Revolutionary Music was a small, independent music store bought by mistake by Revolutionary Arts founder Dan Thompson. With a head full of memories of the legendary Rough Trade store in Neal's Yard, Seven Dials he went to buy a CD and bought a shop instead.

With six months left on the lease of existing store Random Rules, lots of stock and Worthing's cognoscenti wanting quirky indie, lo-fi oddness and off-the-wall folk Dan gathered a posse and got planning. A shop the size of a boxroom was turned into a truly creative space. In-store live music on the smallest stage you can imagine, art on the walls, badges (lots of badges) and a host of half-planned events made the Warwick Lane, Worthing store a special place with a loyal following.

When the lease came to an end a move was planned, to share space with a local bookshop - but there were rumbles on the grapevine, and with a finger in the wind and an ear to the ground Dan put plans on hold. Just as well - the bookshop went bust soon after. And then a bunch of major music distribution companies folded as well. Hundreds of small music stores wnent bust with big debts; Dan had nowhere to go, but still had his head above water.

And you can't kill a good idea. The philosophy of Revolutionary Music lives on; the name can occasionally be seen making an appearance at the back of local events, when Dan loads up enough stock to run a stall. And when I last visited Revolutionary Arts HQ there were some silly but probably quite do-able ideas for the future written up on the whiteboard under the heading 'get yer rocks off'.

Watch This Space... it ain't over until the fat one warbles.

Daniel Wilde, September 2010

Revolutionary Music's Great Singles List 

Suggested by Twitter folks

• Sisters of Mercy – Temple of Love
• Clash – White Man in Hammersmith Palais
• New Order – Blue Monday
• Sex Pistols – Anarchy In The UK
• Gerry Raferty – Baker Street
• Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al
• Faithless - Insomnia
• Lou Reed - Walk On The Wildside
• Roxy Music - Virginia Plane
• Jonathan Richman - Roadrunner

Last Updated: Wednesday, September 29 2010 @ 04:38 PM UTC|Hits: 11,492