Gibraltar Record Stores

OK, this is one I never thought I'd write about: A presentation of Gibraltar's Record Shops. As far as I know, no-one has ever written a similar piece, so consider this a gift for record store day: the record hunter's final frontier, the last place you'd go to seek a record. Well, don't get overexcited. There's a reason you never hear about Gibraltarean record shops. Nobody ever goes there to buy CD's or records. Some go there for the natural reserve and for its most famous primates: Not Gibraltarians, but the Barbary macaques. C'mon people, I didn't mean to insult anyone: Firstly, humans are primates, too. Secondly, be honest: Can you honestly name one human Gibraltarian as famous as its apes? The one that has come the closest is this politician: Kaiane Lopez actually made the pages of the highly esteemed British press. So that's all a Gibraltarian has to do to get noticed: (1)win a beauty contest, (2)get elected mayor, and (3)make enthusiastic patriotic statements. Then she can get her photo on the Sun, provided she looks great in a gold bikini. I heard that the Sun people had already tried to start this trend (female politicians in gold bikinis spouting patriotic nonsense) before with Theresa May, and that she had duly obliged them but the result was deemed potentially harmful to the Tories and pulled out at the last minute. Other than the apes, one can visit Gibraltar for the chance to eat some authentically British fish and chips or steak and kidney pie under the bright Andalusian sun. Or for the breathtaking view of the Mediterranean and Africa. Or, like me, to be a smartass and say they've been in a country where few others have gone (well, technically a British overseas territory, but one with its own constitution and government). Worth sitting 4 times through border control (leaving Spain, entering Gibraltar, leaving Gibraltar, entering Spain) though I don't know how thousands of Spaniards commuting for work put up with it daily. As for The Rock's Record shops: in one sentence, there aren't any. But because Gibraltarians love music as much as anyone else, there are places you can buy CDs (as well as DVD's, Games and electronics).

So if you happen to be in Gibraltar and feel like record browsing, what you need to do is park at the edge of town and head towards its main street. You can't miss it, Main Street (actual name) is a long pedestrian road at the centre of the old town. On number 114 you can find Music Corner, on 127 ViJay and on 164 Euphoria. Of these, ViJay has probably more surface but Music Corner has the better CD collection. Prices are in £ and about the same or slightly more expensive than in the U.K. But there are also mid-priced items around £10, and some lesser known and older releases on offer for as little as £3-5. If you don't have any pounds on you, I'm sure that you can also pay with euro's, as in most shops in Gibraltar. It's a pity that, as far as I know, there are no used records shops or any shops that sell vinyl LP's. Or maybe it isn't a pity at all, but an opportunity: Fancy being the only retailer of vinyl records in one of the last British colonies? Here's your chance! 30,000 inhabitants, some of them are bound to be deprived vinyl lovers! Plus I hear that the local tax legislation is seriously business-friendly...

P.S. Nick Cave's "Rock Of Gibraltar" has been playing in my mind's ear for quite some time, so I'm posting this video for no other reason than that. Enjoy!