Sound It Out

Jobs are hard to come by in the northern English town of Stockton-on-Tees, and life is tough for many people living there. Documentary maker Jeanie Finlay grew up in the town, not far from the premises where her former classmate Tom Butchart now runs the Sound It Out record store. It’s the last vinyl mecca in the Teesside district, and it attracts a motley clientele who come along for a chat and a rummage. Finlay set up for a while at Butchart’s shop to put questions to staff and customers. From the many hours of interview material, she has edited a warm and witty portrait of a shop where the love of music is practiced with a grand passion. Take Status Quo fan Shane, for example: he’s a natural when it comes to playing the air guitar and wants to be buried in a coffin made from his own melted-down vinyl collection. Metal buddies Sam and Gareth tell Finlay that without the solace they get from music, they would have ended it all a long time ago. Finlay also accompanies them to their home, where she is initiated into the noble art of collecting – and collects some more stories for herself. Tom Butchart is good-natured and steady as a rock in this world populated mostly by men. He knows every album in the shop, and he’s got an unerring feel for what his customers want – so everyone gets the right record at the right moment.