or explicit themes. Their ambient, dream-like sound sequences aren’t for everyone or for every occasion, but when they work, as they frequently do on Geogaddi, they’re inspirational.

Arab Strap

MUSIC

THE SKINNY

Photo: Euan Robertson

Arab Strap – The Week Never Starts Around Here (1995) The Twilight Sad – Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Choosing a favourite Arab Strap record is like Winters (2007) picking a favourite child: it’s both impossible and The Twilight Sad came from nowhere: they’d earned misses the point. They’re all great, and it’s more fully deserved rave reviews for debut LP Fourteen important to hear Arab Strap than to hear any Autumns and toured the US before coming home to specific Arab Strap. They are, or were, inimitafind their domestic audience had expanded beyond ble: Aidan Moffat’s lyrics, honest to the point of a just friends and family. It’s still an inspiring record, cringe or a tear, funny beyond the point of a laugh, featuring towering, howling guitars that express and Malcolm Middleton’s deft and versatile musithe rage within James Graham’s adolescent innercal accompaniment, could never be replicated by self, while his vocals cryptically hint at the reasons, anyone else. There’s true personality in every one fair and unfair, for the fallout. Still active, and treof their songs; no pretension, no abstraction, just mendous live, The Twilight Sad’s mix of anger and the true, sticky, imperfect reality. vulnerability make them one of Scotland’s most exciting bands. Their fourth LP, Nobody Wants to be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave, is due for release this autumn.

Hudson Mohawke – Butter (2009) Now producing for Kanye and signed to his label, Butter was Hudson Mohawke’s astonishingly creative debut on Warp. It’s as gaudy and bright as its cover suggests, a party record for kids running about on Irn Bru and teacakes, all neon and lasers and, in the brush, scratching, skipping beats and soul samples. It’s the standout release so far from the LuckyMe collective, a group of Glasgoworiginating electro producers who are gradually becoming more influential on hip-hop: HudMo’s mate Rustie produces for Danny Brown.

Young Fathers – Dead (2014) Edinburgh has never been a fertile soil for developing rappers, which makes the emergence and success of Young Fathers extra special. Initially a party-rap trio with natty dance moves, Young Fathers’ ambition has escalated way beyond that point now, evidenced by Scottish Album of the Year winner Tape Two (2013) and official debut full-length Dead, both released by one of the most consistent and innovative record labels in hip-hop, Anticon. Dead is dirty and claustrophobic, like a Tricky record, but with plenty shards of light in the choruses and the fun and creative vocal interplays. If this is the sound of Scottish hip-hop, it’s no longer the punchline to any joke. Keep up with Scotland’s music scene at theskinny.co.uk/music

MUSIC

THE SKINNY

Photo: Sonia Mallan

Photo: Jassy Earl

Young Fathers

Photo: Daniel Harris

Hudson Mohawke

Idlewild's Roddy Woomble

Photo: Matthew Sillars

Mogwai

Life Through a Lens Are you an incredibly lazy film student? If so, get the gist of the whole of film history by watching the quintessential movies from each decade of cinema’s short existence 1890s: It took cinema years to realise it was an art form. The initial thrill of the movies was their novelty, and this is no more evident than in the reaction that reportedly met the Lumière Brothers’ Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat. To modern eyes, this 50 second documentary of a train pulling into a station is pretty humdrum. But in 1895, so the legend goes, the image of the projected locomotive rushing toward the audience sent those in attendance into such a tizzy, that they leaped from their seats believing it was going to burst from the screen. 1900s: While the camera movements were nonexistent and synced sound was still decades off, filmmakers like Georges Méliès were beginning to utilise cinema’s ability to transport us to dream worlds. A Trip to the Moon, which employed every sleight of hand cinema had to offer at the start of the century, is the perfect example of a medium starting to understand its potential. 1910s: The most influential film of the 1910s – perhaps of all time – was D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance. Four stories set in four different time periods are edited together to create a jaw-dropping spectacle. Nowadays a computer whizz could knock up some of Griffith’s mammoth set-pieces in an hour or two, but they’ll never have the visceral power that comes from knowing those sets and those hundreds of extras are for real. 1920s: Silent film began to reach a kind of perfection towards the late 20s. Rather than simply resembling filmed plays, cinema had developed its own language of expression. This synergy of image, movement and performance reached is zenith in F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise, in which the German filmmaker utilises the technical power of the American studio to turn a simple tale into a heartbreaking love story that’s as elegant as it is epic. 1930s: As well as reaching its artistic peak in 1927, cinema also experienced a significant

2014 – 2015

FILM

Words: Jamie Dunn

technical innovation: sound was introduced. It took filmmakers a while to work out how to use this new technology creatively, however. One of the first to understand the power of sound was Jean Renoir – and his freewheeling tragicomic masterpiece The Rules of the Game made poetic use of its overlapping dialogue. To paraphrase Robert Altman: Renoir taught future filmmakers the rules of the game. 1940s: American cinema during and immediately after WWII came in two distinct shades: the light screwball comedies and the dark film noirs. Draw a Venn diagram of those two genres and you’ll find one overlap: Howard Hawks’s The Big Sleep. The noir is obvious: based on Raymond Chandler’s pulp classic and starring Humphrey Bogart as the wisecracking Philip Marlowe, it’s the genre’s template, but Bogart and co-star Lauren Bacall’s verbal sparring and electric chemistry give it the same fizz we associate with Hawks’ romantic comedies. 1950s: The studio system was dying in the 50s. But, oh, what a death rattle, with stalwarts like Hitchcock, Welles and Ford spitting out their masterpieces. The filmmaker who best summed up this lush but elegiac period in American cinema was Douglas Sirk, whose florid women’s pictures set the Technicolor look of the decade. His heartbreaking melodrama Imitation of Life, from 1959, was a fittingly melancholic end to the era. 1960s: With Hollywood in crisis, cinema in Europe was going through a purple patch. Names like Fellini, Godard and Buñuel were packing out art-house cinemas. But for a prize 60s cinematic artefact, particularly from a British perspective, it’s got to be Antonioni’s erotic thriller Blow-Up, which not only typifies the avant-garde stylings (and sometimes infuriating pretensions) of the decade’s art-house cinema, it also acts as an exotic document of the groovy decade.

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Star Wars

Werner Herzog

1970s: The 70s saw a Hollywood renaissance, and its chief theme was of crumbling male psyches. Almost all of the classics of the era dealt with it, but it wasn’t just the US’s concern. Japan, Australia, Senegal and, in particular, Germany were also on a cinematic high and dealing with this subject. From the latter, the image of Klaus Kinski’s bug-eyed usurper in Werner Herzog’s blistering Aguirre, the Wrath of God sums up this unique decade, in which artistic ambition and commercial success collided.

James Cameron ruled the box office, the likes of Wong Kar-Wai and Abbas Kiarostami wowed the critics, but it was Tarantino’s cineliterate cinema that seared itself onto the public’s consciousness. Which of his three 90s features to choose, though? Let’s go with his best: Jackie Brown.

1980s: The 80s was the decade of the teenager. After the monumental success of Jaws and Star Wars, movies were now aimed at teens – and they tended to star in them too. It wasn’t all cloying coming-of-age tales, though. In the decade’s quintessential film, Blue Velvet, the teen protagonist is plunged into a twisted underworld a million miles away from the cosy classrooms of John Hughes. 1990s: Love him or hate him, no filmmaker put his stamp on the 90s like Quentin Tarantino.

2000s: The shadow of the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent ‘War on Terror’ loomed over 2000s cinema. Filmmakers like Paul Greengrass and Kathryn Bigelow tackled it head on, while others took a more allegorical approach. Even comic books got in on the action. The best of these mood-of-the-planet movies was Alfonso Cuarón’s bleak but hopeful Children of Men, which imagined, in a compelling and believable fashion, the human race’s slow apocalypse. 2010s: Ask us in ten years… For reviews of classic re-releases and to keep up to date with what’s happening in contemporary cinema, head across to theskinny.co.uk/film

Jaws

2014 – 2015

FILM

Welcome to the Clubs From warehouses to student unions, big parties to regular nights, Scotland’s clubs have a lot to offer. Dive in with this quick guide

Joy Orbison

he clubbing scene in Scotland continually goes from strength to strength, and the beginning of term-time generally marks the ramping up of the schedule, as the foreign festival season draws to a close. In short, students have it made! So, here’s a very brief digest of the some of the many clubbing options to whet your appetite. In Edinburgh, the newly launched Nightvision series will offer several diverse options for your first term, with nights running from September through until New Year’s Eve. The series is the brainchild of promoters Musika and Xplicit who have already confirmed shows from the likes of techno diva Nina Kraviz, dubstep pioneer turned disco dabbler Skream and genre-melding all rounder Joy Orbison. Luckily, the settings on offer throughout Nightvision’s run will be as varied as the guests, so you may find yourself partying in the expansive Edinburgh Corn Exchange one week, then taking in the altogether cosier vibe of the relaunched La Belle Angele the next. Elsewhere in the capital, Studio 24 is worth a visit, particularly if techno’s your thing, with nights such as Pulse and Unseen consistently bringing top names to the city. There’s always plenty on offer at the Bongo Club too, relaunched at a new premises last year after a massive campaign to save what is one of the city’s most beloved venues.

Words: Ronan Martin

For Glasgow punters, the clubbing scene was given a massive boost with this year’s reopening of the Art School. Long a trusted haunt for students, the city’s nightlife wasn’t quite the same while the union building was closed for renovation. Thankfully, its doors are again open and the venue has immediately re-staked its claim as one of the most important spots in the city. Expect to see the best in live performance as well as DJs and producers from the cutting edge of electronic music – the likes of Jon Hopkins, Randomer and Marcel Dettmann have already graced the venue since its rebirth. Another venue worth familiarising yourself with is La Cheetah on Queen Street, which celebrates its fifth birthday this autumn – for the occasion they have lined up three months of top nights featuring Levon Vincent, Theo Parrish and Matthew Herbert. If you prefer the warehouse vibe, and like to get out of the city centre, SWG3 has emerged as an increasingly reliable option over the last few years, whether you’re into house, techno, disco, bass music or electro. Right next-door to SWG3 in the same complex is the Poetry Club, an intimate venue which plays host to a number of clubs, including one of Glasgow’s best alternative gay nights, Hot Mess. For more information and listings of the best club nights across Scotland, visit theskinny.co.uk/clubs

“The Art School is back to re-stake its claim as one of the most important clubs in Glasgow”

CLUBS

THE SKINNY

£10 TIX

IF YOU’RE UNDER 26 e. Any Seat. Any Performanc

Cinderella | Inés de Castro Orfeo ed Euridice | Jenůfa | Il trovatore With tickets bookable in advance at only £10 for anyone under the age of 26, now is the perfect time to give opera a try. Visit scottishopera.org.uk or contact your local Box Office to book

the city centre’s only Cinema a world-class Exhibition space state-of-the-art Print Studio a fun Activity Room a cutting-edge Shop lively restaurant & café bar Visit www.dca.org.uk to ﬁnd out more. Follow us on Twitter (@DCAdundee) or ﬁnd us on Facebook. Pick up your Red Card today and start earning points to spend on Cinema tickets!

152 Nethergate Dundee DD1 4DY 01382 909 900 Reg. Charity no: SCO26631

How to be an Art Student You’ve got the drive, the creativity, and you’ve even brought your own paintbrush with you. But what should you actually do? Fear not, young one, we’ve got the answers

our folks weren’t too keen on your decision; your friends mildly jealous that you’re the ‘creative one’, but secretly smug about their career track. The more practical among you will have gone for graphic or web design but you, my friend, are a fine art student. Never fear – The Skinny is here to give you some pointers on the whole crazy experience/psychological experiment. Make your studio your home, nest in it. Remember this is probably the nicest studio you’ll have for a while. In three years you will be freezing in a derelict building, having your sculptures eaten by mice or, if in London, sub-letting half a cupboard that’s only available on Tuesdays between 5-8pm. Make your studio the centre of the universe, make it comfy, make it social – a place where your fellows want to bring their beer and Pringles and cook up ideas for shows, trips, magazines, websites, whatever. Look around you. Scotland is blessed with museums and galleries that are pretty much all free, including the biggies – the National Gallery of Scotland, the Fruitmarket, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and GoMA, among numerous others like the DCA, Collective and Transmission. Lucky you! There are, however, some memberships worth the bother: students can join the National Galleries’ membership scheme for £20 a year, and get into all the special exhibitions for free (handy), get access to members-only events (exclusive), and bag invites to event openings (free wine). Join the DCA in Dundee for £10 and you get two free tickets for the gallery’s cinema, which makes your membership basically free.

2014 – 2015

Words: Sacha Waldron

“Make your studio your home... it’s probably the nicest studio you’ll have for a while” Be connected. Sign yourself up to every mailing list going, especially the less obvious ones. Go to their private views (there will probably be some free wine), see what’s what and who’s who. Register with e-flux for worldwide stuff, and Artsadmin’s E-Digest for opportunities from all over the UK. Keep an eye on Res Artis and Residency Unlimited for horizonbroadening art opportunities. You might want to escape for your Christmas holidays to a frozen lagoon in Lithuania painting moose. A completely legitimate thing to do, in our opinion. Beware the bullshit and chill the fuck out. It’s just art and the art world can be ridiculous. There will be times when those around you may describe something as ‘relational aesthetics’ when they are talking about eating dinner, or drinking a pint. Hanging a painting slightly off centre and two inches to the left of a pot plant is sometimes described as ‘curating.' You will have times of despair when everything you produce is rot. Don’t panic. You don’t work for the UN. Go dancing, do something else. When you’re an artist you can be a philosopher, writer, craftsman, scientist, musician, cook, anthropologist or spy; your practice could be lorry-driving or taxidermy. Try them all, we say!

ART

Thailand, Without a Paddle Thailand is a favourite stop on the student and graduate itinerary – here’s one traveller’s tale of urban grit, beautiful nature, and sinking into everything-infested waters

Words: Izzy Gray

ummer 2011 marked the start of my tempestuous relationship with Thailand. I had travelled there with my friend Ciara in the midst of our honours years, and after spending a couple of weeks teaching English in the rural province of Wiset Chai Chan felt sufficiently acclimatised to take on the infamous backpacking circuit. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for what was to come – a whirlwind of bizarre and terrifying experiences, the pinnacle of which came during an ill-fated rafting experience in the Chiang Mai jungle. The silence which followed my question of “Where are we?” sent a chill across my skin, despite the heat of the sun. I searched the faces of my companions, each lost in their own puzzle. Beneath us, the water swelled and spat menacingly. Using my hand for shade, I scanned the canopies above, as though hoping to find an answer. Before us the Thai Highlands stood cloaked in a protective haze, stoic and enchanting. The perfume hung in the air from the exotic fruits all around, and above us, birds swooped lazily through the sky as though they had seen it all before. My moment’s meditation was pierced by the sudden eruption of profanities from the German man at the front of the raft. It didn’t take long to find out the cause of his distress; within seconds, it was lobbed in my direction. All eight legs of it. Suddenly aware that we could be sharing the water with any number of aquatic beasties, the scene began to reflect my inner panic. All four passengers sprang into the air like a flock of pigeons dodging the eager grasp of an unsupervised toddler. The more we flailed, the more fragile our vessel became, until eventually sense prevailed and we froze, as though competing in an unsteady game of musical statues. By now, the water had absorbed the frame completely. Erratically, we looked from one to another, each set of eyes asking the same question: how had this group of strangers ended up stuck on a raft, alone and adrift, in the middle of the Thai jungle? The day had begun on a bad note. It was 7am and the sound of ferocious banging filled my

Chiang Mai Province

ears. Dismissing the noise as a side effect of the cocktails of the night before, I groaned and buried my head under the pillow. Still it persisted. It took several minutes to establish that this was not actually blood pounding through my temples but a fist hammering upon our door. The penny dropped. “Get up! We’ve slept in!” We flew into life, berating ourselves for challenging the fact that early mornings and copious amounts of alcohol do not mix. After apologising profusely to the (evidently cross) driver, we clambered aboard the awaiting songthaew or shared taxi, ready to begin our day trip into the heart of the Thai mountains. The two hour journey felt significantly longer, as we perched uncomfortably and tried to avoid eye contact with the burly Israeli man sat opposite in unfortunately tight shorts. Already feeling nauseous, we nodded at each other in silent agreement; clearly, this was going to be one of those moments that would have to go in to the ‘One Day We’ll Look Back at This and Laugh’ box. Unfortunately that box seemed to be getting rather full. From the multiple times we had seen people’s stuff being stolen to the time we found ourselves in the front row of ‘that’ show in Patpong, our time in Thailand had been a whirlwind of bizarre and testing experiences.

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Photo: Deror Avi (cc)

We had experienced the sinking feeling of having misjudged our bus stop by 100km, and had learned the hard way never to trust mysterious, half-cooked sausages. We’d fended off giant rats and three-legged dogs and survived the markets of Khao San Road, and yet still it seemed that trouble was never too far behind. How we had thought that a trek into an unknown jungle would end in any way other than this was anyone’s guess. Our day’s trekking had not begun well, and the unsettled feeling we had in the pit of our stomachs did not ease upon meeting our guides, three men who seemed to have as little sense of direction as we did, along with a worrying penchant for swinging machetes. These men, we had been promised when booking our trip, were ‘extremely knowledgeable’ locals, and yet their continual squabbling and routine swigging of whisky made me wonder if perhaps this time our bargaining skills had come at a cost. Eventually, we reached the bank of a surprisingly wide and fast-flowing river and were somewhat relieved to see a stack of lifejackets and helmets waiting for us in the foreground of some snazzy-looking dinghies. Making a beeline for the nearest boat, we were stopped by a guide, who shook his head and laughed. He pointed a little further downstream, to a collection of loosely-bound logs. The words ‘Traditional Rafting Experience’ drifted back in to my consciousness, and the sinking feeling in my gut began to grow. We were led away from the relative safety of the lifejackets. “But…the rapids!” exclaimed a member of our group, gesticulating towards the water, which looked about as inviting as a Rottweiler’s tea party. The guide’s reassuring response: “No, no, no. Be cool. Be cool.” Reluctantly, my sidekick and I followed the German onto the most secure looking raft. We were dismayed, however, to be joined by the lovely but large Israeli man with his tiny shorts. Now I’ve never been good at maths, but I’m sure it doesn’t take a genius to work out that balancing three average-weight adults with one of oxen proportion was never going to be an easy task. Eventually, after much wobbling and bilingual debate, we settled on an order of lightest at the front, heaviest at the back. Our raft may have resembled a clog, but at least it was buoyant – for 28

now. By this point we were the last to set off, and had lost sight of the others in our group. “Which way?,” we asked the guide, as he pushed us off from the bank. “Be cool," he grinned, the smell of Sangsom thick on his breath. And with that, he was gone. An hour and several unmentioned forks in the river later and we were, well and truly, lost. With our raft grumbling and groaning beneath us, it was only a matter of time before we succumbed to the water. And yet, despite the situation, it was hard not to be consoled by the beauty of our surroundings. That’s the thing about Thailand, no matter how hard it tries to test your patience, there’s always something redeeming waiting to restore your faith, like the gold peak of a temple through the dirty, grey skyscrapers of Bangkok or the smell of incense trickling through the busy markets. It’s a land of extremes and contradictions, and it’s hard not to have conflicting emotions when faced with the beauty of the country’s heritage and its desperate attempts to appeal to a Western market – believe me, the last thing you want to see when you arrive in a foreign city is a twenty-foot billboard of Wayne Rooney’s already enlarged features… There were certainly moments during our trip where I had felt more afraid and more uncomfortable than I have ever done before in my life, and yet there were moments when I had felt the happiest; watching the sunset on Koh Lanta, learning Tai Chi from the local children, walking through the gardens of the many beautiful temples that we had stumbled upon by accident. For every bad experience we had shared, we were given equal opportunity for hope. As our raft began to dissipate and our heads bobbed upon the surface of the water like corks, I could only hope that this would be one of those moments. Ahead, the water stretched on for what seemed like an eternity. All was disturbingly calm. Then, as if from nowhere, we came upon a fisherman, his waders on and net out. He looked at us, his expression changing from perplexed to amused, and uttered the four words which I will never forget and which will forever find home in the ‘One Day We’ll Look Back at This and Laugh’ box: “Well hello, log submarine!” Izzy Gray survived her jungle ordeal, and has a degree in English Literature. She plans to teach English as a foreign language in Tanzania later in 2014

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Dress to Impress Whether you’re a fresher lacking in style, or a returning student who needs new threads, we’ve picked out some shops to help solve your fashion problems SOMETHING OLD Edinburgh’s heaving with vintage. Along with the infamous Armstrongs which can suit you and boot you in clothes from any era you fancy, try Herman Brown’s ever-evolving selection from the distant shores of Munich, Amsterdam and Seattle. Down in Stockbridge, head to Those Were The Days for an expertly-curated selection of nostalgia from the 1920s through to the 90s, then take a short walk to the bohemian cornucopia that is Elaine’s Vintage. Glasgow’s pre-loved offering is pretty exciting too. Mr Ben is a staple among west coast vintage shoppers, with Starry Starry Night and the two branches of We Love To Boogie also worth checking out. Retro, just a short walk from Glasgow Uni, hosts a collection spanning accessories, clothing, shoes and even vintage bedding (in case you fancy swanking up your bedroom). SOMETHING NEW(ISH) Back in the ‘Burgh, Godiva in the Grassmarket is a popular choice for those looking for a mixture of contemporary and vintage, while you can find more contemporary-vintage fusion at Totty Rocks in Bruntsfield. Those seeking a little quirkiness will find De Courcey’s Arcade in Glasgow pretty accommodating, with two whole floors of kooky. Alternative boutique LA LA LAND originated within the Arcade, but has since relocated and exploded into a much larger store nearby. Menswear shop W2, located in a former cowshed in Ruthven Lane, is the place to go if you’re a dude who’s done with the high street. In Edinburgh, check out Common People in Stockbridge for some clean-cut clothing and interesting prints, while Maggie’s Farm are leading the way for boutiques in Dundee with their own reworked and handpicked collection. RUMMAGING If hustle and bustle is what you’re after, Judy’s Vintage Fair has you covered, gracing Edinburgh once a month with a huge selection 2014 – 2015

Words: Kate Pasola

Mr Ben, Glasgow

of second-hand apparel and some excellent by-the-kilo offers. If you like shopping metricstyle, it might also be worth popping to The Kilo Store in Glasgow. Charity shopping can also be pretty exciting in Edinburgh – Stockbridge and Morningside shops prove that one man’s trash is another man’s mint condition 1940s trenchcoat. JEWELLERY If high street jewels just aren’t doing it for you any more, not to worry. If you’re in Edinburgh, there’s Red Door Gallery where you can browse some gorgeous designer pieces (and get a look at some great artist zines and prints while you’re at it). Hannah Zakari’s got you covered with its pick of the crop from local indie designers, and Concrete Wardrobe’s graphic-style jewellery line is perfect for those aching to look a little different. A little pricier, Brazen in Glasgow stock exciting bespoke designs. Catch one of their sales and grab a staple piece that everyone’s going to be swooning over. Failing that, the Glasgow School of Art shop is a great choice for rarer, handmade accessories. Vanilla Ink studios in Dundee train up their own jewellery-makers and then sell their pieces – it’s a little pricier than the high street, but investing in one gorgeous piece you’re in love with is better than building up an ever-growing collection of plastic turquoise. Get the latest on Scotland’s fashion scene at theskinny.co.uk/fashion and follow us on Twitter @theskinnywears

FASHION

Student Theatre and the Fringe Words: Emma Ainley-Walker

Posters for show at the Edinburgh Fringe

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Photo: Brian McNeil (CC by -sa-3.0)

Student theatre is a huge part of the Edinburgh Fringe, but should students expect sympathy when taking their plays to the festival? We speak to Glasgow Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theatre group to find out

tudent theatre can be a place for experimentation, for successes and failures alike and for finding a place within the theatre world. From directing, producing, writing, performing, stage hand-ing, lighting and design, student theatre is often one of the first places where every aspect is opened up to the students themselves. And nowhere is better equipped to showcase the fruits of these experimentations than the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Take Glasgow University’s STaG as an example. Each year they host the New Works theatre festival in February, showcasing six original scripts penned by GU students, and the winning performance – chosen by a team of theatre professionals – is then reworked and taken to the Fringe. It is a fantastic showcase for new talent both on and off the stage. 2014’s winning play That Sinking Feeling, a comedy written by Alan Wanders, enjoyed a successful two week run at the Fringe with sellout performances, while 2013’s Love In The Past Participle, penned by John May, achieved critical acclaim. Not only does the Fringe allow student theatre to expand its audiences, but it can do wonders for the company itself, garnering acclaim (and support) for the society, the university, and the students themselves. It isn’t always success and critical acclaim that faces student theatre however. The very fact that the ‘student’ is added suggests that it isn’t viewed in the same class as what some may call real, proper theatre. Is this right? Of course, students don’t have all the same advantages that professional theatre might, namely finances or experience to rival professional actors or graduates of drama schools, so maybe they can’t be expected to produce work to the same quality. Yet if you find yourself leaving a show thinking ‘if only they had the means to do it differently,’ then it’s likely that the meaning, the effect that they desired to create, has been lost somewhere within. At a platform as saturated with theatre as the Fringe, should student status be taken into account, or should students expect to see their work critiqued on an equal playing field? University of Glasgow graduate and four year member of STaG Cameron MacAskill gives the student take on things.

2014 – 2015

After four years, what do you think student theatre has done for you? What new opportunities has it given you? It’s an opportunity to pursue something for the first time entirely alone, by which I mean as part of a group working together to make something that can be considered good, but outside of any authority, not having to rely on school drama and the like. The experience I’ll take away is something that’s often better than formal training when it comes to moving forward. As long as you work hard enough, and particularly if you have a committed group of people around you, it is possible to strike out and do something for yourself. That knowledge, more than any opportunity, is the biggest take away. Do you think Scottish student theatre is particularly helped/improved by its proximity to the Fringe? There’s nothing equal to the Edinburgh Fringe when it comes to theatre. It gives you an opportunity to see so much that we can learn from and can use to strengthen our own work, as well as being able to see much more student theatre from all around the country, although of course being based in Scotland makes it incredibly easy to get involved. Plus, it gives us an opportunity to widen our audiences as well. In your opinion, should student theatre be viewed and critiqued on the same level as professional shows? On one hand it does make sense not to hold student theatre to the same standard as professional theatre. It doesn’t have the same resources and advantages, often there isn’t the same level of time and dedication amongst all the other university commitments. However, at something like the Fringe with such a mix of productions, it feels as though all theatre should be viewed and critiqued on the same level. That’s the opportunity that it grants students, amateurs and professionals alike. For many student performers and writers it is something they want to pursue professionally, so constructive and honest criticism where it’s required is the best thing they can be given. While the Fringe may be a world apart from everything else in the theatre world, it stands to reason that if students can match professionals for one month, they can do so the other 11.

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Write Here, Write Now Do you like to write, but find yourself stuck for ways to get your words into print? Samuel Best, editor of new writing magazine Octavius, is here to help He finished looking at the glossy pictures in the programme and placed it in his father’s lap. This was his first time at a match (a night match as well!) and he wondered if his dad acted differently when he wasn’t around. When the referee made a decision against their team, the other men spat insults regarding the man’s mother while his dad simply smiled and told him ’they can’t get it right all the time, son.’ – Taken from Late Kick-Off, Ross Sayers, Octavius 2 If you study journalism – or even if you happen to mention you’re a little bit interested in the subject – many people will immediately ask: ‘So, do you write for the student newspaper, then?’ There is no such reaction if you mention an interest in creative writing: an awkward silence, maybe; an ‘Oh right... ’ muffled into a vodka and coke, most probably; or, if you’re really lucky, a ‘What? Like J. K. Rowling?’ There is a strange lack of assumption that if you’re interested in creative writing, you may actually want to write – out in the open, with a byline and everything. We all studied journalism alongside creative writing at university, and were, quite frankly, scunnered with people not taking new writing seriously. We set up Octavius, a literary magazine for students in Scotland, not long after graduating, to help provide a platform for students who want to write and be published. We recognise that writers have to work really hard to get established and it’s especially hard if you’re a young writer and you only have people to look up to, rather than people around you getting their names out there themselves. So when you pick up a copy of Octavius you’ll find writing from your classmates, your friends, people in the same situations as you. And we think this is encouraging for writers. There’s a great community in the Scottish literary scene and Octavius is a springboard into that world. As with most literary magazines, we aim to publish high quality writing that 32

“We all studied journalism alongside creative writing at university, and were, quite frankly, scunnered with people not taking new writing seriously” entertains, and with our previous two issues we like to think we’ve hit the nail on the head. Previous Octavius-ers have gone on to be published in other literary magazines around the world, win funding to devote time exclusively to their writing, and even sign their own book deals. So by submitting to Octavius you’re taking a step in the right direction – as indeed you are in putting your work forward for publication across platforms. We know it can be daunting sending your writing off to a team of grammar-obsessed bookworms but really, we’re a friendly bunch and we have a fondness for parties and spoken word events too [turn the page for more details on those]. So if you’re nervous or afraid of submitting, either to us or any other platform for literature, be it poetry or prose, don’t be – it just takes the click of a button and it could be the start of something really exciting. Octavius Issue Three will be released later this year, in time with submissions reopening. The editors accept 2,000 words of prose or 40 lines of poetry, with a maximum of three submissions per person. To submit, email submissions@octaviusmagazine.com or visit www.octaviusmagazine.com/submissions

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Speak Up For those of you who prefer speaking to writing, there are a host of spoken word nights and events to get your literary teeth into. We’ve highlighted three of Scotland’s best to get you started

Neu! Reekie!

You don’t really know what to expect when turning up to see the Neu! Reekie! crew – there is always a mix of animation, film, poetry and music. All that is consistent is quality, with words coming from co-host Michael Pedersen and music from the likes of Young Fathers and The Merrylees. And with Kevin Williamson, the former chief at Rebel Inc where the work of one Irvine Welsh first saw light, as Pedersen’s Neu! Reekie! other half, you can expect a punk edge sharpening their avant-garde ethos. Find out more about Neu! Reekie! by liking them on Facebook or following them on Twitter @NeuReekie

Rally & Broad

Rally & Broad are Rachel McCrum and Jenny Lindsay, who host an Edinburgh cabaret of words, music and lyrical delights. They put the performance into poetry, an entirely explicit skill in taking words from page to stage and giving them life and character.

2014 – 2015

Words: Alan Bett Illustration: Louise Lockhart

Apart from the joy of catching this lyrical pair in performance themselves, they also attract the cream of the UK literary scene to their nights. Keep up to date with Rally & Broad on their website, rallyandbroad.wordpress.com

Last Monday at Rio

Where the previous two suggestions offer the opportunity to see polished acts in person, spoken word and poetry nights are not only about listening, but about being heard. There are plenty of opportunities for newcomers to make their words part of the collective voice, and one such stage is at Glasgow’s Rio Café. Alongside the headline acts and host Robin Cairns, there are seven open mic spots up for grabs ‘to be taken by complete beginners trying out their tonsils.’ If that sounds like you, why not give it a shot? Get the latest on Last Monday at Rio direct from the host at robincairns.com/rio.html theskinny.co.cuk/books

BOOKS

Hacker Nests Scotland’s tech scene is thriving, with numerous collaborative spaces, support networks, and educational groups for anyone interested in coding and creativity. Here’s our guide to getting involved

cotland has always punched well above its weight when it comes to technological innovation: think John Logie Baird, Alexander Graham Bell, James Watt, Dolly the sheep, and radar. If the thriving local tech scene is anything to judge by, the wee country continues to lead the field, and does so with panache. As tech becomes democratised, grassroots organisations spring up everywhere, meaning that opportunities to join up with other creatively-minded tech lovers have never been so plentiful. For students heading to uni with dreams of founding the next big startup to hit the headlines, resources and meetups to connect you with your people abound. Students interested in business and computer science are the obvious tech meetup stalwarts, but if your interests are a bit more esoteric, don’t be put off - there are meetups focusing on everything from technological solutions for water insecurity to 3D-printed jewellery. Whether you’re already rushing headlong into your first startup, or just vaguely nurturing the idea that you might one day get there, there’s a group to make you feel at home. Edinburgh is home to TechCube, the heart of the local startup scene, providing not just office space and incubation support but also a variety of meetups and events for anyone who’s interested. It’s based at the Summerhall arts complex, features a public space for collaborative work that blends the best of science, arts and technology, and hosts regular events on a variety of tech- and startup-related topics. Twiceweekly Hacklab open nights provide an informal opportunity for anyone to get help and feedback on a project, use the available tools, or just take a look at other people’s work and hang out. The space also hosts Open Knowledge Scotland’s Open Data Maker Nights, which centre around anything and everything to do with open data. Equally central to the scene is Informatics Ventures at the University of Edinburgh’s Informatics Forum, which helps to build bridges between industry and academia and aims

Words: Cathleen O’Grady

“There are meetups focusing on everything, from technological solutions for water insecurity to 3D-printed jewellery” to nurture local tech talent. Along with Neo Innovation and Edinburgh startup success story Skyscanner, it co-hosts monthly TechMeetup events, which are an “excuse for developers and the tech community around Scotland to meet up and learn new stuff from each other.” Skyscanner itself is a hub of tech creativity and advice for young entrepreneurs. CodeBase, the largest technology incubator in Scotland and another dominant player in the local scene, plays host to Creative Edinburgh meetups, another space for exchanging ideas and sparking collaborative ventures. And if these big players aren’t enough, check out the more niche circles, such as the Scottish Ruby User Group, the Edinburgh PHP User Group, or the recently-formed PyLadies Edinburgh group, which is a local chapter of an international mentorship organisation. With monthly meetups, the group’s goal is to bring more women into the Python open-source community, to improve diversity and provide a support network for women at all levels of coding ability. Cleanweb Scotland is a community dedicated to using information technology to solve problems in transportation, energy, water, and other resources. Meetups and hackathons are used to spur collaborative development of apps and other solutions, and

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Cleanweb’s doors are open not just to developers, but also activists, designers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who is interested in contributing. Glasgow is home to a slightly smaller but no less active scene. The aforementioned TechMeetups hosted by Informatics Ventures, SkyScanner and Neo are held monthly at Glasgow Uni, while Glasgow PHP, the Scottish Linux User Group and UX Glasgow also hold monthly events. Code Craft, a ‘software craftsmanship’ meetup holds events focused on writing well-structured and malleable code. Central to Glasgow’s scene is RookieOven, which is “baking a tasty startup scene in Scotland” by sharing advice, opinions and news on the blog, and by organising an opportunity for the local community to get together on a monthly basis. The ethos here is less focused on any kind of formal presentations or talks, and is more about sharing ideas, getting and giving advice, and finding a support network. International nonprofit tech community 2014 – 2015

HackerNest, home to Canada’s largest tech meetups, has recently opened a chapter in Glasgow. The group aims to bolster and nurture local tech communities through “unpretentious social events and hackathons'”, bringing together designers, developers, and all others interested in tech collaboration to meet and eat. For those with more hands-on interests, The MAKlab runs workshops for hackers, artists, designers and creators of all kinds, offering the opportunity to get your hands dirty with the likes of laser cutting and 3D printing. Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness all benefit from the Informatics Ventures/Neo/SkyScanner monthly TechMeetups, and Aberdeen’s 57North Hacklab meets regularly to build community and share projects. To keep a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your area, keep an eye on Open Tech Calendar and Tech Britain, as well as good ol’ Meetup.com. Now go forth, and code!

TECH

Photo: Summerhall press gallery

Summerhall, home of the TechCube incubator

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The Skinny Showcase Each year we select an artist from each of the degree shows in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee and display their work in our Showcase. This year, we hosted an exhibition of four of Scotland’s finest graduate artists as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival EDWARD HUMPHREY Edward is a video and sound artist who graduated from DJCAD in Dundee in 2014. His degree show, entitled Another Fiction was selected for the RSA New Contemporaries exhibition in March, and he has previously featured in group shows at Generator Projects and Dundee Contemporary Arts. He is primarily interested in the distance between abstract thought, language, and physical reality, investigating this through film, sound installation, and text-based work.

MELANIE LETORE French-Swiss photographer Melanie Letore was born in Geneva and completed her Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Central Saint Martins in 2010. She graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 2014. The photographic series Places was created in 2013 and 2014 in various locations in Great Britain, France, Switzerland and Italy, where she worked as an Information Assistant for the Scotland + Venice exhibition at the Venice Biennale.

edhumphrey.tumblr.com

melanieletore.com

Pictured work: ‘A place where your bones and mine are buried’

Pictured: Photgraph from series Places

Edward Humphrey: 'A place where your bones and mine are buried'

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FIONA BEVERIDGE Fiona graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2014. Her degree show was selected for RSA New Contemporaries 2015. Her practice is an ongoing exploration of human-object interaction, working with material that is manufactured primarily to develop perceptions through the senses. fjbeveridge.tumblr.com Pictured: Jam Piece

CAITLIN HYNES Caitlin Hynes graduated from Gray’s School of Art in 2014. Her work has previously been exhibited at Peacock Visual Arts and AKI ArtEz in the Netherlands, and has been selected for RSA New Contemporaries 2015. She received a Highly Commended in the BP Fine Art Award and a SMART Gallery New Art Look to the North Award for her degree show. She is inspired by the concept of ‘pilgrimage’ – a journey which leads us. caitlinhynes.tumblr.com Pictured: The Nameless Woman See more work by our showcased artists at theskinny.co.uk/ art

Melanie Letore: Photograph from series Places

2014 – 2015

ART

Caitlin Hynes: 'The Nameless Woman'

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Fiona Beveridge: Jam Piece

2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2015

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Let’s Work Together: Student Food Co-ops The academic diet doesn’t have to be dank and depressing — thanks to the work of Scotland’s student food co-operatives it can be fresh, exciting and ethical

hink of the word ‘co-op’, and you probably think of one of three things – the supermarket at the end of the road, the bank with a drugtaking former boss, or the computer game mode most likely to lead to Xbox controllers flying out of third-floor windows. But it’s time to think again about co-ops, because Scotland’s student unions are leading the charge to bring food co-operatives to the nation’s students, making fresh food from local producers available at affordable prices. We asked two of the biggest co-ops – Hearty Squirrel at the University of Edinburgh and the Glasgow Uni Food Co-op – to fill us in on the what, where and why on working together.

The Glasgow Uni Food Co-op

“The Glasgow Uni Food Co-op has existed since 2010 and has grown since then with very little publicity beyond our online presence and a stall at the annual university Freshers’ Fair. At the moment we have 250 people subscribed to the website and mailing list, with around 100 active members, while this year’s Glasgow Uni Environmental Sustainability Team (GUEST) Food Survey suggested that hundreds more students and staff would be interested in joining the Co-op. “Some of our members are local residents who aren’t attached to Glasgow Uni and we have collaborated with community gardens and fair trade initiatives in the city, and are also in touch with Glasgow Local Food Network.

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Artisanal Suppliers Brioche Buns George Mewes Cheese Cromarty Brewery Ales Slow Reared Chicken Awesome Fries & Tunes Boozy Shakes

48A West Regent St, Glasgow 0141 353 6712 1 Forth Street, Edinburgh 0131 556 7023 www.burger-meats-bun.co.uk

“The launch of our website last year made it possible for us to simplify our order process and provide for even more coop-ers much more efficiently than before. Throughout term time we arrange fortnightly veg-bag orders from Perthbased Bellfield Organics, and do our very best to organise monthly dried-goods orders from Greencity Wholefoods. “A limiting factor is the lack of an allocated space on campus in which to store bulk deliveries and hold our collections; for the past year we have been using storage space and kitchen facilities very very generously made available to us by a local church café (some of the church congregation now make orders from us too!). “After years of discussion with Glasgow University Estates, we are on the cusp of getting our own space, and eventually we’d love to operate a co-operative shop on the university campus. “As for why we do it? The co-op is committed to encouraging sustainable eating and living, promoting consideration of the provenance and impact of our food and its packaging, and making healthy, ethical food accessible to students and the community. “To this end, we collaborate with other environmental groups around university to organise free information and cooking workshops, hold regular potluck dinners throughout the year and have a lovingly hand-drawn online zine. Our suppliers are chosen for the emphasis they put on sustainable and ethical production and are priced competitively to make orders from the coop as accessible as possible to student budgets. “I guess we do this because each of us is personally motivated, for a wide range of reasons, to promote and facilitate ethical choices for the local community.”

Hearty Squirrel

“Hearty Squirrel is a student- and volunteer-run food co-operative, running on a profitless business model, at the University of Edinburgh. We strive to provide affordable but healthy, local, ethical, organic and Fairtrade food to students and staff, as well as a unique and informative experience for our volunteers. “One of our key goals is promoting food sustainability, which we do by holding workshops and attending local festivals. All of our members strongly believe in the need for a sustainable approach to development, and believe that a shift in 2014 – 2015

“Scotland’s student food co-operatives are leading the charge in bringing fresh food from local producers to students” the way food is marketed is a major step towards such values entering the mainstream public eye. “We have recently begun collaborating with a new federation of student co-operatives, Students for Co-operation. Founded in February, the first AGM will be held in Edinburgh in September after the launch of the brand new Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative. “This federation was created to bring together student co-operatives from all over the UK to network, share advice and come up with new ideas. All member organisations believe in the co-operative model as a viable alternative to the profit-driven capitalist market, and our popularity is obvious given the number of co-operatives popping up all over the country. “There are many other food co-operatives in the federation which follow a very similar model to the Hearty Squirrel, such as those at the universities of Aberdeen, Leeds, Lancaster, Warwick and Sussex. “We have also received contact from the universities of St Andrews and Stirling over the last year regarding advice on setting up their own food co-operatives, so I’m proud to say Scotland is not lagging behind in keeping up to date with the trend!” Find out more about joining the co-ops at heartysquirreledinburgh.weebly.com and glasgowunifoodcoop.com www.students.coop

FOOD

How to Have Good Sex So, you’ve arrived at university and you’re surrounded by hundreds of students who you’d quite like to have carnal relations with. But how?

igher education may be the first time you’ve ever had your own room, your own lock or the ability to take someone home without inviting a world of grief. It might be your first chance to realistically have a sexual relationship. But with sex education classes providing little to no information about how to actually do ‘it,’ confusion and misinformation abound. How can you have good sex? Masturbate. Sexual partners wouldn’t automatically know what you do and don’t like done to your genitals (and other parts of your body). Don’t just focus on what gets you off fastest, but how you like to be loved. Are your ears particularly sensitive? Do you like to finger your anal passage? First year of university is where thousands of horny young students are crammed into identikit apartments – it’s expected that you’ll masturbate. So do. Secondly, learn how to communicate your desires to your sexual partners without pressurising them. People tend to have a sliding scale of sexual preferences; so don’t be afraid to bring up fetishes. It might be that you’ve always wanted to spank someone. The more open you are with sexual partners, the more likely you are to find someone who wants to be spanked.

Words: Tasha Lee Illustration: Louise Lockhart

The other side of that is to be sympathetic to the fetishes of others, while retaining a clear idea of what you’d like to do, what might be interesting, what you’d rather not do, and what you absolutely won’t do. The relative promiscuity of students and people in their late teens and early twenties means if you’re not into the fetish of your current sexual partner, it doesn’t mean they’ll never get to do that thing. They just won’t get to do it with you. So, what is a fetish? Loosely defined, it’s anything you didn’t get taught about in sex education, which is nevertheless legal for consenting adults to do in the privacy of their own beds. For instance: licking feet, pissing on someone, using bondage rope, cross-dressing… or on a more ‘vanilla’ level, some people aren’t into oral sex, while others are really into dry humping. Most importantly, know that it’s okay to stop if it’s not working for you. Actually it’s much, much better to stop if there’s any doubt that you or your sexual partner are having a good time. Overall, sex should be pleasurable and fun. Don’t stress too much about it Read more on sex and the body at theskinny.co.uk/deviance

DEVIANCE

THE SKINNY

YouTube Dinners In between splurging your student loan on cheesy chips and living the life of an instant-noodle ascetic, you might actually want to do some cooking at uni. YouTube is a hotbed of culinary inspiration – and LOLs

Words: Jamie Faulkner

Bruno Albouze This eccentric French private chef sells himself as “THE REAL DEAL.” Part Van Damme, part Raymond Blanc, he’s buff, with a farcical accent that’s as distracting as his Colgate smile. Watch his croissant video and you’ll see what we mean. He also does weird cowboy impressions and things with pepper grinders. His cooking doesn’t suffer, though – he trained under the legendary Alain Ducasse in Paris – and for cheap and easy-toprepare recipes his ‘Rustic French Loaf’ is pretty much foolproof, as is the ratatouille; if you can handle something a bit more involved, his burger and macaroni cheese recipes are winners. Cooking with Dog If you like your cooking to have more of a, um, canine flavour, Cooking with Dog is the dog’s... yeah, you get the idea. This YouTube channel plays on the cute pet heartstrings with a miniature grey poodle called Francis hosting, and a mysterious unnamed chef knocking up (mainly) Japanese grub. It’s been going since 2007 and there are now 150 plus recipes, a lot of which may be unfamiliar – but you’ll want to check out the steamed pork buns, gyoza (fried dumplings) Katsu curry, and any of the rice bowl recipes. An abundance of good Asian supermarkets in the Northwest means any specialist ingredients shouldn’t be hard to come by. Helen Rennie On first viewing you expect Helen Rennie’s recipes to be pure piss-takes (in fact her video ‘YouTube Personalities’ is a pop at the different types of foodie vloggers), but she is in fact a bona fide cooking teacher from Boston. She’s a self-deprecating YouTuber who acknowledges that her personality on camera is divisive; but though she gives occasionally strange advice (“monolithic hockey puck,” “if the worms a moving the fish are fresh”), we think she’s damn watchable. Her grilled 2014 – 2015

YOUTUBE.COM/COOKINGWITHDOG

chicken marinated in yoghurt and her no-knead pizza dough are both practical and great additions to your repertoire, and her videos on how to slice vegetables, season to taste and sharpen a knife will teach you much-needed skills with a good dose of humour. ChefSteps This is one for disciples of Blumenthal, Adrià, Keller, and Achatz. If those surnames mean nothing to you, ChefSteps will seem a bit alien. It’s predominantly modernist cooking from a Seattlebased company founded by Chris Young, former development chef at The Fat Duck. Think precision: thermal probes, unusual chemicals, and sous vide machines are rife. However, the recipes are step-by-step with great photography and detailed instructions – most recipes do require expensive kit but, whether you’re making pastrami or roasting a chicken, the tips are adaptable and invaluable. Enter the strange world of Phagomania at theskinny.co.uk/food

FOOD AND DRINK

Get Social Words: Alice McGurran

Glasgow University, home to hundreds of societies

Subcity Radio, Glasgow

STUDENT HANDBOOK

THE SKINNY

Photo: David Iliff (CC by-sa 3.0)

From cheese-tasting to cheesy acting, magic to medieval battles, Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students have set up a society for almost any interest. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve highlighted just a few of them to get you started

here will no doubt be sporadic outbursts of hard work during your time at university, moments when you will haunt the hallways like a spectre and aggressively protect your favourite desk in the library, but the reality of most university degrees is that they leave you with a lot of free time. In your first year this is especially true, and all that free time coupled with your disgustingly eager attitude and natural curiosity (traits which will threaten to wane away by second year, if not your second term) makes this the perfect time for you to throw yourself into the deep seas of student societies, wherein lurk some curiosities. The following is a short but wide-ranging list of the societies available at the universities in Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh, aimed to help you craft your university-specific identity. You can thank us later with a shout-out, a chocolate cake, or a critique of one of Steven Seagal’s later works. FOOD AND DRINK Well, we say ‘food and drink’. There is some food on offer, but we’re mostly looking at drink, and food which tastes great with drink. Spend an evening fostering your sophisticated drinking persona at Glasgow’s Malt Whisky or Edinburgh’s Wine or Beer and Cider societies before heading to nibble away in sophisticated glamour at Edinburgh Cheese Society, accompanied by a side of relentless cheese puns, just in case the cheese itself wasn’t enough to get your un-fetarred attention. But how to show off your now boundless knowledge of wine and cheese, while also entertaining surprise guests? Become a member of the Edinburgh ‘Come Dine With Me’ society and entertain total strangers who might just be out for a free feed or a nosey into your flat. Then again, the rules dictate they then have to give you a free feed and a nosey round their place, so it’s a win-win situation! If pretending to be a sophisticated foodie type isn’t your thing, maybe shamelessly gorging yourself at Edinburgh’s Ice Cream or Chocolate societies would be more up your alley. The beauty of these societies is that no one can judge you when you’re all there to do the same thing: sweet, sugary, normalised pigging out.

2014 – 2015

“Try Dundee or Edinburgh’s juggling societies and dazzle everyone with your ability to throw objects near your face, without actually hitting yourself in the face.” MEDIA Glasgow University’s radio station, Subcity, is a home to all manner of music and chat and has long been regarded as one of the cooler societies to get involved with. For those of you who are less beat-driven, the station’s Played show focuses on getting student-written drama aired to the masses. Edinburgh’s alternative, FreshAir, offers a wide-ranging scope in its broadcasting: podcasts, new music shows, a full Edinburgh Fringe broadcast complete with the chance to meet and interrogate famous comedians, and even a Harry Potter-referencing show in the shape of The Ministry of Magical Tunes. A more active musical outlet can be found at Edinburgh’s Untapped Talent society, a network of students looking for band members and gig opportunities. As for other student media, Edinburgh’s The Student is the oldest student newspaper in the UK and does indeed whiff of all the prestige that comes with such territory. Alternatives include The Journal or PublishED, both of which are great platforms from which to flex your literary or journalistic muscles. Glasgow students are served by the Glasgow Guardian, while Dundee’s budding journos can flex their writing muscles in the Magdalen magazine.

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Edinburgh Cheese Society

SPORT Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow University all feature societies dedicated to Capoeira, a martial art in which you can learn to kick serious ass under the guise of a rhythmic Brazilian dance. If the only ass you want to kick is a sequined one on the dance floor, Glasgow and Edinburgh both offer Ballroom Dancing and Salsa societies. If, however, you know the world is a more aesthetically pleasing and maybe safer place when both your feet are firmly planted, try Dundee or Edinburgh’s Juggling societies and dazzle everyone with your ability to throw objects near your face, without actually hitting yourself in the face. This one might come in especially useful on that one day of the year known as ‘summer’, where your juggling skills can be used to gain an instant invite to the drum bashing late night gatherings on the Meadows in Edinburgh. At Glasgow University, students can enjoy a full lifestyle conversion by running away with the Circus society; worth keeping that in your back pocket if you decide a career in astrophysics isn’t for you. MISCELLANEOUS Edinburgh’s ChillOut society caters for those of you keen to take up massage and improve your relaxation, whereas the Medieval Reenactment society does, in many ways, the opposite. It’s that rarest of opportunities – the chance to live out your Game of Thrones fantasies and win your Khaleesi’s heart, re-enacting gory battles but sadly without any dragons or 52

crazy special effects. Glasgow ignores these two extremes and ends up somewhere in the middle, with the chance to chill out in a big chair and watch Arnie and co do the fighting at the Bad Movie society: the dress code is casual, the popcorn is salted. For a peaceful pastime, Glasgow’s Willowbank Community Garden and Edinburgh’s Allotment and Permaculture society both provide a space to meet other green-fingered folk and explore sustainable and environmentally friendly food production. Further your involvement by becoming a Hearty Squirrel at Edinburgh’s food co-op (find out more about Scotland’s student food co-ops on p44). While Edinburgh and Glasgow’s Harry Potter societies allow muggles to live out the magical fantasies, Dundee University students go one step further and invite you to actually practice the dark arts at Magic society. If ‘reality’ suits you better than waving a stick around and hoping for a magical response, join up at Edinburgh’s Murder Mystery society and find out just why butlers and reverends are so often involved in these things. When it comes to role play however, Glasgow may take the crown with their Cosplay society – come one, come all, and dress as your favourite fictional character. We recommend heading along as a martial artswielding cheese connoisseur with a radio show to present, or ‘a Scottish student’ for short.

STUDENT HANDBOOK

THE SKINNY

Venue Guide

2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2015

Illustration: Louise Lockhart

VENUES

THE SKINNY

Edinburgh

6 33

3 16 52 14 54 7 58 5

43 57 48

26 20

2014 – 2015

VENUES

20 38

11 24

22 50

21 15

17 32

30 8

Edinburgh

FOOD & DRINK

4. Blue Blazer

1. Joseph Pearce's

23 Elm Row @JosephPearces By day, Joseph Pearce’s is a relaxed and cosy Swedish café that’s the perfect stopping point for Leithers on their journeys to and from ‘town’. By night it’s a bohemian bar with a cool crowd powered by aquavit-based cocktails and Swedish cider. Entertainment comes from the regular art exhibitions, live music, DJ sets, and a weekly jogging club. Healthy.

2. Brass Monkey

14 Drummond St Tucked in between the Pleasance and the Bridges, Brass Monkey matches a great location with equally good atmosphere. Much of that comes from the mini-cinema in the back room, packed with enormous cushions, while the cosy bar and great range of drinks behind it make it a good choice for the staunchest cinephobes. There's also an outpost of the Monkey empire on Leith Walk for you to check out.

3. Whistlebinkies

4-6 South Bridge If you like some music with your drinks then Whistlebinkies in the centre of town is a good choice. There’s always something going on, be it a punk covers band or some old Scottish folkies wailing on acoustic guitars. As a bonus Whistlebinkies is open until 3am, so if you don’t want to head home but don’t fancy the clubs you know where to go. 58

2 Spittal St @blueblazeredin The Blue Blazer is a ‘proper’ Edinburgh pub, in the best possible sense. Boasting one of the finest selections of real ales, whiskies and rums in the capital, the Blue Blazer’s walls have seen it all. Grizzled regulars, new arrivals and beardy art students have all spent an hour or two on the Blazer’s wooden pews in the heart of Tollcross.

5. Brewdog Bar

143 Cowgate @BrewDogEdin Getting into the world of ‘real beer’ can be a bit intimidating, with lots of jumpers and dark wood to negotiate. Luckily, Brewdog focus on bringing you good beer in trendy surroundings. The Fraserburgh brewery dominate the taps alongside an ever-changing cast of guest beers, a great food menu, and regular beer-tastic events. Oh, and they have Pop-Up Pirate. And Jenga.

6. 99 Hanover St

@99HanoverStree1 You’ll never guess where this pub is. Go on – have a go. Once you crack the code, you’ll find a cosy, comfy spot with plenty of range behind the bar and a good mix of people in front of it. It’s right in the heart of the action, making it a great place to kickstart a night out, not least because no one will have any excuse for getting lost.

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7. Bannermans

212 Cowgate @BannermansBar One of the favourite haunts of the city’s rockers, most Edinburgh music lovers have spent an evening in the windowless gig room in the back. Luckily, the main bar is much more laid-back and friendly. It’s cheap, there’s plenty of space, and it’s literally right in the centre of town. You can see why it’s a favourite now, can’t you?

8. The Auld Hoose

23-25 St Leonard’s St @TheAuldHoose A cross-breed of ‘old man pub’ and ‘rock bar’, this Newington pub covers both bases in style. Cool old wooden furniture contrasted with a 90s metal soundtrack makes for a good start, and the good drinks choice and completely ridiculous bowls of nachos keep everything ticking over no matter how many friends pile along for the ride.

9. Finnegan’s Wake

9B Victoria St @FinnegansWakeEd There aren’t many pubs that name-drop James Joyce in their titles, and even fewer that will do you a pint for £2. Finnegan’s Wake does both from its Victoria Street home, and the strong Irish influence ensures that the place is always busy and full of atmosphere. There’s Irish sport on the TV for homesick students, and regular live music for everyone else.

10. The Hanging Bat

133 Lothian Rd @TheHangingBat This Lothian Road outpost has been through many incarnations down the years, but The Hanging Bat has well and truly left its mark on the site. A huge and ever-changing range of some of the best beers from all over the world, a minibrewery at the back and super-knowledgeable bar staff make this the place to go to get your beer education going.

11. Cloisters

26 Brougham St @Cloisters_Bar Sitting on the edge of the Meadows and Tollcross and set into the side of a church, this pub is packed with period features, like the snazzy ceramic bar taps. A huge selection of beers and 2014 – 2015

ales and always lively atmosphere make Cloisters a great spot for a few with friends, and the spiral stairs to the toilets will help you figure out when it’s time to go home.

12. The Argyle Bar and Cellar Monkey

15 Argyle Pl Marchmont students need not venture out to Tollcross or the Old Town to find a decent pub, thanks to the sterling work of the Argyle Bar. The cosy corner pub with a charming interior and good drinks selection is joined by the Cellar Monkey basement which plays host to music and comedy and gives you students a chance to let your hair down without annoying the locals upstairs.

13. Bar Kohl

54 George IV Bridge @barkohl54 Bar Kohl’s great location and cool modern design are both strong points, but the Old Town bar’s cocktail range is the real star. The drinks list is outrageously long, with myriad options to work your way through. There’s nearly four hundred flavours of vodka on the go and over a hundred cocktails to choose from, so even the most awkward flatmates can be kept happy.

14. Bar 50

50 Blackfriars St @smartcityhostel Connected to the Smart City Hostel at the east end of the Cowgate, Bar 50 is a good pitstop for revellers on their way to the Old Town clubs. The constantly-changing clientele makes for an interesting evening, and the decent drinks prices and solid food menu help everyone get along like old friends.

15. Under the Stairs

3A Merchant St Hidden away in the heart of town, Under The Stairs is exactly that – a comfy little bar/cafe tucked under the stairs on Merchant Street. With wooden floors, exposed brickwork, ever-changing exhibitions and mix-matched comfy armchairs and sofas, it manages to show off both shabby hipster chic and homely cosiness all at once.

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16. The City Cafe

19 Blair Street @thecitycafe If you’ve ever dreamt of going to an American diner in the 1950s, well... you can’t. Sorry. Luckily, The City Cafe is a pretty good alternative, with its chessboard-style floor and leather and chrome booths. Even if you just fancy a coffee City Cafe has you covered, with cool branded mugs and a coffee machine that looks like the back of a Cadillac.

17. Paradise Palms

41 Lothian St @edinburghpalms This spot across from Bristo Square has gone by many names over the years, but Paradise Palms might be its most brash incarnation yet. Get past the super-distressed facade and you’ll find a genuine all-day venue - open for breakfast, makers of an impressive lunch, wielders of a superb array of drinks and home to a host of DJs and musicians, Paradise Palms has a little bit of everything.

18. Mary’s Milk Bar

18 Grassmarket @MarysMilkBar When it’s time for something sweet, head to Mary’s Milk Bar on the Grassmarket. A favourite of The Skinny’s readers in our annual Food and Drink Survey, it’s a cute little gelateria inspired by the milk bars of the 1960s but with the flavours brought right up to date. If studying ever gets to be too much, it’s time for ice cream – and now you know just where to go.

19. Eteaket

41 Frederick St @eteaket If you like tea, then prepare to spend a lot of time in Eteaket. The Frederick Street cafe is all about tea and cakes, with dozens of loose leaf blends on offer, all blended specifically for Eteaket and packed with all sorts of mad and exotic ingredients, and the cake situation is much the same. Too many types of tea and cake - that’s a good problem to have.

20. Artisan Roast

57 Broughton St, 138 Bruntsfield Pl @artisanroast The Artisan baristas are a bit like die hard Star Wars fans, in that their knowledge is pushing the limits of the socially acceptable. Artisan Roast 60

are very serious about their coffee, but for that you will be very grateful as you sip a sumptuous chilli mocha or one of the best flat whites the whole of the UK has to offer. If you’re not, then you clearly belong to the dark side.

21. Hula

103-105 West Bow @hulajuicebar A favourite cafe in our readers’ Food and Drink Survey, Hula is much-loved in the Capital because it reminds us all of the summer. Bright and breezy, Hula does a great line in fresh fruit juices with exotic and outrageous blends that you never would have considered, as well as great coffee and exciting food on the menu. Good choice, readers!

22. Lovecrumbs

155 West Port @hellolovecrumbs The ‘pubic triangle’ behind the Art College might not be the first place you’d think to go for cake and a chat, but then Lovecrumbs is one of those places that defies sense. An inventive cake menu that changes by the day, tables made from old pianos, and a literal window seat give Lovecrumbs an anarchic air that turns the act of going for coffee into an adventure.

23. Brew Lab

6-8 South College St @BrewLabCoffee Central locations and stunning interiors are one thing, but can anyone match Brew Lab in the ‘best coffee machine name’ stakes? All hail ‘The Slayer’, imported from Seattle for Edinburgh’s mad professors of coffee. Great coffee, outrageous sandwiches and soups, and cakes and teas from some of Edinburgh’s best producers all find a home here.

24. Machina Espresso

2 Brougham Pl @MachinaEspresso Another of the new breed of coffee shops slowly taking over Edinburgh, Machina’s unique selling point is their range of coffee equipment. If you fancy becoming a ‘serious coffee person’, these guys can sort you out with all the kit you’ll ever need. If you just fancy a coffee, it’s in the perfect spot if you need a post-Meadows boost on the way to a lecture.

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25. Illegal Jack’s

113 Lothian Rd @illegaljacks It’s a simple premise; go on a weekday lunchtime armed with a fiver, and walk away with a monstrously large burrito and a drink. This Tex-Mex joint serves up tasty grub in a canteen-style setting, and the quick service means that tasty (but slightly messy) Mexican goodness is never more than minutes away.

26. Burger Meats Bun

1 Forth St @BMBEdinburgh Spreading the Glasgow burger scene to the genteel end of the M8, Burger Meets Bun prove that there’s more to a good burger joint than you might reckon. There’s the outrageous sides, like macaroni cheese nuggets and chilli cheese chips. There’s the brilliant drinks selection, and the cool vibe inside the Broughton Street restaurant. Oh, and the burgers aren’t half bad either.

27. Wannaburger

8 Queensferry St @wannaburger These guys serve arguably the best burgers in the city, and certainly offer the most bang for your buck. Locally-sourced meat is the key to Wannaburger’s success, and their ludicrously tasty milkshakes just add to the appeal. As does the modern design, and the hard-to-find American sport on the telly. Oh, and the 15% student discount helps as well.

28. Vittoria

113 Brunswick St, 19 George IV Bridge @VittoriaEd One of few Edinburgh landmarks without its own postcard, Vittoria is a genuine institution. The seating areas outside feel a bit optimistic, but punters on Leith Walk and George IV Bridge won’t let that stop them. Great Italian food, decent prices and waiters who can liven up even the most stilted of evenings make this the place to take parents who ‘won’t eat anything too weird’.

19. Mother India’s Cafe

3-5 Infirmary St @Official_MIndia Nothing beats a good curry, but when there’s loads of dishes you fancy but can’t decide on a favourite aren’t you a bit stuck? Not at Mother 2014 – 2015

India, where the tapas style means that the breadth and variety of your dinner is limited only by your ability to share with your friends. And they’re your friends, so if you ‘accidentally’ elbow them out of the way for the prawns they’ll understand.

30. Kismot

29 St Leonard’s St You may be aware of Kismot due to their dangerously spicy Kismot Killer (finish it all and it’s free!), but their regular menu isn’t bad either. Great home-cooked curries from a mum and dad duo, the on-the-bone chef’s special is our particular favourite. BYOB policy makes for a cheap meal, and the occasional bit of competitive eating provides the entertainment.

31. Chop Chop

248 Morrison St @eatatchopchop Cheap, cheerful and charming Chinese food that more than lives up to the growing hype and endorsements from angry celebrity chefs. Chop Chop’s entire menu is made, from scratch, on the premises – it comes across in the food, but isn’t reflected in the student-friendly prices. It’s an unpretentious local legend, and another favourite of our readers in our Food Survey.

32. Ting Thai Caravan

8 Teviot Pl Totally affordable, incredibly tasty and more than a little exciting, Ting Thai Caravan is in many ways the perfect student lunch spot. Get down early for a seat at the canteen-style benches, and pore over a Thai menu with more variety and quality than you can shake a chopstick at. Oh, and it’s right across the road from the Edinburgh student union. Why are you still reading? Go. Now!

33. Bar Soba

104 Hanover St @BarSobaGlasgow Having gravitated over from Glasgow, Bar Soba has set up shop in the heart of the Capital to show the squares of Edinburgh how it’s done. Part Asian-fusion restaurant, part stylish bar and part pre-club hangout, it provides everything you need under one roof. Cocktails, music, noodles, the lot. And it’s in the middle of town. What more could you ask for?

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CULTURE 34. The Stand

5 York Pl @StandComedyClub It might not look like much from the basement steps outside, but The Stand is the undisputed permanent residence of Edinburgh comedy. The schedule is always packed with big-name comedians as well as up-and-comers, and their Red Raw beginners’ night is the place to go for undiscovered and brand-new talent, or to try your hand yourself if you’re feeling saucy.

35. Forest Cafe

141 Lauriston Pl It’s true what they say about artistic types – you just can’t keep them down. Having been booted from their former home on Forest Road, the Forest’s crew of volunteers have taken up residence in Tollcross and turned this former corner shop into a vibrant arts space. Expect art, music, poetry and anything else that comes to mind in the freest venue in the city.

36. Bedlam Theatre

11B Bristo Pl @bedlamtheatre An entirely student-run operation, this ramshackle but endearing space has been transformed in recent years and is now able to show off its imposing façade. Once inside expect award-winning student theatre all year round, a huge Fringe programme in August, as well as regular laughs courtesy of Edinburgh Uni’s improv comedy group the Improverts.

37. Cameo Cinema

38 Home St @cameocinema Famed for its atmosphere and charm, the Cameo shows everything from mainstream hits to arthouse fare to retro cult classics. The cosy bar and homely foyer give the place a glow of old-school movie magic, and their student tickets are some of the cheapest around. Look out for their allnight horror marathons and one-off live events.

38. Dominion Cinema

18 Newbattle Ter @DominionCinema Sitting in the student-friendly Morningside suburbs, this family-run cinema blends Hollywood 62

fare with nostalgic pomp and circumstance. It can seem a little on the pricey side, but it’s well worth checking out for two reasons; the outrageously comfy leather seats, and the complimentary snacks rolled into the ticket price. A far cry from your average multiplex.

39. Filmhouse

88 Lothian Rd @Filmhouse From challenging European cinema to Woody Allen retrospectives to the best of modern Hollywood, the Filmhouse truly shows it all. Their £3.50 Friday matinees offer students the chance to experience everything the world of cinema has to offer for the price of an underwhelming supermarket sandwich.

40. Traverse Theatre

10 Cambridge St @TraverseTheatre Widely considered to be the top writing theatre in Scotland, ‘The Trav’ is the place to go for exciting new productions by the country’s best theatrical talent. As well as producing, Traverse plays host to a whole range of visiting theatre groups, and runs regular workshops and Q&As for those of you looking for advice on your journey to theatrical stardom.

41. Out of the Blue Drill Hall

36 Dalmeny St @ootbdrillhall An old TA Drill Hall might not seem the most likely place for a bustling arts community, yet Out of the Blue is just that. The military past is soon forgotten at the regular art exhibitions, occasional ping-pong tournaments and one of the city’s best flea markets once a month. Come early and rifle through all the arty nick-nacks Leith has to offer.

42. Summerhall

1 Summerhall @summerhallery With a venue the size of the former Dick Vet school, it takes a lot to fill it. Thankfully Summerhall has the right idea, packing the place with lots of little goings-on. There are exhibition spaces, regular gigs, two cafes, an onsite microbrewery AND gin distillery, and the building even has its own online TV station, Summerhall TV.

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THE SKINNY

43. Fruitmarket Gallery

45 Market St @fruitmarket The Fruitmarket Gallery is hard to miss, as you tend not to see too many huge pink signs in the Old Town. It’s just as well, as missing out on the great art, compact but well-stocked shop and brilliant downstairs cafe just wouldn’t be right. With free exhibitions taking in everything from painting to light installations, the Fruitmarket isn’t just hard to miss but difficult to get away from.

44. Collective

38 Calton Hill @1984_collective It’s been on the go for 30 years, so it’s fitting that Collective recently moved into a big new home. The former City Observatory on Calton Hill now plays host to Collective’s collection of powerful visual work and contemporary exhibitions. With local and international art on show, Collective is a great place to get bang up-to-date with the Scottish art scene.

45. Edinburgh Printmakers

23 Union St @EdinburghPrints The clue is in the name: Edinburgh Printmakers make prints. Besides the making and teaching of lithography to all comers, Printmakers run regular exhibitions by artists from all over. Their window into the print studio from the exhibition space gives a first hand look at the craft for any interested art students or lovers of printed tote bags.

46. Dance Base

14 Grassmarket @DanceBase Take it from us, it can be tricky to keep up the whole exercise thing when you’re a student. Not to worry though, as Dancebase’s range of classes can help you keep fit and learn something new. Ballet, tap, salsa, hip-hop and all points besides – if it’s a kind of dance, they’ll teach you how to do it, and they’ll give you a student discount on your lessons as well.

47. National Museum of Scotland

Chambers St @NtlMuseumsScot One of the UK’s top museums, rifling through the range of items from across the ages is a great way to spend an afternoon. For lovers of nice views, 2014 – 2015

head to the seventh floor roof terrace for a look across the city, and those of you who like your nights out with a side of heavy culture will enjoy the regular Museum Lates nights of music, drinks, and old, old things.

48. City Art Centre

2 Market St @EdinCulture Set in the former Edinburgh fruit market, the City Art Centre holds over 4500 Scottish works from across the artistic spectrum. The Centre’s regular exhibitions of visual art, sculpture and history show off pieces from the archives as well as newer work, and the shop and cafe are great options if the art all gets a little bit overwhelming.

MUSIC & CLUBS 49. Studio 24

24 Calton Rd The Studios have been around for as long as some you lot have been alive. A well-loved and eclectic venue, it’s a wee bit out of the way, but if you’re looking for something a little different then it’s well worth a look. Nights range from Balkanarama – a Balkan musical orgy (we kid you not) – to 60s night The Go-Go; there really is a bit of everything on the menu.

50. Wee Red Bar

74 Lauriston Pl The Wee Red Bar may be located on ECA territory, but don’t be put off by the thought of asymmetrical haircuts and awkward conversations about trips to India, for this isn’t your average student disco. A near-constant stream of gigs take up the evenings, and the wide range of clubs keep things interesting until the early hours.

51. Potterrow

Bristo Sq @EUSA It might look like the poor relation on Bristo Square, but what it lacks in old-time charm EUSA focal point Potterrow makes up for it once you get inside. With a regular stream of live bands (of both the ‘serious’ and the ‘OMG, I thought they were all dead’ variety) and some infamous student club nights, the Potterrow is the archetypal student night out.

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52. The Hive

57. The Electric Circus

53. The Liquid Room

58. The Bongo Club

3 Niddry St @clubhive The wild and cavernous Cowgate haunt is a notorious student haunt for good reason. It’s open every night of the week, grabs 5am licences whenever it can, and serves up everything from hip electro to chart ‘classics’ from the late 90s. Oh, and their roaming photographers are always on hand so you don’t even need to bring a camera. 9C Victoria St @LIQUIDROOMS Following a brief fire-enforced absence, The Liquid Room is back and better than ever. With impressive live music and clubbing credentials, The Liquid Room plays host to touring bands and DJs, and the addition of The Annexe, effectively doubling the scope of the place, just adds to the fun.

54. Cabaret Voltaire

36 Blair St @cabaretvoltaire Deep in the heart of the Old Town, Cab Vol is one of the city’s best-know clubs. The upstairs room is now a trendy cafe and meet-up point, while downstairs has kept much of its sweaty former glory. A new soundsystem has upped the noise level, and a range of club nights from electro to dub give the DJs a chance to put it to good use.

55. Opal Lounge

51 George St @opallounge By day, George Street is all about vaguely posh shopping, but by night its basements turn into some of Edinburgh’s more well-heeled nightspots. Opal Lounge may be the pick of the bunch – inside manages to be both dark and shiny, and it’s a fun place to hang out with a different vibe from the Old Town’s host of damp caverns.

56. Henry’s Cellar Bar

8 Morrison St @henryscellarbar The stage is tiny, and appears to be lit solely by fairy lights. The PA is at least three times too loud. Take a wrong turn and you might end up in the building next door. That said, Henry’s puts on the kind of low-key, grassroots gigs and club nights you won’t find elsewhere, so the need to carefully retrace your steps is a small price to pay. 64

6 Market St @circusedinburgh Tucked away behind Waverley Station, Electric Circus has a bit of everything: the club space doubles up as an intimate gig venue, the private karaoke rooms with dedicated bar staff are your next birthday party, and the retro clubs like Beep Beep, Yeah! give you the chance to windmill around to Motown classics in a modern setting. 66 Cowgate @bongoclub Having been driven from its longtime home on Holyrood Road, the Bongo is back (11 months of the year) in the space that you may have seen dressed up as the Underbelly during the Fringe. The Bongo is still home to everything from jungle nights to burlesque evenings to ping-pong tournaments, filling some of the gaps in Edinburgh’s nightlife.

59. Sneaky Pete’s

73 Cowgate @sneakypetesclub It’ll make your flat seem like a palace, but what Sneaky’s lacks in area it makes up for with volume. A huge range of weekly and monthly club nights, from electro to house to funk, the kind of sound system normally found in a club four times the size, and an ever-present crowd make Sneaky’s a great shout every night of the week.

60. The Pleasance

60 Pleasance @EUSA While it explodes into life during the Edinburgh Fringe, the Pleasance is a friendly and fun venue during term-time. Theatre, comedy and live music all feature at the student union buildings, which play host to the Pleasance Sessions this autumn.

61. Teviot Underground

Bristo Sq @EUSA It may be tucked away in the bottom of the Hogwart’s-style building, but the Underground club space is made all the more enjoyable for its lack of pretension. There's a sizeable dancefloor, little seating nooks everywhere, and a laid-back ethos that’s refreshing for such a prime location.

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4. The Flying Duck

1. The Butterfly and the Pig

153 Bath St @ButterflyAndPig Going to The Butterfly and the Pig is a bit like visiting your Granny’s: kitschy decor, mismatched but incredibly comfortable couches, oversized portions of home-style food. A casual and extremely friendly bar with a regular schedule of house bands, open mic nights, and a rather fine pub quiz.

2. MacSorley’s

42 Jamaica St @MacSorleysBar You can tell a lot about somewhere from first impressions, and the enormous ‘Music. Drink. Food’ logo on the side of the building gives MacSorley’s game away. Live music, hundreds of spirits and beers behind the bar and a surprising food menu make this a great choice if you’re in the city centre, with over a century of history just adding to the fun.

3. Little Urban Achievers Club

508 Great Western Rd @LUACGlasgow Brought to you by the team behind Lebowski’s, LUAC offers something a little bit different. The movie-themed menu is comprised of pizzas and hot dogs, complete with a range of handmade German sausages. Pizzas are far from pricey, cocktails are named simply after their colour, and there’s a fine range of bottled beers to wash down all those carbs. 70

142 Renfield St @flyduckglasgow Some bars stick to one thing or another, but The Flying Duck is a bit different. There’s a whole host of things going on apart from the eating and drinking – bingo, club nights, cult film showings, and regular drawing classes are just some of the happenings going on. However, if you just fancy a drink and a nice sit-down then the Duck has you covered.

5. Saint Judes

190 Bath St @stjudesglasgow From its ivy-clad exterior it becomes clear that Saint Judes isn’t your standard nightspot. A glamorous basement bar and restaurant, the cocktails are the real draw here. Prepare for some exciting and exotic combinations, which will in turn prepare you for the intimate but well-equipped club room.

6. Hillhead Bookclub

17 Vinicombe St @hhbookclub One of the more bohemian Glasgow nightspots, Hillhead Bookclub ticks all the ‘hip’ boxes. Vinyl soundtrack – check. Quirky decor – check. Eclectic range of drinks and nostalgic comfort food – check. They haven’t even named it after what it is, which is actually handy when you fancy a trip to the pub but need to bluff that you’re studying.

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7. Mono

103 King St @monoglasgow We know what you’re thinking: isn’t that a record shop? Yes, Monorail next door punts all manner of music, but Mono itself is a top-drawer all-vegan cafe and bar which wears its meatlessness as a badge of honour. The variety of food is impressive, and the execution is brilliant, while the music from next door gets an airing as you eat.

8. Bloc+

117 Bath St @BarBloc As we type, Bar Bloc is undergoing a full-scale refit, but it would take one hell of a misplaced hammer for this place to lose its brilliant charm. It’s a cafe/bar which plays host to its own orchestra and boasts a ‘no bams’ policy, while also pumping out great food and drink and putting on (mostly) free gigs in hilariously cramped corners of the bar.

9. Inn Deep

445 Great Western Rd @InnDeepBar Run by the folks at the William Brothers brewery, this riverside bar matches great craft beer with an equally cracking riverside location. Expect the entire Williams’ range to pop up on the taps along with the best from the rest of Scotland’s top craft breweries, while the hearty pub grub – including some cracking burgers – will keep you going.

10. Drygate

85 Drygate @Drygate Is it a brewery? Is it a craft beer bar? Is it a swanky beer garden? Drygate is all of those things and more. If you want to learn more about beer, this is the place to start – you can even make your own in the studio brewery on site. If you just fancy a nice drink, these guys have you covered with their own range and a host of guest brews from all over the world.

11. The Drake

1 Lynedoch St @thedrake2010 At the fringes of Kelvingrove Park, The Drake sits between the bustle of the city centre and the calm of the West End. In keeping with the theme, the venue itself sits in two camps; it’s a 2014 – 2015

gastro-pub with an emphasis on exciting, locallysourced food, but it’s also a warm, cheery local bar that you can pass a few hours in after the day’s classes.

12. WEST Brewery

Templeton Buildings @WestBeer Quick! The sun’s out! Run to WEST! The former carpet factory on Glasgow Green is now Glasgow’s most-loved outdoor beer garden, and the great location is just part of the reason. The brewery’s beers – brewed on site according to the 1516 German Purity Laws – draw hop-lovers from far and wide, even when the sun isn’t shining on the dear green place.

13. Moskito

200 Bath St @MoskitoGlasgow A trendy basement bar just round the corner from the GSA, Moskito has everything that a city centre bar needs. Great location, good drinks deals, friendly staff to awkwardly attempt to banter with, and regular DJs and late-night food service for when a couple of drinks turns into a full-blown night out.

14. Artisan Roast

15 Gibson St @artisanroast The heart of Artisan Roast’s operation, and the place where the magic happens. When grabbing a coffee at the Glasgow shop you’ll probably catch a glimpse of the roaster where their brilliant brew comes to life. Shabbily cool inside, the coffee is as good as you’d expect from people who literally make it from scratch. It’s very good, is the point we’re making.

15. The Glad Cafe

1006a Pollokshaws Rd @thegladcafe Based in a converted printworks in the Southside, The Glad Café hosts gigs and events by night but serves as a great cafe during the day. Local coffee from Dear Green Roasters is always on the go along with a varied food menu. A great place to people-watch, and one of the central points of the creative community in the south of the city.

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16. Tchai-Ovna House of Tea

42 Otago Ln Haunt of students, artists and tea lovers, TchaiOvna draws you in with promises of a relaxed and calming vibe and a delicious vegetarian menu. Oh, and loads and loads of tea. 80 different varieties and blends are on offer, and once you’ve chosen your brew the array of mismatching armchairs, wicker furniture and floor cushions allow plenty of space for lounging around.

17. Offshore

3 Gibson St @offshorecoffee It’s part of the furniture in the West End, and Offshore is the ideal place for a bit of peoplewatching. As you gaze out the window at the passing Glaswegians, take advantage of the locallysourced food menu, or just grab an expertlymade coffee. With late opening times, free WiFi and space for large groups to gather together, it’s a bustling space at any time of day.

18. Avenue G

291 Byres Rd @Avenue_G The guys at Avenue G have three main goals; serving up good coffee, making good food with local ingredients, and making sure you lot have a “jolly good time”. They have the first two sorted, and if you like good food and coffee in a great location, served up by friendly people who know what they’re doing, then we’re sure they’ll manage with that third thing.

19. Where the Monkey Sleeps

182 West Regent St @monkeysleeps It’s a rock sandwich shop! We know it sounds crazy, but a trip to the Monkey will open your eyes to the genius. Massive sandwiches with brilliant names (The Man from Iran and the Loggins are two of our favourites) - what’s not to like? After all, there aren’t many places where the sentence ‘I’ll have a Lovely Nancy’ will get you anything other than an odd look.

20. The Squid and Whale

372–374 Great Western Rd @glasgowsquid A new favourite face on the Glasgow food and drink scene and one of our readers’ picks in this year’s Food Survey, The Squid and Whale serve up 2014 – 2015

Southern American and Mexican grub. Local ingredients and fresh seafood are on the menu, as well as a great drinks selection. That their name reminds us of a cracking Noah Baumbach film just makes things all the better.

21. Meat Bar

142 West Regent St @MeatBarGlasgow Another venue going for the ‘blindingly-obvious’ approach to naming, Meat Bar has one thing on its mind. From burgers with outrageous toppings to pulled pork and venison cooked for 12 hours in specially-imported smoke ovens, this place is all about meat. They’ve even been known to go for the odd meat-based dessert – that should be enough to convince the carnivores among you.

22. Burger Meats Bun

48A West Regent St @BMBGlasgow Grass inside, cute cartoon mascots, and a food menu packed with puns – it takes a lot of skill to pull this stuff off, and Burger Meats Bun have that in spades. Their burgers are great, the decor is cool-but-not-too-cool, there’s plenty of variety to the drinks menu and it’s right in the heart of the city. Students, meet dinner.

23. Smoak

15 Waterloo St @smoakfood Smoak smoke meat over oak chips – it’s just what they do. Having started life as an itinerant popup and travelling barbecue van, it’s now settled down to a space in Waterloo Street. The food hasn’t settled though – it’s still an exciting collection of pulled pork, hot dogs, and various other configurations of meat to inspire even the most inept barbecue chef.

24. Taco Mazama

6 Renfield St @tacomazama An outpost of Southern Californian cuisine in the heart of the city, Taco Mazama is all about the burrito. All the usual fillings are on offer, with the pulled pork a particular favourite, and if you fancy your Mexican food in a different configuration, tasty tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas are also on the menu.

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25. The Banana Leaf

86 Old Dumbarton Rd If you fancy an authentic curry that won’t destroy your bank balance then the Banana Leaf is a good place to start. If you feel like heading out, the Albert Drive restaurant is a simple, unpretentious spot devoted to authentic Indian food, while the rest of you who want to stay in can grab a takeaway from the original branch on Old Dumbarton Road. There, everyone’s happy.

26. The Hanoi Bike Shop

Ruthven Ln @Hanoibikeshop Tucked in off Byres Rd, the dishes that fly out of the kitchen at the Hanoi Bike Shop are authentic, accessible, and packed with flavour and colour. The cut-price lunch time sandwiches packed with Vietnamese ingredients are also a great way to get started on your new favourite cuisine, and the brilliant interior makes a lunch trip feel like a mini Asian holiday.

27. Asia Style

185-189 St. Georges Rd Asia Style seem to be going for the superhero stance of hiding in plain sight – widely touted as one of Glasgow’s top Chinese and Malay restaurants, they are sticking to their guns on the fairly harsh decor. The food is worth it though – an authentic and broad menu with a huge variety of dishes to choose from, and prices that won’t hit your wallet too hard.

CULTURE 28. Glasgow Film Theatre

12 Rose St @glasgowfilm The GFT, as most know it, has been part of Glasgow’s cultural scene since 1939. The building itself is famous for its Art Deco design and having a fair bit more charm than your average cinema, while its screens host a range of international releases, rare and late night screenings, as well as acting as the hub of the Glasgow Film Festival each spring.

29. Grosvenor Cinema

Ashton Ln @grosvenorcinema While it may have lost some of its alternative charm over the years, the regular classic movie 74

marathons and the generally solid programming at the Grosvenor give it a strong appeal. The quaint Ashton Lane backdrop doesn’t hurt either, making grabbing a pre-film bite or pint an enjoyably cobbled affair rather than the usual scramble across suspiciously-patterned carpet.

30. Tron Theatre

63 Trongate @trontheatre The imposing façade of the Tron stands out in its city centre location, and the theatre inside stands out too. The venue plays host to many of the city’s arts festivals such as Glasgay!, Celtic Connections and the Merchant City Festival. As well as all that, the 16th century building also hosts exhibitions in the Long Gallery and boasts a swanky theatre bar.

31. Tramway

25 Albert Dr @glasgowtramway Few venues are more rooted in Glaswegian history than Tramway, serving the city over the years as a tram depot, a transport museum, and now as a performance and exhibition space. Tramway 1 hosts performance-based events including contemporary dance, gigs and theatre, while Tramway 2 is the primary gallery space that will host the Turner Prize in 2015.

32. David Dale Gallery

161 Broad St @DDGallery This studio and exhibition space in the East End was opened by fresh-faced GSA graduates five years ago, aiming to showcase emerging contemporary artists and aid in the development of their work. There is gallery space for exhibitions, as well as on-site studio space for artists to work on new pieces and a programme of regular events.

33. GOMA

Royal Exchange Sq @GlasgowGOMA Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art houses a collection of contemporary Scottish art as well as an extensive library and a programme of exhibitions featuring big hitters from the international art world. It’s also home to a hugely important Glasgow landmark – the statue of the Duke of Wellington, complete (we hope and assume) with a traffic cone on his head.

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Brew Lab, Edinburgh

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The Art School, Glasgow

34. The Common Guild

21 Woodlands Tce @TheCommonGuild Housed in a beautiful Victorian building, the Common Guild holds exhibitions as well as stocking a range of art books, catalogues, publications and periodicals. Alongside running year-round gallery-based exhibitions, The Common Guild is responsible for the direction of the biennial Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art.

35. Transmission Gallery

28 King St @transmo_gallery Founded in 1983 by a group of GSA graduates, Transmission Gallery continues to fulfil its original mandate to offer exhibition space and opportunities for young artists. Transmission encourages interaction between its members to create an inspirational atmosphere, while the gallery also hosts film screenings and an annual exhibition of members’ work.

36. Centre for Contemporary Arts

350 Sauchiehall St @cca_glasgow A multi-functioning arts venue, CCA plays host to a dynamic programme of contemporary film, music, performance, and the odd painting as well. It houses the bookshop Aye Aye Books, studio and gallery space for collaborative workshops, and the Saramago cafe bar with its delicious tapas, quality beers and outdoor terrace.

37. The Lighthouse

11 Mitchell Ln @the_lighthouse The Lighthouse is the perfect place to start learning about Glasgow’s most famous architectural son, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Visit the Mackintosh Interpretation Centre on the third floor to learn about the man and the sights to watch around town, and check out the architecture and design exhibitions in the rest of the building.

MUSIC & CLUBS 38. The Barrowlands

244 Gallowgate @TheBarrowlands If you’re in Glasgow for any amount of time 76

then the chances are you’ll end up at a gig in this Gallowgate institution. It’s truly one of the greatest venues anywhere in the UK with incredible acoustics, a ridiculous starry facade and a sprung dance floor that allows Barras crowds to genuinely jump higher and go crazier than anyone else.

39. STEREO

22-28 Renfield Ln @stereoglasgow One of Glasgow’s most prominent small gig spaces, expect bigger promoters, DIY outfits and curious independents all to appear. You might see some locally sourced avant-garde dance one night, and your favorite aging rockers the next. Club nights often take the form of gig after-parties, but some of Glasgow’s finest DJs have been known to hijack the place.

40. Nice ’n’ Sleazy

421 Sauchiehall St @nice_n_sleazy Aidan Moffat got it right when we asked him to sum up Sleazy’s in five words; “Very, very difficult to leave.” That’s not to say you won’t want to – Sleazy’s basement can be hellishly claustrophobic, but the venue is home to some of the city’s most intelligent, open-minded gig bookers, who regularly hand the stage over to acts that others would barely consider music.

41. Broadcast

427 Sauchiehall St Standing on the site of the former Captain’s Rest, Broadcast puts on gigs split down the middle between established acts and underground local talent. Shows take place down in the basement, while the upstairs bar makes for a good hangout between sets, and the location couldn’t be much better for making a night of it (provided it hasn’t been too sweaty a gig).

42. O2 ABC

300 Sauchiehall St @O2ABC Once home to Scotland’s first cinema, the ABC is now one of Scotland’s top gig venues. Well, it’s actually two – there’s the main concert hall with its grand Art Deco features and even grander giant disco ball, and the smaller ABC2 with a more intimate, club-style vibe. Expect to see top bands from across the globe here, and prepare to return

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43. O2 Academy

121 Eglinton St @O2AcademyGgow Among Glasgow’s selection of big venues, the Academy represents the middle ground between intimate gig and super-duper enormo-show. Formerly an Art Deco cinema, the large capacity allows for established acts from home and abroad, and pleasingly the Academy don’t stick to any one musical genre, and offer a real mix of shows.

44. King Tut’s

272a St Vincent St @kingtuts A niche-defying institution, King Tut’s is both a homely basement bar with pool tables and food, and an upstairs gig space with an incredible reputation and a track record for booking great bands. Provided you don’t get stuck behind the pillar at the top of the stairs you’ll see just why this is one of the best small venues in the country.

45. 13th Note

60 King St @official13thnot Standing firm amid the constant change in the east of the city centre, The 13th Note has cemented its reputation as an uncompromising believer in, and supporter of, live music in Glasgow. The absurdly cheap overheads allow all manner of mentalists to have their way with the bar’s crumbling cellar. Expect hardcore, drone, noise, and some plain silliness.

46. The Arches

253 Argyle St @archesglasgow The Arches’ location in caverns underneath the West Coast mainline comes as a surprise to newcomers and some of the performers, but there’s no doubt that it’s one of the city’s largest, most creative venues. A not-for-profit organisation, The Arches invests what it makes back into programming, allowing promoters to bring in acts and DJs you might not expect.

47. The Buff Club

142 Bath Ln @thebuffclub While some of Glasgow’s other clubs can be a little esoteric at times, The Buff Club’s music policy is designed with one thing in mind: to get 2014 – 2015

you dancing. Classic hip-hop, funk, R&B and soul all come pumping out on a regular basis, while regular night Killer Kitsch lays down electro and EDM tunes that you may well have heard before. Sounds crazy, right, but go along with it.

48. SWG3

100 Eastvale Pl @swg3glasgow Just shy of the Clyde sits Studio Warehouse Glasgow. As a venue, it’s come a long way since its days as a rotting, semi-legal hipster’s wet dream with the bleak interior been transformed into a sleek, haunting auditorium. SWG3 itself is home to all manner of graft-dodging creative types, many of whom have been involved in the highly innovative clubs, gigs and events you’ll find there.

49. Flat 0/1

162 Bath St @Flat01Glasgow Imagine a ‘student flat’ transformed into a nightclub – that’s Flat 0/1 in a nutshell. The shabby style works, with mismatched furniture and cheap and quirky drinks (White Russians and supermarket cider amongst others) helping the vibe. An eclectic mix of club nights and live music make this the perfect house party spot, without any of the cleaning up afterwards.

50. The Berkeley Suite

237 North St @BerkeleySuite The Berkeley Suite is grander than your average club. Spread over two floors, the Art Deco flourishes make this an interesting place to be regardless of what’s on. Luckily, the events match the venue’s special air pretty well. Expect big club nights, exciting launches, and a range of other diverse events from music to film to art.

51. The Garage

490 Sauchiehall St @garageglasgow The Garage is open every day of the year, and its size and scope makes it one of the most popular student venues in the city. Constant gigs, a steady stream of club nights, a steadier stream of drinks promos and three rooms with a range of musical styles on offer mean The Garage has something for every student taste.

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52. The Record Factory

17 Byres Rd @recordfactory17 The Factory offers a solution to a common problem – fancying a full-scale night out, but not wanting to head into town. Ostensibly a sports bar serving up great value food and drink during the day, and a full-powered student club by night, Faktory manages to be all things to all men (and women) and its location means West Enders don’t need a commute to get there.

53. Sub Club

22 Jamaica St @subclub Frequently cited as the best club in the country and one of the best in Europe, this dance music mecca is home to some of the finest DJ talent around. That has a lot to do with the soundsystem, which will take your face clean off if you aren’t braced for it. The history and community vibe, built up over 20-odd years, add an extra-special something to go with the oomph.

18 Jamaica St @Classic_G A former cinema, the Classic Grand is responsible for some of the city’s rockier club nights. Alongside regular gigs by smaller acts, a whole host of DJs can be found at the Grand spinning industrial, synth, punk and metal tunes into the small hours.

57. The Glue Factory

22 Farnell St Run by volunteers in Spiers Locks, this sprawling, multi-layered warehouse space remains rooted in its industrial past. The venue tends to specialise in the spectacular – one-off club nights, mini-festivals, and other special happenings that are well worth the journey. Two tips – wear proper shoes, and beware the microbrew.

54. La Cheetah

73 Queen St A Merchant City basement with a burgeoning reputation, La Cheetah plays host to a wide range of club nights from across the musical spectrum. There’s a healthy smattering of big-name guest sets on the agenda, but most who get behind the decks at La Cheetah know all too well how to get a crowd moving.

55. The Art School

The Art School, Glasgow

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20 Scott St @artschool_ After extensive refurbishment and a few last-minute hiccups, Glasgow’s Art School have their student union back. It’s big, shiny and far less sticky than the former Vic Bar, but it’s maintained some of the old magic. Two gallery spaces sit alongside a bar and venue space, with live music, club nights and art shows all taking place under one roof.

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4. Duke’s Corner

1. Art Bar

140 Perth Rd The Art Bar is... well, it’s a bar for Dundee’s art types. Within touching distance of Duncan of Jordanstone art school, the small but atmospheric basement is always fairly lively thanks to the DJs, open mics and regular live music. Drink prices are student-friendly, and the outside area is perfect for getting some inspiration for your latest work.

2. Tonic

141 Nethergate @TonicDundee While Tonic may be famous for its choice of burgers (fair enough considering one of said burgers is called The Beast), it’s also a great bar in its own right. A good atmosphere, decent drinks prices and comfy chairs add together to make for a great spot; the fact that they serve a 24oz burger is just an added bonus.

3. Drouthy’s

146 Perth Rd @drouthys Drouthy’s like to keep things simple, and it’s a policy that works well. Whether you’re heading in for a hangover breakfast or settling down for a post-lecture evening, expect hearty grub with a few nice twists and a grand behind-the-bar selection including a load of interesting craft beers you might not have heard of but should probably try out. 2014 – 2015

13 Brown St @dukescorner Duke’s Corner does things properly – 30 bar taps pumping out a whole host of ales and craft beers, high-quality pub grub all day long, and a focus on live music that sees bands playing most nights of the week. Throw in the beer garden out back and it should become clear why this place is so popular.

5. The West House

2 West Port A fairly new addition to Dundee’s eating and drinking scene, The West House’s striking interior helps it stand out. White walls, snazzy tables and quirky flourishes make the House a nice place to be, and the interesting Italian-inspired food menu is filled with intriguing dishes. Oh, and there’s a whole load of cocktails and fancy beers on the go too. Thought we should mention that.

6. Brewdog Bar

Chamber Building, Panmure St The Fraserburgh craft beer monolith rolls on with a new bar in the City of Discovery. Right in the heart of the city centre, expect the same mix of surprisingly refined meat and cheese boards alongside an ever-changing range of guest beers. Brewdog will, of course, provide much of the beer, showcasing their range as well as providing a whole load of limited edition brews.

VENUES

CULTURE

MUSIC & CLUBS

7. DCA

11. Kage

152 Nethergate @DCADundee With a two-screen cinema, excellent cafe-bar and regular high-profile exhibitions, the DCA is the place to be for Dundee’s art community. There’s professional printmaking equipment, as well as a gallery shop for gifts and exhibition materials, and the place is interesting just to be in. The best place for the city’s art students to go people-watching.

8. The McManus

Albert Square @McManusDundee After a major refurbishment the McManus Galleries shows off the city’s past in impressive fashion. Packed with artefacts and pieces from all over the world, it’s a great way to learn a bit about the city as well as getting one’s art on for free. Bonus points have to be awarded for the giant whale skeleton and the regular contemporary exhibitions.

9. Dundee Rep

Tay Square @DundeeRep Home to one of the country’s most-renowned theatre companies, the Rep also hosts the best touring theatre productions as they travel the UK. It isn’t just serious theatre that’s on show though, with dance, stand-up and live music all featuring as part of an eclectic programme with something for everyone.

10. Generator Projects

Unit 25-26 Mid Wynd @GENERATORproj Generator is a not-for-profit exhibition space aimed at providing both new and established artists with a place to show off their work. It’s led by a team of artists on up to two year projects funded by gallery members, with the members also getting the opportunity to exhibit in the gallery.

4 St. Andrew’s Lane @KageDundee Kage is the best place to get your fix of metal and rock in Dundee, acting as a second home to the city’s alternative music fans. It’s far from the biggest, but that’s all the better for the regular gigs, and it just means that you’ll get to know the easygoing and like-minded crowd at the weekend club nights all the sooner.

12. Buskers

15 Ward Road @BuskersDundee Fresh from yet another name change, Buskers remains a reliable location for those of you who fancy some live music. Up-and-comers, local acts and touring bands all swing through its doors, with rock and indie club nights keeping things going into the early hours.

13. Underground

25 South Tay St @UndergroundVIP Having been comprehensively redone since our last Student Handbook went to print, Underground now has some shiny new decor to go along with the mixed music policy, predominantly-student crowd and decent prices at the bar.

14. Fat Sam’s

31 South Ward Rd @fatsams One of Scotland’s largest clubs, Fat Sam’s serves up a range of club nights for students and ‘real people’ alike. Wednesday is the dedicated student night, but the place is always full of scholars taking a well-earned break from their studies / drinking cocktails out of fishbowls.

15. Reading Rooms

57 Blackscroft @thereadingrooms Intimate, loud, exciting, and adorned with armystyle camouflage roofing, the Reading Rooms is a popular choice among Dundee’s trendier music-lovers. Many of the club nights are totally different to what’s going on elsewhere in the city, with everything from afrobeat and hip-hop to modern nights from touring DJs pumping out of the soundsystem.

VENUES

THE SKINNY

Ask Fred

ear Fred, I’ve just elected to study a degree in Art History, but my parents say that’s a waste of time and I’ll never get a job at the end of it. It’s not too late to try something else. What should I do?

icking the right degree to pursue is a balance between “studying something you love” and “studying something that will actually make you semi-employable at the end of it." From school you’re led to believe that you can be whatever you want to be when you grow up, but if this were true, we’d all be living in a world populated entirely by cowboys, Thundercats, Ghostbusters or Lynda Carter’s vagina-testers. ‘Your only limit is your imagination’ and ‘follow your dreams’ is the kind of fruity bullshit reserved for mysterious Kung-Fu masters, but there’s a reason why those guys tend to be give that advice between scrubbing toilets or giving hand-jobs at bus stops; ninja-crime-foiling is far less lucrative than you might expect. But by all means, pick some fucking nonsense that makes you happy. Study the shit out of it. Edinburgh University once offered a degree in 'Introduction to Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life', which was effectively five weeks of watching Farscape episodes then receiving a certificate printed on the back of a list of fast-food vacancies. Meanwhile it’s a statistical fact that around 80% of students who successfully study Dentistry, Sciences or Animal Husbandry at university will find gainful employment in the career of their speciality. Sure, a dentist may not hold a degree in knowing which hole you should fuck a Chewbacca through, but that’s exactly why I’m happy to let them near my mouth.

2014 – 2015

Illustration: Zhang Liang

So you’re a student now; whether you’re in further education for personal development, or simply to put four years between yourself and the crushing inevitability of having to earn a living, Fred Fletch is here to help The cold, hard truth is that waiting for you at the end of your 2-to-4 years of toga parties and drug overdoses is a shitty Thunderdome of responsibilities, bills and obligations. It’s up to you as to how you choose to enter it; with nothing but a cowboy hat and a smile, or with the confident tools to make that world a little bit less shitty. Study whatever the fuck you like, be happy, but probably aim to be long-term happy. If you’re smart enough (and driven enough) to get on the course you wanted, then you’ll find personal value and reward in your efforts. Life ain’t the 9-to-5 bit where you steal stationery and masturbate in the toilets, it’s the everything else that isn’t that.

ear Fred, I’ve got a lot of essays due, and there’s an exam worth 50% of my mark in eight weeks. I work part-time and I’m tempted to buy a completed essay from the internet, or just copy an old one. Is this a good plan?

ecturers and Exam Assessors didn’t get where they are today by being unable to identify an essay that is 98% cut and pasted from Wikipedia. Education isn’t just regurgitating someone else’s words – it’s about learning those words, reflecting on them and then adding your own intelligent insight into them (or at the very least, changing them enough so they don’t notice the words are copied from Yahoo! Answers). Take the learning of others and put it to practical use. Earn your degree and make it mean something... and remember, Wikipedia cannot be trusted. It once went three weeks before someone corrected the fact that Heath Ledger DIDN’T die from “an ass filled with jam." That kind of mistake could be all that stands between you and a degree in Dentistry.

COMEDY