Ruth4Truth

I have mixed feelings about Record Store Day. I like music. I like anything that supports music. But I don’t tend to buy music in physical formats anymore, far less actual vinyl records.  I don’t even own a record player.  I’ve only gone to 1 RSD event before, when Frightened Rabbit did an in-store performance in Mono in Glasgow a couple of years ago.  I didn’t buy any records.

I only remembered about it this year when We Are Scientists announced they were going to release an acoustic LP for RSD 2015. So I thought I might plan a wee afternoon checking out some of the shops in Glasgow to see if I could pick it up.  Handily, I had found out (via a response from their label via Twitter) that there would be a download code included, as is the way these days, so no record player required.  However I later found out, via WAS themselves, that no shops in Glasgow would be stocking it. NO SHOPS IN GLASGOW! Outraged. Oh well.  However, it was forecast to be a nice day, so I decided to stick with my plan and see what else I could find.

It was a gorgeous day, so I quite happily wandered child free around the West End then on to the City Centre.  I landed in Love Music in town just as Finn LeMarinel (Ex-Trapped In Kansas) was doing a set.  Actually I caught the end of the previous set, who apparently was C Duncan. He/they were good. In between I rummaged through some of the RSD stock.  I have to admit, leafing through racks of vinyl is a whole lot more satisfying than doing so with CDs or cassettes.  I began to have visions of a beautiful record player with shelves of old vinyls of classic artists. Maybe one day.

However, Finn was on, he said he was unusually nervous, perhaps it was the strange situation of playing in the corner of a record shop while hoards of teenage fans waited outside, for someone else.  Apparently Frank Iero, off of My Chemical Romance, was up next. Most of us inside couldn’t care less about him, and all of those outside couldn’t care less about poor Finn. He ploughed on regardless.

I have only seen him in person once, when Trapped in Kansas played a showcase of their label in the Captain’s Rest.  On his own it is a very different experience, but he still makes use of the trademark unconventional guitar technique, tapping and bashing it and playing more up the neck of it than down in the “normal” bit.  It was hypnotic and mesmerising.  I had a quick chance to say hi and thanks afterwards, before we all got chucked out and the hordes of MCR fans came in.

So I didn’t buy any records, but I did see some live music and had a lovely day out in an unusually sunny Glasgow.

BTW Here is a good article about RSD and it’s drawbacks.

I rounded off the day by meeting up with a friend then heading over to see The Airborne Toxic Event that night. (See next post). Good day all in.  Now I need to go and check out record players…