Member’s Guide to

The Goth and Rock Society

Ed.G.a.R is the only society that caters for the alternative music scene in the University and beyond. It was formed because the University Unions had no clubs catering for Goth, Rock, Industrial, Punk, Thrash, Metal and many other forms of alternative music and lifestyle, so we formed the society to fill this gap. As a society we run clubs in the student unions, organise gigs by major bands, hold regular meetings and social evenings, have a lively internet mailing list, and organise trips to festivals and gigs. We also distribute information on clubs and upcoming events, so talk to us if you want to know what's going on!

As a society we run a regular club called ".conception". It's usually held in the Potterrow union on Saturday nights two to three times a term. The entry costs are very cheap, £2 for members and £3 pounds for everyone else. We play a mixture of Goth, Metal, Punk and Industrial music and try to have at least a third of our play list made up of requests.

If you want to DJ, .conception is your chance to learn. More information can be found on the web page, or ask an existing member if you want to find out what it's like. .CONCEPTION is an ideal meeting place for all students who prefer an alternative lifestyle.

.Conception is not the only club in Edinburgh to cater for the Goth/Rock scene. We have a strong presence at several other clubs, with Edgar members involved in running most of them!

Mission

The biggest alternative club complex in Scotland, split between four levels. The fun starts on Thursday and finishes Sunday. Most clubs and events happen here, as it is very friendly to non-main stream activities. It's found near the top of Victoria Street (the one from George IV Bridge to the Grass Market). The Mission presents some confusion to new arrivals in Edinburgh, since each floor has a different name! If people talk about The Rocking Horse, Mission, Nicky Tams etc., they're generally referring to the same place…

Cas Rock

Another venue in Edinburgh for Rock and Goth events, situated on West Portland Street it is directly South of the Castle often plays host to goth, rock and metal clubs.

Ascension

is a regular club most often run in the Cas Rock, organised by Julia who also makes and sells her own jewellery and clothes. With a gothic industrial darkwave atmosphere this club is very popular, door are usually open 9-3am

The Rocking Horse complex

Many clubs are run from the Rocking Horse complex on Victoria Street, Dave the Poet runs Dust on Thursday nights from the Cowgate entrance. Playing a mixture of metal, industrial, punk and gothic the club runs from 11-3am (doors close 1.30am). Entry is £2.

Friday and Saturday nights Boneyard runs from the top floor, underneath Nicky Tams. Entry is £4 or £3 with a membership pass. Apply for one at the font desk. On the second floor the music is more rock and metal orientated but there still is a large crossover between the two floors. Happy hour starts at 11, Newcastle Brown ale is a £1 a bottle, by 11.30 every table is covered in bottles of 'Dog'.

On Sundays two clubs share the Mission, on the top floor Dave the poet, runs four monthly clubs catering to different tastes, Rust - old school metal; Demon - hardcore industrial; Succubus - gothic rock and Zululand - psychobilly/punk/ska.

On the lower floor on the second Sunday of every month Permission is run. Permission is a fetish club with gothic rock overtones and run by Gothic regulars from the Mission it is a very friendly place to be. Although not affiliated to the University itself, many people from Ed.G.a.R go. It is a safe place to let your hair down and be yourself for a while. Entry is £4 they often distribute flyers with which you can get in for £3, Cowgate door 11pm - 3am. More information can be found on their web pages at: http://www.hedonism.demon.co.uk /permission/ or email

Outside of Edinburgh, bEdLAM in Glasgow is the nearest Gothic/Rock venue. They often have the space to put on the larger bands that Edinburgh lacks, recently Inkubus Sukkubus played there. Bedlam can be reached at their web site www.ntpgd.demon.co.uk/bedlam or email

N.B. Glasgow to Edinburgh return on the buses start at £5.

PUBS

There are several pubs in Edinburgh that cry out to be drunk in.

The Cauldron is on Clerk St, just south of the Odeon. It used to be called the Pioneer, but has recently changed hands, and is now owned by the landlord of the Holyrood, see below. This pub is a regular haunt for members of the society, as many of us live near by. The décor is dark and the bar top is covered in Tarot cards. Weirdo friendly

The Holyrood Tavern is another very good drinking hole that has a long and fine tradition of being relaxed about longhaired, pale people asking for snakebite & black. With a back room and discrete corners, there are more places to lurk than any of the 'trendy' pubs you are likely to find in Edinburgh

WHITBY

Whitby is a massive Gothic Rock festival. It used to be held once a year but has now become so popular that it is held twice. In April and October (Halloween) thousands of Goths, punks and rockers descend on the quiet seaside village in which Dracula landed in Bram Stokers novel. The festival officially lasts for two to three days depending on ‘Whitby Jo’. http://whitby.darkwave.org.uk booking info phone Jo Hampshire 0151 678 1252).

During the day there is the Bizarre Bazaar, a collection of stalls and traders selling everything from shoes and clothing to CD's and fake teeth. Generally these markets are great value for money and they save a trip down to London. At night at least three bands do live sets, followed by a night club to the wee small hours. All this takes place at the Whitby spar below the cliffs on the north side of the river. The south side of Whitby is dominated by the ruins of the old Cathedral upon which there are usually parties after the night's events.

Although it is possible to get to the festival under your own steam the society has for the last three Whitby's organised the trip. We sort out transport, usually involving the hire of a coach and arrange accommodation for you once you arrive. We have about 20 to 30 people travel with us for each event, out of the sixty or so from Edinburgh who regularly go. The Elsinor is the pub that we all drink at. Myth has it that when the gothic festival started the only pub that would let people in was the Elsinor, now a thousand gothic rocker descend upon it twice yearly often spilling out onto the street.

Faye.

Clubs

The Cathouse at The Attic, Cowgate.

Friday nights, 11-3, £3 (£2)

This rock/metal club recently moved here from the Jaffa Cake in King Stables Road after being at the Mission for several years. It is now in competition with the Mission and after it’s move to the Attic, is suffering from very poor attendance levels! The music is great, as are the drinks promo’s (if the bar staff know about them). Shame about the inadequate size of venue and the fact that the Mission has won, in my opinion, anyway.

The Cathouse lives on...by the skin of it’s teeth. It is, however, very successful in Glasgow (due to the lack of alternatives!) and is worth a visit if you want a night out over there.

Julia Davies