Hinckley record shop going strong after 40 years, Nervous Records is popular with teenagers looking for classic rock and pop on CD and vinyl: A vinyl and CD albums shop in Hinckley has created its own record in reaching 40 years in business. Gordon Hayes, 65, has run Nervous Records in The Lawns as a one-man band since January 1978, when he moved in with a group of friends to rent the property. He said the major change he has seen while running the shop came in the mid 80s when CDs took over, but then there was a recent swing back in the popularity of vinyl, with more and more young people visiting the store. Gordon said: “My average customer in the past would be aged 35 to 50, but now a lot of young people and teenagers come in, looking for mostly classic artists from the 60s and 70s.
Hundreds gather for Gosport Record Fair: Music enthusiasts from across the area flocked to Gosport over the weekend for a celebration of classic records. A record fair took place at Gosport Discovery Centre on Saturday, with hundreds of people turning out to browse music and memorabilia. Record sellers from across the region were invited to showcase their collections, with records on sale for visitors. Music enthusiasts Steve Mickleright, 59, from Gosport was there on the day. He said: ‘I like the late 70s and early 80s music the most, so that’s what I’m looking for at the moment. ‘There seems to be quite a large variety of things here, and is certainly the busiest record fair that I have been to in a great many years. ‘I think the appeal for records comes from the feel of them – there’s a story on the cover and they feel great to hold.’
Vinyl collectors gather in Gastonia: Record collector David Turner helped to organize the local event to bring together others who share the same passion, giving them an opportunity to trade and purchase from one another. Turner began getting serious about collecting vinyl about four years ago. He’s amassed a collection of around 5,000 records, picking them up at vinyl swaps, estate sales, record stores and other locations. About a year-and-a-half ago, he hit a vinyl gold mine on a trip to Asheville. “I took a Ford Ranger truck and bought 1,800 albums from a guy in Asheville for $80,” he said. “If you ever want to know how many albums will fit in the back of a Ford Ranger truck — 1,800.”
Record Fair a hit with Bolton music lovers at Market Place Shopping Centre: Music lovers headed down to the Market Place Shopping Centre to browse through rare albums and singles at the Record Fair. Store owners and collectors from across the North West set up shop outside Debenhams on Saturday to show off their vast array of musical treasures. There were about 8,000 LPs ranging from £2 to £400 for people to browse through as well as hundreds of CDs. Organiser Adrian Melling, aged 58, said: “We do this about twice a week and we all love doing it. Comparatively this is a small gathering for us, sometimes we can get 35 dealers. “But we love coming to this area because it is in the centre of the Market Place and we get a lot of passers-by who are shopping around. “So we are really pleased to be here and we have a great turnout in Bolton every time.
Manawatū vinyl buffs savour the music you can touch: Hundreds of music enthusiasts and collectors flicked through thousands of LPs and 45s at the Black Plates IV record sale in Palmerston North on Saturday in search of memories and discoveries. Organiser Matt Davies said some of them even bought some of the items on offer from traders from outside the city – Whanganui, Taranaki and Wellington. The traders themselves were among the big spenders, from the $1 specials to rare recordings worth $300 or more. “I grew up with a turntable as the only thing in the house for playing music. It’s like a hobby where you just want more and more.” Davies confessed he could not really tell the difference when he was listening between a vinyl record or another sort of recording. “Some people can tell the difference in the sound, and say it’s warmer and better. But for me, there is just an honesty about the original, and some nostalgia.”
Artist’s chocolate vinyl records produce sweet music you can eat afterwards, as she demonstrates in Hong Kong show. Julia Drouhin, a French sound artist from Tasmania, has always been interested in awakening people’s sense of hearing. She has combined the static, pops and crackles usually heard on the radio to form an audio piece; and in a public performance in Bloemfontein, South Africa, led participants through the city with wind-up radios that have balloons as antennas. With her latest project, the 34-year-old wants to play on the ephemeral nature of sound. To recreate the ghostly voices she once heard on phonograph cylinders – the earliest commercial medium used to record and reproduce sounds that was popular in the early 20th century – she has created vinyl discs that can be played on a turntable. However, instead of using polyvinyl or shellac, Drouhin opts for an unlikely material: chocolate.
Listening to music in the modern age: Music suffers some of the harshest disrespect of any of the arts. All too many people who consider themselves music fans (including me) often listen to music in the background while doing something else — grinding through work, driving or any other menial task. It is rare for anyone to sit down, clear their schedule and listen to an album. This past weekend, I bought my first few vinyl records at the True Vine record store in Hampden. I found that the very process of listening to a vinyl naturally creates an occasion for pure, unbroken listening. My decision to go to a record store was inspired by my romanticization of “crate digging,” the method producers use to find samples.
