Its the end of Freshers week and you’ve just about familiarized yourself with the route to the union, if not around it. Your stamina has been placed under the ultimate test – your liver despises you, food you would never normally consume is now a 3am norm and you think you’ve sussed out who is going to be worth your time. So why not one more night out to combine all of the best things you picked up in freshers week?
Good Life kidnapped our familiar union and did what only Good Life could do. Their infamous nights of feel-good vibes, trippy decorations and diverse DJs were displayed, at this event, the pinnacle of the Freshers calendar, Fools Paradise.
The vast spaces of the Union provided good venues, begging to be rammed, but unlike the other sweat-fests of the Union venues, Stylus, Mine and Pulse, the opportunity was there to comfortably skank in the space of the Refectory, groove in the Hidden Café and even take to a stage in the Riley Smith and do the Macarena to a bit of grime.
The Refectory was indeed the main event with no nook or cranny left unglittered or unfestooned, complete with inflatable elephant and flames. It was here we were spoilt by an absolutely killer live set from Leeds’ own Gentleman’s Dub Club. No words. Just non-stop boogying.
An hour flew by, but then it was down to the Hidden Café freak show to catch Artwork. I have spent more hours working in the Hidden Café than I have asleep throughout my time at uni, so the familiarity of it all was bemusing. Despite incomprehensible sounds from the mouths of the spectators, the mouth DJ decks provided seriously good vibes, with a particular mention to one of the few females on the bill, Selby.
Scrambling back up the stairs to the Refectory again, Hot Chip DJs absolutely stole the show. A flawless set, concluded with Todd Terje’s Inspector Norse, which was brutally cut short as the house lights blared on. The terrace was invariably claustrophobic both inside and out with little attention paid by punters to the line up available and the toilets were absolutely horrific – but you can’t have everything.
Wicked, wonderful madness in a place where this level of mad is never found (except when delirious with a matter of hours to go till deadline).
Flora Tiley
(Photo credits: Good Life)