Record Store Day 2015

Any of you who were following any Record Store Day updates this year will already know why I had to put myself through it all again. Biffy Clyro's album Puzzle has finally been released on vinyl! I needed it!


As such I donned my Biffy Clyro shirt, hoodie, & tartan toasties for the occasion. Excuse how messy I look, we got up just before 5am for the occasion and this was taken when I got home at around midday.


We arrived at Rise Bristol just before 6am. The queue wasn't too big, and we ended up being tickets 50 and 51. Had to get a pain au chocolat and hazelnut hot chocolate since they sounded delish (and they were).


We were also given goody bags!

I'm not sure what time we got into the store. They opened just after 8am, so I guess half hour or so after that. I panicked when we got in there, struggled to find things. Luckily Rob helped a lot (as well as only being there to drive me so I didn't have to wait up all night in town ♥). Couldn't find any Tears For Fears, talked myself out of We Are Scientists and Placebo, and Foo Fighters sold out pretty much instantly.


So aside from Puzzle I caved and bought records by The Used and Daughter/Warpaint (this one is mostly for dad). Probably not worth the early start and waiting, but it wasn't all that bad and I didn't want to risk missing it (though it turned out there were loads of copies...).


We went for a little wander afterwards and I finally found Jeffrey Campbell shoes in T.K.Maxx! They had 2 pairs in my size, but the other ones were ugly white patent heels. These JC Play beauties were only £20 ♥ just hope I actually get wear out of them!

We then found a little food place that sold everything for 99p and I had a panini. Would definitely go back as cheaaaapppp.

Bit worn out now, but not as much as my wallet is! At least I didn't have to work this afternoon as I worked last night instead. I wonder if there will be any good RSD releases next year? I kind of hope there aren't as Rob said he wouldn't take me again!

Record Store Day 2013

This year was my first Record Store Day, so I made sure to be able to visit a store!


I had been planning to go to Raves From The Grave in my hometown, but as I was going out in Bristol the night before I had to choose between the stores in Bristol. I opted for Rise since I hadn't even realised there was a record store there and I was curious!

It was very VERY painful getting up at 6.30am as I think we got in past 4am and I had only managed to get an hour's sleep (I've never had so little sleep before). I was still drunk when I got up, and was really hungover (vomit and all). So leaving Hati's on an empty stomach at 7am to lug my ass up Park Street wasn't the most pleasant thing to do!

I got to the store at around 7.30am, and my ticket was 172. So around 150 people got there ahead of me...I probably should have just gone straight to the store at 4.30! But there were over a hundred more after me, so at least there's that. The wait was painful. Thankfully I'd had the foresight to pick up a drink on the way, and managed to grab myself a stool. I was in enough pain sitting for the 2+ hours I waited, there is no way I could have stood! I ended up seeing one of my lecturers (and hiding from him), plus I'm pretty sure I saw one of my teachers from school which was a bit odd.



This one's from the Rise Bristol Facebook page, you can see me looking like death in the top left-hand corner right at the back!


After the wait (in which I ate a handful of Skittles for breakfast and skimmed a copy of NME) it was finally my turn to go upstairs to the store. I was so worried that the stuff I wanted would be gone. I panicked a little as I hate crowds, and people were not letting me through so I could see the stuff (being short lends no advantages, trust me!).

The first item on my list I saw was Duran Duran, which I'd decided to buy for my dad as a 'congrats on your new job' gift. He later texted asking me to buy it...waaay ahead of you, dad haha. Although apparently there was a Pink Floyd one he wanted too which I hadn't looked for, but I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed it as it was sooo pink!

Shuffling along the row I got my hands on the Frank Turner vinyl. No sign of the Rush or Funeral For A Friend LPs (much to my wallet's joy), but I was starting to worry...where was the Biffy Clyro one? I asked a member of staff and he said they must have all gone...NOOOOOOOO!

I circled the stand one last time in despair, but then out of the corner of my eye I saw a splatter disc! Someone must have picked it up and changed their mind and put it back, so I got the last copy in the whole store. I've never felt so lucky! That was the only one I really wanted as it makes my Biffy Clyro 7" vinyl collection complete (well, minus the American RSD one).

At that point I couldn't be bothered to look any longer for the other bits I wanted, so I just paid for everything and got the hell out of there to breathe some sweet sweet fresh air. Retreated down the hill towards the train station swinging my bag merrily and looking (and feeling) more haggard than ever, being irritated by some dude en route who sneered 'you queued all that time just for a single?'. I didn't realise personal value was proportional to size, but there you go.

My mini-haul!


Slept the second I got home...and spent most of the day after sleeping as well. But hey ho! I told myself I probably wouldn't put myself through all that again, but hopefully next year I can rest up beforehand and have some company to avoid the boredom of waiting (middle-aged men don't make small talk with young women so I was forever alone the whole time. To be honest it made me pretty annoyed that the only other women were there with men - can we have more ladies getting into music, please?).

Also hopefully next year I won't be hungover to hell so I can catch some live music! Was pretty gutted about missing out on stuff this year, but it can't be helped.

Did anyone else support a local store?