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Just a lot more expensive/full of hipsters. In stores would be good though if it did come.

Rough Trade are quite expensive, but they do cater for the more unusual, non chart stuff. And yes, if the shop is big enough, expect some great instores.

but maybe a Rough Trade would be nicer to hang out in.

you go in the shop, have a look around. maybe buy some records. at no point is anyone wearing two or more cardigans.

Why take trade away from the brilliant Piccadilly? It's just completely unnecessary. Open somewhere where there's no decent independent store.

...or it it just the mail order site?

They used to have a stall in Afflecks, apparently, but well before i even knew they existed.

Got Suede's first album on vinyl in there for about 12 quid.

Picadilly Records was quite expensive when I looked.

could really do with a new indie record shop, since Tempest shut it's not been great, as Swordfish hasn't stocked a large amount of new stock in a long time, and though we do have Ignite Record Store in Oasis, ran by Rich who used to work in Tempest, and has become a lifeline for wanting to buy new vinyl in Brum, but his store isn't massive.

Leeds does, just about (although Crash is only little).

Piccadilly is a fine store though - good selection of stuff, reasonable prices and pleasant staff. Would hate to see it threatened.

Pretty sure they've had the Frankie and the Heartstrings albums and the Spector albums (to name just a couple of decidedly non-hipster records) on the "released this week" display at the front of the shop over the last couple of years, which is hardly hip.

It's a huge shop, it caters for everyone, has LOADS of vinyl, split pretty evenly between indie and electronic with some pretty good hip hop and soul too, the staff are really helpful and are both professional and chatty, you never feel intimidated or judged, their stock is searchable via a computer next to the turntables so you can check that something is in stock before you spend ages flicking through the records (which i've found very useful), and being able to pre-order online then pick up instore is fantastic.

Probably my favourite record shop of all time. Only downside are the many subgenres in the electronic section which makes searching for something specific quite difficult unless you know exactly what ridiculously-titled subgenre it belongs to. But that's the case in loads of record shops. I should just be less ignorant.

I live in London now and miss Piccadilly loads. I very rarely buy from Rough Trade, though I like the busy feel of it. It's just too expensive though, so I'll only buy stuff that's particularly unusual, or maybe something like a Ghost Box release as very few other places stock them.

But Manchester has a small city centre and definitely doesn't need Rough Trade. In Newcastle, the only place to buy new vinyl is Reflex since RPM went shit/started only catering to old men after 2nd hand classic rock LPs, and Reflex hardly has much stuff in (though the stock they do get is excellent)- it's a small shop and not really a place to browse. Lovely staff though. However there probably isn't the customer base in Newcastle for a Rough Trade.

So I don't know why he'd be commenting on it!

chillax. you're probably not even on these people's radars, and so the fact they're on and offending yours is a bit silly.

I've been in Rough Trade East and I had a delicious white hot chocolate and they were playing something great on the speakers. I had a pretty good time in there. If they bring one to the city I live in then I'll be happy. It'll give me somewhere else to go and waste money in.

I also see a lot of bands I like playing little shows at the London ones. That can only be a good thing if it happens up here.

If you turn up say half an hour before the band's on, or do they usually all go hours/days before?

Like my lecturer said the other day- "We could go to Dalston right now and see a load of people walk past looking EXACTLY the same, with exactly the same interests. You're trying to tell me that's not a subculture?"