How My Course Supported Me for a Live Performance!
Date 7 August 2025
7.08.2025As a Popular Music student, the University of Northampton helped provide equipment for my band performing at the local HMV, and here’s how they can support you too!
Our live gig
Recently, my band ‘The Eyelets’ were given the fantastic opportunity to perform at the local HMV. Due to performing in an atypical concert venue, we had to provide our own equipment, such as speakers, cables, microphones, instruments and amplifiers, some of which we did not own. Thankfully, we were able to borrow equipment from the University, leading to an incredibly successful and positive experience for all of us!
About The Opportunity
By contacting our course’s technician, we were allowed access to the University’s music equipment often used for performance assessments at various venues. Due to the home of the Popular Music course, the Development Hub, being closed on a Saturday, he contacted security to allow us out-of-hours access to the facility, ensuring we were monitored. As well as this, he started filling in a risk assessment for me to complete, a requirement to ensure nobody is injured in the handling of equipment and that nothing is damaged. After completing the paperwork and forwarding it on to the relevant members of staff, the technician placed all of the equipment together and left a note to ensure it was not moved, reserving everything we needed. This made it much easier and more efficient for us to arrive at the Development Hub, load the equipment into cars and transport it to the venue.
The experience was fantastic, and we drew quite the crowd, considering that the event was quite random and in the corner of HMV! This event wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the University, and we were all very grateful.
Whilst procedures may vary, no matter your course, it is likely that there is some form of equipment available for loan. For example, somebody studying education may need to borrow teaching resources, specifically when trying to engage a younger class. There is an entire section of the library dedicated to this! Other examples of this may include props for acting students, filming equipment for film and media courses, or cameras for those studying photography. I cannot guarantee that all courses would have equipment as readily available as my Popular Music course, so it is worth discussing this with a lecturer.
Support from UON
Overall, many practical courses here at the University of Northampton allow students access to equipment they may not have access to otherwise, so if you need support with anything, don’t hesitate to talk to a member of staff!
You can find out more about what UON can offer to students by visiting an Open Day
Joe is a first-year Popular Music student, with a particular interest in creating scores for film and television, as well as writing and performing alternative rock music with his band.