Yahoo News Record Store Day: Music lovers queue THREE HOURS outside Hanley shop
Music lovers queued for three hours to buy their favourite albums and new releases on Record Store Day. The annual event started in 2007 when a gathering of record shop owners came together in America to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture of record stores.
The first official event took place on April 19, 2008, and today it is celebrated by thousands of record shops all over the world. More than 270 record stores in the UK take part - including Rubber Soul Records, on Marsh Street South, in Hanley.
Owner Rob Barrs was first to arrive at 5.30am today - and his first customer queued patiently from 6am. He opened his doors at 8am and allowed two customers inside at a time.
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Rob, aged 48, told StokeonTrentLive: "It is my busiest day of the year. I am a one-man band and I see people today who I do not normally meet. The shop is usually quiet. I am used to having about half a dozen people a day. I normally get about 80 on Record Store Day. I have had about 40 so far and there are about another 30 outside.
"I have had less than 200 new releases and normally sell about half of them in the day. You don't know what to order. You do not know what people actually want.
"The man who was second in the queue had come from Macclesfield. He was not sure if there was a shop there taking part. He came here instead of Manchester because they started queuing there yesterday.
"I was the first one here just after 5.30am. The first customer was just before 6am. When I opened at 8am there were 25 outside. Most people buy on the internet but on this specific day you can only buy the releases from independent stores.
"Hanley gets a hammering now. But this event brings people into the city. It is positive. Those in the queue have had a brew and I gave them all an oatcake and handed them out to them."
Rob was assisted today by friend, Paul Williams, aged 61, who was 'controlling the influx into the shop'.
He said: "They are hardcore collectors and hardcore music fans. They just put up with what they have to put up with. The worst part is if they have been waiting for three hours and the record they want has already been sold."
Louie Taylor, aged 27, and Georgia Skellern, aged 25, both of Meir Park, queued for three hours from 7.30am. They were in the shop for 10 minutes but were pleased with their purchases.
Louie said: "We bought the Rocky Horror Show album, Lily Allen and South Park anniversary. I love Record Store Day. I have saved up for it. They release albums specifically for this one day. It is limited stock. You won't be able to buy them after today."
Steve Bell, aged 54, of Mossfield, had already been to Strand Records, in Longton, and got what he wanted. He was looking to buy Black Sabbath, Garbage, Morrissey and Hayseed Dixie.
Steve added: "It is the biggest day of the year for the shops."
Steve James, aged 52, of Kidsgrove, was looking for Kim Wild's latest release having earlier been to Music Mania, in Hanley.
Steve added: "Music is my big passion."
Martin Kelly, aged 71, of Werrington, joined the queue at 8.30am and was looking for an album called Fields of the Nephilim, a gothic band from the 1980s.
He said: "I just hope when I get inside that they have what I want. Some people want 10 or 15 things, other people want two. I just want the one."
Stephen Harrison, aged 62, of Lightwood, had arrived at 7.30am.
He said: "There were about 30 people in front of me. I come every year. I have known Rob a long time. I have a lot of blues vinyl off him.
"I bought two Rolling Stones albums - The Rolling Stones Live at Racket, New York City and The 60th Anniversary of the Rolling Stones - and two blues albums, Howlin' Wolf and Earl Hooker. Me and the neighbours are going to listen to them all day."
