RockSoc is the home of all things alternative in St Andrews. If you’re interested in music from anywhere and everywhere across the rock and metal spectrum, and/or alternative art, literature, and culture, we are your people! We're an inclusive space for everyone, whether you're a dedicated metalhead or just exploring the genre.
St. Andrews can be an isolating place at first, especially for those who don't feel they fit in with the mainstream- Rocksoc is a brilliant place to meet like-minded people and make close friends.
We started out back in 1991 as a small group of friends brought together by a love of music, and we’ve been rockin’ ever since! Below are some of the types of events you can expect to see from us...
Club nights
Fortnightly, on Thursdays, we take over Sandy’s Bar in the Union for our rock and metal club night. We put on a range of themes, from emo to nu mteal to goth.
One aspect of our club nights that never changes is how fun, friendly and welcoming they are. You’ll see headbanging, dancing, as well as lots of people just chilling with a drink, so fear not if dancing’s not your thing. Entry to all of our club nights are free to our members!
Live Music
Our society has a passion for live music, whether that’s listening to or playing it. If you’re interested in getting a band together, look out for our band finding events where we’ll do our best to match you with equally eager musicians.
We hold semi-regular open mics for anyone to come along to and perform how they like; the more the merrier so don't hesitate - and no pressure if you are not musically gifted, come along and celebrate the local talent
Not only that, but we’re also working hard on bringing bands from Scotland and beyond to St Andrews to put on a show. Our 2019 gig featuring NESHIIMA, Snash and Messed Up Youth was a huge sucess and we look forward to top it! In 2023 we had an absolute blast celebrating the 30th anniversary of our society by throwing a gig at 601 and the stage with local student bands Downstem and Verbatim, and the amazing St Andrews Rocksoc alumni band Best Of the Old Bastards (BOOBS)!! We don't need to tell you it was a success, winning Best Society Event of the year at the Society Awards is all you need to know about it ;)) In addition, we're putting on a gig to start the academic year this September- check our socials for more details
Daytime Socials
Contrary to popular belief, we’re not (completely) nocturnal! At various points throughout the year you can expect to join us for coffee, board games or other artsy activities during the day. If we’re extra lucky, some of our old friends – our lovely alumni from years past – might stop by to pay us a visit, too.
You’re also very much encouraged to join our Community Group; this is a place where we’ll organise informal events, share new music, and talk about anything and everything. You can also use our community group to find people to go to gigs, pres, festivals, and any other meet-ups during the year! Also, join our discord https://discord.com/invite/PcVJk8N
Bonfires
There’s something really special about getting cosy around a fire listening to your favourite music. We’ll typically have bonfires during Freshers and May Dip.
Radio
We have our very own radio show! Every week during term time, you can tune in to listen to the latest news in rock and metal and lots of great music. Make sure to like RockSTAR on Facebook to find out when we’ll be airing, as well as STAR (St Andrews Radio) of course!
We also have a happy video shot for the start of last academic year, 2020-2021 (Yes, we know it's 2023, but this feels nostalgic) https://youtu.be/MKkXazXyQjg
Our Committee
The RockSoc committee are responsible for all of the organisation for the society and its events. We're all passionate RockSoc enthusiasts who want to make sure it's a fun, welcoming place for everyone!
Our EGM takes place near the start of semester one, and is the best opportunity for our new members to join the committee! All members can run for any role free, but we particularly encourage Freshers to get involved!
Our AGM takes place towards the end of each academic year, where all of our committee for the next academic year are chosen.
Below are the names and roles of the lovely folk on our committee for 2023/24. You're more than welcome to get in touch with any of us with questions, ideas, or simply to get to know us! We're also more than happy to meet up with you and go to our events together if you're nervous or just want a few friendly faces to show up with – we're sure you'll feel at home in no time.
Co-Presidents: Tom (th216) and Robin (ca201)
Secretary and Events Team Member: Meg (ms527)
Treasurer: Delyth (dh226)
Publicity Officer: Eve
Design Officer: Will
Wellbeing Officer: Andy
Radio Officer: Risha & Jamie
Head of Events: Laura
Live Events Coordinator: Alexander
Music Officer: Maddie
Events Team Members: Noa, Nadia, Alex, Maya
Hope to see you soon!