UK | Music enthusiasts prove vinyl is not just a thing of the past: The Vinyl Cafe on Abbey Street in Carlisle city centre, played host to its second “Record Store Day”, which was aimed at showcasing the very best of vinyl. From Marvin Gaye to the Courtneeners to Elton John to Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era – the shop had a record for every taste. Record enthusiasts were queuing from 7.30am on Saturday, ready for the shop to open at 9am…James Brown set up the store in July 2016 and he explained to News & Star why he did. He said: “A passion for music from an early age, it was all about the music. “The best way to listen to music is through the medium of vinyl – a record. “Vinyl is much more special, you are connected to the music more. You can listen to the music properly, the way music should be heard.”
UK | Overnight queues, live bands and more than 1,000 customers: Banquet Records on Record Store Day 2018: Banquet Records in Eden Street welcomed more than 1,000 people as queues snaked out of the shop for UK Record Store Day on Saturday, April 21. Crowds began queuing outside at 6.30am on Friday, and stayed outside overnight, to be the first to buy limited edition records released for independent record shops’ busiest day of the year. Banquet director Jon Tolley said: “People were queueing overnight, and others were popping in to the shop they might have otherwise walked past. It was a great day – a great time for us and our customers.”
Michigan | Checker Records celebrates Record Store Day 2018: HILLSDALE — The independent record store has an atmosphere all its own and is a part of a unique culture. For generations, changes in the music industry have meant changes to record stores. Vinyl LPs and 8-track tapes gave way to cassettes; cassettes gave way to compact discs; compact discs gave way to mp3s and downloads. Still, independent record stores have remained committed to keeping their shelves stocked with all kinds of music in all its forms — and Checker Records in Hillsdale, owned by Jon and Robin Spiteri since 1980, is no exception. For the last eight years, Checker Records has been one of thousands of independent record stores to celebrate Record Store Day, which happened this year on April 21. They are in good company, as the day is observed by record stores on every continent except Antarctica.
New Zealand | Despite living in the digital age, younger generations are leading the vinyl resurgence: Timothy Honiss is just 12 years old, but he represents the next generation of record collectors. One of the many crate diggers out in force during World Record Store Day in Wellington, Timothy has been collecting records since he was 8. It all began when he uncovered a forgotten turntable hidden in his family home. “We used to have this radio that I was looking for; we thought it was in this box. When we pulled it out, it happened to be a record player. It had just a few records with it. “Eventually, I started buying records and upgraded to a better system.” …This year was Honiss’ first time attending World Record Store Day. He dragged his father around the city, going from store to store, searching for rare finds.
Scotland | Record Store Day at Dumbarton vinyl cafe is music to the ears, Big Sparra Music Cafe offered tickets to sold-out gigs and special vinyl deals during the event on Saturday. Music-themed cakes, special vinyl deals and sold-out gigs were on offer at Dumbarton’s Big Sparra Music Cafe on Saturday as the town’s new music shop celebrated Record Store Day 2018. The event, which is celebrated by independent record stores across the country, is supported by BBC Music and designed to celebrate all things vinyl. Artists release limited edition records for the occasion and stores host musical performances. Robert McKain launched Big Sparra Music Cafe earlier this year along with coffee shop manager Claire McAteer and Ash Mills, head of customer service. He hoped Record Store Day would boost the profile of the new store.
UK | ‘Nothing beats the hunt for tunes that will change your life’: readers on Record Store Day 2018: ‘There were people of all ages, genders and haircuts’: Mark Whiteman, 45, Surrey. The alarm went off at 4.45am to allow me time to get to Rough Trade East on Brick Lane in London. I caught the first train in and was the only one on the carriage! I arrived just before 7am to a queue already several hundred people long. Great atmosphere, people of all ages, genders and haircuts. Two hours later and I’m in! I managed to grab everything I was after – The National’s Boxer, Ride’s Weather Diaries remixed, some Cure albums, a Steven Wilson 12” and a rather lovely remix of Yazoo’s Situation. Getting up early and getting involved in RSD is becoming something of a yearly ritual … but, when the oat latte at Rough Trade East is this good, what else can you do?
South Wales | Record Store Day hailed most successful event yet: One of the organisers of Record Store Day has hailed the event as the most successful so far. Held in Newport on Saturday, it saw dedicated fans of vinyl flock to the city far and wide, writes Tom Moody. And, Matt Jarrett, the co-owner of Diverse Vinyl, who organised the free festival in conjunction with Newport Now and six other venues around the city, said there was a real atmosphere around the event. “It went really well,” he said. “There was probably a couple of hundred people across the venues. “We’ve done one-off gigs before, but this is the first time that we have organised something like this.” Diverse employee, and Goldie Lookin’ Chain member, Graham the Bear was working on Saturday, and he too hailed the event’s affect. He said: “The festival gave Newport a lift. Everyone was really excited to see the gigs…The town was buzzing.”
UK | Collectors flock to store in hunt for limited edition vinyl: Music fans hunting exclusive vinyl from the likes of David Bowie and Pink Floyd queued around the corner at the only independent record shop in Salisbury on Saturday. A number of limited-edition releases had been allotted to Vinyl Collectors and Sellers in the Cross Keys Shopping Centre to mark Record Store Day. By 8am about 60 people were queuing at the shop established by Paul Smith less than two years ago. The earliest was Roane Manning from Amesbury, who turned up at just after 3am to secure his place at the head of the queue…”In the first hour of trading on the Saturday the shop had taken a normal week’s money.”
Chicago | Record Store Day releases draw serious collectors, online entrepreneurs: Nearly 100 customers lined up outside Beverly Records early Saturday morning. Some brought lawn chairs. Vinyl aficionados arrived more than four hours before the store opened, store owners said, because it was Record Store Day, and some very limited and rare albums would be available from dozens of music artists. The owners said the crowd was indicative of the return of record albums to cultural significance. “If it wasn’t for Record Store Day I don’t think we’d have the resurgence (in vinyl records) that we have now,” said Randy Dreznes, who runs the store with his brother, John Dreznes. “It just brought people in.” …“I like having something in my hand,” said Mark Humphrey, of Mount Greenwood, as he shopped at Beverly Records on Saturday. “I’m not much for digital downloads.”
UK | Queues from 3am in Chichester for Record Store Day: Most people spend their Saturday mornings having a well deserved lie-in. This weekend more than 100 music devotees queued from the early hours of the morning ahead of this year’s Record Store Day. Crowds flocked to Analogue October Records in South Street, Chichester, in a bid to grab the exclusive vinyls released for the day. Craig Crane, owner of the shop, reported that queueing started as early as 3am. He said: “It exceeded my expectations completely, it wouldn’t have been what it was without the support of our loyal customers.” He added: “Buying records is rapidly becoming the norm.”
