Record Store Day 2024: What's On in Scotland's Record Shops

Record Store Day is once again around the corner, with official and unofficial events set to take place in and around record shops across the country this Saturday 20 April. A day that some record shop owners have likened to Christmas, much sought after exclusive and special releases will be available in abundance, with over 400 limited edition titles being pressed for the occasion, available exclusively in-person at participating record shops from 20 April.

While some celebrate the day purely as an opportunity to add exclusive vinyl to their record collections, a big aspect of the day revolves around the community, bringing music fans together for a day of fun and frivolities, and for this, the 17th annual Record Store Day event, that fact remains true.

Edinburgh

Having been running their event out of the nearby St Vincent’s Chapel for the past three years, Stockbridge shop VoxBox Music are taking the event back to its humble beginnings, in the basement bars of St Stephen Street. The shop will open from 8am with stacks of RSD exclusives available, while the partying runs from 11am-6pm between The Antiquary and Last Word Saloon, with performances from Alasdair Roberts, Zoe Graham, Lizzie Reid, The Countess of Fife, Victoria Hume, Midnight Ambulance, Siobhan Wilson, Samuel Nicholson, Lewis McLaughlin, waverley., Broken Chanter and Sarah/Shaun – quite the event, we’re sure you’ll agree!

It’s another jam-packed day at Underground Solu’shn with, they say, “ALL of the exclusive RSD releases on sale from 8am and then a whole host of local friends and extended family performing in-store from 1pm.” Live performances at the Cockburn Street shop will come from El Ghoul, Sarah/Shaun, Conscious Route and Accident Machine, with DJ sets from Stephen Brown B2B Jack Brown, Austin Ato, Creep Woland, Keyte and Bikini Body’s Disc Jocelyne.

Image: Thorne Records by Mark Thorne

In Bruntsfield, Mark Thorne of Thorne Records will be keeping the shop open for a 12-hour stint from 8am to 8pm for the shop’s third RSD since opening in 2022. They’ve promised “all the RSD releases folk want”, as well as “free beer and good vibes”, plus two acoustic sets – one AM, one PM – from talented singer-songwriter and Thorne Records employee Rosie H. Sullivan, who in-between her sets will be working behind the counter.

In the West End, Assai Records on Grindlay Street will be treating early birds to breakfast rolls from our fave roll shop Preachers, while they also promise plenty of RSD giveaways available throughout the day, including slipmats, while the party continues into Sunday with an in-store from Black Cat Bone. Just off the Royal Mile on Blackfriars Street, Slow Progress promise to keep things chilled, so if you want to avoid the busier more hectic spots, or even if you just want a coffee break and a gentle browse on your way from Underground Solu’shn to VoxBox, SP is the ideal pit stop!

Image: Good Vibes Neighbourhood Store by Sam Dick

There are also some unofficial parties taking place in Edinburgh for Record Store Day this year. Pop into Bruntsfield’s Umbrella Vinyl “for a dig and a dance” as they celebrate the day with DJ sets in-store from Bartek, Infinite Sound, Twelve Original Players and Umbrella Vinyl DJs Josh, Laura and Nick from 3-6pm. Or take the tram down to Good Vibes Neighbourhood Store in Leith for their super unofficial event. A collaboration between Good Vibes, New Teeth, Pilot Beer, Gloria Black and EHFM, from 11am-5pm the shop will host live music from Gurry Wurry, Faith Eliott and Maniatrix, and DJ sets from DJ Ham, Supper Club DJs (that will include me, btw), Grandmother Flash and La Beat Soul Club. At night, wherever you've spent your Record Store Day, the party continues at Lost In Leith's unofficial Record Store Night party, with live music from Bee Asha and Eyes of Others, plus Moray Leisure Centre on DJ duties. [UPDATE: Since we published this round-up, Lost In Leith's Record Store Night party has been cancelled – the daytime event at Good Vibes is going ahead as planned.]

Glasgow

In Kings Court Monorail Music welcome you to join them in celebrating their “fifth favourite day of the year (after the four days a year the shop is shut over the holidays),” and as usual they’re doing it in style. On the day, the shop will be open from 9am, although they’ll start taking orders from the queue at 8am. From 1pm, the party gets underway with live music from Simone Antigone, The Cords, Dragged Up and Pink Pound, and DJ sets from Sweet Cowboy, Andrew Wasylyk, Stevie Jackson and Kyle Lonsdale, and The Queer History of Dance Music.

Image: Some Great Reward, courtesy of Some Great Reward

At The Cooperage in the Southside, Some Great Reward also have a big day planned, and have stated that access to their courtyard will be available from 4am for those who wish to queue before they open; just like Monorail, they will be starting to process the queue from 8am. From 11am-5pm, there will be DJ sets from Jamo Kidd (World of Twist), Suzy Kidd (Different Class), Sean Campbell, John McGlone (No Room For Squares), ReQuinha (Femme45) and Craig Moog, which will be followed by a special live performance from 2023 Sound of Young Scotland nominee Pippa Blundell.

In Finnieston, bar and record shop Strip Joint will also be open from 8am, with a number system in operation to help keep things organised. Later in the day, fresh from releasing her debut album Silence Is Loud, catch Nia Archives for a signing and DJ set, with the mighty Rebecca Vasmant on warm-up duties. Meanwhile, in the Glasgow outpost of Assai Records on Sauchiehall Street, breakfast rolls from Grumpy Pedro’s will be available for those queuing early on, while there’ll be free cocktails from Variety Bar in the afternoon, more RSD giveaways, and a live in-store from folk-pop artist Lewis McLaughlin at 5:30pm.


Image: Le Freak Records by Jack Le Freak

Dundee & elsewhere

At Assai's Dundee shop on Union Street, more of those RSD giveaways can be found throughout the day, while breakfast rolls for early risers will come courtesy of Soo Delicious. A few doors down, it’s business as usual at Thirteen Records who are also taking part in this year’s celebrations, with doors open from 8am. Meanwhile, up on the Perth Road, Le Freak Records are in on the party too – alongside slinging RSD exclusives, on they day there’ll be giveaways for the first customers through the door, as well as a sale on new vinyl and merch. There’ll be DJs on hand throughout the day, including the likes of Acid Boner, Egang and Phat Earth Society, with Jam Radio set up to broadcast live from the shop. Later, the party will move a few doors down the street to The George Orwell where Le Freak’s own Jack Le Freak will be DJing from 9pm-1am.

Finally, if you want to get out of the major cities, the lovely Orange Moon Records in North Berwick and Futtle Records in St Monans, are both hosting unofficial events. From 7-10pm in the upstairs of Steampunk Coffee, Orange Moon have invited Australian-born, Haddington-based DJ Bonnie Jean to play a mix of soul, funk and disco (tickets here), while in Fife’s Bowhouse, Futtle host a night of experimental sound and art from 6pm, with performances from Fiesta En El Vacio, Acte Bonté and Jam Money (tickets here).

---

For a full list of Record Store Day 2024 releases and to find your nearest participating shop, head here: recordstoreday.co.uk