INTERVIEW: The legacy of iconic record shop where Oasis used to visit

Tuesday, 28 February 2023 15:08

By Olivia Briggs@oliviabriggs__

Standing on the corner of Fog Lane in Burnage is a time machine that goes by the name of Sifters records.

This iconic music establishment was founded in 1977 by owner Pete Howard who still owns and manages the shop 46 years later.

You may be familiar with the name Sifter's from Oasis's 1994 single "Shakermaker" off their debut album "Definitely Maybe". Rumour has it that Noel Gallagher was sitting at the traffic lights outside the shop when he penned the line - "Mr Sifters sold us songs when I was just sixteen - now he stops at traffic lights - but only when they’re green".

The Gallagher brothers were also regulars in the shop in the late eighties/ early nineties. They would go in numerous times a month to purchase their favourite records, Pete tells us "The Gallagher brothers used to come in a lot and then they released ‘Supersonic’ and as soon as we saw the single cover, we instantly recognised them".

"Definitely Maybe" took the world by a storm - it was monumental, it was refreshing and it was a way of life which inspired a new culture and a new aesthetic to the younger generation. The debut album came in at number 1 in the charts and changed the indie scene forever as it's deemed a "classic album", influencing a plethora of bands such as Arctic Monkeys,The Killers, Kasabian, The Libertines, Keane and The Strokes.

Sifters owner Pete reminisces about that pinnacle time, he said "There was a big buzz about them at the time, so we always knew they’d make it big … so many people come in here with 6 record deals and you never hear of them again but Oasis did seem to have something special."

Twenty nine years later, Pete reflects on how the band "breathed life into the shop" as hundreds of Oasis fans (young and old) continue to walk through the door of Sifters as do the Manchester music tour which stops off at the shop almost every Saturday.

Evidently, the influence of Oasis is still extremely present with today's youth culture - you only have to step foot in Manchester's Afflecks Palace for five minutes and you will notice a sea of Adidas gazelle trainers, bucket hats and a handful of shops selling posters, vinyl, cassettes and CDs.

Pete commented on this retro revival that seems to be taking over today's pop culture, he told us "The young people come in and they will want to buy all this old music, the music that inspired their favourite bands. They don't want any of today's stuff so most of the vinyl I sell is pre-1990s."

To conclude, I think it's safe to say that Mr Sifters will "Live Forever" and will continue to carry the legacy it's created onto the next generation.

Listen to our full interview with Pete Howard below.