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Rough Trade (East): is this the best record shop in London? [Answer: possibly]

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In advance of national record store day later this month, I present to you… Rough Trade. Rough Trade East to be precise. There’s a Rough Trade West, too, off Portobello Road and a branch in Soho in the basement of denim label Rag & Bones. Oh, and locations in Bristol, Nottingham and New York City. It’s an empire! Of sorts…

Rough Trade East: practical information

Address: Old Truman Brewery 91, Brick Ln, E1 6QL

Nearest public transport: Liverpool Street (Central line, Circle line, Hammersmith & City line, Metropolitan line, Elizabeth Line, Overground, National Rail), Aldgate (Circle line, Metropolitan line), Aldgate East (District line, Hammersmith & City line) or Shoreditch High St (Overground)

Website: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb

Opening times: Mon – Sat 10am – 7pm | Sun: 11am-5pm

Accessibility: there’s an entrance ramp and the shop is on a single level.

Toilets: no, but there are toilets in The Brick Lane Vintage Market just around the corner.

And also:

Rough Trade: the early days

Rough Trade was founded in February 1976 by Geoff Travis, a London born and bred former drama teacher. First, it was a record shop in West London, off Portobello Road, selling second-hand American vinyl and featuring a reggae sound system.

It was a classic case of being at the right place at the right time. Punk was happening just around the corner, and Rough trade was in the middle of it.

In 1978, in addition to the shop, Rough Trade became a record label. The Smiths were its most famous signing, but luminaries from the independent music scene like Arcade Fire and The Strokes also made the label an architect of the post-punk landscape.

Rough Trade East in Brick lane

Rough Trade East opened in 2007. It’s a large (465 square meters/ 5,000sq ft) space off Brick Lane, in the Truman Brewery. Concrete beams, walls plastered in stickers and flyers, album covers on the well-trodden floor: industrial aesthetic as its finest.

The shop sells records, lots of records, proper old-fashioned vinyl, and CDs too. The stock covers all genres, although the strong point is bands from the alternative scenes. There’s also a large array of music books and biographies, a photo booth, bands tees, a fair trade café, and a small stage at the back where they feature up-and-coming bands or live DJ’s.

Today it attracts a diverse crowd, from parents with buggies to metalheads, and regularly feature in “best of lists”, whether it’s the 100 best shops in London, or the best record shops in the world. The record label is still very much alive and still run by Geoff Travis, together with Jeanette Lee. Nowadays, it’s separate from the shop (which was bought out by 3 employees in the early 80s).

So go visit this London Institution, and the rest of Brick Lane and Shoreditch while you’re at it (and do have a bagel at Beigel Shop, they’re so yummy). It is truly one of the most amazing areas of London. The hype is well deserved, for once.



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If you enjoyed this, please like or share. Thank you!