Record Store Day is set to hit our area on Saturday as the three main shops selling much-loved vinyl records gear up for this increasingly popular event.

The Comet: Gatefold Records.Gatefold Records. (Image: Danny Loo Photography 2017)

Gatefold Records in Hitchin’s Hermitage Road, David’s Music on Eastcheap in Letchworth and Revolution Records in Stevenage’s Middle Row are looking forward to celebrating RSD on Saturday – and they would love as many of you as possible to join in the fun.

RSD will see more than 200 independent UK record stores celebrate their uniqueness.

Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day with thousands more shops worldwide also taking part, in what has become one of the biggest annual events on the music calendar.

Gatefold’s owners Nicola and Jak Uttley are passionate about vinyl and told the Comet: “It’s a good opportunity for independent shops to get exposure to people who wouldn’t normally be customers. Some of the releases are so special and limited people who wouldn’t normally buy records are interested in buying them because they are so limited.

The Comet: Revolution Records co-owners Colette and Chris Nash celebrate their 1st anniversary with customer Adam Fulham-Kesek.Revolution Records co-owners Colette and Chris Nash celebrate their 1st anniversary with customer Adam Fulham-Kesek. (Image: Danny Loo Photography 2017)

“It gets everyone out celebrating bricks and mortar shops rather than carrying on the trend of ‘clicking’ for music that turns up on your door.

“I think it’s massively important vinyl creates a connection to music you don’t have when it’s on a list.

“People have a sense of nostalgia about vinyl because it creates a memory of when you bought a record, times you’ve played it and parties you’ve put it on at. It’s a tangible format. Going into a record shop and physically picking things up and testing them out, even walking to a counter to buy them and chatting is a totally different feeling – and worth getting excited about.”

DJs will also be playing at Gatefold and ‘rule number one’ is get down early, with doors opening at 8am

David’s Music in Letchworth will also be opening at 8am with goody bags for earlybirds – David’s Cafe will also be selling bacon sandwiches. The cult store will stock around 500 releases as well as dedicated turntables for sale.

They will also have an afternoon of live music including former 10cc singer Graham Gouldman who’ll be performing a live acoustic set at 2pm – and a charity raffle for Help Musicians UK.

Stevenage’s Revolution Records, which celebrated its first birthday at the beginning of March, will have a sale on for 7in records.