Music fans will queue overnight for rare vinyl as Liverpool celebrates Record Store Day

Hundreds of music fans are expected to queue overnight at the city’s independent record shops to get their hands on rare vinyl this weekend.

Liverpool will be marking Record Store Day on Saturday (April 18) and for collectors that means an opportunity to bag exclusive limited edition releases from their favourite artists.

One of the stores getting involved again this year is Jacaranda Records on Slater Street where they’ll be turning it into an all-day celebration with DJs, live music and even free hot drinks and breakfast butties for customers in the queue.

Jacaranda’s head of retail Mina Koroma says they’ll have about 300 different releases available and with some in very limited numbers they’re anticipating big demand.

She explained:

“Record Store Day was created as a way to get people familiar with their local independent record stores so you can’t pre-order or buy online, it’s all in-person, on the day,”

“The preparation generally begins from January when we’ll start to plan out what it is we’d like to do this year and who we’d like to invite to come and play. Once the list is released in February, that’s when we get into ordering all the vinyl, and it usually starts being delivered about three weeks before the day.

“We open our doors at 8am on the Saturday and we’ve had people queuing from as early as 8pm the night before if it’s something they really really want. People are very serious about it and for us it’s one day of the year where we get to see our regular customers, new faces, and people who have travelled who want to see what it’s all about.

“Our whole celebration starts even before we open because we have teas and coffees and breakfast butties for people who’ve come down early as a thank you for choosing us. We make sure everyone’s fed while they’re waiting, then once we open we’ll have DJs on from 11am and a live music line-up from 1pm.

“The shop closes at 7pm, but the music will run right through until 4am when the Jacaranda closes.”

Mina says for most customers the rare vinyl is the main attraction, with the majority arriving armed with a wishlist.

“A lot of the releases haven’t been pressed up before, or they’ll be a very special edition, something that’s not been pressed on vinyl since the 70s or maybe was originally only available as a CD.

“This year we’ll have 100s of exclusive vinyl available, limited to one copy per title per person, and we’ve already seen a lot of excitement for the Olivia Dean release which is a 7in of her live at the BBC with the Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as Sigrid and Aurora, and a special Paramore edition.

“We also have our own exclusives that we’ll be releasing on Record Store Day. We’re giving out a free Kula Shaker x Jacaranda Records 7” vinyl to the first 100 record buyers and we also have a 7in special edition of Dave McCabe’s new single, limited to only 100 copies, that will be available to buy on the day.”

With so many artists and genres to choose from, Mina says they see a wide range of ages in the shop on Record Store Day.

“We’re finding more and more young people are getting involved because newer artists are also putting out special editions of releases,” she adds.

“Most people will have researched what it is they’re after, so about 90% have it completely figured out, and 10% will have a little browse and add to their basket.

“There are people who’ve been coming and spending Record Store Day with us for the last 10 years, since our first one, and people who have now turned into regular customers as well. 

“That’s one of my favourite parts of it: just getting to chat to everyone, seeing what they’re excited about, then getting to see them again when they come back.”

Find out more on the Jacranda website.

Find more music events across Liverpool on our calendar.

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