Last
Shop Standing, based on the book of the same name
by Graham Jones, charts the trajectory of the independent record store over the last
sixty years and tries to explain why there has been over an 85% decrease in the
number of independent record stores in the UK since the 80s. With the recent
announcement that Avalanche Records, Edinburgh is to close early next year,
this film seems to come at none more an appropriate a time.
Then comes the inevitable Act Two: ‘The
Fall’. Everyone has their own opinion of where and when things started to go
wrong. Some blame Napster and the digital revolution or when supermarkets
started stocking albums at prices that independent record stores could not
compete with. Others blame the introduction of CDs or the decrease in quality
of vinyl. Oddly enough, the current economic recession is not cited as a reason
at all as many assert that the damage had already been done by 2008. What does
become clear is that the decline of the record store was not down to a single
event alone. As Paul Quirk, Chairman of Entertainment Retailers Association states in the film, ‘If you look back at the history of why record stores started
to decline, it was death by a hundred cuts’. Indeed: in recent months, visiting
One Up (probably my favourite place in Aberdeen) has been an increasingly foreboding experience, as it has been in decline for a while now. The final
minute of Act Two is Keith Hudson of C.E. Hudsons, Chesterfield gathering a
few things in a bin bag before closing the shop for the last time. C.E. Hudsons
was open for 106 years and went out of business earlier this year during the
production of the film. It is a sobering and provoking portrayal of the very
real threat that the film is drawing attention to.
The film could end there, a testament to
the state of emergency for the independent record store. However, Act Three:
‘The Rebirth’ see the owners take hold of the situation and begin to turn it
around to their advantage once again. They emphasise the importance of
International Record Store Day, in-store gigs and their ability to change with
the marketplace. "Where did that come from?" exclaims Christos Stylianou of
Derrick Music in Swansea about the resurging interest in vinyl from younger
generations. In a current economic climate where corporate
giants assert the futility of the record-store and phrases like ‘lost
cause’ and ‘too little, too late’ are bandied about supporting the trade’s
struggle, it is refreshing to see that the people at risk do see a future for
themselves. They have reassessed their position, and embraced that their appeal
is niche but immeasurably valued by their customers. A nice touch is that on
the Last Shop Standing website, the
option to purchase the DVD points you either in the direction of your local
record store, or towards the specialist music website Propermusic.com.
Obviously, the DVD is available from other online and high-street retailers,
but it’s good to see the team behind the film are being responsible in the
film’s distribution, rather than walking away afterwards. The message by the
end of the film is: "It’s not too late."
So, how did I feel leaving the screening of Last Shop Standing? More informed? Yes.
Guilty? To a certain extent, yes. Despite best intentions, we’ve all conceded
to the convenient attractions of online market places at some point. Was I reaffirmed
in my infatuation with record stores and all that is holy within? Very much so.
However, if I have one gripe with Last
Shop Standing it is the demographic the film is aimed at. Yes, the film is convincingly
proselytising, but it’s preaching to the choir. Looking around the auditorium
it was obvious that the people attending the screening were people like myself
who already supported the plight of independent record stores and are worried
about them. Ultimately, I think this film should be broadcast on television or
added to the National Curriculum on business and economics courses. If the film
is to have any effect, it needs a wider audience.
So, do I recommend YOU to go and see Last Shop Standing if a screening is
near you? No. I recommend you to drag as many of your friends/family/unwilling passersby
to go and see it. I recommend you to buy the DVD (I know for a fact that One Up
currently stock it) and show it to people. But more than see the film, I urge
you to go out to your local independent record store and support them with your
regular patronage, because that is the only way this film will make a
difference.
You can find out more information about Last Shop Standing, screenings of the
film and where your local independent record store is on the Last Shop Standing website.
1 comment:
Thank goodness that it's not another Twilight or tween show premiering. Looks like a visit to the Belmont theatres might not be such a nightmare this week after all..
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