Music When the Lights Go Out: A Record Store Day to Remember in Liverpool
Saturday (12 April) Record Store Day made a triumphant return to Liverpool, drawing crowds of vinyl collectors and music lovers to the city’s iconic independent record shops.
Leading the charge was The Jacaranda – recently acknowledged as the first venue The Beatles ever played – where eager fans queued from the early hours to snap up exclusive limited-edition vinyl releases.
Across the UK, Record Store Day has evolved into more than just a celebration of records – it’s a full-blown cultural moment. And nowhere captures that energy better than Liverpool. The Jacaranda was front and centre, hosting live performances from 1pm until 2am, with standout sets from local artists Blue Jean, Bobby West, and Rae Charlea.
As music lovers soaked up the pre-summer sunshine and the sounds of the city’s finest artists, disaster struck. A city-wide power outage plunged much of Liverpool into darkness, forcing some record stores to close early, cancelling their planned live shows.
But not The Jacaranda.
In true scouse style – driven by resilience, creativity, and rock ’n’ roll spirit, members of local supergroup The Midnite Special, Dylan Cassin and Beau Dain, insisted that the show must go on. Armed with a Razorlight-signed guitar and joined by photographer Sean Dagnall and The Jacaranda’s Head of Bookings and Events, Veso Mihaylov, an impromptu unplugged show outside The Jacaranda sprung into life.
Word spread quickly, and it wasn’t long before hundreds gathered on Slater Street, drawn by the stripped-back performance – a reminder of the unmistakable community and energy that only Liverpool can conjure.
The phrases on everyone’s lips? “Only in Liverpool.” and “Only at The Jacaranda.”
When the power eventually returned, The Midnite Special – which also features Bobby West, Dr Orange, and Nick East (Silent K) – took to the stage and brought the night to a roaring, unforgettable close, lighting up The Jacaranda’s basement with a set that rolled on into the early hours.
What could have been a disaster became a Record Store Day for the history books – a testament to Liverpool’s spirit, where the music never stops, and the party always finds a way to carry on.
You can find The Midnite Special performing every other Saturday at The Jacaranda’s infamous Rock and Roll Circus show, which runs every week between midnight and 2am.
