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Rockaboom Records in Leicester became an offbeat destination for vinyl junkies from other major cities hoping to beat their local rivals and sneak out the Radiohead exclusives.
But the Leicester faithful’s hunger was fierce and the in store performance from The View meant that by 9am, there was already a snaking queue at their St Martin’s Square store more than 100 deep.
The red-eyed patron first in the line told us he’d been there since 5am, desperate to get his paws on the Radiohead releases. He was followed by a few other brave souls, with most people arriving bacon butties in hand from 7am onwards.
We spoke to Andy from Manchester who travelled to Leicester especially for Record Store Day and for a better chance of getting the vinyl he craved for his collection.
He told us the the vibe at Rockaboom was calmer and friendlier than his local Manchester record stores, which he had been to the previous years. This strategy paid off as he walked out clutching a brimming bag full of goodies including Radiohead and the precious White Stripes re-release.
Purple Revolver got there early to witness the buzz. After all, the guys behind Rockaboom had bagged the live set from The View, this year’s Record Store Day anthem to add to the afternoon’s live entertainment.
As soon as the doors opened, those weary hearts waiting longest made a dash to the counter with everyone else following calmly, in single file. The average number of records people were looking for ranged between 2-15.
A local cafe owner from around the corner came and took orders and delivered food and drinks to the waiting customers creating a real feel-good atmosphere among the independent traders of the city.
Nice work. See you next year Rockaboom!
Words Tina Bass
Photos Lara Leon-Cullen