Black Cat Music at 30

Founder Bob Dagger (right) pictured with agent John Benson

The Black Cat Music story started in a small Kent village back in 1982 with a company founded by local entrepreneur Bob Dagger and staffed by just two people. The quirky Black Cat brand name and logo was to come later as the fledgling company, then known as Kent Mercantile Ltd, soon grew into a leading supplier of music education and performance equipment. 

An important factor in the success of Black Cat Music has been the long association with the Wenger Corporation and exclusive distributorship, initially just in the United Kingdom and Ireland, of Wenger’s extensive product range. Wenger is unchallenged as the largest manufacturer of fully-guaranteed staging and music performance equipment in the world. The partnership has proved both enduring and so successful that in 2008 Wenger extended the franchise to include Europe and Russia, where Black Cat Music Europe is now Master Distributor for Wenger. 

To Wenger’s excellent range Black Cat Music has over time added other speciality music equipment, such as music folders and other popular products, as a convenience to the company’s extensive and loyal customer base. This has provided a ‘one-stop-shop’ where everything to do with performance equipment can be bought. For example, the company stocks literally thousands of music stands and offers the same care and service to customers, whether they are buying just one stand for personal use, or several dozen for the concert platform or rehearsal room. 

With the popularity of online shopping Black Cat Music has been at the forefront of providing a web site where customers can browse and buy online, watch video demonstrations that show how products work and read user recommendations or add product reviews. But for those who appreciate the personal touch, then the friendly and knowledgeable Black Cat sales team are there to provide telephone support and advice. Customers can keep in touch with Black Cat Music by requesting a comprehensive catalogue and signing up for a monthly newsletter that also contains details of special price deals. Another initiative offered is for UK buyers involved in education who can apply to enjoy a special discount on purchases for their school or college. 

Black Cat Music today also offer solutions for solving noise and other acoustics problems that are all too frequently issues in schools and other venues where music is rehearsed or performed. In response to requests for help in dealing with noise control and a need to improve acoustics, Black Cat Acoustics was set up to recommend and install suitable treatments for individual circumstances. But also in the product portfolio Black Cat Music offers standard products such as acoustic shells and more recently has added self contained music practice rooms which considerably extends the company’s capability in delivering acoustics solutions. 

The first thirty years have seen an expansion of the company (now based in Tonbridge), a more extensive range of products and a pan-European customer base. Reflecting back on this time, founder Bob Dagger said,”We’ve come a long way since we started out in a small office on a village high street back in the early 80’s. It’s very gratifying to see orders come in, not just from the UK, but from schools, music schools, conservatoires, choirs and orchestras from far-flung corners of Europe and Russia.” He added, “Another thing that strikes me is the growing number of company cars in our car park.” 

And a final thought. Ever wonder what inspired the Black Cat logo? Hoping for luck? A family pet? No, the adoption of the Black Cat name and logo owes its origin to Bob Dagger’s favourite song: ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’. This was the tune that used to feature on the Black Cat headed paper, stationery and even the free mugs which are still given out to members of the Education Discount Scheme.