On 20 February 1976, the very first Rough Trade record shop opened for business. A distribution arm and record label followed, helping to mould the nascent post-punk scene with a now legendary roster of bands including Stiff Little Fingers, The Fall, Cabaret Voltaire, and dozens more.
Document and Eyewitness is the definitive insider history of this cultural icon, tracing the story from its origins through the iconoclastic highs of punk, the turbulent waters of the 1980s scene, the devastating collapse of the independent collective in the early 1990s and spectacular rebirth ten years later. In this 50th anniversary edition, Neil Taylor picks up the story from the early 2000s reinvention of the label, where acts like The Strokes, The Libertines and Arcade Fire powered it to chart success.
Drawing on unrivalled access and revelatory interviews Document and Eyewitness is the essential story of an alternative national treasure.
