Today we interview Fred Spider, the owner and manager of Voom Voom Records & Vintage from Cape Town in South Africa.

Voom Voom Records & Vintage is a record store  in Cape Town, South Africa. In this interview, we wanted you to meet the people behind Voom Voom, get a glimpse behind the scenes of the place where you buy your favourite albums and see what it takes to run a successful record store.

Hi Fred, how did you start the store?

I’ve always been a record collector, I think I bought my first record in 1974. I’m selling record online since 1995, Ebay first and of course Discogs more recently. In 2012 came the idea to open a shop but I only had around 500 records for sell which wasn’t enough. As I always loved flea markets, collecting funky items like 60’s ashtrays or 70’s chandeliers or whatever was looking good, I like interesting books, vintage clothes… then I thought I will sell a bit of everything I like, with no limit. Some friends offered me some books and a couple of clothes, another had 20 Vintage dresses that I took on consignment and another left me 2 Vintage 50’s re-furnished chairs and a table. I opened my 1st shop in July 2013 with 1200 Euros. It was 60m2, just a year after I moved next door for a bigger shop, 200 m2.

How is the scene in Cape Town? How has the business evolved over the years?

The economy is not great actually, with an official number of almost 40% of unemployment, the Rand is very low and then all importations are very expensive for us. So it’s not easy to get the budget to buy expensive records. But Voom Voom Records & Vintage is famous by now and we are open everyday from 10am to 7pm when all shops are closing at 5pm (yes not like Spain!). We might be one of the funkiest shop in town. There are more people all the time, lot of tourists are coming to buy some rarities among Henry Rollins, Antal, Coldcut, Esa, the Cure’s manager, some international dj’s…plus we also work with the movie industry which is quite big in Cape Town and theaters. We had recently a Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide radio show presented by Simbad live and direct from the shop.
Henry Rollins Voom Voom Records & Vintage
Fred Spider & Sandy B

What is the daily routine at the shop? How many people work?

The good thing there is no really routine, you can’t get bored, everyday is a bit different, we meet new people everyday, we listen to new records everyday and we have new clothes everyday! We are 2 shops under the same roof, 200m2, its a big shop. During the week we are around 4 to 6. On week-ends, it’s amazing, the shop is REEEEALLY pumping, we can get over 500 to 600 people coming between Friday and Sunday. We are 8 to work. Last year the Saturday before the festival Afrika Burn, I believe we had around 600 persons coming on a Saturday only! We were around 10 staff. As I’m also a dj (Fred Spider), I’m playing Saturdays afternoon, music is quite loud, people are dancing while they are shopping and having fun. We do live music every 2 months with bands.

Who shops at Voom Voom? What kind of customers? DJs? Collectors? Do you have any interesting regular customers?

Because of the fact to mix records, bric a brac and vintage clothes, we have absolutely all kind of people coming. Some funky youngsters, students, some classy women and men, some workers, some record collectors, Dj’s, photographers, some Antique shops, cinema agencies, theaters, some foreigners, blacks people, colored, whites, Indian or any tourists from 16 years old to 70. Some guys are coming 3 times a week for a couple of years now. We know them well. But there is a commun vibe to everyone as you don’t enter in a shop like Voom Voom by coincidence.

If you had to give advice to someone who wanted to start their own store, what would it be?

Work hard before even thinking you will make money, move your ass all the time, you can win one day and loose the following day! Try to get cheap stock to make your prices affordable. Do what you feel and play good music!  For 2 years I’ve been working every single day from 10am to 10pm and later another 3 or 4 hours online. I only took one day holiday after 2 years. There is no secret when you give your best. Now I have a very successful shop and business is good.
Voom Voom Records & Vintage (Cape Town)
Voom Voom Records & Vintage (Cape Town)

The best and worst of having your own store?

Best thing is that I learnt a lot about clothes and music. Now I can recognize how old the clothes are and just looking at the lining, the brand tag, or buttons I can tell more or less what year it has been manufactured. I keep on discovering the amazing music, chatting to your customers you also always learn. There is no worst thing actually.

What record was really meaningful for the store? Any disc that has been super successful over the years?

I sell from swing, jazz, free jazz, vocal, blues, reggae, 60’s soul, 70 and 80’s funk, hip-hop, house, Afrobeat, 60’s and 70’s rock…I have mostly vinyls but also cassettes and a couple of nice cd’s.
I’m specialized in South African music and as I’m also passionate I’m trying to push the local music scene. The label Matsuli sells a lot in the shop, with 98 copies of Black Disco! I will reach the 100 soon, the label’s owners said I’m the biggest Black Disco seller in the world! Sell well Batsumi, Moses Molelekwa. Also on Mushroom Records, I sold maybe 40 copies of Sibusile Xaba, Thabang Tabane…I sell lot of South African jazz, funk, bubble-gum, kwaito, zulu disco, shangaan..

What labels or artists have caught your attention lately and would you recommend?

So to stay in the shop’s vibe I would say Matsuli but also Afrosynth Records, Roastin’ Records, La Casa Tropical, Rush Hour.
Otherwise Gilles Peterson’s label Broonswood, some French labels like Heavenly Sweetness, Favorite Recordings, Hot Casa, or Jazz & Milk, Soundway, Strut/!K7, Awesome Tapes From Africa, BBE,  I hope to release my first record on Voom Voom Records this year. At last South African has a press plant again!!
Voom Voom Records & Vintage (Cape Town)

Written and researched by Vincent Livolsi