A-ha's sound man opens record shop and bar in Harrogate

A-ha’s sound man opens record shop and bar in Harrogate

Last updated May 17, 2023

Dave Swallow

A sound engineer who has worked for some of the biggest names in pop has opened a vinyl coffee house and bar in Harrogate.

Dave Swallow’s CV includes stints with Amy Winehouse, Erasure and James, and he still routinely joins Norwegian mega-band A-ha on tour. But he’s launched a new venture that brings his love of music to the town he now calls home.

AAA (pronounced triple-A) on Cold Bath Road is currently operating as a coffee house, open from 9 to 5pm, but a temporary licence over the spring bank holiday weekend will see it function as the bar it is meant to be, open till 11pm.

Photo of the exterior of AAA on Cold Bath Road, showing a customer seated at one of the four outdoor tables, with neighbouring businesses Hopscotch and Travelstar also in view.

AAA on Cold Bath Road also has outdoor seating.

From early July, when it receives its full alcohol licence, AAA will be a coffee house and bar that also sells vinyl records and clothes from another of Dave’s ventures, clothing brand Audio Architect Apparel.

Dave, who is originally from Southend-on-Sea but has lived in Harrogate for 16 years, said:

“Last July, I was touring with A-ha, playing Rio de Janeiro and the Hollywood Bowl, and then just two days later I was back here, being handed the keys to this place.

“Ultimately, I just want to create a nice, cool place where people can come to listen to good music on a good sound system, drinking good drinks.”

Photo of sound engineer Dave Swallow, who has opened AAA (pronounced 'triple A'), a vinyl coffee house and bar on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate. This picture shows Dave leaning against the bar, with a lit-up sign above the door to the stairway that says 'Recording Studio In Use'.

Dave Swallow wants to create a cool place, with good music and drinks.

AAA currently serves hot drinks, cakes and traybakes, but as a bar it will offer wines, spirits, a range of bottled beers, and two brews on tap – a pilsner and an IPA, both made by music-inspired brewer Signature Brew.

In addition, anyone who still has any old vinyl records but no means to play them can take their discs along to AAA and Dave will play them. He said:

“Music is a language without words. It’s emotional. You can take a band from Liverpool and drop them in South America, and their sound travels. It crosses boundaries and brings people together. That’s what I’m doing here.”