Music
Eight reasons why we love Record Store Day
It’s that time of the year again – vinyl lovers of the UK unite!
Saturday 22 April 2017! Record Store Day is back, celebrating their 10th anniversary in UK. It’s that special time of the year to arrive early to get hands on limited special releases, time to discover new music, to catch a few live shows and to fall in love with music all over again. With vinyl record sales the highest they’ve been in the last 25 years, we’ve put together just why we love this day so much.
1. Queuing is half the fun
Whether you have your list of records you’re dying to get your hands on, or you’re just going along for the fun of it, queuing before the stores open is just as much fun as sifting through boxes of vinyl. It’s a bit like waiting for doors at a gig – you’re amongst likeminded people! Have a chat with the stranger behind you about the release you can’t wait to spin, or chat to the group in front of you about their best ever finds for Record Store Day. A stranger is a friend you haven’t made yet, right?
2. All the special edition releases
It’s so hard not to spend all your hard earned money on RSD with the endless choices of truly great releases. The late and great David Bowie and Prince have several special edits out this year, but which one to choose? All of them we say! The best part is going through the boxes of vinyl and stumbling upon the one record you were looking for, oh the joy!
Check out this super pink secial edition release by Danish pop band Aqua! You can get the full list at recordstoreday.co.uk.
3. In-store gigs
And as if the special releases weren’t awesome enough, many record shops across the country will also have in-store gigs throughout the day, and most of them free! There’s nothing quite like a pop-up gig. Rough Trade east in London for example have their day filled with shows by Ciaran Lavery, Joe Goddard, The Black Angels and more. Banquet Records in Kingston will have To Kill A King, Cast and Craig Finn playing! Now the only thing to organise: how to clone yourself to attend ALL of the excellent shows.
4. RSD 2017 legend
In its tenth year, Record Store Day UK have announced Sir Elton John as their first ever Legend. Along with the honour, the pop icon has also re-released his live album 17-11-70 with six extra tracks, available exclusively this year. It’s a true gem, and we’ll certainly be on the lookout for it.
In a video for the announcement, Elton John talks about his long-held affection for vinyl and his few shifts at Musicland in London’s Berwick Street. Watch below:
5. RSD 2017 ambassadors
Alongside RSD legend Elton John, the organisers have revealed a list of ambassadors to help celebrate the big occasion. British singer Kate Nash is among the official champions and will be releasing her first new music since 2013 exclusively for Record Store Day. Kate Tempest, who will be taking over London’s O2 Academy Brixton next month, is part of the big day. As a RSD champion, Tempest will be releasing Let Them Beat Chaos / Let Them Speak Chaos with 2 LPs on black and white vinyl. It’ll have just the beats on one vinyl and just the spoken word on the other.
Other Record Store Day champions include UK punk duo Slaves and Brian Jonestown Massacre legend Anton Newcombe. All will be releasing special edition vinyl that you can get your hands on.
6. Discovering new music
As your hands sift through the boxes of vinyl you might just come across a release you hadn’t seen before or even a record you simply like the look of. You never know, that record might just be your new favourite band. The list of special releases is long, but Record Stores won’t just have those, they’ll also have part of their usual stock still out, so you should definitely go check out that section too.
7. That feeling of the first spin
Then at the end of the day, you get home and the first thing you do is spread out all the releases on your bed/floor/table to admire them all. Taking them out of their wrapping is kind of like taking the screen protector off your new phone – you’re super stoked to do it but they’re still so precious! Once that needle of your record player hits the grooves of the vinyl, it’s pure joy and worth all the hours of queuing.
8. Hearing that music live
Nothing feels as good as holding a brand new, special edition vinyl in your hands … except maybe holding tickets to an awesome festival or gig of your RSD favourite. That’s where we come in! A lot of your Record Store bands not only have spectacular releases out today but they’re also touring the UK (like Fickle Friends, Maximo Park, Ocean Colour Scene, Stevie Nicks, Little Mix and more) or playing festivals this summer (such as Placebo, London Grammar, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Blossoms or Bastille). Head to our brand new festival guide to see them all.
There you have it folks, a wonderful day to dust that record player and give those vinyls a spin all day long. And don’t forget to high-five your local record shops for working hard all year round. Ticketmaster salutes you.
What’s your favourite part about Record Store Day? Let us know via Twitter!
