It’s all for the record

They were queuing round the corner for Record Store Day at Lucky’s in Redruth. BEKAH MAWSON joined the line of vinyl fans to get a flavour of this unique music-loving community – and stake a claim to a few choice exclusive releases herself

We arrived as early as public transport would allow. We were 25th in the queue. Those ahead of us had clearly been more dedicated than us, ensconced on the pavement on camping chairs and sheets of cardboard.

Anticipation was high. It was, after all, the most important day of the year for vinyl collectors: Record Store Day. 

Lucky’s Record Bar in Fore Street was our official host. This meant it had signed up to the RSD pledge, a strict code of conduct that independent record shops must sign to be involved. It guarantees that stores will not gouge prices, take pre-orders, hold products back for themselves, or sell the special RSD stock online early. It is a kitemark of trust and vinyl integrity.

We grew nervous that the more exclusive releases would be gone by the time we set foot in the store. There was a simple system in place – one in, one out. It was all very civil, but tense.    

Around half an hour before opening, Kev ‘Lucky’ Downing arrived, keys in hand. Free coffee fuelled us all, a queue that had grown so long within the hour that it was beginning to snake down the high street. By 9am, the first few people rolled in. We all pretended not to watch as they flicked through the selection, praying they wouldn’t pick up exactly what we wanted. Eventually, they came out carrying handfuls of new records, free tote bags and T-shirts. The day had begun. 

An hour after it had opened, we were finally welcomed into the store by Lucky himself. Having not been there before, we were startled by the size of the place. Or lack thereof. No bigger than an alleyway, there was just enough space for us to comfortably check out the selection. With Lucky’s help, we managed to secure everything we were looking for, apart from a Charli XCX 7-inch exclusive. There had apparently been one in stock but it had been claimed by someone ahead of us.

For many of Lucky’s patrons, the day was nowhere near over. The Oxford, a pub perfectly slotted right next door, hosted an afternoon of themed DJ sets in celebration. Thirteen different sets meant pub-goers spent the evening experiencing a range of music, both new and old.  

A couple of days after the excitement of Record Store Day had died down, I ventured back to the shop to see what vinyl Lucky had left, and talk to him about how important the day is for music culture in independent stores. He told me that this year was bigger than he had expected, with 70 people in the queue at any one time.  

“There’s a knock-on effect – we have a busy day, so the pub (The Oxford) has a really busy day as well on the back of Record Store Day. Some people come along just because they want to listen to music and dance.” 

He explains that not every shop wants to sign up for RSD, as it can be a big risk when there’s no seller return. But for him, it has its perks. 

“I know what my customers are into and what they like. I had six cratesful and I’ve sold most of it.” 

However, RSD isn’t just about regular customers; it’s about introducing new buyers to local and independent shops. 

“It brings people into the shop that wouldn’t usually come in. It especially seems to appeal to younger people who are into the limited releases. Things that I, perhaps, wouldn’t normally sell, like Taylor Swift for example, they flew out.” 

Beyond bringing extra attention and revenue to Lucky’s shop, he believes RSD can have a great impact on Redruth as a whole. 

“It’s really good for the shop, but it’s also really good for the town, because it brings lots of new people here. It felt like a really celebratory day, everyone was in a great mood next door, and people in the pub were really happy with it.” 

Having grown up in Redruth until moving to London at 18, Lucky has seen just how much the town has changed and evolved over time. I ask him if he thinks Record Store Day in Redruth would have been so successful when he was younger. 

“The shop I bought records in was two doors up from here, called John Oliver’s. Vinyl was the only way to buy music at that time, so the shop was always packed. There would be no need for Record Store Day then, because it was all we had. The goal of RSD was to bring people back to physical products instead of downloading music.” 

I ask Lucky if he believes RSD has been successful in helping to restore music-lovers’ fondness for vinyl.

“I think there’s a swing amongst people at the minute to buy records. You buy records, my daughter buys records. There’s something about being able to have it and look at it – all the things that we liked about records.” 

Despite the dancing and celebrations, there’s a very real fault with RSD that Lucky highlights at the end of our conversation. 

“I think it’s good at encouraging people to come into shops, but it’s only one day a year. For that one day, it’s really busy. But you still have to work and know what to buy in to make your shop a success.” 

Record Store Day isn’t perfect, but there’s no denying that for at least one Saturday every year in April, independent shops have a chance to reach a new audience, shift more vinyl, and celebrate the sense of community that music can provide.

ILLUSTRATIONS: Paige Wathey