Live Music and Record Store Day
It’s a confusing time for musicians. On one hand, there’s never been more music in our lives; on the other, the profession is becoming less viable. From the ringtone to the radio, the elevator, waiting room, supermarket, bus, plane (the list is endless), our lives are saturated with music. Yet musicians’ incomes are in free-fall, venues are struggling and CD sales are shrinking.
The city might be alive with the sound of music, but it’s mostly of a crudely functional kind – atmospherics for commuting, queuing, shopping, etc. This relentless public soundtrack crowds the headspace once reserved for a different experience of music-making: live music.
The loss here is not just to musicians. Live music is intensely social and life affirming in ways that our canned public soundtrack is not, and we could all do with more of it. If it’s not looking like we’re going to get it from digitization, which so far has only shown itself good at sexing up the logic of private music consumption (think iPods, headphones, downloads), then we need to devise new ways of fostering it. How to do this is the challenge for musicians and music fans today.
The musician’s challenge is part of a bigger problem. Terry Eagleton says that we need to imagine new forms of belonging and that some of those forms will have something of the intimacy of tribal or community relations. Because live music and the culture surrounding it are so good at promoting important forms of belonging, the solution to the musician’s problem is at the same time a response to an entire zeitgeist found wanting.
And part of live music’s culture is the small, independent record store. The best of these stores bring people together, offer places to exchange ideas and contacts, circulate underground literature, and showcase music and musicians. In their quiet, unassuming way they nourish a creative community and a social alternative. They’re a “Safe House” for independent musicians.
A recent story in a European newspaper observed that there were now only 27 such stores left in the world! For example, there’s only one left in France. It is Souffle Continu (Circular Breathing), and I had the pleasure of playing there recently with Australian and French musicians (see photo). It was a great experience and I thank Guy-Frank, Théo and Bernard for their support in making this happen.
So next time you’re thinking about checking out some new music or musician, or want info on venues or events, drop in to your independent record store. If you’re in Paris, visit Souffle Continu (www.soufflecontinu.com). And tell everyone about Record Store Day.
Record Store Day is 19 April 2014 Australia – www.recordstoreday.com.au France – www.disquaireday.fr