Great Record Shops - Banquet Records in Kingston


Banquet Records    “Banquet is the best record shop in the universe.” Frank Turner
            
52 Eden Street, Kingston upon Thames, London KT1 1EE
0208 459 5871
banquetrecords.com; shop@banquetrecords.com; @banquetRSDfeed
Monday-Wednesday 10am-6pm
Thursday-Friday 10am-7pm
Saturday 10am-6pm
Sunday 12-5pm
Established 2002
Stock: Vinyl, CD, In-stores, Tickets

The borough of Kingston upon Thames is the birthplace of musicians John Martyn, Steven Wilson, Dave Swarbrick, Rat Scabies (drummer with the Damned), Peter Cox (from Go West) and Richard Butler (singer with the Psychedelic Furs). These days the town’s musical connections extend to being home to one of the UK’s most innovative record shops, Banquet Records, which rose from the ashes of the Beggars Banquet record shop chain, formed by Martin Mills and Nick Austin in 1977.

In that year zero for punk rock, Martin and Nick quickly decided to start releasing records themselves, the first being “Shadow” by Uxbridge band the Lurkers - a song now regarded as a punk classic. I always thought the band should have been called the Petes, since the line-up included Pete Stride, Pete Haynes and Pete Edwards. Maybe the name did not sound punk enough. Or maybe it was due to the fourth member of the band being called Nigel. The label went from strength to strength, achieving worldwide success with artists including Gary Numan, the Cult and the Charlatans, and eventually the shops were closed, the last one standing being the Kingston branch.



Former employees Jon Tolley and Mike Smith bought the Kingston business, which at the time was in a sorry state. With the help of Jane Unwin, they have transformed it into one of the most creative record shops in the country. The numerous in-stores they put on have featured such top acts as Laura Marling, Frank Turner, Babyshambles, the Maccabees, the Cribs and the Foals.
In 2016, the shop showed its solidarity with the NHS by offering all junior doctors a free album of their choice (up to the value of £20). It also dishes out free veggie burgers to people who queue outside the shop the evening before Record Store Day, and sponsors the local football team, Kingstonian FC. The shop has its own five-a-side team. They don’t make any claims to greatness but would be happy to have a game against any other record shop.
Jon works as a local Liberal Democrat councilor, and in 2015 polled more votes than all other parties put together. It was music that started him on the journey into local politics. Already disillusioned with the council’s attitude to closing venues, it was the cancellation at short notice of the Kingston Carnival in 2014 that proved the final straw. It was galling for Banquet as they had booked the bands, and Jon could get no clear answers on why the successful carnival had been pulled when other years had gone so well. His experience of promoting records through social media was, he found, easily transferable to local politics.
One inspirational decision Banquet took was to stop using carrier bags. Please check out the video on YouTube under the title No More Plastic Bags. This is a huge undertaking, but I hope it inspires other independent shops to do the same. Let’s not stop there. If you are reading this, and work in a retail company, share the video with your fellow employees and make a difference.


Banquet have involved themselves in as many ways as possible with the locals and customers who travel from far and wide to visit this unique shop. They are a community record shop and in 2017 were voted Best UK Independent Record Shop in the Music Week awards. Banquet is a record shop with a conscience.



This piece is taken from the book The Vinyl Revival and the Shops That Made it Happen
Over 220 independent record shops featured in The Vinyl Revival and the Shops That Made it Happen

 Co-Owner Jon Tolley makes a great contribution   to the film.

The books of Graham Jones are available in record shops or online.

 The latest book The Vinyl Revival and the Shops That Made it Happen' has been turned in to a film. It is released on 13 April on DVD and is available in record shops. Distributed by Proper Music.

  Co-Owner Jon Tolley makes a great contribution   to the film.


 www.thevinylrevivalfilm.com
@Revival_Vinyl
For film screenings and talks contact Graham at graham@lastshopstanding.co.uk



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