Easter isn’t only a religious holiday for me; it’s an
opportunity to revisit a pastime of listening to my favourite recordings being
played on my favourite medium – vinyl.
It is somewhat ironic that I have discovered that today
happens to be the annual Record Store Day throughout Australia and the globe.
In short, this is a celebration of all things vinyl; new releases, rare and
limited edition releases and the ambiance of an authentic record retail store.
Sydney is my hometown, and I am amazed to learn that there
are DOZENS of retail stores in the Central Business District and inner-city
suburbs that specialise in the sale of vinyl records. Further to this, sales of
vinyl records increased by 77% within Australia during the past 12 months.
Nothing beats entering a record retail store. Who can’t
resist the smell of vinyl; the inspection of the record label and inner-sleeve artwork;
the quirky characters/ fellow customers and [best of all] the store owner. The
store owner has so many stories to tell – which record continues to fly off the
racks? Which celebrity has been frequenting the store?
Yes, we can read about similar matters almost immediately
via Twitter from somebody on the other side of the globe, however “being there”
is what truly counts…
