Monday, September 5, 2011

Dub Vendor Store To Close

Dub Vendor, probably the most famous reggae record shop in the UK, if not Europe has sadly announced that it is about to close the doors of its shop at Clapham Junction.


Dub Vendor, founded by John MacGillivray, began life in 1976 as a market stall catering for the music needs of the surging West Indian population of Clapham and nearby Brixton. The stall proved such a success that soon a shop was acquired and opened in Clapham and then four years later a second shop opened in Ladbroke Grove right next to the Underground station.

As reggaes popularity grew in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s the little shop in Clapham was struggling to fulfil demand so a move to its current location 274 Lavender Hill was made. This their flagship store also became home to its own in-house recording studio label Fashion Records.

By the end of the ‘80s reggae was still proving to be popular and with the ever-increasing patronage of reggae lovers this meant that in 1991 it was now the turn of the Ladbroke Grove store to move bigger premises just down the road. By the turn of the century reggaes popularity began to quickly wane and as sales fell and the rent increased, plus the introduction of the Western Extension in 2007 to the London Congestion Charge resulted in the store closing its doors to the public just over a year later on the 28th June 2008. Now as from Saturday 10th September 2011 the Clapham Junction record shop will close its doors and as a physical shop will be no more. Dub Vendor the name though will carry on as it becomes an online and mail order service only.

John McGillivray spoke to The
 Independent newspaper and told them that he felt compelled to close the store as he feels interest in reggae in the UK has waned. He said:

“The kids over here, it's [reggae] nothing new to them. Their perception is that it's their mum and dad's music and it doesn't define them in the way it defined previous generations. The music has moved in a different direction. And in Jamaica the music has moved away from where most people in the UK would find it relevant to them.”

A sad day but you cannot help but agree with his words.

For more info visit dubvendor.co.uk


 


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