[HDNG]CITY:[EHDNG][PARA][GRPH]E3[EGRPH][STAT][BULL] Price of a pint of beer: £1.30 [BULL] Glass of wine: £1.20[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]Newcastle is as happening a city as any, running a close race with the likes of Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester and London.  The club and music scene is massive, both mainstream and commercial and particularly strong on rave in Gateshead.  There is a strong gay and lesbian undertow.[EITAL]  To keep a check on what's on, pick up a free copy of 'Crack' or 'Paint it Red'.[PARA][BOLD]Cinemas:[EBOLD] Apart from the multiplex at the Metro Centre, there's another 10-screen Warner cinema, a 4-screen Odeon and the most excellent Tyneside Arts Cinema (2 screens).[PARA][BOLD]Theatres:[EBOLD] Among other theatres, there's the Theatre Royal, a regular venue for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Tyne Theatre and Opera House and a number of smaller fringe venues.  The Newcastle Playhouse, the Gulbenkian and Lipman theatres - the Gulbenkian owes its history to University connections.[PARA][BOLD]Pubs:[EBOLD] Newcastle has many, many pubs, some rougher than students might like, but plenty serve a welcome brew, not least a pint of the ubiquitous 'dog' - Newcastle Brown.  [ITAL]The best are around the Bigg Market in the city centre, but this is town territory at weekends. [EITAL] [PUSH]push[EPUSH][ITAL]plugs: Barley Mow (overlooking Tyne); 3 Bull's Heads; Offshore 44 (reasonable cocktails); Strawberry.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Clubs/discos:[EBOLD] Without ever getting hooked on one sound like Manchester, Newcastle has been constantly cool throughout the rave scene.  Club life is part of the Geordie way of being.  Some clubs have special gay nights - or even special straight nights. [PUSH]push[EPUSH][ITAL]plugs (among others): The Studio (indie, chart, students on Mondays, £3.50); Bliss (ravey, £4-6); Rockshots (dance and indie, studenty, gay on Tues/Thurs); Powerhouse (high energy gay, with women's bar, £2); The Mayfair (alternative, goth, punk, £3); Madison (Tuesdays, £4); The Ritzy (tacky nightmare, students on Mondays, £1); Club Afrika.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Music venues:[EBOLD] Whitley Bay Ice Rink, 12 miles away on the coast (but still on the Metro), is the largest musical venue.  In town, there's the City Hall, for both classical music and popular bands, Mayfair (see above) and the Riverside (Credit to the Nation, Aimee Mann).[PARA][BOLD]Cabaret:[EBOLD] Newcastle nurtures many a comic talent in pubs and clubs such as the Ugly Jugglers.  [PUSH]push[EPUSH][ITAL]plug: Cabaret A-Go-Go in Byker.[EITAL][HDNG]UNIVERSITY:[EHDNG][PARA][GRPH]E1[EGRPH][STAT][BULL] Price of a pint of beer: £1 [BULL] Glass of wine: £1.20[ESTAT][PARA][BOLD]Bars:[EBOLD] There are 3 bars at the main centre and 1 at Coach Lane: Reds (cap 500); Northumbria Lounge (200); Ballroom (1,500, Friday nights only). Plans for thirst-quenching facilities at Longhirst and Carlisle are in hand.[PARA][BOLD]Theatres:[EBOLD] There are local theatres on site, and the University has one of its own.  Students took 2 shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year.[PARA][BOLD]Cinemas:[EBOLD] The projector broke.[PARA][BOLD]Clubs/discos and music venues:[EBOLD] Students dance themselves dizzy almost every night, usually in Reds Bar, which also hosts live music.  More pounding sounds drown the downs in the Northumbria Lounge but the Ballroom is big enough to attract some major names and draw students from [ULNE]Newcastle University[EULNE].[PARA][BOLD]Recent band appearances:[EBOLD] Brand New Heavies; Blur; Ministry of Sound.[PARA][BOLD]Cabaret:[EBOLD] Mainly local comics, [ITAL]but that's not a problem, there's some excellent up and coming Geordie talent.  [EITAL]Also, recently, Lee Evans and the Rubber Bishops.[PARA][BOLD]Others: [EBOLD]An [ITAL]impressive [EITAL]art gallery in the library building, and occasional balls.[HDNG]EATING OUT:[EHDNG][PARA]The University, with 4 cafeterias, refectories and snack bars, beats the Union with its Continental Cafe and the Northumbria Lounge.  If these aren't enough to fulfil the students' needs for face filling, [ITAL]there's enough elsewhere to feed a city the size of Newcastle - strange, that.  [EITAL][BOLD]Eating out in Newcastle: [EBOLD]see [ULNE]University of Newcastle[EULNE].[PARA][PARA]