Between 30 May and 1 June, Exeter Students’ Guild put on one of their biggest events of the academic year – Exefest. The summer months are normally lined with festivals across the country and the University of Exeter is not exempt from the desire to listen to music under the sun.
Exefest is the Guild’s version of a music festival, tailored to students. It spanned across three days and involved many student bands and performers who took to the stage to showcase their talents, reportedly featuring more than 60 students across the weekend. The event also offered other games and activities for guests to partake in throughout the three days.
The days were split depending on performance type. Friday was reserved for dance societies such as the K-Pop society and the Folk society. Saturday was given to individual artists and Sunday, perhaps their biggest day, was for student bands. Despite the, often correct, reputation of Exeter being a primarily sports university, it often doesn’t get credit for how the university allows musical talent to flourish.
Exeposé had the privilege to talk to one of the performers at Exefest about their experience – the band ‘The PHD’. The PHD are a student band, made up of three performers who recently won the university’s Battle of the Bands. When asked, they praised Exefest, saying “It was a really nice opportunity to see our friends play, with such a range of genres”. They also highlighted how they loved performing for everyone who came to watch.
Exeter Students’ Guild is home to a countless number of societies that fit under the music category. From all their different types of bands, to dance societies, all the way to musical theatre groups, there is something for all students who have an interest in music. The university also offers practice spaces for those who want to use them. When asked about this event, a spokesperson from the Guild, commented saying: “We’re proud to champion our student musicians and performers, whether they’re stepping on stage for the first time or playing to a packed crowd. Through opportunities like Exefest, our societies, music membership programme and dedicated support, we help students grow their confidence, find their audience and feel part of something bigger”.
We asked The PHD if they believe the university helps encourage student performers and they couldn’t be more enthusiastic with their reply. They mentioned how the university offers music membership which costs £12.50 for the year and allows students to access practice spaces, equipment and tech. They also discussed the different events put on by the Guild and University, such as Campus Bands’ jam which often have “good turn outs”. They added how “Exefest and Music Mondays at The Ram are a really great way for new bands to gain some initial live experience before going out to play somewhere in the city”.
Additionally, Exeter city provides a range of opportunities for bands and performers to get up on stage and perform. The PHD highlighted the strong band culture in Exeter and shared their favourite places to perform throughout the city. “Shows put on at The Old Firehouse by one of the former campus bands presidents are a really great tight-knit thing with a lot of new bands and there is always something happening in Exeter”. To give some context, the former campus bands president is in charge of a group called The Exe Gig Collective. They work with young musicians separate from the university. They primarily work with The Old Firehouse and advocate for fair payment and treatment for young musicians.
University life often provides students an opportunity to try new things and make new hobbies and friends. We asked The PHD if they thought being in a band affected their university experience and they said that their band experience improves their time at university. “We have a lot of fun, sharing our love for music together, writing songs and making some friends for life. It’s the kind of thing more people should do as there’s a lot of musical talent out there that never leaves people’s bedrooms”.
This idea has been shared by other students too. We spoke to one student, set to graduate in July, who just started a band of his own in the last few months. He said that he wished he had gotten involved sooner and expressed that he is “having so much fun with it at the moment”.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to get involved with any events this year, a new academic year is on the horizon. With Welcome Week approaching soon, more music events and opportunities are expected to be revealed imminently. Exeter offers such a wide range of ways to take part in the music scene that are open to everyone who wants to get involved with it.
