Support independent local music with a dig in the crates at Southport’s new Vinnies Record Store
There’s something inherently satisfying about settling into a chair with a wine in hand and listening to a record from start to finish. The unmistakable crackle of the vinyl, the mild inconvenience of having to get up to change sides, the sense that time is merely a construct – it becomes an experience in itself rather than just background noise. If you too possess an appreciation for the ritual, Vinnies Dive Bar in Southport has unveiled a new privately-owned space that is dedicated exclusively to wax. It’s called Vinnies Record Store (fitting) and it officially opened its doors on Tuesday December 8.
While we can pretty much all agree that COVID-19 sucked (hard), being forced into isolation for extended periods yielded some unexpected silver linings – musicians made music that they would have otherwise been too busy to make, home cooks perfected the art of the banana bread whilst others came up with creative new ways of adding revenue streams. Glenn Stewart, the venue manager at Vinnies Dive Bar, fell into the latter category. Whilst doing a spot of online shopping one day, Glenn was in the process of purchasing a Private Function record from Melbourne’s Disdain Records when his mate (who owns the store) asked if he’d take a few extras to sling at the bar. That pretty simple request sparked the idea for a dedicated record store to work in conjunction with the live-music venue. Fast-forward a few months and the easing of restrictions and Vinnies Record Store is now up and running.
Tucked away at the back of Vinnies, the store won’t be stocking the latest LP releases that are readily available at JB, rather, it’s envisaged as a kind of evolving merch tent for the bands that pass through the doors at the dive bar. The bands can leave a couple of cuts and the store’s inventory will grow organically whilst also providing another avenue for local musicians to sell their recordings – it’s win-win! Unlike our big city mates, Gold Coast-based music lovers know first-hand how hard it can be to unearth quality records without rummaging garage sales and stalking buy, swap, sell groups. Well, you’ll be pleased to know that Vinnies Record Store is 100-percent independent with a focus on providing a selection of unfamiliar and harder to find records – regardless of whether it’s your first time dipping your toe in the pool of vinyl or you’re an avid collector – and sharing an authentic love and appreciation of live and local music in the process. Vinnies Record Store is open Monday to Saturday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, just not during gig hours.
