To describe Vinyl as a record shop, gallery, bar or cafe doesn’t do it justice. It’s a creative venue for the 21st Century; an antidote to all that is corporate, branded, commercialised or packaged. A breath of fresh air.
Situated in the newly bohemian area of Deptford, South East London, Vinyl is a single-fronted shop about half way along a mews terrace, just off the busy A2 road. Being a mews, you can sit outside at one of several tables and chairs, oblivious to the adjacent clamour of urban City life. Believe me, that’s unique in this area and reason enough to go to Vinyl.
Inside, the shop is immediately appealing, with a warm homely feel. A few tables where customers can eat, drink, create, or simply ‘be’, take up much of the available floor space. On my visit, there were two young men sitting at different tables. One tapping away at his ipad (blogging perhaps?) and the other sketching. Free wifi is an added bonus.
The walls are the gallery space and, despite the lack of actual space, the works on display seem to belong in this setting. Maybe that’s because they are the product of local artists with something to say. Come to think of it, those works may even have been produced in this very shop.
Against one wall is a record rack and another sits opposite, under the art. A record deck, squeezed into a gap on a shelf, plays whatever album takes the owner’s mood. And an old transistor radio, model car and few other relics of days gone by serve as ornaments.
Over at the counter, the amiable owner, Ronnie, dispenses coffee, cake, soup, sandwiches and paninis. As the premises are licensed and it was after midday, I ordered a craft beer and sat listening to a Temptations album playing on the turntable.
I can’t explain why, but just sitting there was an immensely calming experience. It just felt good.
Downstairs there are more records and the performance space. Preparations were under way for a party that night with decks and mixer set up in readiness. The events calendar seems busy and I can imagine this venue being very popular for small gatherings as it’s so intimate and of course it has genuine boho appeal.
The stock of records for sale isn’t vast – maybe two thousand titles in total – and the focus is on the music lover rather than the avid collector, so pricing is affordable. Expect a range of mainstream Soul, Jazz, Dance, Electronic, Rock and Folk with a few oddities dotted around. My two finds: The Antibalas Aftrobeat Orchestra’s Liberation Afro Beat Vol1 and the DJ Zinc/Aphrodite Remix of the Fugees’ Ready or Not. These aren’t common tunes.
I got chatting to Ronnie, as I imagine most customers do, and discovered he’s a long-time record dealer with plenty of experience selling in record shops and at music festivals. He also mentioned that his partner Jenny designed the interior using Feng Shui principles. I couldn’t help wondering whether that accounted for my unexplained calm feelings earlier.
Whether it was the Feng Shui or the Temptations who knows, but one thing is fir sure: this shop deserves to succeed. It’s warm, friendly and inviting, the menu is excellent and it makes you feel good. Find Vinyl online and at 4 Tanners Hill, Deptford, SE8.
And here’s one of my finds for your enjoyment: The Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra and Si, Se Puede (Yes, You Can) :
Soul Jazz Review 