Wangaratta, June 2022
Last Sunday afternoon, we were going to our local amateur theatre group’s latest production. It was cold and wet, so I figured best to wear some weather-proof shoes instead of my go-to runners that I seem to have on most days, or the boots that get a workout around the yard.
The black leather shoes I chose hadn’t being worn for ages, more than four years I realised.
As I laced them up, I knew they were my go-to-gig shoes.
I hadn’t played a gig for years, and I will never play one again. That thought hit me as I put them on.
It was not a sad feeling: I’ve long got over those. It was a smile of, “Yes, the op shop bought shoes, along with most of my smart band clothes over the years”.

Gig shoes.
I do like an op shop, it’s just a way of life for me. It was a necessary thing growing up, to now becoming chic and fashionable over the intervening years. Like pre-faded and ripped jeans, you could buy at some fancy shop, many folks of my age were trendy without even noticing or caring.
I did like to look cool when on stage. My version of cool may differ from others, maybe it’s like music — you dig it or you don’t.
I did like suit jackets and vests, also good hats, but was very selective. Over the years I got some great hats from op shops. I even remember which op shop. One great find was the Red Cross op shop in Benalla: on that day I scored two great hats, one was a Stetson. It fitted perfectly, the other was a little small, so I gave it to a band mate. The one I kept was in such great nick it had the price tag still in the rim, remarkably from the Millers Menswear shop right across the street.
In 2012 I got together with some friends, and we formed The Recycled String Band. I had been making instruments from reclaimed objects for a few years by then and came up with the mad idea of getting a band together to play them. I had to make a few more instruments often with bits sourced from op shops and garage sales.
I wrote some songs that fitted to the band’s theme and away we went.
One of the first songs I wrote was Recycle And Reuse. It became a bit of a theme song for us and the version on the clip is us doing one of our first gigs at the Star Hotel in Yackandandah.
The sound is from the live recording in the studio, remarkably the sound linked up with the pictures on the video.
You can’t see them, but I have those black leather shoes on.
Stereo Story #672
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As a lover of op shops, I love this!
A delightful story!
Thanks for the comments folks
I can relate to your story. I get most of my gig outfits from Op Shops too! Also love the song. So lovely to hear your voice again, in all ways.
Love it. Thanks Luke.
Love that those shoes are getting another look in and that they brought on some great memories. Sweet story :)
It is a great song, well sung.
Cheers Luke great songwriting…
Joe
Good memories. Well done Luke.
Thanks for taking a look folks.
Oh Luke
How this stirred wonderful memories of your songs and your talents and passion for writing and performing, whether it was in our lounge room, at your house or at many gigs we attended. You are a true legend and your songs still live long within us and bring happy memories of the rest of the band! We love you guys!
As a seasoned opp shopper, I find myself looking at items in stores and thinking “I will find this in an opp shop eventually” so I rarely buy things brand new. DVDs are something I browse for in opp shops, I occasionally buy a DVD brand new If its a movie I really love or cant wait until I stumble across it second hand.
Luke, I wonder if you need to write a song specifically about opp shops and the treasures we find?