Record Store Day 2013

Record Store Day 2013
Date 20 April 2013

I've have been a massive music collector now for over 20 years and I probably, no definitely have more CD's and Vinyl than is healthy. I used to buy all my stuff from The Record Shop in Grantham.  I had a great relationship with Barry the owner at the time, pre internet we used to go through the release lists from the likes of Pinnacle, Southern etc. He would highlight stuff he thought I would like gave me promo items and made sure I got stuff like this:

The UNKLE Psycence fiction survival kit with pop up sleeve, mini vinyl, loads of stickers etc, HMV would never help you out like that.

Anyway times change and the introduction of one stop shop supermarkets selling everything under one roof, Internet shops etc meant that people never used these small town local record shops to buy the latest singles or albums, which were the bread and butter for many of these local shops.

Sadly like many Independent record shops around the country The Record Shop closed down and I was stuck, I then used to go to Selectadisc in Nottingham but that went as well.

Being trapped in a small town with only Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys selling music I really have no choice anymore but to but online.  Luckily places like Rough Trade and Banquet have great online services.

Anyway record store day... 

This started back in 2007 to celebrate independent record stores and has gone from strength to strength, this year I decided to head to down to London for the second year running so I got on an early train from Lincolnshire and headed down to London.

I wanted to see Frank Turner at Rough Trade so I got down to the old truman brewery just after 09.30, Frank was on at 11 plenty of time...

This was the queue about 10mins after I arrived!

90mins later.... I could see the front door! 

The people that annoy me are what I like to call queue jumping b*stards! I like many others had been standing in line for 90mins yet some people find it acceptable to just walk straight to the front speak to someone they haven't seen in about 5 years and worm their way into the queue!  grrrrr get to the back and wait your turn like everyone else has. (disclaimer...The above photo does not contain queue jumping b*stards)

I made it in just in time to see Frank starting his set!!

I've been a massive Frank Turner since the days of Million Dead and it's always a pleasure to see him live.

The queues inside were as crazy inside as they were outside, I managed to pick some of the things I wanted including this by the legendary Husker Du!

In the chaos and for some unknown reason I also bought a copy of Franks new album even though I have the deluxe version on order from Banquet records, so I now have 2 copies!

I left Rough Trade for the next stage of my record store day journey, off to the vinyl factory!

I am a big fan of American Hardcore bands like Black Flag, Minor Threat, MDC and so on, as a result I wanted to check out the exhibition of 7" from 78-90 with sleeves from the above bands and the likes of Nation of Ulysses, Dead Kennedys etc.

I pretty sure their is some irony in the fact that and exhibition on American Hardcore and Punk bands is being held in the affluent area of South Kensington / Chelsea.

I picked up the rather pricey book with a 7" vinyl containing an interview with Black Flag from 1980.

Next stop Berwick street and Sister Ray records.

It can't just be me but everytime I walk through this area and down Wardour Street I can't help but sing The Jam song!

Berwick Street was heaving, a stage had been set up outside in the sunshine and I arrived just in time to see Steve Mason perform.  Steve was in The Beta Band who in the late 90s released 3 absolutely stunning eps with some amazing tracks needles in my eyes is one of my favourite songs ever!

Infact it made the day even more special that I got to see Steve do Dry the rain live

If you haven't heard Dry the rain, it's a stonewall classic

The queue to get into sister ray records was still pretty epic even half way through the day, next up my second Frank Turner performance of the day!

After Franks set I was knackered after walking around and standing in line (no queue jumping here!) all day that it was off back to Lincolnshire for me.

A lot of people put an immense amount of hard work and organisation into record store day and music fans should be thankful for everything they do, record store day is one of the best days of the year to see how much others care for and believe in the work of independent record shops, labels and artists and long may it continue.

Infact next year I might overnight in London just so I can be part of those standing in line from 6am!

Propagandhi Rock City

Headliner: Propagandhi
Date: 15 April 2013
Venue: Rock City Nottingham
Support acts: War on women - Shai Hulud - Comeback Kid

So it's been a while.... almost 3 weeks without a gig.... with drawl symptoms have been setting in.

First up war on women... first world problems arriving late due to having to work, travel etc so I only saw about 12 seconds of these so unfair to comment on them.

Next up Shai Hulud American hardcore band and the the only review needed is... f##k they made a racket.  not really my sort of thing a bit to much metal influence for me, put they put everything into the performance.

Comeback kid.  When you hear the name Comeback kid you tend to think of some terrible Sum 41, bowling for soup style pop punk band, thankfully they are nothing like them!

They played a fast paced 30min stuff that was pretty impressive to be honest.

Time for the headliners propagandhi

What can you say about propagandhi, they have been around for what seems like forever, infact they have been going for nearly 30 years.

I first head of them about 20 years ago through Fat Wreck when they had John K Samson in the ranks who went onto form the amazing band The Weakerthans, but that's another story.

Over the years they have seemed to changed their style from a straight up punk band into something more experimental, which is a good and a bad thing constantly evolving means the band is always fresh.

They played a near perfect set of blistering rock including some classics including probably everyones favourite back to the motor league but my favourite was A speculative fiction.

While the set was near perfect, it was probably to perfect if that makes sense.

Anyway no photos they all turned out rubbish, like this one...

The Bouncing Souls Rock City

Headliner: The Bouncing Souls
Date: 22/03/2013
Venue: Rock City Basement Nottingham

Line up: Luther / Cheap Girls / The Bouncing Souls

First up a moan....

The Club night culture these days means 10pm curfews on most gigs which means the support bands end up having to go on earlier and earlier.

As a result of this and having to finish work, travel to Nottingham etc I ended up missing the first band on the line up Luther.

Next up Cheap Girls, now I don't know much about the band, but what I do know is that if you google their name you get some errrr interesting results.

Just before they started their set the bass player / singer made them turn his bass up as a result the sound for their gig was terrible, could sense some nice swirly J Mascis style swirly guitars with a Menzingers style sound but everything just got drowned out by the bass and for me kinda ruined it.

Next up The Bouncing Souls

The Bouncing Souls seem to have been around for years and infact they have, with the first album I got of theirs being the self titled album released on Epitaph in 1997, however this was he first time I have seen them live.

Funniest moment of the night was when the bloke standing with his full 2pint beer thing got caught on the edge of the circle pit and got covered in all 2pints!

Gregg Attonito joining in with the crowd.

The Bouncing Souls played loads of great songs Kids and Heroes, Hopeless Romantic, Lean on Sheena, True Believers before ending with Gone.

Not sure if they were going to do an encore at the end but as the Rock City bloke was on stage within about 2seconds of Gone finishing and disconnecting and removing the microphones they didn't really have a choice.

Record Store Day Release Party

Line up: Ghostpoet / Tom Odell / Benga
Date: 21/03/2013
Venue: Rough Trade Records London

I was sat at work on the Tuesday when I got a tweet through from the Record Store Day UK Twitter account saying I was on the guest list for the Record Store Day release party on Thursday. It may have been short notice but these opportunities don't often arise especially when you live in Lincolnshire!  so plans were made, afternoon off work booked and off I went.

Independent record stores are what make music for me, not companies like HMV.  Growing up I spent many an hour and a fair few quid in places like Selectadisc in Nottingham and the local record shop in Grantham.  Getting a relationship with a local record shop where they no what you like, hold things back for you, put promo stuff to onside etc is something you just don't get from the HMV's of the world.

I know the area well around Rough Trade being a fan of Urban and Street art been there many times before, although the art scene around there at the minute seems to be getting a little stale, but that's another story....

The last time I went to an in store at Rough Trade I saw Public Enemy tear the the place apart

Anyway first up was Ghostpoet been a big fan of his since his first album dropped on Giles Petersons Brownswood recordings a couple of years back.

Ghostpoet played a bass heavy set of mainly new material and the new single especially sounded awesome live.

Tom Odell was next up, now Tom is the new next big thing at the minute, boy band looks, snapped with Taylor Swift in the press etc etc etc with his anticipated debut album coming out shortly.  But he can right a song and his new song has a somewhat Arcade Fire feel about at times

Tom is probably making Piano music cool again and although he seemed a little shy played a great set, I just hope he can progress with his music in a natural course and not end up annoying everyone like Ed Sheeran and appearing on The Voice and XFactor etc and in 12 months everyone is sick of him.

I don't think he will I mean looking at this he looks pissed at having his photo taken!

Next up Benga...

Now I will be honest... I can't stick dubstep so the prognosis wasn't great.

I'm a traditionalist at heart and the change from DJ's using a set of Technics SL-1210's to CD players was very much on the lines of the controversy Dylan caused at the Newport folk festival by going electric!

Maybe I am a little biased but I find the fact that this event was about Record Store Day an event supporting local record shops with hundreds of limited edition VINYL ONLY releases having a DJ using Cd's a little odd...

Anyway I had a 2hr journey home so called it a night.

Would like to thank those at Record Store Day UK for giving me the opportunity to go to the event.

Independent  record stores are vital to the music industry past, present and future and I will no doubt be back at Rough Trade come the 20th April

The Internet & Kilo Kish

Headliners: Kilo Kish + The Internet
Date: 14 March 2013
Venue: Bodega Social Nottingham

Line up: Kilo Kish & The Internet

So I guess I might have been a bit eager to get tickets for this one as I got ticket number 1

Kilo Kish has been creating a bit of a buzz this year and when she dropped her new K+ mixtape it basically broke the Internet, not the band the actual internet.  Downloading it was impossible for a few days.

I loved the mixtape and was excited to see here perform live in such a small venue. Kilo didn't disappoint and played a great set although the crowd seemed slightly subdued but hey I loved it! Kilo Kish will be huge it's just a matter of time.

The Internet is Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martians from the Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All or OFWGKTA which has spawned the likes of Tyler The Creator, Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt, Hodgy Beats etc

The Internet are more soulful and less beat driven than much of the other output from the OFWGKTA stable, they played for an hour, including Kilo on a few tracks.

This was the end of 3 gigs in 5 days, knackered but worth it!

Willy Mason Rescue Rooms

Headliner: Willy Mason
Date:13 March 2013
Venue: Rescue Rooms Notingham

Line up: Siobhan Wilson, Marinas Children, Willy Mason

Been waiting for this for a while Willy Mason is amazing and I have never got round to seeing him before.

First up Siobhan Wilson seemed a little nervous without the need to be, totally absorbing even with a few mistakes in the set.

Mariners Children I always wonder how bands like this survive, nobody looked that bothered the singer fed up (down to a headache apparently), nobody smiled, music melancholic band practice must be a right laugh...  saying that though I enjoyed their set!!

Time for Willy Mason came on with Just him and his guitar which for me is when he is at his best

Played a mixture of old and new songs including all the ones I wanted to hear including Pick Up Truck, Where the Humans eat which was amazing, save myself and Gotta keep moving.

Mixing up the solo stuff with full band songs

Willy Mason is an amazing songwriter and deserves more acclaim than he has, favourite song of the night had to be We can be strong

Beans on Toast - The Cookie Jar

Headliner: Beans on Toast

Date: 10 March 2013

Venue: The Cookie Jar Leicester

Line up: Nancy Dawkins, A night Under Water, Mark Elliott, Charlotte Carpenter, Beans on Toast

So a new venue for me The Cookie Jar in Leicester, when you enter the venue after getting stamped you head down some stairs to be greeted with a large white door, and to be honest it leaves you unsure if you are heading the right way.  Once you enter the venue although small it's an impressive looking place.

First up Nancy Dawkins, Leicester solo artist with an amazing and haunting voice in the style of Laura Marling, massively cocked up a Nirvana cover on the night but overall pretty impressive.

Next up... A night under water, musically nothing wrong with them just something missing for me.

Mark Elliott acoustic cover versions of R.Kelly, Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake.... make up you own mind! but that Ed Sheerans got a lot to answer for now!

Charlotte Carpenter was next wow amazing voice, not 100% sure what the backing band added to the sound for many of the songs, although the slide guitar on one was amazing. Will be checking out some of her stuff in the future

Time for the headliner... Beans on Toast

Now most people probably know Beans on Toast as being Frank Turners mate, but he writes some damn catchy songs with great poetic lyrics that will make you laugh and smile.

Beans came on a made everyone smile with a great set The hilarious tale of a litter picker with beatboxing from Mark Eliott being one of the highlights.

Beans on Toast was ace, but the only thing I could think all that was that if Rolo Tomassi are playing here as part of the Handmade festival in May it will be off the hook!