Record Store Day gets ready to rock Stirling this weekend

The annual event has become a fixture in the cultural calendar - with shops such as Stirling's Europa Music showing off their extensive collections.

Bands will be playing in central Stirling this Saturday for the annual Independent Record Store Day celebrations.

The worldwide event, taking place this year on April 12, helps to promote independent record shops like the city’s Europa Music.

Europa Music is Scotland’s largest record store and second oldest store and specialises in vinyl records.

The shop is in its 49th year and 33rd in Stirling - 30 of those in its current location in Friars Street.

Europa is also hosting live music for the 15th year for RSD with a host of acts.

There will also be hundreds of limited-edition vinyl releases, as well as the tens of thousands in stock.

Europa opens for 9am and live music starts at noon, running until around 5pm.

As usual there is a wide range of music including Jazz, Punk, Indie, Rock and Blues.

Live Acts playing from noon to 5pm are: The Gator; Taz and the Maniacs; Steven Kemp; The Botanists; Deltamanic; Tonto; Dead Dolphins; MrdB; A Murder of Crows; Meghan McAvoy; and Thrown Away.

Store owner Ewen Duncan said: “Europa’s live entertainment on RSD is always well received and Friars Street is normally full of spectators.”

Europa Music started in Alloa in 1976 and moved to the Old Arcade in Stirling in 1992 before settling at its current home on Friars Street in 1995.

Ewen added: “Record Store Day is an annual worldwide celebration of independent record stores which helps spotlight local stores and encourages people to go visit them.

“The event is famous for its thousands of exclusive and limited records that are pressed just for RSD.

“Established in the US in 2007 as a celebration of the art of music and the small independent stores the event soon followed to the UK in which it has become a roaring success for all vinyl lovers.”