I walk past Rough Trade West on Talbot Road almost every day of my life. I don’t always go in as I will just want to spend money I don’t really have but I always check out their window display which features the covers of their current top picks. At night they put the grill down and I have taken the odd shot as this ‘imprisoned effect’ can give the album artwork a whole new dimension. Over the years I have built up a little collection which I now share with you this week.
Rough Trade is most definitely a revered institution of Ladbroke Grove and I personally feel very attached to it as it has been a part of my record buying existence for as long as I can remember, both guiding and providing for me, the tunes that would shape my life. My proudest moment of the MYLDN book coming out was finding out they were selling it.
This area has always had a rich and vibrant record shop scene and Rough Trade has, for me, always been its beating heart. If you want to read The Vinyl factory’s great article about the history of record shops in this neighbourhood you can see via this link here.
Now sadly many have bitten the dust and only Rough Trade, Honest Jons, People Sounds and The Notting Hill Music Exchange remain. And yet right now, like most shops, none of them are open. Rough Trade’s grill is now up all the time and these shots have become a metaphor for this ongoing ‘incarceration’ of the high street. The retail sector is literally trapped behind bars, unable to function and through no fault of their own. Seeing shops closed has sadly become an all too familiar sight and it feels right now like they might never be resuscitated from their current stasis. But we desperately need them to come back. Our local shops are not just about consumerism, they are an integral part of our communities.
My heart goes out to all the businesses who have been levelled by the pandemic and I hope the government does what’s right and supports them in their hour of need and sustains them through this debilitating situation. The high street was already flagging under the joint pressures of gentrification and internet shopping. Let’s ensure Covid is not the kiss of death but works instead as a wake up call to highlight its necessity. Our retail interactions might seem slight but over time they become genuine relationships and are essential to a sense of wellbeing. They make us feel connected and less isolated, something which is more important now than ever.
One thing that gives me hope is seeing people utilise Rough Trade’s click and collect option to pick up new acquisitions from the shop they literally cannot wait for. It reminds me that for some (myself very much included) music is a necessity not a luxury. Music is the lifeblood that keeps us going. It cannot be extinguished, it gives us energy, it calms us, soothes us, excites us and our love for it will endure no matter what is thrown at us. I know I would not have gotten through this last year without it. So long live Rough Trade and all the other fine purveyors of music for dispensing the tools we need to survive..
