TAKE THIS TOWN

liver up your stores: (from left) Probe, Our Price's Tim Cahier, John Davies of WH Smith, Liuerpool city centre, 3 Beat and Penny Lane Liverpool has a rich musical héritage and an abundance of record stores. By Paul Gorman

Mersey beat goes on Think Liverpool and you immediately yourselves out of the market," he says. 2,500sq fl store, which was previously records for their kids," he says. thinkcity's musicThe Beatles, retailers a factare thankfulnot ail the for. - anThe offshoot Penny ofLane the storemain inshop Bold further Street dozena Virgin staff, unit focuses and employs on catalogue around and a BeatAt theRecords, opposite which end is of recognised the scale is as 3 takeThere a sacreligious are some Scousers stand. "If who you dare to policy.out of townManager - maintains Gary Johnston a similar says: 40%chart of sales, units which shifted make respectively. up 60% and latethe firstEighties store dance to have explosion. tapped into The the thoughtmad. We about just carry it too on much regardless, you'd go off-if"We always a CD tryis priced and knock at £13.99, something we will compétitionHowever, Ourfrom Price the 17,000sq faces stiff ft HMV Philstore Southall was opened and inthree 1989 partners, by dance with fan ignoringBob Parker, ail Theco-manager Beatles fuss,"of Probe, says chopThe 50p 600sq off immediately." ft store's extensive vinyl onStreet. Liverpool's Opened main in 1985 drag, on Church one level, upa £2,000 with money Prince's raised Trust from grant the topped sale of Liverpool'sBut Probe, oldest and theindie rest record of the store. city's Presleyracks include albums, deletions and its suchbargain as Elvis bins refurbishmentthe store expanded in November three-fold 1992, with anda their"We individual set the shop record up because collections. we been26 music given shops, a head bave start undoubtedly by the city's includediscounted cassettes CD singles. at £2.99 and now37 staff includes are spread a sectioned-off around a classicalsite which couldn'twanted outside get hold of of London," the rarities says we popThe music Merseyside history. Tourism Board, concentrationJohnston believes on hard Penny rock Lane'sand métal storeWith and extensive a DJ booth. video sélections, officesSouthall situated at the company'sabove the 600sq chaotic ft takingsimilar its musical lead from héritage US cities such withas "Nobodyhas given else it a sellsunique it in selling Liverpool point. in theincluding demands a sports of this section football-mad tailored city, to storeAmong in the competitors Liverpool Palacewhich havecomplex. Memphis, Nashville and New Orléans, any quantity, so we find we have the store aims to cater for every type of successsprung upis the in the nearby wake 600sq of 3 Beat's ft Probe hilt.exploits While links they with await the the Fab opening Four to ofthe "It'scornered that theand market,"our cheaper says prices Johnston. which knownmusic buyer. for our "We dance were stuff," originally says dance store, run by Mark Johnson and the Paul McCartney-backed Liverpool bring a lot of people in." manager Paul Johnson. "By manning Allenrecent Jones. closure Johnson of clubs moums such as the Mardi visitorsInstitute can for partake the Performing in Albert Arts, Dock's retailersA common is that complaint there are of just many too ourthe DJlinks booth to those every buyers day we and can draw keep in Gras and Macaloons but takes solace The Beatles Story, Cavern City Tours, many record shops in Liverpool. "This rock,Just classical two shops and along chart Church consumers." Street, isin drawingthe fact thattop-flight Cream DJs at suchthe Academy as andIt's the a fair Magical bet that History each Tour.day's haul of Manchester's.city centre isn't There the size just of isn't say, the room WH Smith's 17,500sq ft shop dedicates David Morales and CJ Mackintosh. customers includes visitors and for ail of us," says Probe's Brian Maher. andaround video a third sales. of Head its space of music to music sales goersBut are on therestricted live music to the front, Royal concert- Court alreadytourists beenwhose whetted musical by appetites the wide have PriceTim in Calder, Central manager Station, of disagrees; the Our John Davies says Sraiths' strength is or the Empire. Gone are the days of range of Beatles attractions. m long as 'ecut its accessibility. "Muras and dads are whichEric's, drewthe legendary every top club name and on label the to Byallow and the large, everyday though, business shops refuse of not afraid to corne in here to ask about post-punk circuit and acted as catalyst shifting units to be overshadowed by asfor FrankieLiverpool Goes acts To of Hollywood, the Eighties, Pete such John,Some, Paul, such George as Penny and LaneRingo. in Bold LOCATION: Covering 43.5 sq miles at the mouth SHOPPINGUNEMPLOYMENT DISTRICTS: RATE: Within 18,4% the city centre, Wylie, Julian Cope and lan McCulloch. Street, make a gesture such as placing of the inMersey, the UK, Liverpool with more is than still one60 shipping of the largest there are individual shopping districts such as Christians,With the low-profileThe Farm andof The The La's, Beatlesdisplay tocollectables draw in custom. in the window ies linking itto ports around the world. Albert Dock, Cavern Walks, the covered mails of the local scene has entered a moribund Others, like Our Price and WH With Manchester just 34 miles away, it is linked theClayton walkways Square of and Church St John's Street, Centre, Lord Street as well and as thephase, newly although opened some Lomax hold on out Lord hope for strictlySmith, maintainand promote the itBeatles at appropriate catalogue roadsmdon feeding by hourly into the InterCity national rail motorway services and Bold Street. Street, which has already been played times, such as the International rk include the M62, the M58 and the byOf local more heroes immédiate such as import lan McNabb. to BeatlesThen thereConvention are those each outlets October. - such M53/M56. The city has its own airport 20 minutes retailers is Virgin's intention to open a as Probe and the dance-based 3 Beat - fromDESCRIPTION: the centre. One of the great Victorian cities, centre. In and around Church Street's covered RetailMegastore refuses on Churchto comment Street. on Virginits plans, havewhich established ignore the themselvesBeatles hoopla with and with rcstored architecture as a testament to its walkway are HMV, WH Smith, Probe, Groover, but the rumour is out in Liverpool that more recent trends. héritage asthe UK's leading world trade centre Scene Of The Crime and Backtracks. rightthe chain on Church has its Streeteye on whicha large it site plans at Probeits présent opened Rainford in 1971 Gardens and has sitebeen in during the Industrial Révolution. Famous departmentLittlewoods storeand Rushworth also dedicates & Draper's limited space to open in April. 'Things are about to the city centre since 1976. landmarks include Sefton Park ,the refurbished to music sales. In and around the Bold Street ominously.change in this city," says Probe's Bob Associated with post-punk Head,Albert includingDock, and the the Liver trio ofBuilding. buildings Around atthe Pier walkway are; Our Price, Penny Lane (which also What he is referring to is Virgin's anddevelopments recently ambient, such as indie,the shop grunge has 125,000 tourists visit Beatles attractions every has shops in Birkenhead and Chester) Probe's expected impact on city centre stores spin-off label Probe Plus, which is ycar, drawn by sites such as the rebuilt Cavern dance outlet, 3 Beat Records and a number of nicheswhich havein the carved fiercely out compétitive individual releasedoperated Halfby Geoff Man Davis Half Biscuit'sand recently new Club on Matthew Street and a number of other second hand collector's stores. Circle Records battle for the Scouser's record buying album. StrawberryBeatles-related Fields. sites including Penny Lane and classical. Suburhan shops include Crown cash.It can only be hoped that this shake- shopProbe's alongside Brian Parker Maher, and who owner runs the POPULATION: 452,450. Records in Crosby; Duke Box in Anfield; and up of Liverpool's retail scene will help Annie Davis, says its policy is to keep a DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN: 0-15s, 21.4%; 16- TOTALKirkby RecordsRETAIL SPACE: in Kirkby. 45,875sq ft diminishturn around the itsimpression musical fortunes of a city and cityfirm - clamp if you on go prices. too high "This you isprice a poor 29s,19%. 21.3%; 30-44s, 20%; 45-RT18.3%; RT-plus, POPULATION PER 1,000 SQ FT: 9,862 relying on former glories, MUSIC WEEK 22 JANAURY1994 23