Record Store Day 2018: Scottish Events Guide

Assai Records
Grindlay Street, Edinburgh, 8am-8pm
King Street, Broughty Ferry, Dundee, 8am-8pm 

At the start of the month Assai Records’ Edinburgh branch celebrated its first birthday. On their first day of trading they sold one record, but it’s safe to say the shop has come a long way since then; with regular in-stores and good quality new stock always coming in, it’s fast becoming one of our favourite places to shop for new vinyl in the capital. 

Their plan for RSD18 is to have loads of exclusive RSD stock in the shop for your browsing and buying pleasure, with Friels cider on the go for those who fancy a crisp bevvy and live performances in the shop from two Assai Recordings signed artists: Brownbear and Hamish Hawk & the New Outfit, with more acts TBC.

Meanwhile, in their Broughty Ferry, Dundee shop they’ll also be open from 8am with an abundance of RSD releases available to buy, and there’ll be live music from Brownbear as well as Broken Records who’ll also be signing copies of their latest album, What We Might Know.

Coda Music
The Mound, Edinburgh, 8am-5.30pm

This year, Coda Music aren’t doing their usual live in-store performances and have instead opted to spend all of the money they’d usually spend on that on getting in all the stock people want on the day instead, and are promising more than 95% of RSD titles on the day. So, if Record Store Day for you is about nothing more than getting your mitts on all of the exclusive vinyl then Coda is definitely the shop for you.

As ever, the first 75 people in the queue will be treated to free bacon rolls, with a veggie option for the non-meat eaters, and as if that’s not already enough, this year Coda are holding a raffle where you could win an exclusive limited edition Record Store Day Rega Turntable worth £265.

Le Freak Records
Perth Road, Dundee, 11am-10pm

Relative new kids on the block Le Freak Records are getting in on the Record Store Day action for the first time this year, and as well as stocking a bunch of official RSD releases, they’ll also have some entertainment in the shop from 2pm onwards, with a live set from Visa Jam and DJ sets from Kev West (Le Freak), Is Kill (Book Club / Hot Cats) and Hilltown Disco. “OOFT it's party time,” say Le Freak; it sure does sound that way! 

Love Music Glasgow
Dundas Street, Glasgow, 8:30am-6:30pm

Love Music Glasgow urge you to “join us in celebrating the culture of Independent Record Stores, with hundreds of exclusive new releases available plus lots of free live music.” What’s not to like about that?!

This year, as well as stocking tonnes of official RSD releases in store, Love Music will also be entertaining the masses all day with live music from the hip-hop academic, Solareye; the Yellow Movement’s Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5; Barbe Rousse; Lost Map’s slacker pop outfit Savage Mansion; and Randolph’s Leap frontman Adam Ross among many more.

As well as all the record shopping and day-long entertainment, Love Music are also offering special RSD cakes and a free tea or coffee for all the early morning keen beans. Get down early, have a free hot drink, eat a cake, buy some vinyl, watch lots of live music all day. Seems like a pretty good deal.

LP Records
Park Road, Glasgow, 8am-10pm

We saw on LP Records Instagram the other day that they’ve got 15 copies of the RSD Run the Jewels exclusive gold box set in stock, so if that’s not already reason enough for you to get down to LP early on Saturday, then here are some more.

As well as all the lovely lovely RSD stock, they’re also offering ‘patter’ and ‘tunes’ all day long from eight ‘til late. Oh, and it’s BYOB. Live music starts at 5pm and features the amazing Haley Heynderickx whose recent album I Need to Start a Garden is a delight from start to end, as well as some of LP’s favourite local acts in the form of Admiral Fallow’s Louis Abbott, Glasgow-based Irish singer-songwriter Martha Ffion, Carla J. Easton of TeenCanteen and Ette, Last Night from Glasgow’s Zoe Bestel, Lost Map's Savage Mansion, Kid Canaveral’s David MacGregor and more.

“Also raffles, giveaways and the like throughout the day,” is their parting statement to us. Get down early, hang around like a bad smell all day, buy some records, add to the patter, have a good time.

Monorail Music
Kings Court, Glasgow, 9am-9pm

“It's our favourite time of year! As a community-based record shop, we like to share our love of physical media by putting on a fun-packed event for Record Store Day for you, our friends, comrades and customers,” so say Glasgow’s beloved Monorail Music, and 2018 features their biggest line-up yet!

As well as being able to shop shop shop from 9am until your heart’s content, there will be live entertainment all day from 1.30pm with live sets planned from Manchester’s Virginia Wing, party-starters Bossy Love and Hairband who feature members from Breakfast Muff, The Yawns and Rocky Lorelei. On DJ duty will be Whyte Horses’ Dom Thomas, prime noise-maker Blanck Mass, Robbie Wilson and the closing PARTY set will be provided by Bonzai Bonner from Shoot Your Shot.

This Way Up
Perth Road, Dundee, 9am-midnight

This Way Up are another newbie on the block that is Dundee’s Perth Road (it’s where it’s all happening, or so we’ve heard), and they gave us word recently that they will be having an event this year for Record Store Day. The Reckless Kettle crew are on DJ duties from 2.30pm, with Vinyl Matt following up from 4.30pm, while the shop are eschewing the official RSD release list in favour of stocking up the shop with a whole host of records across the board. They also tell us that they're throwing an RSD after-party in George Orwell Bar on the Perth Road in Dundee from 9pm, spinning records till late. So, if you didn’t have an evening plan for Record Store Day in Dundee, well now you do!

Underground Solu’shn
Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, 8am-7pm

Underground Solu’shn treat Record Store Day as the ultimate celebration of their favourite musical format, and say that days like RSD “help the continuing existence of wee Independent record shops like ourselves,” urging you to join them for a party “if you love music and you love vinyl.”

As well as stocking a multitude of this year’s exclusive RSD releases for your crate digging pleasure, they’ll also be hosting loads of live performances throughout the day as well as dishing out some tasty freebies along the way. Performances on the day will come from dance duo Finiflex (aka Finitribe’s John Vick and Davie Miller), grime and beats producer Proc Fiskal, Edinburgh-based collective Main Ingredient as well as bedroom producer Barbe Rousse. Supermodel’s new 50% Pure label are also joining in the fun with Joe Coghill and Edinburgh Leisure, plus there’ll be ethereal pop from Leith’s Sanna, and FOUND’s Simon Kirby completes the live line-up. The day will also feature vinyl-only DJ sets from Stephen Brown, Rebecca Vasmant and She-Rave Unit.

All this plus the usual counter sales and musical services supplied by the Underground Solu’shn team, featuring DJ Beefy, EH?Wun, Other Lands and G-Mac.

VoxBox Music
St Stephen Street, Edinburgh, 8am-6pm

As ever, Stockbridge’s VoxBox Music are hosting their annual vinyl knees-up/St Stephen Street takeover as per, featuring loads of exclusive releases as well as loads of live music throughout the day with, as is to be expected, a few surprises along the way. Anyone else remember when that cat upstaged Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison at 2017’s celebrations? Oh, and the bird that dumped its load during his set too? That was indeed a surprise!

Down in Stockbridge you can buy your records from VoxBox, wihile all the live musical entertainment will take place in pubs nearby/ across the road. This year’s offerings come from SAY Award winning singer-songwriter Kathryn Joseph, Savage Mansion (busy day for these guys), pop singer-songwriter Carla J. Easton, PAWS’ frontman Phillip Taylor, Edinburgh megaphone warriors Book Group, ambient pop duo Super Inuit and Canadian singer-songwriter Dana Gavanski. Plus, the 50% Pure label will be here too to DJ and spread the word about the label’s first release from Joe Coghill, who’ll also be performing on the day.

---

Record Store Day 2018 takes place on Saturday 21 April; a full list of record shops getting involved in the day can be found here, featuring a handy search function so you can find what's closest to you