Head Space Daily Words...

Today was Record Store Day and I was on a mission. To get up, get out, make it to Rough Trade East and like a vinyl buying Ninja, select my wares and be back for 11am to collect my youngest son from football club. Simple right? Caitlin Moran tweeted that she and her friends refer to Record Store Day as April Fools Day, referring in particular to her husband getting up at 5am to make it to a record shop to buy some limited edition vinyl. Well, she obviously doesn't appreciate the planning, stealth and timing that goes into this operation. By 8.45 I was on the East London Line to Shoreditch, already mulling over what my back up selections would be if my first choices weren't available. The key though is to remain calm, or else panic buying can set in and we don't want to be coming away with Coldplay or Napalm Death. I had three records in mind and that was to be my focus. I got off the train at Shoreditch High Street, walked to Brick Lane and on to Rough Trade East. Outside the shop there was a queue. OK, no problem, I can deal with that. I walked past said queue and turned the corner to be greeted by a line of people that stretched to the bottom of the next street. I was about to stand in the longest queue I had ever bothered to wait in, in my entire life. One hour and twenty minutes later and after telling some trendy young queue jumpers that if they were going to push in, they had better do it behind me, I finally made it into the shop. I got hold of the three choice cuts that I had hoped to buy (see Head Space Daily Tune,) saw Frank Turner play a couple of songs - I'm not a fan but it's always good to hear live music - grabbed myself a coffee and mooched, fending off the urge to buy more records - if only I hadn't been strong and put down that limited edition Rolling Stones seven inch. No, what's done is done. Did I make it back in time to pick up my youngest son from football club I hear you ask? In a word, no. Hopefully the bagels I brought back with me from the Brick Lane Beigel Bakery went some way to making up for it, as my wife and eldest boy had been planning on going out and doing their own thing. Was my twenty minutes inside this shrine to vinyl worth the wait? I think so - just. Next year I will arrive earlier...