Propaganda

Originally in Level, then it moved house to Panache, and its final resting place has proven to be located on the sticky carpet of Syndicate… Propaganda’s shift in venues has gone hand in hand with its move to the mainstream.
Yes it’s indie/​alternative but it’s all the big radio tracks. The night definitely attracts a very young (and generally, very very drunk) crowd, mostly students given the weeknight slot.
There are a variety of different rooms playing differet music but unless you’re heavily into the whole indie scene, and I would venture, very young, you might wabt to try something else.

Propaganda is an alternative club night that has been running in Bristol for several years now, and a couple of years ago the night moved from Panache nightclub to Syndicate.
This is a great night out, especially if you fancy something a bit different from the more mainstream nights that Bristol has to offer — the music is classed as ‘alternative’/‘indie’ in the main room, and in the upstairs room they play more ‘metal’ and ‘electro’, so there’s a couple of different scenes to choose from and you can alternate through the night as you fancy!
One thing I would make a point of is that it tends to be a night more geared towards students and young people in the 18 – 25 age bracket — there are also a lot of people who take the alternative fashion pretty seriously, so it’s not always your average night out dress code! A pretty little dress and heels might not be the most common thing you see girls wearing — and more grungy clothes tend to be sported!
Drink prices are student prices, and you often have promotions going on of something like ‘apple sours’ which can be bought cheap too! It’s a good fun night, and Syndicate is a well designed night club — its pretty big, especially the downstairs room, and there’s plenty of bars dotted about the place.

Having been a student in Bristol for almost 3 years I have pretty much experience all that Syndicate can offer. Wednesday nights remain my favourite due to Propaganda.
I am not really a fan of Indie music (well, I don’t hate it!) but the reason why I go regularly is because the people inside are so much different to the usual crowds. They are pleasant and I am never hassled or grabbed/​stroked. In fact, I don’t think I have ever witnessed a fight on a Wednesday night (which is a huge achievement for Syndicate!). Oh and the drinks are cheap too — grab yourself a Propaganda membership card (which are free) meaning you can benefit from £1 shots and £1.50 glass of wine and a couple of nightly specials.
The entire place definitely needs a good clean though!

Sweaty and alcohol soaked, Propaganda at Syndicate is an unwise choice if you have to work on a Thursday morning. If not, it’s the place to be among a certain crowd of Bristolians — then students and new 18 year olds. Pumping Indie and Electro, drinks deals and like-​minded young ruffians visit the super-​club week in, week out, like some kind of organised religion. If you’re up for getting mashed, get to the bar quick, it’s usually five deep, and the affects of your £1.95 vodka and coke will have disappeared by the time you’re served again. Go if you’re up for a laugh, but don’t expect a classy club.

The smoking ban made many venues more pleasant environments. Not propaganda, however. The smell of cigarettes, it turns out, had been cloaking a stench of human sweat and spilt vodka. You will leave here smelling like you’ve been for a work out at the gym.
Cast an eye on the queue that forms to get in here to get an idea of things inside. You should see lots of tipsy, excitable, and most of all young people gearing up for a night of bopping around to indie hits. DJ Dan, Props’s resident music mistro, doesn’t have the most sophisticated tastes. In fact, I think he’s got about two dozen songs he plays every single night. Not that that really matters here. You come to propaganda to soak yourself in vodka and coke and love every sweaty, guitar riff backed minute of it.

The phrase ‘showing my age’ sounds pretty stupid coming from me, but it’s quite applicable to Propaganda. I remember when it used to be at the only club with an awesome view of Bristol, at The Level (which has long been closed, and has now succumbed to the property developers’ hands and turned into flats). Then, as a step down in quality it moved to Panache for a brief period, before it settled on its current location, in the ‘Superclub’, as they call it, that is The Syndicate. On most other nights the Syndicate caters to a crowd that’s decidedly unpleasant, but on Wednesday night, the indie orientated students pile in to have a dance to Dj Dan’s skills on the decks (which, by the way, are fairly mediocre). But somehow they’ve managed to get a massively successful night, so much so that they’ve franchised to many another city in England.
Having got the negatives out the way, Propaganda is a kind of love-​to-​hate it place. You should be warned it’s totally student orientated, with drinks at appropriate prices — £2 a pint and around the same for a vodka mixer drink. It gets absolutely rammed in term time, but Syndicate’s saving grace is that it’s so big it’s actually got some variety, with a choice of 4 bars (it becomes quite a skill to choose the bar with the smallest queue), a rock room upstairs, and a large smoking area downstairs (which makes you feel a bit like you’re in a zoo, as you’re caged in from the road outside). If you’re in a big group you could have quite a fun night, but it’s not somewhere you want to make a habit of going to.