Pulse Leeds

Pulse interior shot

LEEDS

PULSE

VENUES, JANUARY 2007, COMMENTS

Over the past five years there’s been something of a revolution in our nation’s student unions. Acknowledging the competitive climate their venues trade in - as well as the changing needs of their increasingly discerning customers - universities have upped their game, with many investing heavily in their licensed facilities. The majority of the UK’s unions have received some sort of makeover in the last few years and those that haven’t, well, quite frankly, they should get with the programme and follow the example set by their contemporaries.

At the head of this modern movement are establishments like Leeds University, who led the charge with the opening of the ground breaking nightclub Stylus back in 2001 - which took a BEDA Award the following year. Part of the £4.8 million student union complex, the basement club was created in order to, as Technical Manager John Morris put it at the time, “offer students similar surroundings to those found in any major city.” Building on this success, the 2006 BEDA Award-winning Mine, a decidedly hip day to evening concept, followed last summer. Which brings us to the present day and the unveiling of the third piece of the Leeds SU entertainment package, Pulse - as well as the re-visiting of Stylus five years after it originally launched.

“Competition for customers in Leeds is tough,” explains Entertainments Manager at the Union Steve Keeble of the rationale behind his facility’s continued development. “If you are going to hold on to the student market you need to be good. It had been five years since we first opened Stylus and, as with any space, the more you work with it the more you become aware of its limitations. We wanted to ensure it operated as effectively as possible.”

And so Peel Design and Build were brought in to re-work the club and to open up the underused Pulse bar (previously known as Bar Code), with installers Green-i tweaking the existing Stylus sound system and introducing a new package for the bar concept.

The first step was to modify the entrance to the downstairs nightclub area in order to define the leisure complex from the rest of the union. An illuminated entrance arch in neon pink the solution, giving what Dominic Brogan of Peel Design and Build describes as a “real feeling of entering a nightclub, rather than a university establishment.” This electro pink look has been reiterated inside Stylus, where a new elevated chill out area and bar is bathed in pink light thanks to a series of discreetly installed up and down lighters.

While the nightclub space has been freshened up with a new colour scheme and some funky low furniture, the main difference in the design can be seen when the venue is in full swing. A completely new access entrance means that the space has better links with its sister venues, creating that all important flow between the three rooms. The corridors between these have also been improved, replacing the harsh, hospital corridor-style lighting with more flattering and subtle spots to give a coherent feel to the complex as a whole.

The focus of Stylus’ music policy has also been revised in order to appeal to today’s student population. “We are really working on building the live music side of the operation,” explains Steve Keeble. “There are lots of nightclubs in town but fewer live music venues and the key to being successful is diversity. As well as having the mainstream nights we are also starting to get some big acts and work with external promoters like SJM. It is a great space for live gigs.” Indeed the likes of De La Soul, Kasabian and Mr Scruff have all taken to the newly extended stage recently and the finishing touches are just being made to what is looking like an impressive programme for 2007. The Union has also developed a set of established weekly and monthly nights offering everything from rock and pop to R&B, and the biggest student night in Leeds, Fruity, on a Saturday.

A lot of investment had been made in the original sound installation and so, rather than start from scratch, Green-i worked as consultants on the project, tweaking and adding to the existing system. “We could have blown the budget on a new £50,000 system, but that wouldn’t have benefited us or the client. Really, looking at the workings of the space, it was the room that was wrong, not the kit,” explains Project Manager Ian (Woody) Woodall.

A special acoustic foam, supplied by Hepworth Acoustics, was therefore used to treat the ceiling, cutting reverbaration and bringing the sound very definitely back into the room. The existing Martin Audio system has also been re-jigged, using left to right stage speakers rather than the original club set up, whilst also introducing some light live kit and mics to enhance the in-house set up.

The newly opened Pulse has also been reconfigured in terms of layout, creating a more relaxed bar/club environment. Previously this space wasn’t fulfilling its potential and acted as little more than an overflow for Stylus. But this has all changed thanks to the introduction of new booth seating, a small stage and DJ area and an all important new entrance which has made the room more accessible and ultimately more useable. Now regarded as a compact venue in its own right Pulse acts as the cool, alternative sibling to Stylus, playing a mix of indie and alternative that is all taken care of by a highly capable Midas X3 console. The Soundweb network is now also being used to full effect across the three venues, ensuring a slick sound operation in every room.

Pulse may be small, but its opening completes the Leeds Student Union vision of a diverse complex made up of very different rooms working together to create a unique evening out. And with their forward thinking music policy it certainly stands up against the city centre venues and gives its students a great reason to stay on campus.

Words: Caroline Shaw

Images: Jim Ellam

From: January 2007 Issue

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