Support your local music shop (if you have one!)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010 ... el-islands

I travel around the south of England visiting Music Shops for work. In the last 5 years i have seen more victims of rising rent costs and falling profit margins.

Yes we all like a bargain buying online but with instruments you should also try before you buy. Every Guitar plays differently even if it's the same model!
'Record' shops allow local artists and invaluable outlet if they don't have mainstream distribution. Let alone the random gigs they hold in store.

Polly's local music shop have recently had 'The Levellers' do a mini set, as well as Steve Knightley and also Seth Lakeman.
You don't get that in HMV!

There is a book called 'Last Shop Standing, Whatever Happened to Record Shops?' which looked into the closings recently. There used to be over 600 independents now about 269 in the entire country.

Even Polly's website says you can pre-order the new album from Play.com or HMV. How about you contact your local CD seller and get them to pre-order it. If you don't have one contact Bridport Music!

http://www.bridportmusic.co.uk/

This goes for music stores of all kinds and book stores too. I love Amazon, but I realize what a struggle it is for the local book and music stores. We have a giant Borders, but I wouldn't set foot in there for about a year after it opened, I went only after receiving gift cards! I still use Amazon to browse titles and save thing to my wish list, but only to keep track of them. When the time comes to buy, I head downtown for the independents, they have a flavor unique to our area, Borders is totally bland. And where else will you find all that VINYL?!

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Click to see the PJ Harvey Gigography

I'd never support my local music shops - firstly because there aren't many left, but even when there were they used to carry popular music only. I totally agree if you're in an area where you actually have independent stores though.

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Too right, and hello, halfpint.

I had forgotten about that book; thanks for the reminder by accident!

Atomic Sounds was my local music shop but Tony, the owner, had to close it down around six years ago but he now delivers to my door!

There's a link to his ebay page at the bottom, if any one is interested:

http://www.atomicsounds.co.uk/

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Wiggins is so superbly unassuming, he looks like he's about to say 'Pop the gold medal in the post, I'm nipping out for some biscuits'

Mark Steel

You and me both, Hell. That's exactly what I use Amazon for.

I use a small, independent, family run book shop. There is a chain store bookseller within walking distance for me but I always go to the independent one.

There was something called the Net Book Agreement in Britain, where books had to be sold at the full price, but it was abolished a few years ago, so that big chains could sell books at lower prices. It protected small, independent shops but a lot of them closed because of the Agreement being abolished.

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Wiggins is so superbly unassuming, he looks like he's about to say 'Pop the gold medal in the post, I'm nipping out for some biscuits'

Mark Steel

I'm with you halfpint. I do my best to shop for all my book's, music & film via indie owned stores. People really need to understand and appreciate what these shops bring to a community.
My daughter and I like to meet up at a Toronto record store a couple of times a month. Just before the holidays we were browsing vinyl in the basement and in walks a band that I used to see live 20 odd years ago in the local bars. Turns out they had gotten back together and were doing an instore between two sold-out nights across the street. My daughter starts playing fangirl looking for autographs and dad's like "you know who Lowest of the Low are?" and she's "Hell Yeah". It was a very cool moment, lets see that happen in the CD section at Walmart!!

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how will you ever walk again...

I picked up a copy of LES this afternoon at my local record shop. I didn't even have to ask for it, it was out in the bins! So there is at least one big advantage for buying at a local shop. Sure it was a few dollars more, but it's worth it to try to keep the local shops alive.

BTW, LES is currently #6 on amazon.com's alt rock list, and it's not even out yet.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JelqPcoaAB8"

Arghh! I went yesterday and it wasn't out. I'll try again tomorrow.

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Click to see the PJ Harvey Gigography

Got our copy reserved along with a signed poster!

I went on a photoshoot around West Dorset yesterday, never occurred to me to pop in to that record store. . . agh

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http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Polar1One

I buy most of my music online.. should I stop?

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I live in palm beach gardens and am trying to become self sufficient - I want to grow my own food.. most of it. Any tips are appreciated!

Well it depends on your views and where online you are buying!

Personally i want to be able to visit a shop a browse the CD's. I want to be able to get signed posters because the artist has been to the shop. I want to talk about music and get recommendations from the shop staff.

I don't want to support some big company trying to keep share holders happy. I want to support people who are making a living from their love of music.

Have you seen 'Empire Records'?

"I don't want to support some big company trying to keep share holders happy. I want to support people who are making a living from their love of music."


Don't get me wrong.. I love the music I listen too. I just buy it online.

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I live in palm beach gardens and am trying to become self sufficient - I want to grow my own food.. most of it. Any tips are appreciated!

Out of interest would you say it's easier to buy online? How does it compare on price?

I don't know how it is in the USA but certainly in the UK we are loosing specialist shops as owners can't compete with the prices of big online retailers selling way below RRP. Selling only to a local area and having to pay rent and rates means they need decent profit margins to survive.

At the same time the buying public are being squeezed by rises in petrol/food/insurance etc. so have less disposable income. When they do have money to spend they want to get the most for their money.

It's a lose lose situation really.

Hopefully it won't happen but i can see why people worry that only supermarkets will survive and we will lose the choice and service of smaller shops.

I buy online quite a bit, more so in the winter months but most of the savings get eaten up in shipping cost. I try to keep it down to used vinyl that I might not find local, indie artists so the dough goes straight to them and less often because of convienience (if i'm busy and can't make it to the shops but still need my fix). I pre-ordered the 7 & 12" LES from England just because I'd rather have the UK pressing in this instance. Didn't order from "big online retailer" though

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how will you ever walk again...