This year, RPM Music, one of the region’s foremost independent music shops celebrates its 30th anniversary. The owner, Marek Norvid, remembers the chance meeting in ‘88, between himself and Newcastle University Students Union that led to the opening of the first RPM Music shop in The Union Building.
“They had decided that running a record and tape lending library had become too onerous and expensive. They were converting one of floors in the building to shops and wondered whether I would be interested in selling off the collection,” he says.
RPM Music was born. Fast-forward a few years, after download challenges and a credit crunch; in 2007 an independent record store owner from San Francisco had an idea. Having become completely disenchanted with the record industry’s high handed neglect of independent stores, he persuaded seminal artists and labels to release limited-run vinyl editions of sought-after recordings.
These were only to be sold by independent shops on one day of the year. That day has created a global phenomenon, which we now know as Record Store Day.
RPM Music is at the forefront of celebrating Record Store Day in Newcastle (on Saturday 21 April this year). Up to 700 limited editions will be available in-store only on Record Store Day. The day consists of live bands in the courtyard, DJs in the shop, refreshments, give-aways, discounts and of course, the unique opportunity to buy exclusive records.
RPM was quick to react to the looming resurgence of vinyl. So with that in mind, as well as selling thousands of old and new vinyl records, RPM now offers a huge selection of re-conditioned record players from the 70s
and 80s. The good stuff! So the wheel has finally turned. From vinyl, via cassette, CD, video and DVD back to vinyl. 30 years young and still ‘beats workin’. Music has never sounded so good!
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