Issue 85 / February 2018

SAY
THE FINAL
“We want the Bido Lito!
Student Society to be one
of those places where
we can give students the
chance to have a voice,
show that we have every
right to be involved in those
conversations and listen
to some pretty good music
along the way ”
Ahead of the very first Bido
Lito! Student Society meeting
on 7th February, Co-Chairs of
the society Daisy Scott and
Sophie Shields each give their
individual take on what makes
Liverpool’s student population
so crucial to the city’s music
scene – and try to unravel
the bad reputation given to
students in the city.
Students. Can they be the scapegoat to all problems?
With 55,000+ in Liverpool it is hard to see how
they can be dragging down the city. It seems that
many can’t look past the eyesore flatpack student
accommodation popping up around the city – that’s all that
students can do for a city, right?
There has been frank discussion about what students bring to
the city. Controversy often leads to people questioning the extent of
property development, and to the underlying question; how many
more students can live in Liverpool?
Liverpool is a music-orientated city, and without a growing
student population would the music scene thrive as much as it
does? And would the music scene be as dominant as it is currently?
It isn’t worth the debate; Liverpool has, and always will have, an
impressive music scene. That is obvious. But what you can debate
is whether or not Liverpool’s music scene would have flourished as
much as it does if so many students didn’t move to Liverpool.
As a migrating student, Liverpool has become home. And I
couldn’t have wished for a better city to give that name. But it is
hard to see why the blame is often pushed onto students. The
scapegoating of students will not benefit anyone.
Coming from Essex, where there is a limited music scene, the
move to Liverpool was a shock to the system. Everywhere around
the city is full of fresh new music talent, and to my surprise is fully
supported by everyone in the city.
So, what does this have to do with students, and what impact
do they have on the music industry? You only have to look at how
many bands come together at university, and how many claim that
their influence comes from where they studied. This should be
something that is encouraged.
Along with the influx of student properties, there has also
been the build-up of independent music venues and bars that
thrive on the student population. Without that there would be a
piece missing from the city. The likes of Heebie Jeebies, 24 Kitchen
Street and Constellations are all embedded in the student scene
with events purely targeted at the student population. And this will
continue to grow with the increasing power of students, who can
help to better protect these venues by packing them out. Both go
hand-in-hand.
So, before you begin to blame students for the eyesores
popping up around the city, perhaps think a bit deeper and
contemplate how the city has benefitted from the influx of the
student population. The towering flatpack accommodations can be
an inconvenience. But students are not.
Daisy Scott / @chain_scott
I was born, raised and educated in Liverpool and I am so
proud to always be able to call this city my home. Over the years
living and studying here, I have witnessed the city evolve into one
of the most thriving musical hubs in the country, if not, the world.
Liverpool has always been a city famous for its musical roots
– mainly due to this little band called The Beatles; if anyone hasn’t
heard of them I would definitely look them up. However, recently,
so many new and up-and-coming artists have started to emerge
from the musical fold, with an immense amount of talent to boot.
One of the main reasons for so much new music in the city is
due to the large and diverse student population. Students from all
over the world are choosing Liverpool as their home away from
home and in my humble opinion, what better city to reside in than
one bursting at the seams with so much music and culture.
There are so many opportunities in Liverpool to explore
a range of musical avenues. Whether it’s in an old converted
warehouse, the back of a pizza bar or the upstairs of a tea shop,
there is always someone, somewhere looking to share music, arts
and culture with the rest of the world.
However, there is a problem. Students are being unfairly
blamed for the property development in the city and the closing
of certain music venues. It is true that student accommodation
has increased in the last few years, but surely we can turn this
around and view it as a good thing. It means there is a high
demand for students wanting to come to Liverpool. Without
students coming into the city, it would not be the cultural hub it is
known as today.
Students bring new and exciting ideas to the city, they bring
diversity and new cultures and they bring opportunity. They, or
rather, we have been wrongly tarnished with a bad reputation,
written off as the snowflake generation and consequently silenced.
What people are forgetting though is that music isn’t about being
quiet; music is about being heard and being able to exercise the
power of speech through song. Music is ultimately about getting
people to listen, change and create attitudes and start important
conversations.
We want the Bido Lito! Student Society to be one of
those places where we can give students the chance to have
a voice, show that we have every right to be involved in those
conversations and listen to some pretty good music along the way.
Sophie Shields
The first Bido Lito! Student Society meeting takes place at The
Merchant on 7th February. Head to bidolito.co.uk to find out more
and register to attend.
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