Utopia was a big part of my angsty teenage childhood. Well, as big a part as it could be when I lived 500kms from the shop.
Utopia was a go-to for any visit to Sydney, in order to satisfy my emo pop punk needs that the CD shops in my home town failed to meet (there was one shop, two if you included Kmart). Utopia had every album I ever wanted and on each trip I would pick a CD at random, decide that it would be my new favourite band and listen to it in the car the whole way home (and for the next few weeks too). I never felt quite like I fit in here (I lacked the black dreadlocks/blue hair, torn black tights, platform boots and piercings that everyone in there had ten years ago), but my little pop punk heart felt at home nonetheless. Every now and then I'd buy a band shirt from here too which I'd live and sleep in for the following month.
A couple of things have changed since then. Utopia has moved house - twice. Whilst their new shop still retains all the Utopian flavours, it's a far smaller shop than the once would-be-intimidating-if-I-wasn't-in-such-awe underground location. I too have changed a little since 2001. Angsty pop punk no longer makes me weep tears of joy and I'm increasingly relieved that I bailed from my appointment for my Ataris San Diemas High School Football Rules tattoo. Although, I maintain a sentimental attachment to the CD store that really was my teenage Utopia. And I'm not going to lie - whenever I manage to make my way to Utopia, it's rare that I'll leave without a new album, one that lives in my car CD player on repeat for the next few weeks. read more