CHAMPION SOUND
Ambitious college bands or those with gift for gig promotion looking to make themselves heard could do worse than check out SPL Pro Sound And Light. Ireland’s newest pro audio, DJ and lighting showroom, they are an online supplier with a base in Ballymount, just off the M50.
If you’re aiming to announce yourselves in a big way on the live music scene, or are a fresh-faced promoter looking to put on a show the old DIY way, SPL Pro Sound And Light have you covered. Their Ballymount showrooms are fully operational, allowing you to AB test and compare all the latest products from the biggest brands. They boast an extensive range of loudspeakers, analogue and digital desks, amplification, DJ mixers and controllers, lighting and effects from leading manufactures such as EV, Pioneer, Numark, Dynacord, KAM, HK Audio, db Technologies, AT, Sennheiser, Alto, Crown, Soundcraft and PreSonus, to name but a few. Not only that, they provide hands on in-house support and customer service to back up at online prices, making them a proper helping hand as you put your show together.
Unit 41, Western Parkway Business Centre, Ballymount Road, Dublin.

MEXICAN WAVE
Fast and tasty grub that won’t hurt your pocket and will give you all the nutritional essentials – that really is the order of the day during your college years. With that in mind, Dublin students – particularly those around DIT’s Southside campus – are sorted with Boojum. John and Karen Blisard’s family-run business have just opened a new store on Kevin Street: their student special is quite special indeed. You can get your hands on any burrito you desire for €5.75. Throw in a can of soft drink or a bottle of water as well, and the price is just €6.50. However, Boojum doesn’t just do quick food. It also does some of the best Mexican eats around – they prepare everything fresh and, as a point of principle, don’t have any freezers or microwaves in their kitchens.
College Court, Kevin Street Lower, Dublin.
boojumex.com

LIVING THE STEAM
The Boiler House is Dublin’s premier gay sauna, and comes with quite an interesting past. The five storey building, in Temple Bar, is within the walls of a nineteenth century grain store once owned by Queen Victoria, responsible for outlawing oral sex between men in 1885. We doubt she’d be pleased; perhaps she would appreciate the irony. The Boiler House opened in 1997 and offers a safe, relaxed environment to unwind, with a coffee bar and TV lounge on site. The DJ night is once a month and usually coincides with DADDi club which is in the Turks Head. The Boiler House is DADDi’s preferred after-party. In close proximity to many of the capital’s gay pubs and clubs, it gets busy on weekends! That’s all part of the charm. With the coupon contained in this issue and a valid student card, you’ll be charged half price and gain entry for €11.
12 Crane Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.
the-boilerhouse.com

PLUG IN BABY
Cork’s longest-running independent record store is also a cult favourite nationwide, with a massive reputation on the music scene. Plugd Records is one of those rare retailers that doubles as a hang-out, where music fans congregate to chat as well as search the racks for great finds – and you will find it all, from punk to jazz and some extremely desirable vinyl. On the first floor of the Triskel Arts Centre, their ample room allows them to put on regular gigs with Triskel and The Black Mariah, an art gallery and creative space. Everyone from your average Cork punter to some of the county’s greatest musical talents will tell you Plugd is the place where they first heard some of their best-loved sounds and also struck up some of their most enduring friendships. Go to plugdrecords.com for more.
Plugd Records, Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street, Cork.
plugdrecords.com

HIDE & SEEK
We’re living in an age – a Golden Age, if you will – where superhero flicks rule the big screen box office, where graphic novel enthusiasts no longer have to gather in dark and dusty back rooms or niche internet fan forums to whisper conspiratorially. A mainstream and much-loved art in 2014, lovers of the form attending NUI Maynooth need look no further than Hidden Treasure Comics for all their comic book needs. Since opening in December 2012, Hidden Treasure has become a hub of activity. They have more than 30,000 comics on location, offering an enormous back catalogue of vintage titles plus toys, collectibles, board games and Magic the Gathering cards. If you’re studying in Dublin, they also have a store in the St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre.
3 Buckley Court, Buckley Lane, Maynooth.
Facebook.com/htcomics for more.