Saturday was Record Store Day. The idea of Record Store Day is great; supporting independent record shops by promoting all of them as though they weren't independent, as though they are all part of a movement. The Indie bit is significant - a throwback to the punk/post punk idea of bands, venues and record shops operating outside the mainstream. Independently.
Unfortunately an awful of the hype seems to be about promoting records by mainstream artists, re-releases of ancient Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan records. What is the point? There's an argument that pressing plants are too tied up with pressing multiple copies of an Oasis vinyl disc that they have no facility to press genuine independent records. I found looking through the racks of vinyl to be quite depressing: it didn't take me back to the wonder of record shops decades ago.
However I did enjoy watching Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo, playing in the street outside Pie & Vinyl in Southsea. Especially their version of Dan Penn's Do Right Woman. After a while I wandered off through Southsea. I found another record shop, this one selling oldies, original albums from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s at a fraction of the price that the new pressings were retailing for. Not only that but Elvis was outside.
There were a lot of interesting looking shops around, some with pretty cool artwork. Some of it goes way beyond just being a decorated shop front. Some of it is art. Here's a few shop fronts.
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