(For an update on The Vinyl Whistle, go to the article on 15 November 2021 here.)
“Why the name ‘The Vinyl Whistle’? Music and football are my passions. Headingley like many other places used to have a record shop, but they are scarce now and we thought we’d bring one back.” So says Jon Moss who with wife Julie have recently opened a record shop at 39 Otley Road. “We buy and sell records and have a huge collection of new and second hand vinyl just waiting to be discovered.”
And the football? Amazingly, alongside the shop Jon also has another quite different life as a Premier League referee and moves in top football circles. He manages to make space for bits of football memorabilia among the records in the shop.
“I love record shops. They are places where you meet all kinds of people. You can discuss music and artists and they bring music into the local community. I like all kinds and you can find any genre here though we do tend to specialise in indie, jazz and dance music. There is nothing quite like walking into a record shop and finding something you didn’t know you were looking for. I do it all the time when visiting different places where I’m refereeing football matches.”
“Our shop has a listening booth with turntables and headphones so instead of just searching online for vinyl records, come down here and get your hands on the real thing. We love talking to customers, understanding what you want and then maybe getting hold of it for you.” The shop also has a couple of tables where you can sit down and treat yourself to fair-trade coffee with home made vegan cake (£3.50 for both) while you consider your purchases.
So why the resurgence of interest in vinyl? “The sound is much better, warmer. Streaming music too often means you listen to one-off songs whereas albums allow you to understand the full range of an artist’s work. You can really appreciate what goes into making the music. Then there is a brilliant variety of record cover art, and you can read the lyrics.”
Jon and Julie came to Leeds as students, met in Headingley 23 years ago and have stayed on with their family. Whilst working as a teacher and rising to become a trouble-shooting head, Jon played football for Yorkshire Amateurs and trained as a referee. In 2009 he turned professional and in 2011 became one of the 18 Select Group One referees who officiate in the Premier League. His highlight so far, refereeing the 2015 Cup Final between Arsenal and Aston Villa, and his match shirt is framed on the wall of the shop.
But back to music. “In the 1980/90s Leeds was a fun place to be and had a great music scene. Loads of gigs all over the city and brilliant bands came to Leeds University.” Jon plays guitar and sometimes sang in a band called Powersleep. “We once even played on the green at the Oak. We wrote music, did a couple of songs and backed a few bands, but unfortunately we weren’t much good! Headingley still has a very vibrant music and sports scene, it’s an accessible, lively place and that’s why we are here.”
Listen here to Moss’ music mixtape.
Jon and Julie Moss
The Vinyl Whistle, 39 Otley Road, Leeds LS6 3AB
07437 505844
https://www.vinylwhistle.co.uk/
In 2020, The Vinyl Whistle moved across the road (to 12 Otley Road) and expanded considerably: for info, see here.
