Record Breaker
Business owner, DJ, skateboarder, father – Jon Tolley is the force behind Banquet Records. Trusted by artists and loved by the community, Banquet grew from one small high street shop into an industry go-to. We spoke to Jon about his passion for the job and breaking into music.
Let’s rewind, how did this all start?
“We bought it for pennies, took on the debts – it wasn’t worth anything and we were running out of stock. We were only just covering costs, giving people a place to buy CD’s, a few in-store gigs, nothing more than that. I had a record label running from my bedroom – putting on gigs and club nights – so we put everything under the same umbrella; the gigs, DJ nights, the shop, which gave us time to start doing more and more.”
Banquet is described as ‘a real record shop run by real people’…
“It’s curation from interest and passion – rather than algorithms. We recommend stuff and give platforms to things we think are important or good. We’re not a faceless corporation, we’re not Amazon. When people come into Banquet, we need them to feel we’re not hurrying them, that it’s a safe place to hang out for a while. Browsing is important, you need to experience it, find that record yourself, pick it up – that’s what our customers fall in love with. There’s no snobbery and we’re not judgemental, my team are like, ‘Isn’t it cool that kid came in and bought that, ‘Isn’t it cool we found that CD for that pensioner – it’s wholesome stuff.”
That human touch sounds like it’s essential for Banquet…
“It’s mad, 20 years on, in this game people sending WhatsApps and phone calls, not big high-end contracts, it’s trust. All we are is a brand, a trusted group of people. I’m the first person there to greet them and last person to see them leave, so they see the human side, we’re not a faceless entity just profiting.”
What’s the buzz about buying a record?
“A lot of people who buy records don’t listen to them, that’s the reality, same with CDs but it’s having that collection. I’m not against streaming, we have a smart speaker in the house, but there’s special records that represent a snapshot in your life. You remember who you were seeing at the time, groups of friends you were with, gigs you went to. There’s something cathartic about physically putting a record on and listening to it from track 1-12. No band get together to make an MP3.”
Banquet’s effect on the Kingston community is huge…
“We’re bringing in huge names, in the last week we’ve had three number one artists play for us. We have connections with Franco Manca, The Albion will always be busy before our gigs, ‘spoons definitely! The Spring Grove will adjust their rota when they know there’s a gig at St. John’s Church. I’d like to think there’s more cohesion between all the venues too, we all want each other to do well. Our audience reach is hyper local.”
Tell us about the new gig venue in town, what can music fans expect?
“There’s huge investment (millions) going into the new venue from the owners. It will be split into two, Bonnie Rogues; a vibey bar with decent food and then Circuit; a fresh new nightclub, this is where the gigs will happen. There will be a significant refurb in the main room, the balcony will be terraced so more people get a better view. We’ve invested £100k in new PA equipment which will include speakers in the air for improved vision and sound. The future of our gigs there is safe, I’m really positive about it.”
Sounds like you’re living the dream?
“Yes, and my nightmare! However good it is, there’s things that bring you back down – we’re in an old Victorian building with no air con and a leaky roof. The best bit is just being around it all, the achievement, providing things that wouldn’t exist otherwise. I like that we’re creating things that will be someone’s highlight of the day/week/month. I can’t imagine a different life – and I’m not looking for one.”
