Record shops across the land are preparing for their busiest day of the year on Saturday – with diehard music fans set to defy the cost of living crisis in a spending frenzy.
This year’s Record Store Day is back in its usual April slot for the first time since 2019, which means anyone determined to spend tonight pitched up outside their favourite vinyl haven to be first in the door when it opens in the morning will need to be well wrapped up.
The event originated in the USA in 2007 and was launched in the UK the following year, morphing into a staggered autumn then summer offering in 2020 and 2021 due to pandemic restrictions.
Supply issues
A lack of vinyl pressing plants and knock-on supply issues failed to diminish enthusiasm for RSD among a section of record buyers last year, although its unique selling point as an opportunity to lay your hands on a brand new strictly limited release is proving less compelling for some given the now weekly launch of coloured and special edition records.
Those Courier Country outlets taking part in RSD once again include Dundee ventures Assai, Thirteen Records and Le Freak, Mo’Fidelity in Montrose and Stirling’s Europa Music, which is putting on live music from a host of performers including punk revivalists The Media Whores and blues slide guitarist The Gator outside its Friars Street premises from noon until 5pm.
In Perth, Scotland’s longest-running record shop Concorde is also stocking a selection of the new releases and proprietor Garry Smith says he hopes the event can kick-start the Scott Street outlet’s fortunes following a difficult 2022 so far.
“Trade has been pretty poor since Christmas for almost everybody on the high street,” he declares.
“There may be certain lines of retail that have been immune, but on the whole most shops have struggled.
“Luckily it has picked up over the last week or two so we’re just hoping it continues – although there wasn’t the same influx of people into the town over Easter as we’d normally expect.
“Thankfully for us the Adele and ABBA albums appeared at Christmas but there’s not been much new material from big artists since then, it’s mostly been reissues.”
Manufacturing delays
Manufacturing delays have meant that titles such as a new 35th anniversary edition of Deacon Blue’s classic debut album, Raintown, a picture disc EP from Altered Images and a coloured 12-inch of The Undertones’ Love Parade boasting rare and unheard bonus tracks have all been put back to June 18.
Garry says such hitches are inevitable given the still prevalent supply issues that dogged the record industry last year, but he reckons there are enough attractive titles to tempt buyers.
“We’ve had a few people showing interest in a Frightened Rabbit EP that’s coming out, and a new Frankie Goes To Hollywood remixes album has had probably as many requests – for whatever reason – as anything.
“Quantities of some things have been cut back by the suppliers, but on the whole I’ve managed to get hold of about as many of each item as I wanted.
“Others that look like they’re going to be popular include Joni Mitchell’s Blue Highlights rarities compilation, as well as special versions of old favourites from Blondie, Dire Straits and The Cranberries.”
The injection of revenue that Record Store Day brings will be particularly welcome for traders this year as the cost of living crisis bites on the back of a Covid-related drop in footfall.
Difficulties have also been caused by restrictions on the allocation of albums originating in the USA that record shops have been able to pre-order in recent months.
But the good news for those looking to make a serious cash-splash this weekend is that the shops have seen their RSD orders being fulfilled by the record companies over the past week or so.
“As long as you’ve got enough to satisfy folk in the queue then you feel you’ve really done your best,” adds Garry.
“It’s always a shame if anyone who’s been waiting can’t get what they want. I’d say 99 percent of the people in our queue probably get most things that they want.
“If you come with an open mind and have a few things on your list just in case then you can’t really go wrong.”
