In store’s – a great way to do business!

Yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of being at super cool indie record shop, Sound Knowledge of Marlborough – deep in the heart of Wiltshire.

I’ve been to a few of their in stores, notibly Ash, which I really enjoyed – but more often than not a lot of these in stores are acoustic and not as engaging as you might want them to be. The polite applause reserved for aoustic acts just doesn’t get you pumped for their next rock and roll album.

How ever, The Computers are not a band who appear to be able to do things by half, and whilst I don’t know if they were offered or asked to play acoustic, they certainly didn’t mess about with anything less than a full performance.

The new album, Love Triangles Hate Squares, is an explosion of 1950’s rock n’ roll, complete with quiffs and wobbly legs.  They played a full 30 plus minute set, and despite the early performance time and lack of support acts, you wouldn’t of been able to tell this apart from a normal show.

Front man, Alex was talking like an American soul preacher, about his brothers and sisters and the saviours of rock n’ roll and inbetween actually singing and playing, he was climbing anything he could.  Tables, chairs… the Bar…

Anyway, judging by the amount of people who turned up, I couldn’t help but feel had a local promoter booked them, and promoted them – would the turn out be as good? Was it because the show was at a reasonable time, free entry and the shop handels all their in store performances so well, that people wanted to get people out and physically BUY the record?

This is definitly the way to sell records and promote bands. There is nothing quite like the intimacy of a small venue, and as a crowd you feel like you’re watching something special. Top notch and well recieved – every label big or small, should encourage these sorts of bespoke events, we have some great indie stores like Rise Records, Raves From The Graves and Sound Knowledge and this is an easy and effective way of getting people through the door. Long may it continue and develope!