Reflex CD

We caught up with the manager of Reflex CD Andy Ferguson to discuss the indepedent music trade in Newcastle.

Could you tell me a little bit of history about the store? ownership etc.

The store was opened in 1999 by Alan Jordan who still owns the business to this day and we've stayed alive by going with the market and treating customers with care and attention. Our customers are the people who cant bear the hustle and bustle of HMV and the impersonal side of online 'shopping'

Has independent trading changed in recent times?
Most certainly. The days of indie shops just trundling along, sitting around playing guitars and being nasty to customers (High Fidelity) has gone. You need to get to know your people and know what they want and stock it. Simples

Is vinyl making a comeback?
Without question, it started coming back 10 years ago and we now regularly sell more records in a day than CDs. The sound is warmer than CDs and downloads and people still want the artwork and lyrics in front of them. Vinyl is helping to keep the integrity of albums and proper singles.

How have online stores and downloads affected the trade?
They have, they've taken away the younger customers who just want to download. And its been proven pretty quickly that it damages the artistic value of music as youngsters treat it with almost disdain these days, never listening to a full track and treating it as cereal or shoes.

How important is customer service / expertise in a record shop?
See above. Its paramount. You gotta know what your people want, make sure its there for them and also give them the time of day, facebook and twitter can never replace a face to face conversation.

What would you say to someone who's never shopped in an independent store?
They're missing out and helping turn society into a mechanised database.

How important is record store day?
Its mega important. This year, 2011, the shop had by far and away its best takings EVER in 12 years. Its a brilliant thing thats growing every year, even though the likes of HMV, Amazon, Play etc all have the audacity to complain about it!!!

Is the independent scene doing well in Newcastle?
Its doing great. Along with London and Leeds its one of the few cities that still has more than one shop. Even though a few have dropped off in recent years there is big strength in the city with RPM, Windows and Beatdown all going well also. You'd be surprised to know we're all pretty good friends as well!

To find out more about reflex you can visit their website.

We went out and spoke to some of Newcastle's biggest record store fans and asked them what it was they so liked, and why they would always be their first choice for music.

NE1 Stores

Beatdown

Clarendon House Basement

Bewick Street

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE1 5EE

Tel : 0191 2618894

Reflex CD

23 Nun St.

Newcastle Upon Tyne,

Tyne And Wear

0191 260 3246

Beatdown Records

Beatdown Records on Clayton Street in Newcastle Upon Tyne was voted the North East’s best record shop by Galaxy Radio listeners in 2008.

In the face of a national economic crisis and a music industry driven by internet sales we spoke to Beatdown’s co-owner, Paul, to discuss the future of Newcastle’s record stores.

Paul has experience working in HMV as well as independent record shops, and is well aware of the problems the music trade faces in this age of digitalisation.

Personal Service

Despite competition from multimillion pound music retailers, Paul said traditional record stores still have their appeal.

“I think you get a bit more of a personal service in here than you do in HMV but that’s because we’ve done it for a long time and it’s more important to us” he said.

History

Following the closure of two of Newcastle’s record shops, Alt Vinyl and Old Hits, last year, Paul said what was once a thriving independent record store scene is now becoming history and he stressed the importance of reinvention.

He said: “You don’t want to let the shop stagnate in any way. You’ve got to keep stock moving.”

Top 10 best things about record stores

1. The excitement of the chase - there are no logical labels or finely stacked shelves in your standard record stores. Instead it is all about hunting through reams of dusty vinyl in the hope that just maybe you will find that little gem.

 2. Finding things you never knew you wanted - you might walk into a record store with a purpose in mind, but rarely would you come out with it. The charm is that you will find about ten other things that you just can't resist, even if you're never sure why...


3. Touch and feel - there is an engimatic charm to leafing through a batch of vinyl. You can spot a regular by their nimble figures and speed of shuffling.


4. The 'expert' - rarely will you go into HMV and find an employee who can name the entire Frank Zappa back catalogue, or drag the name of every Bob Dylan B-side from their memory. Often the owners and workers in an independent record store live and breathe music, and will happily dispel your music tastes and fill you in on everything you should own.

Some of the best from around the country

In almost every town and city across the UK lies a local independent record store that is loved by many and probably deserves more attention.

Thanks to The Guardian here is a rundown of some of the the greatest independent record stores in the British Isles.

Next time you find yourself in one of these cities, dare to stray away from the bright lights of HMV and have a flick through the treasures these stores have to offer.

Rough Trade 130 Talbot Road, London W11
020-7229 8541
Thirty years since it first opened its doors, Rough Trade is still enjoying its reign as the best independent record store in Britain, if not the world. Started by Geoff Travis in 1976 as a record store, and two years later a record label, in 1983 Pete Donne, Judith Crighton and Nigel House, all Rough Trade employees, bought the shop.

Monorail Music
12 King's Court, King Street, Glasgow
0141-553 9458
The shop was the brainchild of Stephen Pastel (of the Pastels), Dep Downie and John Williamson (who manages Belle and Sebastian), who were frustrated by the closure of the last decent record store in Glasgow. In their first year, 2002, their main form of advertising was staging "in-stores" (live performances) in the adjoining bar-restaurant. Since then, they have hosted the Concretes, Teenage Fanclub and the Belle and Sebastian album launch, and business is booming.

Selectadisc
19 -21 Market Street, Nottingham
0115-947 5420
Owner, Jim Cooke cites Stuart Maconie's 6 Music radio show as a huge influence on his customers' buying habits, and describes the Selectadisc customer's taste as a combination of Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica, Can's Tago Mago, Roy Harper's Stormcock, the Smiths' The Queen is Dead and the Wicker Man soundtrack. The shop offers a dedicated section for Nottingham artists, and a large noticeboard where you can advertise for a bassist, or potential bandmembers who share your love of Pantera.

Newcastle's independent record stores keep on spinning...

The record industry's struggles are well documented, not only within the UK but all over the world.

Due to technological advancements, download facilities such as iTunes, and facilties such as Spotify as means of getting music, the popularity of buying hard copies has been on the slide.

In the 1980’s the independent record store scene was booming with a total of 2200 record stores within the UK.

However by 2009 this number plumetted to just 269. 

New Hope

But 2011 has promised a new hope, with a dozen new stores opening.

The Entertainment Retailers Association believe this to be the first increase in a generation, indicating owners are raising their game and giving people fresh reasons to buy music from them.

Newcastle's record stores

This blog is an investigation into the reason why while the rest of the UK economy is struggling, Newcastle’s independent record stores are experiencing a resurgence. 

In the face of a growing download market we look too expose how the city’s record stores continue to survive.

Newcastle is seen to be a key player in offering an array of quirky independent record stores which people come from all over the UK to visit.

There are three main independent stores within the city centre which have remained consistently popular throughout the lull: Beatdown Records, RPM and Reflex.

Local music fans

Local music fans believe this is a culture that needs to remain alive. People must stay loyal even in a world where music can easily be picked up while in the supermarket or on the Internet.

Clearly there are enough of those people who want to buy their music from an actual person, with expertise and interest, in a shop that is dedicated to keeping the history and soul of the trade alive.