Yorkshire music fans get into the groove on Record Store Day

The Rolling Stones might claim it's only rock '˜n' roll, but try telling that to the thousands of music fans who have been counting down the hours to Record Store Day 2017.
Lauren Laverne at Huddersfield's Vinyl Tap store.Lauren Laverne at Huddersfield's Vinyl Tap store.
Lauren Laverne at Huddersfield's Vinyl Tap store.

Taking place this year for the 10th time, today’s event will see hundreds of limited edition vinyl releases being made available exclusively in independent record stores across the country.

Long queues traditionally build up outside participating stores, many of which stage parties and live performances to celebrate the occasion in style.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And there is no shortage of Record Store Day activity planned today in the music-mad county of Yorkshire.

Lauren Laverne at Huddersfield's Vinyl Tap store.Lauren Laverne at Huddersfield's Vinyl Tap store.
Lauren Laverne at Huddersfield's Vinyl Tap store.

Crash Records, on The Headrow in the middle of Leeds, is opening at 8.30am, an hour earlier than normal, to cater for the expected demand.

Speaking yesterday to The Yorkshire Post, Crash owner Ian De-Whytell said: “We are preparing ourselves for a big crowd – last year we had about 80 people queuing at 5am!

“There’s a really good spread of releases this year across lots of genres and there has already been plenty of excitement, with people looking on our website to see what is available. I think we will need to have a queuing system in place all through the day, that’s how popular this event has become.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jumbo Records, currently settling into its new home in the Merrion Centre in Leeds, has a packed programme of live music lined up today.

Lauren Laverne at Huddersfield's Vinyl Tap store.Lauren Laverne at Huddersfield's Vinyl Tap store.
Lauren Laverne at Huddersfield's Vinyl Tap store.

Behla Hutchinson is performing in the store itself at 9am, with sets from the likes of Harkin, Drahla, Fling and Mansion of Snakes to follow in the nearby Key Club. Elsewhere in Leeds, the Paul Smith clothes store in the Victoria Quarter will be playing host to various local DJs from midday to 6pm while “special music guests” are promised at Call Lane’s Oporto bar.

Visitors to Wah Wah Records in Wakefield will be able to catch live sets from Post War Glamour Girls, The Doubtful Bottle and Sandra’s Wedding.

Acoustic performances are scheduled today at Sheffield’s Record Junkee, with a late-night DJ set from Jon McClure of indie band Reverend and the Makers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Record Store Day fun started early at Huddersfield’s Vinyl Tap as Lauren Laverne presented her BBC 6 Music show live from the shop yesterday.

The programme included a session from Yorkshire band Fold and an interview with Huddersfield-born poet Simon Armitage.

Laverne clearly came away impressed, taking to Twitter after the show to thank everyone at Vinyl Tap for “a tremendous morning”.

This year’s special vinyl releases for Record Store Day include Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles, David Bowie’s Cracked Actor and The Boy With The Thorn In His Side by The Smiths.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Deee-Lite’s Groove Is In The Heart on pink vinyl, an EP of rare Madonna dance mixes and even a Doctor Who album featuring an audio play and various sound effects are among the other gems up for grabs.

Leeds indie favourites The Wedding Present are getting in on the act with the release of a four-track instrumental EP called Home Internationals.

Wakefield band The Cribs, meanwhile, have put out a gold vinyl version of their Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever album, also celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

An album featuring performances from last year’s Glastonbury Festival has been released to raise money for the Jo Cox Fund.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Coming out on limited edition vinyl, Oxfam Presents: Stand As One includes songs from Coldplay, Muse, Laura Mvula and Editors.

Proceeds from its sales will go towards Oxfam’s work with refugees as well as the fund set up following the death last summer of Jo Cox, the MP for West Yorkshire’s Batley and Spen constituency.

Co-ordinated by the Entertainment Retailers Association, Record Store Day has helped fuel a remarkable revival in the popularity of vinyl among music fans.

In 2008, around 75,000 vinyl albums were sold in the UK but last year the figure topped the three million mark.

There are now more than 380 independent record shops trading throughout the UK, a third of which have opened their doors in the last decade.