Record Store Day 2023: When is it and where can music fans buy limited edition vinyl in the North East?

Record Store Day in the UK is only a week away and it’s a great opportunity to support local music shops which are vital to the scenes of towns and cities across the UK.

But what is Record Store Day and where can North East music fans get new vinyl releases?

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Used as a way to celebrate the independence and culture of record stores across the world, the UK edition of the day is celebrated on a Saturday every April and brings together music fans, artists, sellers and promoters.

Although it originally began in the USA, the day has become a global event with organisers across three continents and each nation celebrating their own way on different days throughout the year.

When is Record Store Day in the UK?

This year the day will be marked on Saturday, April 22 in the UK.

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Each year the group behind Record Store Day look to raise the profile of the day through an ambassadorial role taken by a large artist who releases a special version of an album available for the day.

The role this year has been given to Manchester Indie-pop band The 1975.

The group played an headline set in January at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena.

The Manchester-based group, who have links to the North East, will release a 2016 recording of ‘Live With The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra’ on vinyl for the first time to celebrate their role on the day.

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The day's full list of releases has been announced with North East singer songwriter Sam Fender getting in onthe action. The North Shields local is releasing a special version of his songs Wild Grey Ocean and Little Bull Of Blithe.

The full list of releases is available to see on the Record Store Day website.

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Six record shops on Tyneside are listed as being involved on the Record Store Day website.

These are:

JG Windows – Central Arcade, NE1 5BP

Reflex – Nun Street, NE1 5AG

RPM Music – Old George Yard, NE1 1EZ

Beyond Vinyl – The John Marley Centre, NE15 6TT

Vinyl Guru – Westgate Road, NE1 1SG

Beatdown Records – Clarendon House, NE1 5EE

Hot Rats Records in Sunderland are also getting involved in the action in April.