Hundreds of music fans flock to Golden Square Shopping Centre to celebrate vinyl records
HUNDREDS of music lovers from across
the region got into the groove at a Warrington shopping centre as they turned up
the volume in support of Record Store Day.
Queues began forming before 6am at the Head store in Golden Square Shopping
Centre with fanatical collectors of vinyl records desperate to get their hands
on limited edition records released in support of the 1day international event.
There was plenty of varied music on offer,
with more than 500 specially selected vinyl 12 inch albums and seven inch vinyl
singles from music legends such as The Foo Fighters, David Bowie and Noel
Gallagher - whose album Chasing Yesterday is the biggest selling this year.
One of the first in the queue on Saturday, listening to local bands play and
waiting for the doors of Head to be thrown open, were Sankey couple Simon
Anderson and Joanne Gibson.
Simon, a customer services advisor, admits
he's a passionate collector of vinyl records. He said:- "I came along
hoping to get my hands on a Foo Fighters album along with a Stone Sour album. I
just love vinyl and we have a collection of more than 400 mainly heavy metal
albums. The thing is with vinyl it takes you back to your youth. I love the feel
of a record and the sound is, in my opinion, so much better. It's really how
music was meant to be heard. We enjoy coming to Head at Golden Square and
browsing but with there being specially released albums up-for-grabs today we
had to get up early and get down here."
Joanne Gibson, who works for Ombudsman Services, said:- "I'm looking for
anything from the '80's to be honest. I wasn't surprised at the queue, I
expected it. The staff at Head are really helpful and very knowledgeable."
Record Store day was launched in the USA in
2007 when 700 independent stores got together to celebrate their unique culture
with the UK following suit a few years ago.
Golden Square Centre Director, Ian Cox said:- "This event goes from
strength to strength - there was a massive turn out for the event, with many of
record fans going on to visit other stores in the centre. We've got used to
music fans queuing for events at Head, and I'd like to thank those who came on
Saturday for their excellent behaviour.It's good to see that there is such a
growing interest in vinyl records, which is expected to increase by 70% this
year, plus there is now a new Vinyl Singles Charts each week."
Manager of the Head store in Golden Square, David Rafter, says he was delighted to see so many record enthusiasts turn out for the special event. "It's been incredible to be quite honest. The queue was forming before 6am and there must have been at least 500 people here waiting for the store to open at 8am. Everyone has been very patient and good humoured. Last year was busy but this year the queue was three times as long. Our customers know we always take part in Record Store Day and they know we offer a really wide range of genres and artists. We also had live bands and solo musicians performing in store as they day progressed and everyone has enjoyed a fantastic event. It's certainly been our busiest day ever."
David, who has managed the Head store at Golden Square since it opened in 2013, added:- "People and collectors are returning to vinyl and it's becoming more and more popular and of course the bands and musicians know this and are trying to do everything they can to give fans what they want."
Chemistry student Matthew Fletcher, 18, of Warrington was delighted to get his hands on all the albums he was after. "I just love vinyl records - they feel better and when the music was recorded it was meant to be heard this way. I do download some stuff but will always prefer to buy vinyl if I can. I've spent more than £150 today and bought albums by Noel Gallagher, The Happy Mondays, David Bowie, Peace, Jonny Marr and U2. I've got a collection of more than 60 vinyl albums now, but it's growing. I've enjoyed coming to Head on Record Store Day. I wasn't surprised to see so many people here waiting for the store to open. It's a great store and I love coming here."
Sales director Mike O'Brien of Newton-Le-Willows couldn't wait for the doors of Head in Golden Square to be thrown open so he could buy the Joanne Shaw Taylor album that he desperately wanted. "I have always collected vinyl records; in fact I've been collecting records for more than 40 years and now have well over 1,000 albums. There is something so much more satisfying about vinyl albums. I like the feel of them and the look and smell of them. They are so original as is the art work on the covers. Real collectors like the originality you get with vinyl which is so much more satisfying than a download. I've come to Head at Golden Square looking for heavy rock and blues albums as well as the Joanne Shaw Taylor album I want. I like albums of live recordings, that what I specialise in really."
