Setting the Record Straight: Is Rough Trade a Rough Deal for Liverpool?

Opening in West London in February 1976, Rough Trade was the brainchild of Geoff Travis, a former drama teacher who, inspired by the ‘community-based environment’ of the City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco created a record store that celebrated independent musicians, specialising in reggae and garage rock. After French punk band Metal Urbain knocked on their door asking for their help, Geoff realised the obvious next step would be for Rough Trade to start their own label. 

In 1978 the label was established and the following year their first album, Inflammable Material by Stiff Little Fingers was released. Since then, Rough Trade has represented dozens of performers such as The Smiths, The Libertines and Jarvis Cocker. While Rough Trade Recordings now operates separately (as a subsidiary of Beggars Group), Rough Trade record shops now number five stores in the UK, along with one store in New York and another in Berlin. On Thursday 18 April, Rough Trade opened their newest and largest store in Liverpool.

Tell anyone anywhere in the world you’re from Liverpool and they’ll start singing Yellow Submarine at you. There's an argument to say that we live in the music capital of the UK, and so it's worth asking the question: can our independent record stores, that have celebrated our music for the last sixty plus years, take the competition from this hulking, musical leviathan? At a time when vinyl sales are at their highest since 1990, increasing 11.7% year-on-year, and with five independent record stores within the same square mile, it's reasonable to ask if Rough Trade is really a positive or necessary addition to the city.

“Not really, no,” said a source that wished to remain anonymous. “Price point-wise, they’re the same as HMV, but market-wise they’re going for the in-stores which is what Jacaranda are already doing. They’ve already started losing in-stores.” Jacaranda is a popular bar on Slater Street with a small second floor record store, a large basement venue and good vibes throughout. When asked about local performances, the source said, “Ones that normally would have gone to Jacaranda have now gone to Rough Trade. 

“They’re treated as an independent, but they’re nothing to do with the label anymore. I mean, independent shops have shut where they’ve opened, like in Nottingham there’s one that's closed and one in Bristol closed. I think ultimately they do take customers away. It was quite a finely balanced ecosystem before they turned up.”

When asked if they or other independent record stores were worried about the competition, the source explained, “Rough Trade gets Rough Trade exclusives. So they get specially made versions of things for them anyway. With most releases there’s an indie exclusive, so only the indie shops will get it. HMV won’t get it, Amazon won’t get it. Rough Trade get them and their own special version.

“There’s been a few releases recently that have been very limited. They’ve been getting more copies. Like on Record Store Day, Pearl Jam released their new album the day before. It was just on black vinyl records. There was a limited colour version and it was 500 for the UK. 270 shops took part. So we were told it was going to be about one to two copies per shop. We got two. Jacaranda got two. Rough Trade got ten. And we nearly lost a customer because of it. It happened the other day as well with The Smile. We were told four copies of The Smile, they got about twelve.”

Walking into Rough Trade, the unmissable marquee sign above the door shines like a beacon and makes sure you can’t avoid knowing about the upcoming events. Then you see them. In a world where any song is only a click away on Spotify, records still hold a special place in our collective heart. But why? People think they sound better. The humming of the turntable and the clicking and popping noises wouldn’t be considered a plus in any other medium. If your DVD did that you’d take it back to the shop, but records somehow get a pass. Deep down we think it adds a textured layer to the sound. It feels different. 

A lot of us listened to them when we were kids, our parent’s record collections seeming like an amazing historical treasure chest, the turntable a magical antique machine. That feeling of putting a record in the player and lowering the needle is a nostalgic ritual that allows us to enjoy music the way it was enjoyed when rock, reggae, jazz, blues and soul were all at their pinnacle. It’s not about just hearing the music, we want to feel the music. And the feeling of walking into an old record store, thick with decades of atmosphere, is an irreplaceable part of that experience.

The thought of buying a record online sounds alien to most record lovers. In a digital world they’re keeping alive the feeling of analogue music and they want to buy them in an analogue way. You may not find what you’re looking for but the hunt is half the fun. That feeling of flicking through the aged records, hoping to find a vintage treasure, and maybe coming across something you didn’t expect. Despite this, the camaraderie seemingly innate to Liverpool ensures that even if you don’t find what you’re looking for, someone will go out of their way to help you.

“There’s a delicate ecosystem,” another anonymous source told Liverpool Confidential. “We refer people to other shops as well. If you’re more likely to find it in that shop. And so we all kind of help each other out. There’s no real competition."

Rough Trade does provide some clear benefits to the city. They’re admirably partnered with the Campaign Against Living Miserably charity (CALM) and awareness of the cause is raised at till points. Also with its five pound a go photo booth and emphasis on new releases their focus is clearly on a younger clientele, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it’ll introduce records to a younger audience who may then seek out other stores. 

The large venue space may also offer a potential benefit as it’ll give new artists another more prominent gig space and therefore a potentially larger audience. If Rough Trade takes this opportunity to focus on promoting the city’s new talent and not just run gigs with well-known artists to increase their own profile then it may go someway to offset the potential financial damage to independents brought about by their presence.

Liverpool Confidential had the opportunity to catch up with local band The Boogie Knights to get their opinion. When asked about whether Rough Trade will take away business from other stores, they said, “I love Probe Records, I go for my dad. Probe have new and lesser-known records. I like the idea of a venue near Bold Street, it looks quite big.”

The guitarist agreed, “It won’t take away from Probe, they’re more cult and niche. People who buy vinyl will go to everywhere that has vinyl. I’m more excited for the venue. New venues are always good and this one’s in a good location.”

Local musician Elliot Scullion agreed: “I’ve bought a few records from Rough Trade, but I do try and support the independent stores rather than the chains.” When asked about the presence of a new label in the city, he commented, “They’re pretty good, I guess. A lot of good artists came from that label. I’d probably be more obliged to go to the newer label opportunities. That said, I’d go for any label that allows me to focus on the music more than the marketing. Rough Trade is positive overall.”

Saskia Clapton, bassist in The Great Emu War Casualties, said, “They took on the Smiths and Fall, which makes them automatically legendary. Sadly, now they have very mediocre, uncool bands. I wouldn’t be caught dead inside Rough Trade nowadays. Unless it was to see Everything Everything, then I’d make an exception.” 

When asked if they’ll affect local business, she said, “I mean, I hate them, but there’s far bigger enemies out there than a bunch of wankers at Rough Trade.” On the possible opportunities she commented, “There are no new venue or label opportunities to be interested in as a musician. You would have to ask a social media influencer.”

Joe Jackson, the band’s singer and guitarist, said, “I know Rough Trade. They’re very well known and successful. They seem to do a bit of everything and as a result aren’t a go-to for any one thing in particular.” When asked about vinyl records, he said, “In my thirties I’ve become that guy who started buying vinyl. I don’t have Spotify and don’t do Apple Music. Post CDs there isn’t really a format of music to buy but that vinyl is expensive so I reserve it for wily second hand bargains or new releases that I love.

“Yeah, it will take away from other local indie businesses. I don’t think the music lover crowd is so vast that a purchase at Rough Trade comes from an alternate customer base. A big purchase at Rough Trade probably means money isn’t being spent on that same product elsewhere. Hopefully the money spent is less out of the customer’s pocket, so then we have a silver lining. We are quick to forget about our customers and our audience.     

“Are indies doing a job for the customer that Rough Trade can’t or won’t do? Cynically, as an artist, wherever you buy music, I’m still getting very little back in terms of rent money, unless you’re buying a ticket to a live show. I’d like to see a venue come along that is interested in supporting a local scene and has the economic power to pay guarantees to young bands and has the cultural and social hype to fill a room and shift tickets on behalf of bands. I don’t know the specifics of what Rough Trade are offering but if they’re moving in as patrons of the arts with cultural interest and deep pockets then everyone will benefit.”

Rough Trade responds

Liverpool Confidential contacted Rough Trade for their views on some of the concerns that have been expressed. See their responses below.

Do you think the presence of Rough Trade has placed extra pressure on local stores? 

“We believe that our presence in a city can grow the amount of record sales overall. We also believe that our stores can work as part of a broader ecosystem. This is demonstrated where our other stores are located and we believe will be the same in Liverpool.”

Are you willing to direct customers to other stores?

“Yes, we’ll always point customers in the direction of other stores if we can’t offer them the stock ourselves. We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service and will always do the best for our customers. If that means offering them alternatives where we can’t provide what they’re looking for, we will suggest local alternatives.”

How do you respond to the claims of Rough Trade receiving unfair advantages from extra indie exclusives?

“We buy stock relative to demand. There are regular occurrences where we do not get enough stock to cover demand. There is nothing that shows us that we get an ‘unfair’ allocation relative to our scale. There are other exclusive formats, such as Dinked which we are excluded from, which allows customers a diverse offering. A big strength of the recent vinyl boom is the diversity and richness of products and variants and we are proud to play our part within the broader ecosystem.”

Is your in-store venue going to benefit local artists?

“The venue was a considerable investment on our behalf and was made to give a showcase to national and local acts. Our first show in the venue was an EP launch for the local artist Tonia, and through August we hosted monthly shows as part of a three-month long residency with the band Ambedo Blue, with a different support lineup for each of these shows, all of which were bands local to Liverpool. Any local artists who would like to play at our venue can contact evan@roughtrade.com. 

"Our commitment to giving space to nurture local talent is seen through our existing stores which are all deeply embedded in the local community and we’ve been proud to play host to many acts that ended up breaking to a larger scale. Whether that is hosting Phoebe Bridger’s first UK show in our Bristol store or having Dry Cleaning play early shows as part of our Recommends showcase night. We hope our Liverpool space will give the local community a chance to see national and international acts in an intimate setting as well as giving a space for local artists to showcase their talents.”

 What is the deal offered to musicians in terms of ticket sales and merchandise?

“We are proud to operate a fair policy when it comes to how we compensate artists. Artists keep 100% of merch sales. The model for gig bookings is similar to other venues.”

How is Rough Trade going to support local musicians?

“Our mission is to reflect and celebrate the local music community. RT Liverpool offers a top-class venue experience that will showcase local artists, the ability for local artists to have their records stocked in the store and a space where you can hang out and meet like-minded people. We are separate from the label so there is no A&R connection. However there is a great history at RT of musicians working in our stores or the connections presented by our presence helping the chance of being scouted or signed.

"We are so proud when an artist we’ve worked with at a local level ends up gaining wider appeal and we always do our utmost to support that. RT Liverpool is a sizable investment from us into the local music community. We’ve done this because we respect the great music culture that exists in the city. We didn’t cut any corners when building out the store and we are proud to have worked with local businesses to develop the space. Now we’re open we employ ten people on a real living wage. We are excited to see what we can achieve with the collaboration of the broader Liverpool and Merseyside music community.”

With 6500 sq ft of space, overall the Liverpool store seems to offer a mixed bag. There's opportunities and new horizons for musicians but is it at the cost of a few sunsets for old stores? It’s worth pondering this as you buy your next album, admittedly having a much easier time finding it than you would elsewhere, and then a T-shirt and a book to go with it. 

Although sitting there, wearing your T-shirt, reading your book, admiring your glossy new album, sipping your cup of Rough Trade coffee and soaking up the (in my opinion) faintly sterile atmosphere, it’s hard to sense any of that original independent spirit that founded the store back in the day. 

It’s hard to get mad at Geoff. All he did was be very successful at selling records and promoting bands. Although it does make you wonder if it’s the kind of place he’d have wanted to hang out in back in 1976.

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