‘Nothing is too uncool. We want to stock as much variety as we can’
When the decision to close Tasty Records in Altrincham was made earlier this year, music fans were devastated.
At the time of its closure, owner Ben Molesworth said the store deserved ‘more than’ he could give after eight years. And upon announcing the decision to shut down, he also offered out the store’s remaining stock for sale, which spanned across genres from rock to reggaeton.
It was former Tasty manager Jess Campbell who took on the treasure trove of hundreds of 7” singles and 12” albums. For Jess and her partner Billy Goodwin, the purchase accelerated their dreams of opening their own store together – which became a reality last week.
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At the end of August, the pair opened Gatekeep in a tiny window unit on the ground floor of Emporium M33 on Tatton Road in Sale. The quirky shopping centre is hope to around 50 independent businesses across three floors offering everything from free bookstores and charm jewellery shops to clairvoyants and taxidermists.
“We actually had someone queuing up outside on the first day for us to open,” Jess tells the Manchester Evening News. “They used to come to Tasty often and wanted to support us.
“There’s not a proper record store in Sale. Just a few of the guys sell records at markets, but it’s just really us. We’ve already had to restock things quite a lot because so many people have visited us. The reaction has really caught us by surprise – we’re already starting to realise that this space might not be big enough for us!”
But Gatekeep isn’t just a relocated version of Tasty. Alongside stacks of records – ranging from the latest releases to classic albums and rare finds – they also sell VHS, cassettes, CDs and laser disks. It’s something they’ve found a market for.
“People are really keen to physically own media again,” Billy, who also works as a chef, explains. “When you own something, whether it’s a record, a CD, a DVD or a VHS, you are the custodian of it.
“When it comes to streaming these days, you’re paying just for the privilege of watching it. You don’t actually own anything. Even when you buy it digitally, it’s just a license – and it can be taken away from you quite easily.
“People are really interested in buying CDs and cassettes again. Maybe it’s because they’re accessible, but they are also a little cheaper to collect than some of the big vinyl albums. Some of the CDs we stock are perhaps some of the only copies we believe are in the UK.”
Jess and Billy say, in addition to buying up Ben’s expansive Tasty collection, they source their records from markets, car boots, eBay, and auctions, as well as trading with other stores across the country and even the world.
Some of their prized collections, and big prize tickets right now, include a Russian bootleg of Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers for £75, a £900 copy of Aphrodite’s Child’s 666 and a £450 vinyl of a live recording of early Joy Division band Warsaw’s 1977 Middlesbrough gig.
Amongst the rest of the aisles there’s also more affordable copies of records from Blondie, Madonna, Dead or Alive, David Bowie and the Beatles, and so much more. “We want to be accessible, and we want to offer a variety,” Jess says. “If we don’t have it in store, chances are we’ve got it elsewhere and can bring it in.”
Asked how they decide what to keep and what to sell when it comes to their big hauls, Billy says the couple have been quite business-headed in recent weeks. “We have only just opened the shop, so we are very much in the mindset of selling on right now,” he laughs.
Jess worked at Tasty for three years and said she has used everything she’s learnt during that time to help her create the best version of Gatekeep she can. Her years of working in the music industry, and her encyclopaedic knowledge of what makes a copy rare or not also happens to help.
Asked what made Tasty so beloved with the music collector community, Jess says it was that expertise and customer service that fid set them apart from the rest. “You can go to loads of record shops and people can be arses,” she says. “People don’t want to talk to you or will judge you for what you’re buying.
“Whereas, with what we did at Tasty and what we’re doing here, we are the opposite. There is never any judgement, we’re happy to share our expertise and learn from others, and also just share in our love for music.
“The name of Gatekeep came about because some record shops like to be quite guarded and judgey, whereas we want to share. Nothing is too uncool. We want to stock as much variety as we can.
“We’ll always ensure we have records from Bruce Springsteen and the big-selling artists but, at the same time, we’re not gatekeeping tastes and we’ll try and have a good mix of everything – we even have a Jojo Siwa shirt for sale!”
For Jess and Billy, they will be continuing to roll out more products as they settle in, as well as launching the online operations of the business very soon. They also plan on working with some of the local venues, businesses and creatives that make up the Sale neighbourhood, where the couple are from.
“We actually almost opened up somewhere here last year,” Billy says. “But the timing wasn’t quite right and we weren’t ready. We had been selling records at markets as a little side hustle, but when Tasty closed, it sort of forced us to make the move.”
“I did initially apply for some jobs,” Jess added of when Tasty closed. “But an office job isn’t for me. I had sorted of made up my mind about opening our own store – especially when we took on Tasty’s collection.
“We’re both big music and film fans, so we’re in our element here. It’s what we love and being able to where our knowledge with others, and also learn from them, is just something we love being able to do.”
Gatekeep are on Instagram, whilst there website is here. Gatekeep is at Emporium M33, 3–7 Tatton Road, Sale, M33 7EB.
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