Gig 2: The Festive One!

 It’s that time of year again - yes, Christmas, if you haven’t noticed by the endless loop of jingles blaring from speakers and OTT decorations littering the streets. But also, Gig 2 here at Westwood Campus!  

 On the 14th of this month the Music Department will be hosting their second gig and final one of 2016, which overall, hasn’t been the best year what with saying goodbye to over 150 famous faces over the past 12 months including iconic artists such as Motorhead’s Lemmy, Prince, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and jazz artists including Sharon Jones and Mose Allison; as well as many other actors, radio presentors, and well-reknowned artists and individuals. On top of that we’ve had Brexit; seen Donald Trump win the US presidential election, gained a new female Prime Minister, and more personally, discovered we will be losing our beloved building and some of our tutors... I’m sure this year has blindsided us all at some point.

 All the more reason to get our creative juices flowing and work on sending a message out to the world: this year may have been crap, but that’s all the more reason to show we won’t be defeated and convey our feelings through our work.

 Acts from all the different levels will be performing on Wednesday night, collaborating with one another to showcase some amazing talent. 

 Acts will include the band Sheepskin (see their interview on pages 5-6), a festive Christmas Elf Band, a funk DJ set from Warm Dogs Milk,  and other music from Eva Donkin, Megan James, Emily Mulford, Jessie Law, Beth Harrop, Kayleigh Williams, and more.

 Everybody is welcome - doors open at 7pm, with entrance just £2 on the door for non-students. A physical copy of What's Up? Westwood Magazine will also be available for free at the entrance!

Bacchus: Why We're Still Loving Scarborough's Oldest Club

 Bacchus is quite possibly one of Scarborough's oldest nightclubs, and one of the only few to still survive. After 11 o' clock, follow down the dark alleyway on Ramshill Road, knock on the door and - if you're lucky - Sue, the lovely, yet formidable door lady will let you in. Ascend the victorian-style spiral staircase with care (especially if you're wearing high heels - you may get stuck) and you'll find yourself facing the bar and a good selection of beverages from ciders and lagers, to spirits (£3.30 for a double with mixer), shots, and bottles. 

 The walls are adorned with eerie-looking African voodoo masks that appear to, like the staircase, have been say there since the dawn of time. Sitting areas are dotted around the dance floor, with toilets down a corridor past the bar, and a DJ booth at the other end of the small room. Strobe lights beam down from the corners of the ceiling, creating bright streams of neon streaking through the otherwise dimly lit space.

 This place is more than a little eccentric, and certainly the decor hasn't changed much over the last 30+ years aside from a new carpet - so why does it seem to attract new people every year? Go in on a weekend and oftentimes you’ll struggle to even get to the bar for a drink. Thankfully the staff are very friendly and accommodating (promising you stay on their good side), and will let you put your belongings behind the upstairs bar for safe keeping, or sit upstairs to avoid the crowds if you get nervous - though with Bacchus, the main purpose is to dance.

The music works around an “anything goes” policy - approach the DJ and you are welcome to request any song you feel like moving to, although the queues can get long on busy nights. The club was once considered to be Scarborough’s “Gay Bar,” - but really, its just welcoming to everyone, regardless of gender, age, or sexual preference. Personally, this is why I like Bacchus - you can get up, dance to the music you like, get 3 drinks for under a tenner, and avoid the hordes of people across St Thomas street. As Bacchus can’t fit many more than 50 people at one time, you can guarantee even when its busy, and avoid the hordes of people across St Thomas street. As Bacchus can’t fit many more than 50 people at one time, you can guarantee even when its busy, its not as bad as town, and Sue keeps everyone on a tight leash - cause trouble, and you’re out, simple. And of course it’s free to get in, a rarity these days, another key reason why it seems to have survived over the years despite its slightly out-of-the way location.

 Generally, Bacchus is open 6 days a week: Monday to Sunday, from 11-2am everyday other than Fridays and Saturdays when it stays open until 3am. Check out the map below if you're not sure where it is - hope to see you there! 

A Conversation With Sheepskin: Westwood's New Band

... I'd like to start off by saying that getting an interview with Sheepskin has been an arduous task: getting these guys in one room is hard enough. When they're not struggling to get out of bed (with which we can all sympathise), one member or another is generally MIA. With drummer Liam living in Newcastle and having to commute on an 8-hour round bus trip to college and back, the dedication these guys have to their craft is commendable. When they are all in the same building at one time, you'll generally find them in the rehearsal rooms or recording studios, jamming and messing round with equipment and writing songs faster then they can get them written down. 

 Band members Sebastian Moederle-Lumb, Sam Mason, Liam Cain and Luke Mackie are all talented musicians on the Level 4 Artist Development Course here at Westwood, like myself. Seb is the lead vocalist and guitarist, Sam plays bass guitar, Liam plays drums as well as vocals and guitar for acoustic renditions of their songs, and Luke... does "stuff and things" (in his own words) mostly playing the wrong chords (in his band mate's words) on guitar and helping with recording. Each has their own background, influences and aspirations. Coming together by pure accident (or as they so eloquently put it, sent on a mission from God) they formed around a month ago, and are currently working on their eponymous EP. 

- What genre would you consider yourself as?

Seb - Alternative hard rock
Sam - Not hard rock! More... grunge
Seb - I hate the idea of being a grunge band
Luke - We're confused. Confused alt rock. 

 - What are you guys' main influences?

Seb - System of a Down, Black Sabbath, Crazy Frog and GG Allin

Luke - Rory Gallagher, Wham!, Simon & Garfunkel, Rush, Queens of the Stone Age, and Backstreet Boys

Sam - Wolfmother, ABBA and N-Sync

Liam - Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Pendulum and The Prodigy

 - Outside of the band, what else do you plan to do music-wise?

Seb - I plan to go to university next year, and continue to song-write

Luke - I'd like to get laid (a lot).

Sam - I'd like to do sound design for TV and movies, possibly in the horror genre

Liam - I plan to continue composing tracks, perform live more, and record an album of original material.

 - Are you guys friends outside of the band?

Seb - We normally get along better if we're drunk

Sam - ... or hating on Liam. 

... onto fun questions:

- Would you rather be completely bald, or covered in green hair?

Seb - Green hair, definitely.

Luke - We could braid it, or shave it off and make carpets to sell as fan merchandise.

- Would you rather have fingers as long as your legs, or legs the size of your fingers?

Seb - Fingers as long as legs. Although if I had fingers the size of my legs, I could play guitar with them, and do random back-flips on the guitar at gigs.

- Would you rather have a cheese grater inside you or be inside a cheese grater?

Sam - Well, having a cheese grater inside of you would be painful.

Seb - I'd live inside the cheese grater, and have a... completely legal cigarette.

Luke - Or eat cheese.

 The guys have already performed at Quids Inn and college gigs, with plans for more in the future, including the Christmas gig here at Westwood on Wednesday the 14th of December. They hope to release their EP some point next year, so stay tuned on social media, and check out their videos on YouTube and Facebook:


Facebook: @sheepskinofficial
YouTube: SheepskinUKOfficial Band
Instagram: @sheepskin_ofcl
Snapchat: @sheepskinUK
Business Inquiries: sheepskinukofficial@gmail.com