Some shops are just part of how a city works. On Division Street, that’s Rocky Horrors: the alternative store where generations of Sheffield goths, punks, metalheads and the generally curious have picked up their band tees, boots, badges and patches. In their own words this week: “Attention Sheffield! Rocky Horrors is still going strong”, and we couldn’t let that go by without a proper shout-out.
Over 35 years of alternative Sheffield
By the shop’s own account, Rocky Horrors opened on 13 October 1990 on the top floor of an old little mesters’ workshop on Cambridge Street, selling rock and heavy metal merchandise. In 2003 it moved across the road towards Division Street, and it has been a fixture of the street ever since. That makes next Tuesday, 13 October, its 36th birthday.
A lot has changed on Division Street in that time. Bars and cafes have come and gone, and the city centre has been rebuilt around it, but Rocky Horrors is still here, run by people who clearly love the scene they serve. Their reviews tell the same story again and again: friendly, welcoming staff and good advice.
View this post from Rocky Horrors (@rockyhorrorssheffield) on Instagram
What you’ll find inside
The window says it all: band tees, incense, candles, crystals, essential oils, fair trade clothes, leather bags, hair dye, jewellery, body jewellery, New Rock shoes and leather jackets. Inside there are badges, patches, belts, gifts and Alchemy Gothic jewellery, plus what the shop describes as one of the most extensive ranges of cowboy boots in the UK. They even stock rock and goth baby clothes, so the next generation can start young.
It’s also the handiest stop in town before a gig or festival. When Resistanz is on at Corporation, or Tramlines takes over the city, Rocky Horrors is where people go for spiked belts, glitter, face gems and a last-minute band tee.
View this post from Rocky Horrors (@rockyhorrorssheffield) on Instagram
Why independents like this matter
Sheffield’s alternative scene runs on places like this: shops where you can ask what’s on, where gig posters go up first, and where the people behind the counter actually go to the shows. Every pound spent at an independent like Rocky Horrors stays closer to home and keeps Division Street interesting. If you haven’t been in for a while, now’s a good time to pop by and wish them a happy birthday.
View this post from Rocky Horrors (@rockyhorrorssheffield) on Instagram
Visit Rocky Horrors
- Where: 101 Division Street, Sheffield (their website and some listings still show 97 Division Street, a few doors along)
- Open: Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm (check their socials before a special trip)
- Phone: 0114 249 3461
- Online: rockyhorrors.co.uk, Instagram and Facebook
Photos and embedded posts: Rocky Horrors (@rockyhorrorssheffield), used with credit. History and opening details from Rocky Horrors’ own website and social pages. If you run a Sheffield independent you’d like us to feature, get in touch.