Having previously taken the Tuesday night slot in York night-life, whether for York or York SJ, Salvation has for many years been the underrated middle child between Revs and Ziggys. Now though taking the official Wednesday night slot, and consequently preparing for the onslaught of every sports team in York and their followers, the chances are it’ll take a slightly messier turn. Previously Salvation was probably the most well-balanced and ‘normal’ of all the nights out, which in the twisted world of York nightlife probably isn’t saying much. With a couple of dance floors complete with flashing lights and a platform to show your new dance skills to your unsuspecting course mates… and just enough dark corners and a cosy smoking area to have a conversation to get to know each other (not the Ziggys stage of getting to know each other so well you could be arrested, don’t worry) Salvation is the place to go to have fun and show your skills with a strawpeedo without worrying that you will never make it home. With the bus stop and taxi rank both just a few meters away you have no excuse.
What you’ll see in your flashbacks: Bouncers eyes bearing into your soul as they firstly determine whether the stamp on your wrist is genuine or one you licked of an innocent victim, and secondly deciding whether or not you are going to make it up the stairs without becoming a health and safety hazard. In between this it will appear as a perfect slideshow of scenes, as with the layout fitting into a perfect circuit so those drunken wanderers among us can spend the evening finding small staircases and doors that enable us to go from one area to another without dodging the people we just left telling them that we needed some air…
The Salvo-going girl: Having been to Bar Salvation (Society) first, a much more intense warm up to the night than your normal pre-club bar, the Salvation-going girl enters with more confidence than she has had in her life. Nothing can stop her in the world, not the long queue, not the bouncers asking for entry money, not the freezing York weather. She will totter straight to the front of the queue where she will either (not so subtly) lick someone’s stamp and press it onto her wrist, or go straight for trying to blag her entrance with the bouncers ‘we all won the bar quiz last week but lost our vouchers…’. She will then, having failed change her hair in the hope that no one will recognize her now she comes in for the second time.
The Salvo-going boy: Previously with most of the sports teams taking a night off to avoid throwing up over their rival team the next day the Salvo-going boy is in his element, for one night a week he is now the biggest ‘lad’ in the room. But now the Wednesday night boy will be fired up on testosterone and the fear of anyone from the rugby team heading at them with a funnel, a combination with results David Attenborough would be fascinated by.
Most embarrassing Salvation memory: Dancing in the delusion that I should have been cast in the Moulin Rouge when in fact Garfield is probably more accurate; whilst clinging onto the rails that surrounded the DJ deck. Then proceeding to be dragged down by a bouncer and very nearly thrown out. This happened a few times before I had had too many drinks to climb onto the rails in the first place.
Strangest Salvation memory: Being found in a dazed state outside the loos by an old school friend… he then proceeded to rescue me from the drunken man I was speaking very eloquently to in my head (in reality I was just staring at in confused silence as he waited for a response) and feed me water.
Famous for: Trying to occasionally shake up the normal night-club experience with the odd foam party or silent disco. Also if you are needing a break from the likes of Ziggys or Tokyo, you will often find a large supply of drinks at less than £1 (although for this you may need to brave the York St John Student night).
Close points of interest: The bus stop providing night-busses to save you finding enough people to fill a taxi, is also just next to Salt and Pepper takeaway. Salvation is also very close to a taxi rank down the road and a cash point if you discover you are out of entry and strawpedo funds. Also most significant is Society, which until recently has been known as Bar Salvation, situated just across the road. It has been the starting point of many a messy night (with steep stairs to the girls loos… who came up with that plan?) with plenty of tables and chairs to start your night of humiliating dancing.
A regular describes Salvation in three words: ‘chart, cheese, shoutouts’.
What to wear: Girls should probably avoid heels purely on the basis that there will most likely be plenty of walking involved on a Salvation night whether this is just from Bar Salvation (sorry… Society) or, for the hardcore, a walk across the river to find Willow at the end of the night. Other than that Salvation dress code holds little to worry about. If you are there with a sports team your fancy dress will probably already be designated removing any need for more thought.