Music / Previews
Best places to go record shopping in Bristol
By far the most popular indie record shop in Bristol is Rise. It recently joined forces with London’s Rough Trade to work on a regional expansion plan. Not only has it got a healthy selection of vinyl upstairs (as well as CDs, cassettes, books, DVDs and even vintage clothes), but it works with Friska cafe downstairs to put on events, from film screenings to live in store gigs and special events which sometimes include public airings of rare records. People come from far and wide for their Record Store Day offering.
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A rare find in modern day city centre shopping malls, Head is a huge 10,000 sq ft shop (the site of an old Virgin Megastore) full of the usual fare of chart music and films, but with an enviable and ever expanding record collection too. It’s like a slightly tired-looking version of Empire Records. Prices are very reasonable and they even do a vinyl loyalty card where they’ll give you a £15 voucher for every £100 you spend on records. Head also gets involved with Record Store Day and has live in store performances.
A real treasure in Bristol’s music crown is Wanted in St Nic’s Market. A small, but perfectly formed, store in the heart of the bustling market it’s Bristol’s answer to Spillers in Cardiff (similar setting, but not quite as old – only 5 years, compared to Spillers’ 100+ years). The decent display of records make for interesting deco and give you a great setting in which to flick through the shelves full of records old and new. It’s here that you’ll find some older releases. You can also trade your unwanted (oh the irony!) records here too.
A real old skool record shop here – claiming to be ‘Bristol’s biggest record retailer’. Tens of thousands of records across all genres crammed into a rickety old shop run by a real record enthusiast who has little time for faddy record resurgences. Think High Fidelity but without the hilarious Barry (Jack Black in the film). This is purely about the music, and they not only sell an impressive range of records but also buy vinyl off people for cash. Late last year, local act The Cadbury Sisters filmed a music video in the shop.
OK, so here’s a Brucie Bonus for you. While most charity shops which stock vinyl are confined to old Elton John, Queen and Simply Red records, Cotham Hill is home to a couple which up the game – there’s the Oxfam bookshop, but if you head a few doors down you’ll find Clic Sargent’s vinyl specialist store – boasting one of the largest vinyl collections of any charity shop in the region. Prices reflect that it’s a charity shop, but you can buy safe in the knowledge that you’re also helping support children living with cancer and their families. Can’t say fairer than that.
Read our article on how Bristol music retailers are coping with a record rise in vinyl sales, here.
(Photo by Joe Pymar)
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