WHETHER you\u2019re a dedicated collector or a casual appreciator of music, Ballarat now has a new location for everyone to flick through piles of vinyl.<\/p>\n
Kank Wolverang Records is set to open next Friday at 30 Main Road in Bakery Hill, founded and managed by local musicians and longtime friends Justin \u201cHap\u201d Hayward and Dan Kalken.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d wanted to do this for a while,\u201d Mr Hayward said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d been mentioning this to Dan for a while, and I had a dream of owning a record shop and something popped up on his phone about a record store in Germany all on the same day.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seemed like a spooky message to give it a crack, and then this place became available.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe name came from a creation of a good friend of ours. Kank is an example of a musician that\u2019s so obscure, no one knows him. We thought it\u2019d be a good little mystery.\u201d<\/p>\n
As well as a Melbourne distributor, many of the records have been sourced by community members and friends with one collection brought back from a trip to Japan.<\/p>\n
Previously serving as a cafe, the space is now devoted to all things music with iconic past-century acts and films which Mr Kalken said is indicative of his and Mr Hayward\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an eclectic taste,\u201d he said. \u201cHap\u2019s got a love of a lot of old music and I lean into heavier stuff. If you look at the posters, you\u2019ve got Megadeth, Iron Maiden, and then things like Patti Smith and The Smiths.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve also got a small collection of DVDs and cult movies and again, I probably lean more towards cult horror and Hap\u2019s more into indie arthouse.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we were growing up, we\u2019d go to the movies all the time. The basis of the shop is from what we\u2019ve been holding onto together for 40-odd years.\u201d<\/p>\n
A photo of the co-owners\u2019 first band together, which included Mr Hayward\u2019s future Dead Salesmen bandmate Justin Ryda, is displayed above the store\u2019s counter.<\/p>\n
The space will double as a cafe following the suggestion from Hayward\u2019s brother who operated the venue during its previous incarnation as The Building.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit of a point of difference,\u201d Mr Hayward said. \u201cI think we\u2019ll start very modestly with slices and cookies but we\u2019re not going to pretend we\u2019re connoisseurs of making food.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was inspired in many ways from when we were teenagers going to Black Swan Records. We want to join that community and have our own take on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Hayward\u2019s daughter Nella is also contributing to the store by handling social media, helping with administrative tasks, and bringing a youthful perspective to the featured stock.<\/p>\n
She said she has ideas on how the store will grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a massive space out the back that in the long run would be great to have gigs and listening days out of,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s lots of potential for fun stuff like that and having this be a space where we can all express our shared interest in music.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kank Wolverang Records will be open from late mornings to late afternoons from Thursdays to Sundays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WHETHER you\u2019re a dedicated collector or a casual appreciator of music, Ballarat now has a new location for everyone to flick through piles of vinyl. Kank Wolverang Records is set to open next Friday at 30 Main Road in Bakery Hill, founded and managed by local musicians and longtime friends Justin \u201cHap\u201d Hayward and Dan […]<\/p>\n