Record Store Day 2022 in Edinburgh: When is it, what live music is taking place, what exclusive records are available, and how can I buy them

The pandemic has meant that Record Store Day has been a little different – with two separate ‘drops’ of limited vinyl last year – but it looks like things are back to normal for 2022.
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Record Store Day has become a major event for vinyl lovers since the inaugural event in the US in 2007 sold barely more than 10 different limited edition pressings by artists including Death Cab for Cutie, R.E.M. and Stephen Malkmus.

Now over 200 independent record stores across the UK take part each year, selling thousands of copies of exclusive vinyl, from new releases to old classics.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s event.

When is Record Store Day 2022?

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This year Record Store Day is returning to a single day – after a two day event last year due to social distancing laws making it diffiult to safely sell large numbers of records.

It will be happening on Saturday, April 23, with the majority of releases available from participating store.

The one fly in the ointment is that a global delay in vinyl manufacturing means that some discs will not arrive on time for the big day and will instead be available on June 18.

Simon Fowler of Ocean Colour Scene will be one of the music stars playing free in-store gigs in Edinburgh as part of Record Store Day.Simon Fowler of Ocean Colour Scene will be one of the music stars playing free in-store gigs in Edinburgh as part of Record Store Day.
Simon Fowler of Ocean Colour Scene will be one of the music stars playing free in-store gigs in Edinburgh as part of Record Store Day.

Check the RSD2022 site for the latest information.

What records are available?

There will be more than 400 limited edition pressings released on Record Store Day, including new vinyl from David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Taylor Swift, James Blake, Lou Reed, Def Leppard, Elton John, The Cranberries, Alice in Chains, Belinda Carlisle, Madness, Noel Gallagher, Beth Orton, Blondie, Mariah Carey, Rick Astley, The Streets and Pixies.

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Artist with Scottish connections releasing exclusive vinyl include The Proclaimers, Altered Images, Frightened Rabbit, The Associates, Deacon Blue, Campera Obscura, Kenny Lynch, Ultravox and Roddy Woomble.

It should be noted that not all record shops will stock all titles, so a couple of shop visits may be required if there’s a less popular title you are keen to get your hands on.

Can I buy records online?

Record Store Day shops are prohibited from reserving records for particular customers or offering records online on the day itself or for a week afterwards.

In short: to stand the best chance of getting any particular item you’ll need to physically attend the shop and probably queue (lines of people start appearing outside some shops the day before the event).

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This year shops will be able to offer any unsold stock from 8pm on Friday, April 29.

What shops are taking part?

The full list of Record Store Day shops can be found here.

In Edinburgh participating stores include VoxBox Music, Assai Records, Ilium, Avalanche Records, Thorne Records, and Underground Solu'shn.

How does the day work?

Queues will start to form outside most shops well before they open, so if there’s something you can’t stand to miss out on, the earlier you can get to the shop the better.

The majority of stores ask you to write out your wishlist while in the queue – so don’t forget a pen and paper – collecting it before you enter the shop and packing up your order so it is waiting for you at the counter.

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This speeds up the process, while later in the day shoppers can flick through titles on the shop floor.

What live music events are taking place?

Now that Covid restrictions seem to be a thing of the past the traditional live music is returning to Record Store Day.

Check your local shop's website to see what they have planned, but there will be plenty of musical entertainment available across the Capital.

Stockbridge’s VoxBox music are certainly pushing the boat out by renting nearby St Vincent’s Chapel for the day to programme a full day of events starting at 11.30am

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Playing live are Kathryn Joseph, Jill Lorean, Adam Stafford, Raymond McDonald, Phillip Jon Taylor (PAWS), Jane Blanchard and Michael Cassidy.Meawhile, BBC Radio Scotland’s Nicola Meighan will be chatting to Vashti Bunyan about her memoir ‘Wayward: Just Another Life to Live’, while Ian Rankin will be sitting down for a chat with Graeme Thomson to discuss his new book, ‘A New History of Simple Minds’.At Underground Solu’shn live music and DJ sets from local musicians will start at 2pm, with those appearing including Neil Landstrumm, George T (Tribal Function/Optimo Music), Jaisu (Athens of the North), Jazz Spastiks (Jazzplastik), Hobbes (Hobbes Music), Dan Bland (Indicator Records), Alliyah Enyo (Miss World) and Saint Sunday (EHFM).

And there’ll be Britpop fun at Assai Records with Simon Fowler and Oscar Harrison from Ocean Colour Scene performing an acoustic set and signing records from 11.30am and 1pm.

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