I'm having another one of those Groundhog Day moments. It's different to "deja vu" because I'm certain that I've had this conversation many times before, and all of them very recently.
I've been through this with people from newspapers, radio stations, printers, designers, recruitment firms, music publishers, sign manufacturers and the girl at the place where they sell those little hooks you put into slatwall and hang guitar strings on. The conversation goes something like this:
THEM: (Long pause, digesting what I have just said) Seriously?
ME: Yes, of course.
THEM: You're opening a new music shop?
ME: Yes.
THEM: Wow... During a recession? That's kind of...
ME: Yes.
THEM: Brave. Wow. Where?
ME: Leeds.
THEM: Cool. There can't be many people expanding their business right now. Not in this economic climate. Especially not, well, music shops.
ME: No, possibly not.
THEM: I mean, a lot of retailers are really struggling.
ME: I know. But to be honest, we're doing OK thanks.
THEM: I wonder why? Oh sorry that sounds, I mean, great. Good for you.
ME: Thank you. So I need a quote please.
I take stock of the increasingly familiar conversation. It is all true. We are doing well, and we are opening a new store in Leeds, and everyone I speak to seems astonished by it. Everyone, that is, except the musicians.
If you think "recession-proof" not even I think "musical instruments". Cheap supermarkets always seem to do well and pound shops pop up like blisters on the scars of old Woolworths sites. As a dad of twins I can confirm that people selling baby paraphernalia will only be outlasted by the funeral parlours, that's what you call recession-proof.
So why has a company which sells musical instruments, of all things, just enjoyed the best December in its entire 111-year history? Sometimes the really big companies do well when times are hard because they can increase market share whilst the weaker ones suffer but as a family-owned business with just nine shops we aren't exactly what you would call monolithic.
'When things get tough, guitar sales rise'
I have a theory, completely unsubstantiated by any facts or figures, of course (that would just spoil it), that when things get tough, guitar sales rise. At least, working for a music shop that's how it always seems to me.
Why would this be? Do more people get the blues and suddenly need to find a way of expressing their melancholy? I think the answer lies in the powerful bloody-mindedness of people who are passionate about music. It is almost a matter of defiance.
The people who really love making music are saying "Hang on a minute! I may not be able to afford to keep up my car payments, or pay for that caravan holiday, or the rent, or food for my children, but not even an uprising of the living dead is going to come between me and that guitar!" And then they might say "Ooh, that's given me an idea for a song".
If the question is "why musical instruments?" the answer is "passion". Only a tiny percentage of the population play a musical instrument (between 2% and 5% depending on who you listen to) which makes you wonder how anyone can ever create a business out of selling them, but the point it that many of those who do play an instrument have their lives changed by it.
Not rock stars
Surprising as it may seem, most of our customers are not rock stars. A few of them are of course but most of them don't even play in bands. To tell you a dreadful secret, most of them don't even try to be cool!
They are normal, everyday people who happen to play a musical instrument. They are often moody misunderstood musos but they are also often the regular mums and dads of said musos, who would normally be intimidated by your traditional "spit and sawdust" dark, cool (there's that word again), grungy guitar shop, but find us refreshingly "normal" (there, I've actually just given away our biggest secret, now everyone will be doing it).
They may not aspire to anything more glamorous than playing quietly at home to an audience of one (themselves) but little else can compare with the thrill this brings. That's the drug that keeps them coming back.
This is why the people from Leeds who have not expressed complete surprise at news of our imminent arrival, are the musicians. They aren't in the least bit surprised that someone is opening a new music shop in Leeds. Although several forum threads lament the sad demise of favourite guitar shops long gone, the musicians of Leeds have been very upbeat and optimistic about the news, posting kind words of encouragement and requests that we stock cheap guitar strings, please.
Success in Yorkshire
Alright then, next question - if so many who have gone before us in Leeds have done just that (gone, I mean), why are we following? Why do we think we can succeed in Yorkshire?
We've done our research as you'd expect but to be honest the reasons are obvious. Leeds has a vibrant music scene (hence plenty of passionate musicians) and a massive student population, which ticks two major boxes for anyone in the business of selling musical instruments.
We believe that Leeds has a lot to offer us and we have a lot to offer Leeds (it has to work both ways). Maybe it is because the owner of our company is originally from Yorkshire, but we think we suit Leeds.
I'm not looking for a job in the Leeds city council PR department but Leeds can be described using all those words councils want to be able to use without any trace of irony. Words like "modern", "honest", "proud", "vibrant" and "passionate" spring to mind. There is always something exciting going on in Leeds.
City centre premises
That's one reason why we have chosen to take a slightly smaller premises in the city centre, rather than a warehouse on the outskirts.
Having a wider variety of smaller shops can be very important to a city centre but the smart retailers aren't there through some act of altruism or desire to further the common good. It depends on the business model of course but many of them know that a smaller but more convenient shop location in a busy neighbourhood can be a lot less of a headache than trying to get everyone to make some kind of shopping pilgrimage to an aircraft hangar in the middle of nowhere. Both have their place but the smaller shops help the retailers every bit as much as they help the towns and cities who feel so grateful for them.
There you have it. Two questions answered.
Why do people keep buying musical instruments? Because they love them.
Why Leeds? That's less of a mystery when you just look at the music scene but its still all about the passion.
Lawrence Pickup works for Dawsons Music.
