Melbourne's 38-Year-Old Polyester Records Is Closing Its Doors for Good

It has watched the music industry shift through almost four whole decades, and lived through the fall and resurgence of vinyl records, but now Fitzroy stalwart Polyester Records is calling it a day.

Owners of the long-running independent record store took to Facebook to announce the closure and to thank its fans, as well as the "artists, labels and personalities which we have surrounded ourselves with and enjoyed involvement with". It was revealed in the post that the store will shut for good on Friday, March 13, along with rear neighbour and sister bar Crazy Arms.

Ever the champion of independent music, Polyester Records started out life in 1981 under the moniker Dizzy Spinners, before swapping to its current name. It has remained a Brunswick Street local its whole life, and even spawned a second Flinders Lane store from 2007 to 2014.

While the news has left plenty of sad music fans, you can bet this Fitzroy icon is going out in style — and with a solid soundtrack to boot. The final weeks of operation will see a program full of special events and nostalgic celebrations, kicking off with an in-store gig from Sarah Mary Chadwick on Saturday, January 25 at 2pm. Chadwick is the artist who recently took on the T.C Lewis pipe organ at St Paul's Cathedral for a booming Melbourne Music Week show.

With a solid 38 years of memories under its belt, the Polyester crew is also inviting friends and fans to share their favourite moments and recollections via DMs on the store's socials. "A great number of people have witnessed a great number of astonishing moments within these walls," the post said. "There are a lot of surreal and beautiful memories to be recalled and also to now be created in this run up to the end of our time."

You can visit Polyester Records at 387 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, until close of business on Friday, March 13. Keep an eye on the Polyester Records Facebook page for more event announcements in the lead up to the closure.

Image: Paul Philpson for Visit Victoria.