BPM: livening up St Andrews’ social scene

BPM is one of the most popular music collectives in St Andrews, livening up St Andrews’ limited social scene. The Tab spoke to Ahmed Shareefy, founder and director of BPM, to learn more about the music collective and explore its journey over the last year by reviewing the first and last event of 2019/20.

How it all began

Pioneered two and a half years ago in England’s bustling capital, BPM (Beats Per Minute) was launched by St Andrews’ very own Ahmed. Over the last couple of years, the music collective has flourished and firmly established itself in the Fife coastal town.

An iconic night out with some of the best hip hop and grime on offer, BPM is always a sell-out event with tickets disappearing within minutes and queues extending down the street.

Now in his final year, Ahmed and his team run events up and down the country and serve as a platform for up and coming artists. From graphic illustrators and DJs to fashion designers, the brand offers a variety of event services to network and bring artists together.

Their criteria: a passion for the field and a healthy dose of initiative that allows them to create their own individual and distinct style. There is an incredible level of trust and freedom of expression to direct their own content.

Kicking off 2019/20 with ‘Reload’

Freshers’ Week 2019 was an opportunity for BPM to set a standard for the rest of the year and the ‘Reload’ event did not disappoint.

As per usual, all three rooms of the Vic were packed with freshers and returners alike, celebrating the beginning of the year. Closing an hour later than usual (a big deal in a small town like St Andrews with a bedtime of 2am), the Vic was brought to life courtesy of incredible mixes by three of BPM’s best DJs.

A thrilling night out, it was a strong start to the year and left students hopeful for what the rest of the year had in stock. From the music to design, BPM offered a night out like no other in St Andrews.

A premature finale with ‘Ice Melts’ 

As students crammed into the Vic a week before Spring Break, no one thought it would be the last BPM event of the year. Nevertheless, BPM maintained their high quality and inadvertently delivered the greatest finale to second semester.

Infinite weeks into self-isolation, scrolling through the photos brings back memories of the incredible energy in the Vic. Students crammed into the Vic’s main room enjoyed an eclectic mix of hip hop hits while others enjoyed an uncharacteristically warm night and socialised in the outside seating area.

‘Ice Melts’ could not have been any better had the BPM committee known the year was coming to an end.

What does BPM’s future hold?

In terms of BPM’s future, the collective has firmly established itself in St Andrews and Ahmed will be passing on the reigns once he graduates. He hopes to return to London to continue expanding and growing the brand and finding investors and new fresh talent that reflects the group vision. The music collective will continue brightening up nights out in St Andrews and offering a taste of big-city entertainment in the coastal town.

You can keep updated with BPM’s future events and explore their music playlist via Facebook and Instagram

Featured image via BPM.

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