Record Store Day

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (16:28): I move:

That this council supports the 10^th International Record Store Day of 22 April 2017 and notes Record Store Day highlights the ongoing cultural and economic importance of record stores in an era of online shopping, file sharing and downloads.

Saturday 22 April is going to be Record Store Day. This is a day that celebrates independent record stores with live music, specials and rarities, and a whole lot of community love. This international event was launched in 2007 in the United States, but now there is an event on every continent in the world except Antarctica. With events happening all over the country, 22 April will be an excellent occasion to celebrate local music, meet like-minded vinyl lovers and drink in the culture of the humble independent record store.

Record stores are small businesses that are great for our economy. They support our local live music scene and the music scene more broadly, and they are great for our culture—but they are also great for social inclusion. To quote the great Debbie Harry, 'Lately I've been believing that music predates speech.'

I think record stores are often associated with movies such as High Fidelity and authors such as Nick Hornby. They are wonderful places for people who want to have a conversation about something they love, which is often music. The record store has often been not just a shrine for those people but, indeed, a community hub. In my teenage days, moving to Adelaide, it was the record store that gave me some of my first community in this state.

Record collectors are a community of music lovers, and record stores build that community. While we welcome new and diverse cultures into our community, let music be what brings us all together. More than 180 stores around Australia will be participating in Record Store Day, with DJs, specials and live music. In South Australia there are some 18 stores involved in the day and they are located, of course, in Adelaide but through to Port Pirie. In fact, no matter where we are in South Australia, I am hoping that we can all share in the joy of the day.

I will be going down to Clarity Records which will be open 24 hours that particular day. I am not quite sure what time I will get there but I know that whatever time I get there it will be open, and I am looking forward to it. Local members in various electorates can participate: the member for Dunstan has a whole range of options from which he can choose. He can go to Underground Records in Norwood on The Parade, he can head to The Muses in St Morris; the members for Morialta and perhaps Hartley might like to join him at Underground Records, also on The Parade; the member for Reynell, or perhaps more likely Kaurna, might head down to the Beatbox at Christies Beach; the member for Frome has Music Mooves and Movies in Port Pirie; and the member for Adelaide has a whole wealth of opportunities. I certainly encourage members to check out their local record stores and enjoy the wonderful offerings of the day. We can all share in the joy of this day.

I note that there have been some ambassadors appointed: the Hon. DJ Albo, known to some as shadow minister Anthony Albanese, as an ambassador for the day I am sure will be checking out more than just one local record store. There are also musicians such as Robert Forster formerly of the Go-Betweens and others, Catherine Britt, Steve Kouta, Mark Gable, Tim Dalton and a band that South Australia should be claiming as its own (as we tend to do), A.B. Original, is also an ambassador of this year's Record Store Day. We need to support more women in the music industry so I am a little sad to see that there is only one female ambassador, but I look forward to there being many more women next year as ambassadors for Record Store Day.

I look forward to the 11^th Record Store Day. Women have long been underrepresented in the music industry and Record Store Day can play its part in changing that equation. We can support the music scene, we can support musicians who are men and women and give local businesses a boost while we are at it. I am looking forward to hearing Hana and Jessie-Lee's new album Southlands and Mere Machine with Empty Room. Record Store Day will be an opportunity for not just members of parliament, I hope, but all members of our community to get off the couch, turn off the screens and lose yourself in the music.

To quote from a wonderful movie, Empire Records, 'This music is the glue of the world. It's what holds it all together. Without this, life would be meaningless.' I encourage all local members and members of this council—I am sure the Hon. John Gazzola will be getting down and supporting this motion—to get out on Record Store Day and support the local music industry and local businesses and enjoy that revolution.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. S.G. Wade.