Banquet Records
TypeLimited company
IndustryRetail
GenreIndependent Record Shop
Founded2002
Headquarters52 Eden Street, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1EE
Area served
South West London
Key people
Jon Tolley & Mike Smith - Owners
ProductsCDs, Vinyl Records
OwnerJon Tolley and Mike Smith [1]
Websitebanquetrecords.com

Banquet Records is a record shop in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London. Formerly part of the Beggars Banquet Records retail chain, it became fully independent in 2002. It stocks a broad range of music on both vinyl and CD. The establishment is also home to Gravity DIP music management, as well as the Banquet Records record label.[2]

History

Started as part of the Beggars Banquet chain of record stores before becoming fully independent in 2002. The store was sold to the then manager, however decreased profits led the store to near bankruptcy towards the end of 2004.[3]

In February 2005,[4] Banquet Records was taken over by new owners; previous employees of the Beggars store, Jon Tolley and Mike Smith.[1][5]

In 2017, the store won Music Week's award for best independent retailer of the year.[6]

Services

The store uses its slogan "More than just your local record store"[7] to provide services other than the sale of music, as it also runs various concerts, club nights and in-stores in and around Kingston upon Thames. The use of slogan has been described as such: "The premise outlined in their advertising strap line is simple: 'More than your local record store'. And it is incredibly apt. Not just content with supplying Kingston's art school students and music aficionados with their favourites, Banquet Records has firmly placed itself at the heart of this vibrant town's music scene."[8]

It stocks a broad range of music on both vinyl and CD but mainly specialises in new music from indie, punk, emo, electronica, house, drum 'n' bass and hip hop and funk genres.[9] As well as selling Vinyl Records and CDs, the store also sells merch, record players, record boxes and general vinyl accessories.

The store takes part in Record Store Day, an annual celebration of independent record stores.[10]

Promotions

In-stores

Banquet Records regularly features in store performances. Bands that have performed in store at Banquet include: Mayday Parade; Title Fight; Frank Iero; The Flatliners; Gnarwolves; Lemuria; Knuckle Puck; Jimmy Eat World; Moose Blood; Great Cynics; Apologies, I have none; and Trash Boat.[11]

Club Nights

Banquet Records has run the regular New Slang indie club nights in Kingston since 2006 (named after The Shins song). Artists who have played include:

[12]

Other shows

Banquet Records also holds separate one-off shows, the majority being held at The Hippodrome and The Fighting Cocks in Kingston upon Thames, as well as at the Rose Theatre, Kingston College and All Saints Church.[13] The Store hosted a Blink-182 concert at the Rose Theatre, which it claimed was the store's biggest show, for the lead up to the band's new album.[14] Other major artists to have played shows organised by Banquet include Biffy Clyro, Craig David, Fall Out Boy and Zara Larsson.

Record label

The Banquet Records shop is also home to a music label of the same name.[15][16] It has issued music by UK artists, sometimes to support tours. It also release foreign artist which don't have UK distribution deals. The label was created by the current owners of the shop. They were actually running the label before they bought the shop in 2004.[17] Artists released include:

https://www.banquetrecords.com/banquet-label?w=59

References

  1. 1 2 "How Banquet Records turned a failing music shop into the beating heart of a local scene". 16 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "BANQUET GRAVITY DIP LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk.
  3. ↑ "Banquet Records. | Mint Magazine". Mint Magazine. Archived from the original on 18 December 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  4. ↑ Jones, Dan. "Features - all the juicy bits!". Rockmidgets.com. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  5. ↑ "Banquet Records. - Mint Magazine". www.mintmagazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 December 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  6. ↑ ""It was busier than we could have ever imagined": Inside Record Store Day 2017".
  7. ↑ "Banquet Records.com". Banquet Records.com. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  8. ↑ "Record Store Day - Countdown Day 2 | Clash Music Exclusive General". Clashmusic.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  9. ↑ "Banquet Records ". Banquet Records. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  10. ↑ "Banquet Records". Banquet Records. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  11. ↑ "Banquet Records | In-Stores". Banquet Records. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  12. ↑ "Gig History - Banquet Records". Banquet Records. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  13. ↑ "Banquet Records | Shows & Clubs". Banquet Records. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "Banquet Records | Blink-182". Banquet Records. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  15. ↑ "Banquet Records". Banquet Records. Archived from the original on 25 May 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  16. ↑ "Features - all the juicy bits!". 25 March 2016. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016.
  17. ↑ Andrews, Interview by Charlotte Richardson (18 February 2015). "'HMV is not our enemy': 10 rules for running a record shop" – via www.theguardian.com.
  18. ↑ "Modern Baseball - Sports". Banquet Records. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  19. ↑ "Lightyear (2) - Chris Gentlemen's Hairdresser And Railway Book Shop". Discogs.
  20. ↑ "Banquet Records | Consider This EP". Banquet Records. Retrieved 6 June 2016.

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