Record Store Day: our pick of 7 of the best free events happening in London
We’re in the second half of April, which means only one thing: Record Store Day is now just one day away.
The major music day, which is a celebration of records, record stores and record culture, sees as many as 260 stores from across the country putting on events, selling specially released vinyls, and hosting artists and DJs throughout the day.
This year British pop rock band The 1975 are the ambassadors of Record Store Day UK. “The guys and I are really proud to be ambassadors,” said Matty Healy, The 1975’s frontman. “Independent record stores are the lifeblood of the music industry and have played a crucial role in our story so far. It couldn’t be more important to support their vital community and culture.”
There are special vinyl releases from major artists including Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Pearl Jam which will be sold at the various stores taking part on Saturday. The records are nearly always sold on a first-come-first-serve basis, so it’s worth turning up early. A full list of the available records can be found here.
Here’s our pick of some of the best free events happening in London for RSD 2023.
Peckham Soul
Over the years Peckham Soul has become a favourite RSD stop for putting on a day that’s jam-packed full of great music acts. This year the South London venue will be hosting Windmill regulars Hot Face (who have just signed to Kae Tempest and Wet Leg producer Dan Carey’s label Speedy Wunderground), False Futures, Black Bordello and Adaer and there’ll be a DJ set from South London house duo Wolf Music “and guest”. They’ve partnered with Orbit Beers who are giving away a free bottle to the first 50 guests (age permitting, of course). The event is ticketed, but absolutely free. Get yours here.
SE15 4ST; peckhamsoul.co.uk
Phonica Records
Soho’s Phonica Records will be open for a whopping 12-hour, 9am-9pm stint. There’ll be music from special guests (they’re keeping the finer details on the down low) and hundreds of special Record Store Day releases. “These names will only be announced just before they play and we will be streaming live too. We do recommend you get down early on the day itself to avoid disappointment,” says the store on its site. Previous years’ special guests have included big names in dance like The Blessed Madonna, Jacques Greene, Daniel Avery and Skream, so the live music really is something to get excited about. No tickets are necessary – just turn up!
W1F 7ND; phonicarecords.com
Dash The Henge
Record Store Day is going to be celebrated in style at Camberwell’s Dash The Henge. The South London record store has a full roster of acts who will be playing throughout the day: its DJ line-up includes EDNA - the solo project of Goat Girl’s Ellie Edna Rose-Davies - Christafari, Hello Goodbye Show, Leo Zero, Matt Priory, Melodian, Mickey Beans, Mucho Soul and DJ Wafflemeister, and its live music acts include Attawalpa (a founder of eclectic indie label Turks), Brian Destiny (who spent the last ten years playing with Fat White Family), Congolese-Cuban band Grupo Lokito, pop act Kuntessa, Oh! Gunquit (who have been described as a rumble-bop trash blitz freak-a-billy five-piece) and black metal rock and roll band SCUDFM.
And while listening to these fab musicians you’ll be able to buy specially released records, food from Betty Bakery and beers from Two Tribes and Orbit Beer. No tickets are necessary.
SE5 0RW; dashthehengestore.com
Rough Trade East
Opening at 8am, Rough Trade will be selling a large proportion of its RSD stock next door so that the main bit of the store is free for the live music acts. There’ll be Dark Arts Coffee, Signature Brew beers and music from The 1975’s Dirty Hit label-mate Oscar Lang, West London’s rising star Unflirt, singer-songwriter Léa Sen, country singer Caitlin Rose, rapper Songer, Liela Moss, beloved YouTuber-turned-indie pop act dodie and Leeds-based artist tinyumbrellas. In the RSD pop-up room there’ll be DJs playing from 1pm. Rough Trade East’s RSD free tickets are now all sold out, but you can join the waiting list here. You can also just turn up for casual browsing without a ticket too.
E1 6QL; roughtrade.com
Level Crossing Records
Level Crossing Records, which is located down by Mortlake station, is also putting on a great day of music for Record Store Day this year. Starting from 12pm, there’s going to be live music and DJ sets from AMIT, Level Crossing Records’ very own Luke Pearce & Evie Balfe, Duncan Covey, Don Dayglow, DARGZ, LCR DJs and Malachi Trout of the genre-blurring label Dynamite Cuts. There’s also going to be an in-store afterparty from 6pm, where cocktails and beer will be served. Doors will open at 8am for music fans who are up bright and early on a Saturday.
SW14 8AB; levelcrossingrecords.com
Dreamhouse Records
Dreamhouse Records in Leyton has an absolute whopper of a line-up, with Gold Panda (DJ) and Yama Warashi (live) playing in the morning, Snapped Ankles (DJ) and MF Tomlinson (live) playing in the afternoon and then a fun music quiz in the evening from 8pm which the record store is boasting is “the best music quiz in East London”. There’ll be beers from Gravity Well Brewing and, of course, RSD special release vinyls too. No tickets are necessary.
E10 6NQ; dreamhouseldn.com
Casbah Records
Greenwich’s Casbah Records is not only putting on a small music quiz (where you can win a t-shirt) and charity raffle (with money going to Refuge and Guide Dogs UK charities) but it also has hundreds of special Record Store Day vinyl releases available to buy. Then, at 2.30pm there’ll be live music from London singer-songwriter Chiara.
SE10 9SW; casbahrecords.co.uk
Record Store Day takes place at 260 independent shops across the country on April 22, 2023; recordstoreday.co.uk
