This Saturday, April 20th, is Record Store Day 2024 (RSD), an event which celebrates the UK’s independent record shops.
Sound Records in George Street, run by Tom Berry, will once again be joining in – one of only two stores in the whole of Gloucestershire. Sean Roe’s Klang Tone Records in Lansdown hasn’t signed up for RSD but has plans to mark the day.
“I’ll be putting out around 200 records especially held back for the day – rarities and unusual LPs – I’ll promote on Instagram in the week leading up to the day, and we also have live sessions in the shop,” said Sean.
The first of the two free live performances takes place at 4.30pm and features Louis Giannamore, composer, artist and drummer. His debut LP World Tour! Is a catalogue of songs created using only iPhone memos and field recordings, recorded on tour, across several countries and continents in 2023.
This is followed by a performance by Red Propellers at 6.30pm – with their Velvet Underground-inspired psychedelia – featuring poet James Dick’s distinctive ‘talking in tune’ stream of consciousness vocals.
Tom Berry told Stroud Times: “With Trading Post previously being the go-to place for Record Store Day we’ve always previously been fairly conservative with our approach. Now that Simon has closed, we feel we need to go much bigger this year, so we’ve increased our stock for the day by 500 per cent.
“Kate Bush is the ambassador for Record Store Day this year and we’ve had lots of enquiries for her Eat The Music release. We’ve also had lots of people asking for Pulp, Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Olivia Dean.
“The release I’m most excited about is a re-release of Super Furry Animals’ first LP Fuzzy Logic with exclusive outtakes – the best psychedelic, shell suit wearing troupe ever to come out of Wales! I’m also really interested in the Anne Briggs LP (a folk holy grail) and the jazz-funk of Travis Biggs.”
The shop will have exclusive releases from the likes of Pulp, David Bowie, Olivia Dean and Pharoah Sanders as well as a special exclusive set from psychedelic Sheffield Guitarist Bobby Lee at 6pm. Tom said: “Bobby’s Endless Skyways was many people’s album of the year last year so it’s a huge honour to have him play. Bobby will also play a full live set at the Prince Albert later in the evening at 9pm.”
Sound Records will also have a massive sale on the special day with over 1,000 £1 records available for local crate diggers to get their hands on. The shop opens at 8am and the first 10 people through the door will also get goodie bags.
“I think there will be a queue – a lot of people have been in touch,” added Tom.
