The good people at Rockaway Records are currently celebrating 25 years of spinning us 'round, right 'round.
Established in 1992, Rockaway Records is a Brisbane legacy. For a quarter of a century, Managing Director Scott Johnson and his wife Glenyce have kept the good times rolling through thick and thin. “I think it’s a great achievement given it’s a record store that’s lasted through all the technological changes that have happened in the last ten years,” Scott says. “So it’s a good feeling and a good celebration.
"A guy came up to the counter with an LP and it was a dollar and he wanted a discount. So my staff member broke it in half and said ‘that’ll be 50 cents thanks’."
“It’s followed on from the LA store owned by my brothers [Gary and Wayne] which has been going 38 years now. So after I finished my last job after 20 years and I needed to move on they convinced me I should move into the music arena. I’ve been going 25 years and they’re heading into 38 years, so it’s all in the family.”
For an independent, brick-and-mortar record store, it’s been no bed of roses. Rockaway was first opened in Paddington, before being forced to relocate to Ashgrove due to development in the area. After yet another shift, this time to Springwood, Rockaway Records now holds a prime location in the Westfield Carindale shopping centre.
Scott has also had to grapple with the ever-changing landscape of the music industry, with streaming and digital distribution usurping physical record sales in an unforgiving market. “In between all this you’ve got downloading and streaming, so all this had changed the dynamics of the business,” Scott says.
“Each time we’ve come up fighting and now the latest innovation of Rockaway is we’ve melded the past with the present. So you’ve got all the vinyl and the memorabilia like we’ve done the best in Brisbane for years, but we’ve also got the pop culture side. So we’ve melded all that together and become relevant today.”
Of course, there have also been plenty of fun times over the years; Scott recalls with mirth what he calls “one of those ‘High Fidelity’ moments”. “It was one of my staff, a guy came up to the counter with an LP and it was a dollar and he wanted a discount. So my staff member broke it in half and said ‘that’ll be 50 cents thanks’. It’s a record shop, we got to do things like that occasionally,” he laughs.
“You’ve got to have fun and what makes it fun is that a lot of my staff have been with me over 20 years, we’ve grown up together and the music knowledge in this shop is amazing.”
Rockaway Records are currently holding a month-long celebration at their store in honour of the silver anniversary with 25 days of 25 events that feature live music, competitions and lots of discounts.
Scott invites customers new and old to come check out why Rockaway Records is still one of the best music shops in Brisbane. “We’re looked at as giving Westfield Carindale a soul because we offer something different,” he says.
“People come here because they can find memorabilia, pop culture, vinyl, music and now with live music we’ve tried to make it a real vibrant place. It hasn’t been an easy road, there have been challenges but I don’t think that will ever change.
"In retail these days, whether you’re in clothes, records, [or] electronics, it’s all going to be a challenge but I think that keeps me going and keeps me young.”
Rockaway Records celebrate their 25th anniversary at their Westfield Carindale store (Brisbane) until 16 July.
