Music at Regent: Live, Vinyl & Our Inspiration
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The vinyl we stock, the live shows we put on and why music will always be firm friends with fashion
Music & Fashion Forever
Fashion and music go hand in hand. Identity, branding, aesthetics, politics, creativity, individuality: these are all things vital to musicians which, since the turn of the 20th century, have been specifically articulated through the way they choose to dress.
Music and fashion have influenced and interlinked with each other for decades, providing a rich seam of history that reflects fundamental cultural shifts. Just think of mods, punks, rockers, hippies, goths, grunge, hip-hoppers and you’ll see how intricately linked music, fashion, personal expression and politics are.
Music at Regent: Carefully Curated Vinyl
Music has always been a massive part of the Regent experience: from the carefully curated playlist we put on in our store (stay tuned for a Spotify Regent Radio Channel) to Jason’s much-loved Instagram Dances, music gives the rhythm for the beat of Regent’s heart.
That’s why it seemed obvious to us that we should start stocking vinyl, to help develop and showcase our intimate link with one of our greatest mediums of inspiration. This makes us the only stockist of contemporary vinyl in Salisbury, so for those of you who love vinyl and like to shop independent, it’s a no-brainer to pop along and see us.
In this blog, you’ll learn a little bit about the vinyls we stock. But we’ve gone a step further too: the Regent Sessions are a brand new series of live music performances staged in our very own store at the heart of Salisbury. Read on to find out more, as well as our programming and how you can apply to play a showcase.
What are the Regent Sessions?
Nothing stirs the heart like live music, especially when it’s performed in an intimate setting. That’s why we’ve launched the Regent Sessions: a series of live performances taking place at our store on New Street in Salisbury, featuring the very best up-and-coming talent from around the South West of England and beyond.
We kicked things off with an incredible performance from Southampton-based singer-songwriter Owen Hackett, who performed a set of rousing, beautifully-crafted songs for a lucky audience in the Mint Room at Regent. We stock beer, wine and spirits, too, so people could stock up on their tipple of choice to make it a 360-degree bona fide live music experience.
Thank you, Owen! We feel lucky to’ve had you play, and can’t wait to see what will undoubtedly be a meteoric career take off for you.
If you yourself are an artist who’d like to play a Regent Session in this unique surround with an attentive audience, get in touch with Jason, telling him a little bit about who you are, why you want to perform, and a link to your music.
Turning tables: The Vinyl We Stock
After decades in the industry of tailoring, designing and brand curation, Jason has decided to share his wealth of musical knowledge by displaying the incredible links between music and fashion that exist in old and new artists alike through the curation of vinyl.
Music has always been extremely close to Mr Regent’s heart, providing inspiration for many of his own design choices, as well as being what keeps him going in the shop each day, dancing, singing (and crying, sometimes - boys do cry, Robert Smith!)
Vinyl still remains the best way to experience recorded music: it’s like a kind of magic, how running that little diamond along the grooves can produce symphonies, sonatas, songs and serenades. The artist Cornelia Parker’s piece ‘Negatives of Sound’ displays beautifully a visual metaphor for the music of vinyl: each wiry vinyl swirl is a song that’s been etched into the material, or more precisely, the space that’s been made for that song. Maybe something similar happens when we listen to music and it etches its lyrics and melodies onto our brains…
Vinyl Spotlight: a Fashion History Cat-Walk through some of What We Stock
David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1970s)
One of the biggest proponents of using clothing to transcend, escape and redefine yourself as an artist, David Bowie had an inspiring, limitlessly creative relationship with his looks and how each one defined his persona of-the-moment. The 1970s capitalised on the freedoms and revolutions of the 60s by heralding androgynous looks and out-of-this-world jumpsuits, sequins, tight trousers and flares.
Talking Heads - ‘77 (1970s)
In his book How Music Works David Byrne describes redefining his look after working out that wearing all black was just the ‘uniform of the avant-garde’: he moved on to elegant, muted colours. He’s always been a wonderful proponent of the suit, though: see American Utopia where he and his band are all in grey, and of course, the unbeatable Stop Making Sense for that Big Suit…
Ian Brown - Unfinished Business (1980s)
Ah, the 80s! Bucket hats and bangers from the Stone Roses. Ian Brown and his merry crew were largely responsible for bringing casualwear to the forefront of fashion, and heralded the tracksuit and the sweatshirt as big-hitters in your wardrobe, when worn right.
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA (1980s)
Across the pond, Mr Sprinsteen was toting the US working class look and making it immensely fashionable: how many of us now take a crisp t-shirt and jeans for the basis of any outfit? Thanks, Bruce!
Bjork - Not Get (1990s)
After her work with the Sugarcubes, Bjork was really able to let her costume design run amok, and rivals David Bowie in pairing albums with radically different, futuristic and wonderfully oddball looks. Maybe this one’s a bit of a ‘don’t try this at home’, but still, everywhere you find her, Bjork will look incredible, reminding us it’s ok to dare to do different.
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am… (2000s)
Moving on to the noughties, Alex Turner et al picked up where the Stone Roses left off, with simple sportswear, good trainers and jeans modelling the basis of any practical but svelte, stylish look. As the band got bigger, so did Alex’s fashion aspirations too: find him now sharply dressed in any number of 70’s-inspired brown or black suits, like a louche lounge singer.
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever (2020s)
The queen of Gen-Z style, Billie Eilish does, well, whatever she wants, and makes it look great, like so many others on this list. A proponent of oversized but beautifully-cut and constructed garments, everything Eilish wears accentuates her wonderful, abandon-fuelled dancing.
So, there’s a clear lesson here: music makes us feel free to dress how we want to. What will you do with your look next?
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