Vinyl collectors get ready for the return of Record Store Day next weekend

In Northamptonshire, two stores will be stocking official releases - Spun Out in Gold Street and Vinyl Underground in Abington Street.

Both will open their doors at 8am, on Saturday, April 12, but collectors are expected to be queuing from the early hours in order to secure releases.

Spun Out owner Chris Kent said: “As usual, we’ve had tons of people coming in asking for this year’s releases.

“There’s been a lot of requests for the releases by the big pop acts like Charli XCX and Taylor Swift.

“Then there’s the usual requests for the Bowies and acts like Madness and everything in between.

“Obviously, everything is limited and there’s a lot of stores taking part in Record Store Day, but we try our best to get as much as we can for people.”

There are more than 400 official Record Store Day releases this year by acts including Blur, Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Gorillaz, Jamie T, Kim Wilde, Mayhem, My Ruin, Pa Salieu, Queen, The Screaming Trees and Young Thug.

Both Spun Out and Vinyl Underground will have systems in place where those in the queue write down the items they want which will then be passed to staff to pick. Limits will apply.

At Vinyl Underground, the queue will start outside the front door of Watts Furnishers in Abington Street. At Spun Out, it will be in Gold Street.

Mr Kent added: “It’s been going a long time but Record Store Day still creates a fantastic buzz.

“It brings people into record shops and still attracts new customers.

“People love the experience of coming into an actual record store, having a rummage and there’s the excitement of finding something you hadn’t planned to find. You just don’t get that online.”

Both stores will be having live music throughout the day. At Spun Out, Headswitcher and Ratatouille's Revenge will both be playing in-store performances and there will be DJs at Vinyl Underground.

Mr Kent said: “Everything is on a first come first served basis. Our staff will head out before we open to collect lists from people on items they are definitely after.

“Then, we stagger entry so it’s not chaos inside. We try to make the whole process as fair as possible.

“I’ll be exhausted by the end of the day, but you’ve got to enjoy being in demand.”

While only Spun Out and Vinyl Underground are stocking official releases, other record stores will be holding sales and events.

There will be a record fair at The Black Prince in Abington Square in Northampton from 10.30am until 4pm.

Staff from Vinyl Underground will join other sellers there from 11am.

Spiral Archive will be having a half-price sale at The Lamplighter in Overstone Road, Northampton, from midday to 4pm.

Record Store Day first started in 2007 in the United States, with the first official event taking place the following year.

Its aim is to champion independent record retailers and more than 270 stores across the UK will take part this year.

Spun Out will also open on the Sunday and remain Record Store Day stock will be available online from 8pm on Monday, April 14.

Full details of this year’s releases are available at https://www.recordstoreday.co.uk