Chester is a beautiful city. Originally a Roman settlement, the city has evolved into one of the most attractive tourist spots in the UK, with a bustling shopping area, bars, cafes and a new arts centre: Storyhouse. People are drawn to Chester from all over the world, so it’s a fabulous place to spend three important years.
Our Music Journalism course relocated to the Parkgate Road Campus, predominantly so that the Music Journalism students could be closer to music venues with which to engage, but also to be closer to our other journalism students, in order to collaborate.
Although we may still make use of certain facilities at the former campus at Warrington, the move to Chester has allowed the course to be situated in the heart of Chester, allowing students to more easily attend gigs in the city and interact with local bands and singers. There are three principal gig venues in Chester, however as a student group we have also been to gigs further afield.
In terms of training as a music journalist, nothing matches the experience of actually being out at gigs, in the fabulous venues of the North West. As a group we have reviewed many different acts. When we discovered that the band Starsailor were to perform an impromptu acoustic set at the record store Lizard Inc., for instance, the cohort packed up and went on tour, taking this very practical module out of the classroom and on the road, getting up close to live music and practicing the art of music reviewing within a live setting. It proved to be a great experience, and was very useful for current students.
So what does the future hold? It’s perhaps odd to hear about ex-students of Chester before you have even become one…. however, it’s worth thinking - even at this early stage - about employability and what your time studying at Chester might lead to.
One alumnus (ex-student) of Chester - John Longbottom - returned to Chester in March 2018 to talk about his own career, and his life after leaving the University. John used his Chester degree to achieve the prestigious role of News and Online Editor of the rock magazine Kerrang! He completely revamped their online presence, working as the magazine's first ever Online Editor, at one point travelling to LA to interview Ozzy Osbourne in Ozzy’s home. The magazine went from 38,000 visitors a month to over 8 million - in the first month! John even won an award for his endeavours.
If that wasn’t enough, John developed the interest in digital media that he first identified in his University dissertation on the switch from print to digital. He now works for a digital agency, developing social media content for clients such as the James Bond and Star Wars movies. As he told the current journalism students… it’s all content creation, and a valid career for journalism graduates.
John isn’t our only success story, our current cohort of Music Journalism students have proved an extremely industrious bunch. We already have in the range of 10 to 12 media titles who have expressed an interest in carrying their reviews, and of course part of the glamour of working as a music journalist – beyond the free passes and complimentary music – is to see your byline… your name in print!
Produced every term by our Corporate Communications in conjunction with a group of student writers, Student News has carried several features written by our students, including a full-page review of Black Grape, a feature about local music, one about festivals and, most recently, an interview with the band Seegulls, who formed at Chester. Chester students have seen their work being published for titles including Mixmag and NME. From online sites, through to print titles; discover the exciting world of music journalism.
Find Out More
If you want to find out more then start by following us on, Twitter - @ChesterBangs, our well established Music Journalism account, named in honor of the legendary American rock critic Lester Bangs. And if you’d like to know more about our courses and university life in Chester, email us on enquiries@chester.ac.uk or call one of the team on 01244 512800.
Visit Us
If you have applied for a place or are thinking of doing so soon, why not come and spend a day with us at one of our up and coming Applicant Days?
You’ll spend the day visiting your academic departments, taking a student lead campus tour and seeing accommodation options amongst other activities.
If you are yet to apply, please call us on: 01244 512800 to talk about our Applicant Days, or email us on visitus@chester.ac.uk to get more information.
