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Touche Amore - To The Beat Of A Dead Horse

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Unfortunately my day job got in the way of me participating in Record Store Day this year but I think I can still share some thoughts on what is fast becoming the biggest day in the music calendar. 

  This time last year I decided to visit Beano's in Croydon. Now I'll admit that my requirements to frequent record shops have been limited since christmas 2006 when I finally gave in and purchased an iPod. In fact the last time I visited this famous record store, a couple of years later was to try and offload some 300 CD's that I'd burned onto my hard drive and were just gathering dust. Sadly they didn't want to take these or the selection of vinyl I had, aside from a paltry offer for an original pressing of Dangermouse's Grey Album. It's label is hand written in pencil. Looking back I'm glad but my reluctance to shop in Croydon as a rule meant it would be some time before I went back.

  So 12 months ago, I convinced my ex whom I was living with at the time to drive me into Croydon (we lived in Purley). I get to the historic shop, formerly the largest in Europe, and as I approach the shop something was amiss. Inside, the racks of CD's and vinyl had been replaced with small little units selling everything from Joss Sticks, scented candles and skull shaped candle holders to fabrics, ornaments and paintings. Not one record in sight though.

  For a few years now I've had an idea in mind to start collecting all my favourite albums on vinyl (the ex wasn't so keen) and my plan a year ago was to start this by buying Up The Bracket and Is This It then framing them to go into my spare room that doubled up as an office. No such luck, as it transpired Beano's had closed down about 6 months earlier. A victim of the increase in music downloads like so many other independent record stores around that time. If only David Lashmar had been able to make ends meet for a few months more and maybe Beano's would have prospered from this new resurgence in fortunes, one that has led to Record Store Day not being so much a call to arms for avid music collectors but a celebration of music. With limited editions, re-releases and even re-formations of bands, another on my to buy list last year was Fools Day the first single from Blur for some 7 years, Record Store Day is causing fans and collectors alike to queue for hours in the hope of getting their hands on some top draw swag.

  Now before we get carried away, in no way are record shops saved, HMV is still closing stores up and down the country. When I lived in Wimbledon many years ago I was a DJ in the local Po Na Na, I was forever in HMV buying new music, in fact I was in there so often that the manager of that particular branch at the time used to order in advance copies for me from the states and pass on his staff discount. It was just like going to an independent store, we even shared a few beers from time to time. Whatever way you look at the once giant of the high street you cant deny that once the emphasis of their marketing shifted from music to games and films the writing was on the wall for music in a solid format. But is that really a bad thing?

  Artist’s share of physical music sales is no where near as big as the cut they get from live performances and since the decrease in music sales they have been forced to tour more. Surely this, for fans, can only be a good thing? After all music was always a meant to be something you enjoy more live rather than on a small disc of plastic and this is must be better for the artists themselves; surely the buzz from performing to two thousand fans in Brixton Academy is purer an art than getting your debut album to 24 in the charts and trending on twitter for half an hour?

  A few weeks ago following a discussion in which one of my closest friends accused me of not paying for music, in my typical way I went off to go through my bank statement to see just how much had been spent on music in the previous 12 months and win the argument. It was quite surprising even to me, I wont state exactly how much I'd spent but rest assured between iTunes invoices and "events tickets" on my online banking screen there was room for very little else. For every album I haven't had to pay for there are 2 of either gig tickets or albums paid for. One of the main reasons for this is the iPhone, having the iTunes store on the go has meant I can hear a song or read a review and have my own copy playing down my headphones in a matter of minutes, for someone with a penchant for spontaneous purchasing this is proving to be a bad tool to have at my disposal!

  I also remember an article around the time Pirate Bay was closed down that argued people who are the biggest illegal downloaders also spend the most on legitimate music downloads. How much truth there is in that its hard to say but it does make sense, if your casual pop chart music buyer stops buying their Taio Cruz single and instead hits up limewire then that is harming sales more significantly. I think Record Store Day needs to target these casual buyers/illegal downloaders, while this years event is being heralded a success I don’t think we can really start punching the air in nationwide 80's montage until then. It's all very well every NME writer and Industry darling tweeting pictures of their copy of the Radiohead double A side but what about dragging the 100's of people loitering outside Primark on Oxford Street down to Soho and forced to buy the new Gaga album from one various independents down there.