How to survive a night out in Canterbury

Think you know the clubs in Canterbury? You don’t even know the half of it...

Whether your go-to club is Chemistry, Steinbeck or Venue, here are some top survival tips for a night out in Canterbury.

Before the club

Do your research on what events are on at clubs: walking into Glitterbomb or an alternative night at Steinbeck or Chemistry can be a real bummer if that’s not your kind of thing (alternatively, it could also make your night better, it’s pretty 50/50).
Take cash out before you get to the club, waiting in a queue for the cash point next to the club for entry money is a bit of a drag and sobers you up far more than is desired.
To avoid costs at the cloakroom put your jacket inside your friend’s jacket to avoid paying extra (it works most of the time).

let's bounce bitches gif

If you’re planning on going to Club Chemistry, get there relatively early because spending a tenner on queue jump isn’t really worth it (plus the entry prices become extortionate if you get in too late).
Explore all three floors before you settle down on one. You might think the bottom floor is the one until they start playing the cheesy year 6 disco music (granted: this is right up some people's streets) and you’re forced to relocate. You'll find the perfect floor eventually, and even if you don’t, you’ll be too drunk to care what music is playing.
Make sure you stick to your friends the whole night. If you end up alone at any point you’ll spend way too much time trying to find your friends, who are definitely not where you left them, searching through all three floors with no phone signal until you give up when you find some people you vaguely know.
Vodka slushies at Chemistry seem like a good idea until you spend a fortune on a drink that’s 90% ice and you end up leaving most of it because it’s too cold to hold onto.
If you’re at Chemistry on a Saturday, it’s not time to leave until you’ve been handed some toast on the dancefloor.

dancing in a club

No matter how comfy the sofas in Steinbeck seem, it is NOT a good idea to fall asleep on them (you will get kicked out).
Try out all the different nights at Steinbeck: Glitterbomb always gets pretty crazy and eventful and Face Down is a good shout if you want to express your inner emo side (I go every month and it’s a helluva good night out if you’re into that kind of thing).
Steinbeck often does free shots for the first people to enter and who doesn’t love free alcohol?

drag race runway performance

If you’re going to Venue, make sure you get either completely smashed at pre-drinks or that you’ve got the money to get wasted whilst you’re in there. Trust me - you’ll need it.
When you’re going to the bar either go to the one in the smoker’s area or the one upstairs – it will save you a lot of time.
You can get massive pitchers (and I mean HUGE) of Snakebite for a tenner that will last you ages if you’re willing to carry it in the club for as long as it takes to finish.

inbetweeners dancing gif

If you’re planning on walking home, especially if it involves either Eliot footpath or the hill up to UKC, don’t wear heels because you’ll regret it.
No matter where you went on your night out, you’re bound to end up at Maccy’s on the way home, just make sure you sober up in the queue enough to make it past the bouncers and don’t fall over once you’re inside (turns out security don’t like that).
Don’t go overboard on your food order, you may think you can eat 20 nuggets, a wrap, a big mac and McFlurry but you won’t be thanking yourself when you throw it all up twenty minutes later.
Make sure you go home with friends, even if drunk-you thinks it’s a good idea to walk home by yourself, drunk-you is definitely wrong.

taking a friend home spacesuit gif