Clubland is continually filled with comings and goings, but the goings have been particularly hefty these past months. If the departure of soul-dance haven Southport earlier this month wasn’t enough to bring tears to the heavy, early morning eyes of veteran house-heads everywhere then surely the closure of legendary London record shop BM Soho – formerly Blackmarket – was.

BM built its reputation for quality vinyl retail over 25 years. Founded in 1988 by DJs Steve Jervier and Rene Gelston (the latter also a promoter and session hairdresser), the store was an inevitable extension of Blackmarket’s initial success as rare groove and, later, house night at Wardour Street’s Wag club. As the party’s popularity grew so it set up additional shop in Paris, Milan and New York. And then came an actual ‘shop’ - Blackmarket Records opening in Soho’s D’Arblay Street (the same road as an early Defected Records’ office) to further cement and share Jervier and Gelston’s love of exceptional dance music.


The store was an innovation – not simply a shop counter but a living, breathing community unique in packing a truly A-grade sound system for DJs to play on whilst others purchased 12s. That such celebration could be seen clearly from its large front window helped extend Blackmarket’s unique vibe onto the street outside. Weekends were often road blocks. Blackmarket started with house but evolved to champion techno, drum& bass and dubstep in equal measure. This was so much more than a record shop....

Sad, then, that Blackmarket’s end should have come this February in a matter of hours. A hastily handwritten sign appeared on the front door during the early hours of 27 February stating that “due to circumstances BM Soho has to close”. An official statement followed on the store’s website (now defunct) suggesting trouble with the landlord but still questions remained. It was hard to accept that, one day, BM Soho was pushing its usual wares, and then the next it was completely stripped bar one or two lonely-looking platters left in the window.


Such rapid developments were news even to long-standing BM Soho stalwart Gerry ‘Goldie’ McGoldrick, one of two partners running the premises upon its demise. McGoldrick joined BM in 1995, when it was under the ownership of Jervier and Gelston’s successors Dave Piccioni and Nicky Blackmarket. He has outlasted their significant tenures and, through his impeccable music knowledge, passion for groove and commitment to brilliant customer service, come to embody BM’s most recent (and final) phase of life.

McGoldrick, understandably, has said little around the events of late February to date, putting his own affairs in order first (he needed a new job) as well as handling the major emotional fallout of losing something so dear to him - and to the wider dance scene. But now he’s finally ready to speak in depth about what happened and discuss what his future holds.

Goldie, it was dreadful to hear about BM Soho’s closure. How have you been keeping?

I’m fine. When everything happened I had to move quickly to find another job for my family’s sake. I didn’t have a lot of time to dwell on the shop’s closure. There’s a lot of emotional baggage tied up with being somewhere for 20 years. I’ve got a new job now and on the weekends when there’s downtime it all comes back. But, look, I’m a positive person and I don’t want to wallow in the bad bits of the past. I’m proud of having looked after that shop. There were a few negatives here and there through the years but it was different from any other business...it was a special place.

So what happened in the end then?

You have to understand that the last recession hit a lot of businesses hard. Over the last few years BM needed help from other people to keep going. My family and I were fully invested...we had debts...and I couldn’t continue with that stress. So I hooked up with some businessmen who, ultimately, didn’t understand the music and how our music business works. They got cold feet. That’s when I brought Dub Vendor in [housed in the basement] and started pushing the DJ equipment side [Beat Control]. I also brought in a new business partner. We had a good model, things were improving...


What changed?

My partner asked to get financially involved; he wanted to take that side over. As time went on he realised not everything was perfect. The business was improving but he was starting to moan a little about things. And then the landlord said about doubling our lease, which was up for renewal in September. That was in my name, which bothered my partner. I had a good relationship with the landlord...the same people Dave and Nicky had dealt with. I felt we could have worked things out but my partner didn’t. He and the landlord had a pretty bad relationship. I think he felt unsure...that he had less negotiating power.

Even then, I went home on the Thursday [26 February] as usual and when I came back on Friday morning...I couldn’t believe it - my partner had just cleared all of the stock and fittings. BM Soho was a shell. He’d also cut my phone and email. I tried to sort things out but couldn’t. I think he thought I’d simply move elsewhere with him but I wouldn’t. I had too much of a connection to Soho, and if we did have to shut then I’d have wanted to do things properly with a leaving party there and the rest. Most of the burden was on him now so, gutted as I was, I moved on.

There were rumours of other bidders for the business?

I had the option to come back. The landlord mentioned that I could return at any time...that it was up to me so long as I could agree on the lease. He couldn’t believe what had happened; he told me he’d never have chucked me out. As I say, I’m sure we could have worked something. Then again, whilst there were other parties interested in helping get BM Soho back up and running all those early conversations fizzled out and, ultimately, I felt I needed to go...to pass the baton on to the other, younger independent stores out there....


What’s your take on the record store landscape in 2015?

It’s really difficult. Vinyl sales are up, yes, but sales are still tough. And in London’s West End, it’s particularly difficult to generate profits with how expensive the rents are and the other running costs.

But there are one or two new vinyl stores up and running in London – grass shoots?

I think that’s really great and, as I say, I’m passing the baton on to those places. But it’s very hard. The margins are so tight that you have to sell [he stresses] A LOT of records to make it worthwhile. And there’s so much online competition too, from the likes of Juno. It’s just really difficult. Most labels will tell you that vinyl sales are difficult right now. And even when you head further afield to find those game-changing releases, then there’s the added costs attached to the distance – delivery and so forth.  Some stores paint a better picture right now than probably exists; I’ve always said there’s no real margin in this game.  But it’s great that new people are coming through and trying to bring vinyl to audiences in new ways.

So what are you doing now?

I have a great gig with ACS [Advanced Communication Solutions – founded in 1994 by Andy Shiach, the company develops, manufactures and supplies products that protect the hearing of people whose livelihoods depend on working in dangerously high sound levels].  I knew Andy from before, and an offer came in to work with him pretty much straightaway.  It’s fantastic...I get to deal with a lot of music product and musicians and DJs, so I’m still in the same space I enjoy.

Would you ever consider running another record store further down the line?

I’d never say never to another store sometime in the future because I still have days when I think about all the great memories.  I’ve never really thought about my store experience as real experience but it is and that obviously explains the other offers I’ve had recently.  But, really, I’ve moved on now and my focus has shifted. Who knows....


You mention memories – go on, what were some of your biggest BM highlights?

Record Store Day was always fantastic, the last few years...when we were playing music outside and people were flocking to us.  I’ll stick my neck out and say that BM’s customer service was also a highlight – we tried to create a fun, relaxed atmosphere and helping customers in that environment was always a pleasure.  And then there’s the special performances in-store, so many....  Having MAW and Barbara Tucker play live was unbelievable, as was Moodymann and Ron Trent; we also had a great relationship with Skream long before his major success.

Good times....

Y’know, I’m still not sure how I feel about the shop now that it’s gone.  My family has always stuck by me and they were just as gutted as me when BM closed.  But the last eight years were extremely tough and in many ways it’s nice not to have that pressure now.  I’m not too sure what’s happening with the premises; last I heard the site might actually become a hairdressers’.  It is what it is.  I’m moving on now with a positive outlook and some amazing memories.  Those memories will never fade y’know....

Words: Ben Lovett

Both Beat Control and Dub Vendor continue to trade – for more info visit www.beatcontrol.co.uk and www.dubvendor.co.uk

For further details on ACS and its range of services, head to http://acscustom.com/uk/