Yes, Record Store Day is important, but let’s not kill the golden goose…
Founded in 2007 in the US, Record Store Day has undeniably played a part in the revival of vinyl as a format.
As evidenced by queues outside record shops around the globe, and the hundreds of artists signing up to offer RSD ‘exclusives’, this year’s event, taking place today, is likely to be the biggest yet, and provide a much needed boost to the traditional bricks and mortar music store business (take that, Amazon!).
To borrow a line from 90s indie comedy Empire Records, even Rex Manning would approve.
But with each passing year, I along with many others find myself aghast at the prices of said ‘exclusives’, and I worry that this important event is fast becoming another Hallmark holiday.
Yes, I like Zero 7, but do I want to shell out 60 quid for a box set of seven 7-inches, featuring their biggest singles?
The Sugarhill Records vinyl set similarly sounds fab (12-inch versions of Rapper’s Delight and Apache!), but I’m not going to fork out 50 quid for it.
And then there are the ‘stunts’, where bands develop ridiculous concepts to support a product’s ‘limited edition status’ and inflated price tags. This year, The Flaming Lips are releasing a special edition 7-inch single pressed with beer from Dogfish Head Alehouse.
Anyone who’s ever spilled a pint on a spinning vinyl knows that this is a somewhat baffling collaboration.
I’ve been buying vinyl all my life, and, Record Store Day or no, I won’t be going shopping for records today. I simply can’t afford to.
The other 364 days of the year, however, are a different story… KEEP VINYL ALIVE!
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