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North Street’s vinyl shop goes on record
After ten years of living in Bedminster music lover Tom Friend decided to take a risk and open his local own record shop on North Street.
Five months on Friendly Records has won over a new generation of vinyl lovers.
What’s been your involvement in the Bristol music scene?
is needed now More than ever
Thirty years ago I started coming here to watch gigs and go record shopping. I’ve always been involved with music. Prior to this I was managing bands working for record labels for fifteen years. I also taught music industry at BIMM (British and Irish Modern Music Institution) in Stokes Croft.
When did you decide to open up a record shop?
Earlier this year I was having a conversation in a pub. I said ‘I’m going to open up a record shop’ – then I thought I’d better open one. I chose Bedminster because I’ve lived in this area for a while and I’ve seen it change. A lot of people here love music and records. Record shops should be somewhere anyone can go to, whatever age or gender. They should be less snobby, less scary, and more inclusive. More about music, less about what version of the record you own.
What made records come out and back into fashion?
It’s become trendy, they’re in Sainsbury’s. It just means people can own music they might not have done before. We get 11-year-olds coming in, buying their first records, which is brilliant. It’s completely about the format; the whole physical nature of them, the smell, look, artwork, history. They force you to engage with them, you have to put them on and turn them over. Every day we get someone in here saying ‘vinyl revival’ and obviously we’ve opened the shop knowing that records are in. There has been a resurgence, but I never stopped buying vinyl.
It’s incredibly varied, we sell everything from soundtracks, band music, and jazz. Due to reissues people get to hear ultra-rare records; I like that about the resurgence. It’s been a really positive response, particularly local people from this area, they are really pleased that were here.
Friendly Records is open seven days a week at 8 North Street, BS3 1HT. Visit them online at www.friendlyrecords.co.uk
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