Ever since their move from Newcastle city centre to the west end, Beyond Vinyl has been evolving into what is now a new and eclectic community hub for music and vinyl enthusiasts, so it was no surprise to see an endless queue impatiently awaiting its opening this Record Store Day. Together with David I’d organised a series of in-stores to liven up Record Store Day; I’d booked a handful of grassroots musicians from within and outside of the region to play their songs acoustically.
Local folk musician Oliver Hunt, Americana duo Hels Pattison and Zach Savage, pop rock artist Sam George, and incredible rock’n’roll artist Megan Black graced the stage and brought their mesmerising sounds to an eager audience, making Record Store Day 2025 that bit more magical. This line-up had come together through various circumstances, I’d chosen Oliver Hunt as he was about to release a new single, Hels Pattison has been making waves within the local scene and has got a musical summer coming up, Sam George is about to release his debut EP, and Scottish rockstar Megan Black had just returned from a European tour.
Despite the fact that you might not yet know these artists, behind the scenes they are working very hard to make a name for themselves and to increase their on- and offline following, with myself and Beyond Vinyl aiming to support them in their endeavours. Collaborating with venues, promoters, festivals, and record stores has always been at the core of what I do within the music industry, because bringing together those that work towards the same goal makes for the most inspiring and wonderful of work environments!
LLIVELY Music 