At the Glasgow Massive Meetup one of the things we talked about was the number of great record shops we used to have available to us in the city. Now we've got Monorail and Avalanche (and Fopp, which is mainly an HMV bin-end store).

I will be out shopping on the day - last year I got a free compilation as part of my swag which introduced me to Grails, and they have been on steady rotation since then. If I hadn't gone out and bought the stuff I did, goodness knows when I would have bumped into them.

I dug around and found this from last time :

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/dont-forget-record-store-day-today

and this link tells you where the action is :

http://www.recordstoreday.com/UnitedKingdom

..and, as with last year, some shops will have exclusive releases and other goodies that are only available to buy over the counter on the day. For the Manchester Massive Piccadilly Records will be the one with the special Record Store Day gubbins, but if their type of music isn't your bag here is a guide to other shops in the locale compiled by my mate and I.

(bit like a regional news handover that wasn't it? Thanks..and now back to Steve Turner in the studio...!)

Would also have been Billy Fury's 70th birthday.
Seeking out The Sound Of Fury would seem appropriate (if perhaps difficult)

Canadian details can be found here: http://www.recordstoreday.com/Canada.

I'll definitely be out for it, even if there are fewer record stores here in Halifax than there were last year. Last time around, we were treated to a bunch of in-store appearances, including local treasure Joel Plaskett beboppin' and scattin' on Chet Atkins at Taz Records, recalling significant purchases at Halifax shops, past and present. And for once, there was a line-up at a record store counter. Is there anything more delightful than surveying a succession of lovingly-selected LPs under arms?

On last year's record store day we visited RPM in Newcastle, were treated to an in-store performance from Beccy Owen, and at the till were served by Peter Brewis of Field Music. Jolly good stuff.

We've got 3 shops in Glasgow with events on, and I can get to 2 of them, so I'll be looking to pick up Polar Bear, the new Paul Weller on vinyl, and the Stooges single I couldn't find last time. And I'm sure there'll be something else too - last time at Monorail I was introduced to Grails, which was joy. I'll update later with the scores on the doors

Dateline 11:20 Glasgow - Monorail queued outvto the street. Three women in the queue.

Success - including free cake !!

stores left where I live. Do online shops count?

as I didn't see this thread, sorry - 12" LCD Sound System - Pow Pow, and very good it is too from RPM in Newcastle.

independent store, Imperial Music, and it was great to see it busy at half 9 this morning. Picked up the last copy of the Blur single (chuffed!), the Paul Weller/Amorphous Androgynous EP and the Factory Records EP. I think Record Store Day is a great idea and in an area where the music outlets were previously restricted to HMV and supermarkets it was great to see the shop busy, early on and excitement and banter in the shop.

...the splendid weather kept me away from the shops! However, have vowed to visit the Record Collector, Broomhill, Sheffield next week.

This town hasn't got an Independent Shop. Not even sure where the nearest is (one in Henley, one in Slough and a couple Guilford-way (I think!)).
I'd much prefer to do my browsing & purchasing in an independent store, as am becoming increasingly fed-up with the atmosphere, choice and general soul-less feeling in HMV (I've not enjoyed the experience for ages).

Should've seen through my plans to open my own record shop in the town.

(Note: If you are able to advise me that I've been seriously blind and have missed the stores in and around Reading, please shout)

apart from the couple of 2nd hand shops (Harris Arcade n Oxford Road) n Oxfam\BHF charidee shops there is bugger all for miles.

Rock Box in Camberley is the nearest to thee and me that was involved in todays hoopla I think. Was queuing out of the door this morning.

I just got a mate to get me a rejigged Costello Hollywood High EP while he was in Rough Trade East. Knew the Blurs would go in seconds and be on Ebay for £100's

The Beatles 'Paperback Writer' 7" was the stereo mix apparently. D'oh!

Since posting original blog my wife organised a day out at theme park as it was my daughters birthday on tuesday. Undeterred I made the trek to Polar Bear records in Birmingham a day early a snagged a nice Fela Kuti compilation Shakara - Fela and Africa 70.

Would have bought more but have already bought around 10 cds this month and I am now getting funny looks from the FPO.

Anyway as I pulled up outside Polar Bear I noticed several Police milling around. Turns out the Cash Converters shop a few doors up had been held up by 2 balaclava clad gunmen. Obviously trying to get enough cash to buy the Blur single!!

Anyway the John Grant album was also in Polar Bear yesterday too which is a bit of a bugger because I have had it on order with Amazon for 2 weeks now.

Note...Young people and women present!

Got to Rough Trade East at 5 this evening with two starting-to-fade under 2s in tow only to find out that Michael Rother from Neu! would not actually be there for his PA. The "excuse" he gave was that he couldn't "fly" to "Britain" because of a "volcano"! I mean, of all the made-up excuses... huh?

Got my Neu! limited release, obviously I was too late for blur, Beatles, Costello...

The blur single is lovely and is free from blur.co.uk from midnight tonight...

I had two very different record store day experiences, really. Being the kind of determined nutter who makes plans for things like this, we got up at 6:45 and I despatched the GLW to Piccadilly Records, while I went to a smaller local store. The theory was pretty much that given that one opened at 9 and the other at 10 we could co-ordinate what we'd be able to get.

I arrived at the small store to find just one other bloke - this was at 7:15. The GLW arrived at Piccadilly Records to find about 60 people, some of whom had been there since 4:15 in the morning to ensure getting their hands on the Blur single.

Sadly, at the small store, I waited another hour before anyone else joined us, and there were only 4 when the shop opened. This worked massively in my favour, as I was able to hand over my list to the girl behind the till and walk away with Blur, Gorillaz, MGMT, Springsteen, Bat For Lashes, Goldfrapp, Pet Shop Boys, Nick Cave, Lily Allen, and Dangermouse, all before 9am. Result.

Drove over to join the GF in the Piccadilly queue in the hope of mopping up my wants (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Costello, She & Him) and ended up talking to the guys around us - one had travelled from Grimsby, while the bloke in front of me just wanted the Flaming Lips release. We waited almost an hour and a half after the shop opened just to get in the door - managed to get the rest of what I wanted, but the bloke in front of me walked away empty handed on the Flaming Lips. :(

So, big success for me. The only thing I couldn't find was the Paul Weller, the little indie didn't get any and I was too far back in the queue for the big one. Didn't try for Beatles or Stones.