Grazing Amongst Grooves with Brian Moxham


 This is Brian Moxham, he runs Pepperland Collect, Barrow's Collector's shop on Scott Street.  Piled high with records, comics, sporting and film ephemera, the shop is  a hub for young explorers, nostalgics, and people like me who head into its darker corners in search of flexidiscs, film soundtracks and  production music and end up distracted by a pile of Stax/Volt soul or  pink label Island singles or whatever has arrived since my last visit.

Brian locked up at four, pulled up a squeaky chair and told me of his fascination with vinyl, and the ability of tape to store unexpected treasure. We talked of the importance to small towns of shops like his and of the legendary Earthquake Records, where scenes cohered around imported obscurities and nods of approval or dismissal would greet new releases, and of the joys of browsing and idle grazing.

Brian's first gramophone was a portable wind-up job. He's had these brought in by customers, either to get a price, or to provide a talking point. A much-loved  stack system sits in the corner of the shop, usually playing The Beatles at conversational level.  

Here he is at home in Ormsgill, in 1978, with his Dynotron system. 

I left with a great interview and a mono toploading low number white album. 

(Those who can understand that will understand it.)

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