Sinister: My trip to Woolies

[david kitchen]

Stephen Garland wrote:
> 
> Crumbs, I didn't think my trip to Woolies would start such an ethical
> debate. But I don't mind helping it on a bit.

neither do i, i feel somewhat to be a devils advocate, except we're all
agreeing on the same thing which is unnerving ;)

> David K says that to buy from a major store only helps them to dictate
> what you'll buy next. Surely, buying indie records from major stores will
> make them stock more indie stuff, which I hope everyone agrees is A Good
> Thing (except those people who don't want their favourite indie bands to
> become more successful, of course).

what i meant was that the large chains and corporates would eventually
stock what they perceived to be 'indie' in a ploy to get money. they
would only buy records in which they felt they were guaranteed a quick
and healthy return on.

the major difference between that and a real 'indie' store is that indie
stores have a much better ordering ethic. the people in indie stores
tend to be like us and love the music, they go out on a limb and when
they here that promo that they love from say 'clinic' they buy the 7" in
knowing that it's good music and that by playing it and supporting it
they are helping good and diverse music survive. i recognise that indie
shops may have evil bosses and money-lusting accountants, but the truth
is that it's the staff in the indie stores which make the difference and
support new music, new records and new labels. it is they that put
themselves out by ordering 'risky' new music (i.e. without a guaranteed
return, and without the safety of sale or return guarantees from the
distributors.). larger chains have central buying policies which on the
whole do not allow for local support from particular shops, it does not
allow for a scottish branch to support a scottish band, hence the fact
that only records which have 'national' appeal ever reach their shelves
and things which have regional appeal tend to only reach the shelves
when they've been proven to sell.

the indie shops have got it hard with the proliferation of competition
due to the spread of the larger stores which had until recently been
happy with their captive city centre markets.
indie stores are threatened with going bust for their continuing support
of 'indie' music, every shop owner knows that the money lies in
mid-price and chart records. b&s until know have not been either, and
the indie shops supported them, and were probably where you bought
'sinister' from, now b&s are chart music (it's a fact, not a comment on
their music), and still the indies support it. so now the choice is with
us, do we help and support the indie stores that helped b&s and us meet,
or do we choose to aid the very type of company that until very recently
refused to stock records like 'sinister'?

i, at every opportunity, will continue to support the 'indie' ethic and
the 'indie' chain of supply as that is the way that i feel will always
bring the great new music to my ears.

either we're in this and we don't dilute our ideals and dreams, or we're
in this and we do give up our beliefs for money, the latter being what
most of you would call 'selling out', the earlier one being what the
press, large record shop chains and majors would call 'indie-schmindie
crap' or 'lost opportunites to exploit the act for the greatest possible
return' but what i would call integrity or something along that line.

now, i realise that this isn't one of those topics that will simply
disappear, but maybe i've had a momment of clarity enough to be able to
put my views across.

cheers

david kitchen

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
     david kitchen : merchandising and websites : jeepster records

                         http://www.jeepster.co.uk/
                http://www.jeepster.co.uk/belleandsebastian/

                       mailto:shop at jeepster.co.uk

 jeepster recordings ltd, 217 canalot, 222 kensal road, london w10 5bn

  to subscribe to the news mailing list mail majordomo at jeepster.co.uk
       with the words 'subscribe news' in the body of the message
     there is no need to subscribe if you are on the 'sinister' list


+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
      +---+  Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list  +---+
 To send to the list please mail "sinister at majordomo.net". To unsubscribe
   send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to
 "majordomo at majordomo.net".  For list archives and searching, list rules,
   FAQ, poor jokes etc, see http://www.majordomo.net/sinister
          +---+   "legion of bedroom saddo devotees"  +---+
 +-+  "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list"  +-+
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+