Videosyncratic
From Walkerpedia
Videosyncratic, Oxford's best and favourite independent video shop is closing down. Jon Spiro (who runs the place), wrote a rather beautiful eulogy:
Independent businesses set up and operated because of the passion of the people who establish them are beautiful, precious, and increasingly rare things and should be cherished. Every single purchase makes a difference. So, if you’re one of the people who’ll be sad to be reading this, remember that if you want cool indie places to exist, you have to support them. If any of our customers defect back to Blockbuster, I’d be very sad. There’s one last indie video shop in Oxford – Movies on Walton Street. They’ve been the longest running indie vid shop in Oxford and it’s absolutely right that they be the last ones standing. You should give any business you would have given us to them, they’re awesome. And make the effort with the other independent businesses. Fratellis and Atomic Burger, Uhuru, Ryouki, Gameskeeper, Meli, Music Box, the book shop in Summertown, the Cowley Road and Wolvercote farmers markets. There are good people doing the right things for the right reasons. Supporting them is a joyous thing and if you don’t fucking do it, you’re looking at a future where every town is just a massive Tesco with a Nandos and a Carphone Warehouse either side.
I'm playing the Empire Records style send-off gig in the Cowley Road store, and I've written a song to mark the occasion. This is it:
Lyrics
Nestled between North Oxford boutiques And furtively looking around Like the guy at the party who doesn't fit in But is stubbornly standing his ground There's a handwritten felt tip marker pen sign That insists that the door opens in But it looks like a pull so you give it a pull And it scrapes along the concrete And the guy inside just gives you the eye You think OH NO and flash him a sheepish grin A sheepish grin Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic You've ordered your pizza and now all you need Is something to watch with your dinner So you wander next door to the video store And you reckon you're on to a winner You're looking for something achingly hip That isn't too likely to suck It's gonna be moody and edgy and possibly French A comedy about loneliness, paedophilia and rape But one of the staff picks catches your eye And OH NO you end up with Uncle Buck Fucking Uncle Buck Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic [Indiana Jones theme tune humalong] Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic Video-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-syncratic
