picture taken by George D Thompson: http://www.flickr.com/photos/georgedthompson/4359186900/

Music and club venues come and go all the time. This particular building might just come across as an ordinary house, because of its clear building structure.

In other words, it was home to Preston’s underground dance and alternative scene until its sudden closure at the end of last month.

Method, in other words known to the writer as ‘The House of Rave’ was never going to go out without a mention on the blog, and why not?

DROP, the regular dubstep promotion night

With the crews former club, Coda operating near the centre of town closing only towards the end of the previous University year, a new venue was needed. Opening in September 2009 last year at the height of the Freshers explosion, the place and the team behind it had to wait a while before they could stamp their musical authority on the place. Originally, the main floor was just a bar and with its outlandshigly cheap drinks prices, the floor was merely just seen as a pre drinking heaven for the masses, which in otherwords can be known as the Fresher audience.

It was only when the club eventually opened its dingy, dark basement and reasonably wide out top floor, that Method started to show it was something different. And thus going with the venue, came the huge range of underground promotion groups.

Opening on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights for the hedonists with the alternative indie night wheeling in on a Thursday, the venue welcomed new upstarting promoters as well as the much more established ones. BEATS for instance comes into the mind, having previously being as the Beats of Rage. With their range of dirty electro, fidget, house, filthy mixes, the dingy basement on Wednesday night for just £1 entry was the place to be to hear the sounds of a group which started out playing random House parties just two years earlier. The main operator of the sound of the night and indeed Method? The Filth Wizard of course with a special interview featured on the Ark Magazine located in a link below.

Yes its true Dubstep got more commercial over the past year with much more of an audience hearing the sounds over the last year. DROP tried its best to mix commercial and underground, but predominately it was for the latter. 

What about Don’t Ask? Pick n Mix? Social? Oh? Where’s Mavis? Cut the Rug? Yes tons of promotions night, and thats not to mention the range of acts coming in as part of the electronic scene.

Jack Beats threw down a party.

Rusko, Jack Beats, Datsik, Foamo, Borgore, Mr C. Yes, its true you might not have heard of most of them if you don’t know much about electronic music, but quite clearly these are names which stand as a coup for Preston. And there are plenty more I could mention..

Unfortuanely the party in this particular place was never going to go on forever. You would have thought it would have gone for more than 8 just months.

Although it was clear that the Wednesday nights were getting slightly repetitive (but that is if you went every single week), the weekend nights were certainly the ones to go for. Unfortuanely, not enough money was made and that can be earmarked to any underground club. Take the Ronnie Scott Jazz club down in London, legendary for its time, lost a heck of a lot of money but was instrumental to music on that scale.

Why did it not make enough money? Underground clubs will and can always struggle to gain more people. However it was clear the promoters in Preston did all they could to gain more people with some nice funky artwork, posters. It is down to the promoters however and indeed people involved in the creative industry to keep these particular kind of musical nights going. Without them, the industry would be lost. The masses will never do that, (clear message to Luminar).

Oh yes. Not just electronic but plenty of guitar and indie and rock there added on

The question is what will happen now? DROP appears to have gone, after an uninspired night at Source. What about the other venues? The Mill? Heck, underground things appear to be going underground with a couple of nights having been planned at Lava and Ignite which interestingly and maybe fortuanely appear to be open to underground dance nights. Whenever the atmosphere can be raised a notch however is open to debate.

Preston have been lucky to have such nights which you would normally find in big citys, which are obvious to everyone (Manchester, Liverpool all nearby) and of course London.

Whatever happens next is up to them.. And down to you.

The Ark Magazine Preston Beats Feature - exclusive interview with the Filth Wizard, the sound of Method, interviewed by former resident, John Crossley.

The spectacular North Yorkshire countryside might be seen as a haven for relaxation, but a latest release from a local teenage dance producer, can surely be considered music fit for the moors.

Jackin out of the box

RyKennon also known as 18 year old, Ryan Kenny from Harrogate, has gone back in time to find the sounds of early House and Hardcore to bring out this release which is claiming to  bring the production into modern times.

No doubt all the original production style of Dance music is all there. Think Breaks. Think acid lines. Think pianos.

As the first release from the recently formed record label, Cutting Shapes by Paul Cooper, Jackin’ The Box also comes with Riccohet Anthem (original mix) which got its first hearing recently on the popular Leeds underground dance station, Radio Frequency.

Plenty of old skool loops

The release is also available to buy on itunes and Amazon. Get on the groove with the Amazon release on here

Itunes release of Jackin the box - Released last month in May. Available here on itunes

RyKennon – Jackin\’ the Box - Youtube release

Rykennon Soundcloud page - 100% music of course from the cloud of sound.

http://www.myspace.com/rykennonuk - Myspace page, bio and music, keeping it strong.

Coming up at Club Zero located on Station Parade, sees a mammoth fest of Dubstep and Drum and Bass put on by local promoter, HG2 Productions. The promotion company are inspired by Subdub in Leeds where at the infamous West Indian Centre in Chapeltown has become the most successful Dub Reggae club night in the UK. Following on from a successful first night last month, the forthcoming event kicks off at 10:00PM on Saturday 12 June for just £5.The Line up includes Steppa, Tall Yoda and Sweep with plenty of MC’ing to help release the energy on the dancefloor. So if you fancy plenty of hedinoism and skanking, get yourself there.

XzilaR8, the hard dance/hardstyle crew celebrate their 3rd Birthday at Club Zero on Saturday 19 June. The hard dance crew have continued to grow in reputation over the last few years, and have a varied line up in store on that date. Organ Donors are the headliners who specialise in German Techno as well as Hard Dance. Also young DJ Maxi Franks who was the recent XzilaR8 competition winner will be performing. Entry is £8 with doors opening at 10pm and ending at 6am right in the light of day.

A couple of young budding new promoters are seeking help for a project. University student, Dan Birch, producer, Ryan Kenny and MC Lenze (Laurence Inman) have started up ‘Elevation’ which aims to bring a mix of Old Skool House, Acid and Electro based DJ’s in an environment. However, the group would love to hear from any venues bars or clubs in the area who wish to help the crew put a night on sometime this August. Elevation’s aim however is to try and take the party away from a typical mainstream club environment and put it in a club or entertainment venue, used for other things. Therefore anywhere is welcome! Producer, Ryan Kenny has recently signed up to ‘Retro Recordings’ in Leeds and is currently in touch with several DJ’s. If your interested in helping to promote or hold the event, please email Dan at dbirch1@uclan.ac.uk .

A new promotion company is aiming to make headwaves in Harrogate this summer. VIP Promotion is run by DJ Sean Harris. Currently the Group run a night at Lure Bar on the currently popular student based Thursday nights from 9pm with DJ Scuba, also performing. The night is seen to be seen as the pre place before R n B Viper Rooms later on the night. Music is Electro House and Electro R n B with cheap drinks deals all night.

Finally, if you wish to go further afield in North Yorkshire for the night then look no further than Northallerton where the Dub scene continues to flourish not just regionally, but nationally. Every month on a  Friday night, Upstairz takes over the New County Arms on the High Street. Dubstep and Drum and Bass with some mixed in House occupy the dancefloor. The night is seen to be one of the top five nights in the north and has received mentions in Mixmag. For more information check out www.upstairz.co.uk

A free kick from Lee Naylor and a Marc Antoine-Fortune header gave Celtic the bragging rights over fierce rivals, Rangers at Celtic Park this evening.

Despite the fact that Rangers have clinched the title already, this victory will still mean a lot to Celtic, as what will turn out to be the highest point of a season, which certainly won’t be remembered well.

Rangers got off to a torrid start at the start of the game with Allan McGregor off injured. On came, Neil Alexander who throughout his time for the club has proven to be a reliable deputy. However this match certainly showcased a downfall of the latter, as to be reported.

Minutes later, Lee Naylor hit a superb free kick to put Celtic ahead and send the crowd into raptures. With such a terrific start, this was something that Celtic could build upon.

Indeed the strong 58,000 crowd obviously high due to the Old Firm game was also expecting a good match full of thrills. A penalty claim for Celtic was turned down after a foul by Weir on Fortune on the box was not given much to the Celtic fans disgust.

Kenny Miller forced a good save from Artur Boruc towards the end of the first half but then Rangers made up for that miss with a crucial goal. Miller headed the ball into the back of the net from a cross, climbing above Mark Wilson. The Celebrations certainly proved to be a dagger in the heart for Celtic fans with Miller of course, a former Celtic player.

Yet the drama was not over. A cross out wide for Celtic saw a Fortune header which went through the legs of humilated keeper, Neil Alexander. The 2-1 lead at half time was crucial morale boost for the home side.

The 2nd Half turned out to be a scrappy affair with passions running high. Indeed, one significant point was the substitution of Artur Boruc for Lukaz Zaluska. This proved to be a wise move considering the abuse, Boruc would take from Rangers supporters due to his controversial moments with the fans years earlier. Zaluska as it was would turn out to produce some important saves in the second half including one speculative effort from Miller.

Miller continued to miss chances for Rangers including one that hit the post. As it was, Rangers could not score, and then their woes continued when Lee McCulloch was sent off with minutes to go to full time.

It was clear McGeady dived to fake the change from McCulloch. However, with McCulloch already on a yellow hard, he was sent off which his team mate Miller reacted angrily. This saw the sole Rangers goal man pick up a yellow hard for his protests.

A 2-1 win for Celtic will earn the bragging rights for now and surely increasing Neil Lennon’s chances for the Celtic job. This victory will certainly appease him to the fans. For Rangers, this was only their third defeat of the campaign

Coming to this event was always going to be something different. Practically, we were the only students in a venue riddled with students. This wasn’t promoted to students. This was something differently aimed at a different audience.

But we liked our music. We liked our origins. So as you can guess, we came, we saw, we went.

And what an experience it was, and quite possibly the best free event I have been too but I would certainly have still payed £16 quid to go the event even if I had had a debt to pay off for the following week.

As soon as we entered the Bowlers experience, a reunion for a thousand clubbers who had attended the former club around fifteen years ago, we were awe struck by the atmosphere. I’ve been to other nights where people were already dancing quite heavily, but in the impressive space that 53 Degrees showed, this looked a fabolous proposition.

Everyone was so friendly. It was quite clear that the majority of clubbers were ‘sorted’ as is the term despite the tight security. However I never noticed an instance of paronoia in the dancefloor even if I accidentally ran into somebody. As I struck my dance moves, it is true that I might have looked ridicolous at times but I got a sense of approval that I fitted in right away.

It might have been a nostalgic treat for the thirty to fourty somethings in the packed audience but to us, it was something different. This wasn’t totally different it has to be said to nights at Method for example, the nearby House. But there was something on the dancefloor that showed this was more intense, probably helped by the sheer number of people. This was the sort of atmosphere that really defined what an original rave is and its origins.

Amongst the acts performing included a mix of such acts like Stu Allan and Dream Frequency. Well known hits it has to be said were dropped because everyone knows them. However, this worked really well because when the likes of SL2 ‘On a Ragga Tip’ and Prodigy ‘Out of Space’ were dropped, because for the first time I saw the crowd appreciaiting how the music should be danced to. I was particularly pleased when SL2 was played. This is a track that is still popular today especially with Drum and Bass fans and even Dubstep.

This was also the first time I had the luxury of seeing 53 Degrees at it finest. It is likely there was more than 1,000 people. I have not been to a night at 53 where it has been full since the student nights at Freshers. The lighting on Saturday was superb, and really combined well with the music and the people. You have to be there to experience it but I was impressed with the venue reaching the potential I always felt it had. Strobe Lighting worked well but so did flashes to the room turning to its normal state with bright lights. Utilising this, the 53 team worked well as it showed the people who were vigorusly over dancing.

When you compare this event to the UCLAN Student Union UV Rave Night held at ‘Promo’ back in September, then you start to see how far apart both events actually are despite their obvious term.

The stark truth is that on Saturday night, the adults put the Students to shame on what a rave is. In some places round the Preston area this of course is not the case. Method is one example. The other, Warehouse is a strong vocal point for its rock and indie audiences. For the masses today however, who think they know what a rave is, think again. Politically, the club promoters of these kind of clubs have exploited the public musically. However another tricky subject is that the masses night are all alcohol fueled. Dance Music will always be niche, but in perspective, a lot of the main promoters in Bars and clubs within the industry have clubs like Bowlers to thank for their current success, seeing as laws were changed.

Times may have changed in that the promoters have become all the more wiser in terms of making huge sums of money, but none of that can ever replace an atmosphere on Saturday.

Dance Music is going full circle but for education, entertainment and difference, Saturday night with the tinitus ringing in my ears for well beyond 24 hours was inspiring.

Tracks to listen to:

SL2 ‘On a Ragga Tip’

Prodigy ‘Out of Space’

Preston North End Goalkeeper, Andy Lonergan has revealed he would welcome the chance of a call up to the Republic of Ireland Squad.

The 26 year old has been one of the top performing men between the sticks in the English Championship this season and last night for his club was voted Fans Player of the Year and Player’s Player of the Year.

Speaking as a special guest at an annual award ceremony at the University of Central Lancashire this afternoon, Lonergan revealed that he rejected a direct enquiry a couple of months ago but said he could still be open to a call up for other purposes.

The Preston born keeper said “They made an enquiry a few months ago but refused. I might change my mind. My Grandparents are Irish and my dads family are Irish but I couldn’t imagine singing another country’s national anthem. Obviously it would be financially rewarding “.

Lonergan already has international honours earned in his career having represented England Under 21′s. If he was to be capped, he would join other Irish internationals including Kevin Kilbane also Preston born and Sean St Ledger in being capped whilst playing for Preston North End.

Lonergan also added to his managers hope that midfielder, Matt James will stick around at the club for a while longer. The midfielder is currently on loan from Manchester United and has made a big impression. “I think he is coming back. He is a quality player and a great lad “.

Harrogate’s nightlife is facing huge opposition from an unsatisfied public.

A group on the social networking site, Facebook entitled ‘Why we Hate Moko’ attracted over 600 people before the page was shut down due to the high volume of complaints. Night goers and clubbers alike on the page complained about the lack of underground music, cheap prices, and a lack of welcome atmosphere in the nightclubs around Harrogate including Moko Lounge which is celebrating its fourth birthday.

It is a clear sign that this is a mass reaction from the huge amount of protesters to the high level of commercialism in music and nightlife in Harrogate.

One of the protesters from the group includes a young clubber, who believes there is a non existence of underground music in Moko. The clubber who wished to be named annoymous said ” Musically the place has become a bit bland. There has been no change in the style or genre for songs in the dancefloor since it was refurbished last year. Some songs can be heard in the course of a night, at least three times. The people who run it need to realise that there is a huge, thriving and diverse underground scene which could easily be tapped into for some seriously memorable nights in Harrogate “.

To add to the rage, controversial decisions made by the club recently included the decision to replace a popular indie Tuesday night called ‘Lost’ which attracted a reasonable crowd with a night called ‘Geek-Chic’. Local student, and music fan, Fran Allenby believes that this is a sign of how limited Harrogate is saying ” It’s attempt at Geek Chic is the furthest it stretches in terms of reaching out to alternative music fans and providing a taste of the large spectrum of music out there; its prices are inplausiable and the music is repetitive “.

Utah Saints started out in Harrogate.

However in the past, Harrogate was well known for bringing in through legendary rave act, Utah Saints. Former club, The Mix hosted the act in the early 90′s before their rise to global success. Tim Utah from the Saints who had a night at the club, said they were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. ” What we achieved back in 1990 with the Mix when I look back on it was quite simple in a way. It was 100% about music and that was it. The venue that we took over wasn’t “cool” and was probably the worst place in town. We were lucky because there seemed to be enough people that were into what we did and were passionate about their music “.

One other local students also said that the Harrogate nightlife has exploited it’s market for young people. Also a student journalist, he said ” It’s become inundated with underage drinkers. There’s other places that over 18′s can go around Yorkshire where theres a more rigorous id policy, so there’s no motivation to go to Harrogate. You don’t have to look hard to see people that you know are no older than 14 or 15 “.

The spa town is beautiful but can its nightlife be as well?

It is clear that the Harrogate public feel these views but will the owner of the nightlife establishment feel the same?

A last minute Steve McCall header gave UCLAN 3^rd‘s a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw against Manchester University at the newly named, UCLAN Sports Arena.

This mid table clash saw UCLAN keen to continue their good record against the away opposition after winning two of the previous encounters this season. However, the statistics didn’t tell the story at least at the start of the match with Manchester by far playing the better football showing superior passing and technique.

With the away side dominating possession, it didn’t take long for the opening goal of the game to arrive with a fine pass through which UCLAN players appealed for offside leaving a huge gap at the back with the Manchester striker shooting home comfortably from a pass out wide to make it 1-0.

UCLAN were made to play the chase game with Manchester creating a number of chances including one effort which was blocked brilliantly from impressive centre back, Steve McCall.

Manchester were made to pay for those missed chances when the home side equalised with their first shot in the game, right on the stroke of half time. Striker, Ben Roberts picked the ball up in the box before chipping the ball into the right side of the net deceiving the Manchester goalkeeper, Joel Schofield, to leave the opposition at half time with plenty of food for thought.

The start of the second half continued with Manchester’s dominance in the midfield where they also nearly managed to take the lead from a free kick move, with a powerful shot fluffing against the crossbar from just inside the box.

The match then proceeded to become a scrappy tie, which had a mid table game written all over it, but then Manchester pounced from a rebound into the box to go ahead for the second time with the three points looking to be going back to Fallowfield for the away side.

However an error of misjudgement from the opposition keeper, Schofield when the ball bounced over him in the box in the dying minutes allowed man of the match UCLAN defender, McCall a free header which he powerfully struck into the back of the net to produce a draw in an exciting end to an otherwise poor match.

UCLAN Captain, Lee McGivern was delighted with his sides effort with the final result feeling more like a win having twice gone behind. “We got stuck in and got our rewards. Now we can go and look forward to the last game of the season ” said the winger.

Team: Croft, Ormond, Adam Walker, Steve McCall, Declan O’Shea, Lee McGivern (captain), Pete Whan, Ricky O’Sullivan, Sam Guest, Luke Smith, Ben Roberts

Substitutes: Gaz Ashley, Dan Morgan, Jack Mawdsley: Referee – Ross Herridge

Ahh Journalism. In today’s society, we all live and breath it. That’s right. Even people who use the social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, can be a journalist of some sort. Everything is news nowadays.

We are already at the start of the new decade, and Journalism continues to evolve, from where it started at the back end of the noughties. This can be in any media platform.

Though I am doing a Sports Journalism degree, I am interested and exploring other parts of Journalism. This can range from general news, entertainment and art to politics. Journalists are no longer specific on just one specialism. Even on a local paper or site where you might be a specific writer, you will be expected to have a wider knowledge on other topics, in case you are called upon at short notice.

They say jobs are becoming fewer and fewer and cutbacks are being made. However, everything is becoming online, with media platforms using new equipment, all the time. It is just a case of re-construction rather than a total wipe out. Take the BBC for instance, they might be making cutbacks, but they are expanding themselves on a broader scale. Their online content shows this. You just have to have a look at the differences between the Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008 sites on the BBC.

Of course the BBC is moving 50% of its headquarters up north to Salford to create BBC North. This will make the BBC much more open to the North which for the majority has always been ignored. Do we buy the revolution? It remains to be seen but it will certainly be interesting when the Salford studios open in 2011.

Newspapers are supposedly dying a death. Content for it is available online for free. However some papers are reinventing themselves completely. Take the London Evening Standard for instance, which is now available for free. The Lebadov run paper is also looking to buy up the Independent paper.

I have offically joined Football Fancast, a blog and news site for fans alike. My job will be to write on Scottish Football and general football articles. Keep up to date with it here: