Getting Wakefield hooked as Vinyl revival heads for the city

A student is hoping to get Wakefield hooked on the vinyl revival by setting up a regular record fair in the city centre.
Jason Firth is organising a record festival in WakefieldJason Firth is organising a record festival in Wakefield
Jason Firth is organising a record festival in Wakefield

Jason Firth, 30, is busy organising the first event for a week on Saturday in which thousands of LPs will on sale for music fans.

If successful, he is hoping to make it a regular event, and hopes to introduce live bands to play during the fair in future.

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Physical album sales have nose dived in recent years thanks to the advent of digital downloads and has led to the loss of HMV on Kirkgate and more recently, That’s entertainment, in The Ridings.

Jason Firth with Enya Thompson, manager of Jolly BoysJason Firth with Enya Thompson, manager of Jolly Boys
Jason Firth with Enya Thompson, manager of Jolly Boys

But vinyl records have undergone somewhat of a resurgence and Jason, who is originally from Altofts, is hoping to capitalise on the trend.

He has the backing of Alan Nutten, the owner of Wah Wah Records on Brook Street, along with Wakefield’s Long Division Festival founder Dean Freeman. Bites & Books and Mocca Moocho in the city will also be handed out to those visiting the event, which will be held in the Elizabethan Gallery on Brook Street.

Jason, who is a collector himself, explained: “It’s been a hobby of mine for about 10 years so I’ve been able to get into understanding the market.

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“It’s all ages, we are now seeing kids buying vinyl from the age of 14 or 15 all the way up to people over 60.

“It’s getting popular again because it’s the exact opposite to digital music, and that’s the appeal. With records you get the sleeve and the artwork and it’s really striking, it’s what people are wanting these days.

“There is a market that’s growing and I want to bring that to Wakefield.

“The Elizabethan Gallery is not a huge space but at this stage it’s spot on.

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“I’ve been to some fairs that I thought could have been be a bit more modern and vibrant, because they can be a bit stuffy at times.

“I’m wanting this to be a kind of cool community event and we are looking to organise them every two months.”

“The reaction to the event has been really positive on social media so if we could get 250 to 400 people there it would be a great first fair.”

The event will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, October 27.

For details contact Jason on 07578 162189.

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