In case I hadn’t gone on about it enough, after literally only just missing out on an exclusive Record Store Day tote last year, I was determined to get down to my local record store nice and early this time round. That being said, I wasn’t exactly prepared to camp out overnight like some others, but I did go along with my plan to get there two hours early and hope for the best.
Frozen toes aside this definitely worked in my favour. A comfy number 28 in the queue meant that I got in store and out of the cold about an hour after it all kicked off at 8am. I nabbed a grey tote bag (still wondering if I would have preferred pink after all but gotta go with that instinct), and picked up the top two records on my wish list; the Mighty Boosh radio series and Our Girl Live at St Pancras Church. I also made a last minute (ish) decision to pick up the Idles Meat/Meta EP and it definitely did not disappoint! I particularly liked Vinilo’s method of queueing all the way up to the till point, ensuring that it truly was first come, first served, and sure enough, those that camped out the night before got exactly what they wanted, no time wasted at all. It did mean taking a little longer to physically get in the store but ultimately was well worth it. Nice work Ken and Virginia!
If I had to pick a favourite out of my purchases, it would probably be the Our Girl release. There’s just something so lush about listening to a live recording on vinyl. Obviously it’s just so raw and beautiful (cliché I know), and I actually adore that it picks up the odd little mistake here and there. Their album was one of my favourites last year and it is just divine to hear another version of it. That being said, opening up the Mighty Boosh record was so special, taking in all the artwork and reading the messages from Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding and Rich Fulcher.
I have without a doubt fallen in love with my local record store over the last year and this Record Store Day was a real testament to the all the absolute babes who work at Vinilo. They turned up nice and early, offering coffee and continental breakfast, keeping us warm and making sure we were fuelled for the day. A very welcome start to my weekend off indeed. This year Vinilo also had a bottle bar open from 11am, along with a raffle at 3pm, so you can bet that once I had headed home, listened to my new records and attempted a nap, I was keen to get back for a beer or two.
As always, one or two turned in to ‘quite a few’ and before I knew it, I was spending my whole afternoon/evening/night with the Vinilo gang. I won a Beck record in the raffle, so that was another one to add to my collection. Absolute win. When I look back on it, 2019 was the first time that Record Store Day was a real occasion for me. I just let myself get stuck into the day, meeting people who had also waited all morning in the queue, and other Vinilo regulars. It was such a fun day and I can’t wait to do it all over again next year!
Did you nab any RSD exclusives this year? Let me know in the comments! If you’re local to Southampton or happen to be visiting, don’t forget to check out Vinilo!
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SAMANTHA MAE 