A new record shop is opening on Liverpool’s most famous music street

Mathew Street Records launches on Saturday, October 18, with one of the world’s best-known addresses. And for owners Peter Wilson and Tom Waite that was an opportunity they couldn’t refuse.

The pair have been running record fairs together for the past two years, including Liverpool Record Fair at the Adelphi and the twice-yearly Great Northern Record Convention at Bolton Stadium which is the largest in the UK.

They hadn’t any intention of opening a shop as well, but a fair at last year’s International Beatleweek changed their plans.

Peter explained:

“We did the fairs at weekends and that gave us time to do whatever we wanted in the week which we liked. When it was International Beatleweek last year we ran a record fair at Cavern Walks in conjunction with the festival and it was a great success.

“JSM who own the building approached us a few months later and asked if we’d be interested in opening a shop and straight away we said no. But they suggested we talk about it and think about it because they thought it would be a great idea to have a record shop on Mathew Street.

“By the end of our first conversation, I was kind of agreeing so I spoke to Tom and he thought it sounded pretty good and after a few more meetings we thought, let’s do it. We’ll put our all into it like we do with the record fairs and see what happens.”

For Cheshire-based musician Peter, it couldn’t have been a more perfect location.

“I’ve spent a lot of my life in Liverpool,” he says. “I became obsessed with The Beatles from when I was about 12 and I used to beg my mum to take me to Liverpool so we’d come here on a Saturday and go to Mathew Street.

“As I grew up I became a musician, and I still gig in my spare time, so Liverpool has always meant a lot.”

Although obviously it’s in the home of The Beatles, 37-year-old Peter says the shop will be stocking an eclectic mix of music.

“We’ll be selling mostly vinyl, predominantly used but some new, some CDs, memorabilia and ephemera. We’ll also have all genres, not just related to Mathew Street, so we’ll cover classical, jazz, hip-hop, punk, reggae, everything …

“We have been beefing up our Beatles stock for four months now, but artists like Billy Fury and Gerry & the Pacemakers too because they’re all really popular and it’s still fantastic music that’s stood the test of time.”

Mathew Street Records, run by Peter, Tom and co-director Janey Fairhurst, will be part of a wider renaissance planned for Cavern Walks. Adjoining and open plan to the record shop, they’ve also created The Library Coffee House which is filled with antiquarian books and squishy Chesterfield sofas.

Peter hopes it will become a destination for music lovers locally as well as visitors from around the globe.

“We’re inside Cavern Walks which is on Mathew Street so that’s a lovely address to have.

“This is easily one of the top music destinations in the world. In America they can boast a couple of locations but beyond that I think there’s really nowhere that has the prowess of Mathew Street. 

“It’s a place where people were discovered and cut their teeth and it does have a magic when you walk down the street. There’s always a great energy and a great vibe here and the amount of people this street pulls in is phenomenal.”

Find out more about Mathew Street records here.

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