On a nondescript day in 1987, a young Telecom worker named Bryan Derrick was casually flipping through the local classifieds page during his lunch break.
Something caught his eye and he flipped back a couple of pages to a small ad that read ‘Music Shop For Sale’. Its name was Music Swop Shop and it was run by a small group of artists in Carlton, opening whenever they felt inclined and experiencing the odd customer or two if they happened to stumble through the front door at the right time.
Bryan was a respected drummer in the Melbourne music scene and the dream of owning a business that could help him – in his words – “Pay for the music habit”, grew into a reality and he scraped his money together to purchase the small venture.
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With the help of his friend Chris, they took on board a small store specialising in selling musical instruments on consignment. Taking on whatever weird, wonderful, plain, boring or different instrument that was brought through the door.
Bryan liked the idea of being completely neutral in every deal. As he had no vested interest in any particular item, he could always give his honest opinion.
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Business was quite slow and casual in the early days but this suited Bryan and his muso friends, often closing early when a spontaneous jam session erupted in the store. Music always came first and this only added to the legitimacy of the store. It was a store run by musos, for musos.
Fast forward several years and the reputation of The Swoppy grew to be respected by all who knew it. Many international stars would drop in because someone had told them on the other side of the world; ‘Hey, if you’re ever in Melbourne you’ve got to check out this cool little store…!’.
Bryan had a knack for remembering the name of every single person who ever walked through the door. One could disappear for many years and then walk in one day to be greeted by Bryan’s friendly smile and a casual ‘Oh hi [insert every name of every person ever to set foot in the Swoppy!].’
Bryan’s number one rule was always total honesty. He would often say; “You can always remember the truth.” He built a personal and professional reputation as someone and somewhere to be trusted.
Everyone was treated the same, from a budding teenager with small pockets and big aspirations to ageing rockers looking to add another Gibson Les Paul to their collection. Bryan afforded everyone the same courtesy and time of day. This led so many people to say, ‘I’m a mate of Bryan’s’.
Although not smoking for the past two decades, Bryan used to say he smoked two packs of cigarettes per day – one for him, and one for every friend who would drop through the door during the day, bum a cigarette and chat away for hours on end.
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He kept an active lifestyle and continued drumming all the way through his life, constantly getting asked to play with so many bands around Melbourne. Time off for staff to play gigs was always met with an enthusiastic smile and yes.
Bryan succumbed to a lung infection following treatment for lung cancer on January 28, 2025. He will be sorely missed by the entire Melbourne musical community and you won’t find a single person with anything negative to say about him.
He was one of the nicest and genuine human beings to ever bless the face of the earth. His wishes were for the Music Swop Shop to continue on his legacy, supporting the local music scene and helping every musician on their journey.
The shop has expanded to be two stores on either side of Elgin Street in Carlton at 145 and 136. It has never been about amassing any fortune but making enough to support the staff that work there and making gear and services affordable for all.
It will continue to welcome anyone in an environment free from judgement or snobbery. It is still the cheapest place to get guitar strings and every day you will find a cacophony of sound as it encourages its hands-on approach to trying out new gear.
Bryan played his last gig on New Year’s 2025, drumming three one-hour sets. At 71 years old he was still doing what he truly loved. He would want everyone to keep playing music and always look on the bright side of life.
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