Vinyl Revival

Good stuff! The first music store I stepped into… while I was in Manchester!

On a mission for the boyfriend to find a particular record to frame as a birthday present for his dad, I headed out to the NQ with very little knowledge of where to actually go. Thanks to Unilocal (obviously) I found myself almost walking past Vinyl Revival but then, after a deep breath, heading in to the unknown!
It’s a very unassuming exterior but don’t let that put you off — inside is a treasure trove of CDs, t-​shirts, and records. I quickly turned my iPod off so as to not offend those with obviously better music taste than I and quickly settled into the comforting flicking between records in almost complete silence.
Records are divided into genres, and partly artists, such as Blues, Soul, Dance, Manchester, The Smiths and Elvis. Prices range from £3 to the most expensive I saw at £15.
I found what I was looking for quite early in my visit but stayed simply to soak in some more of the calming yet High Fidelity-​esque atmosphere. I’ll be returning!

Oh blooming heck, if I come across another vinyl shop in the Northern Quarter I’ll flaming well… review it. Here’s Vinyl Revival, a little more out of the way than the others but still located around and about the iconic Oldham Street. Have you ever found yourself, your friend or your significant other searching for a live music DVD they just can’t find anywhere, even online? This is the place for you.
As well as the concert DVDs you’ve got T-​shirts, merchandise, CDs, vinyl, but not the rare Smiths poster on the wall, you’ll only irritate them if you ask about that. It’s not for sale. All genres are lovingly catered for and the prices are darn reasonable too. If you’re on an epic music shopping extravaganza, this is by all means a necessary stop. I might have lost the record player in the big move, but it’s shops like this that convince me to purchase one all my own…

Found the odd gem here over the years. Not a huge range of music compared to some other shops in the city, but what they do have is well arranged, easy to look through and reasonably priced.
The guy in the shop is helpful and friendly and if you’re in Manchester and you like your music… it’s well worth a visit.

The reason so many independent record shops seem to survive in Manchester’s Northern Quarter is that they all seem to offer something a little bit different, or tap into a particular niche.
Vinyl Revival’s specialism is clearly in its name. They stock a great selection of old vinyl. Like many Manchester record shops, there’s a heavy lean towards classic Manchester acts like The Smiths and Factory Records bands. They’ve got classic too, like a excellent quality version of The Who’s «Tommy» for a reasonable £15.
They also stock some really interesting bootleg CDs. Alternative versions and demos from Oasis «Standing on the Shoulder of Giants» sessions anyone?
There’s also some random memorabilia mugs, t-​shirts and miniature model drum kits. Don’t let these distract you from the fact this is a great record shop. Well worth a visit, I think.

Whilst Vinyl Exchange and Piccadilly Records stock an incredible range of music from americana, psyche-​folk and rock to blues, soul and punk-​funk, Vinyl Revival is more of a specialist store that deals with everything related to Manchester’s musical history.
We’re talking rare and hard to find posters from The Hacienda and Factory Records, limited edition 12“s and promo pressings of early Stone Roses, Smiths and New Order and every album by A Certain Ratio, Durutti Column, Buzzcocks and Magazine. If you’re after something in particular — like Barry Adamson’s* brilliant imaginary soundtrack album Moss Side Story — just ask and there’s a chance they might have one or know someone that can get you one. It’s that kind of store!
* Who’s Barry Adamson? The charismatic bass player in seminal post-​punk band Magazine, early member of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and now a full time solo artist and soundtrack composer of course!

Vinyl Revival is the most fantastic little shop! Its out of the way, you’ll find it a little way off oldham street, where all the other cool shops are! They sell Cd’s, Vinyl, rare Dvds of concerts, t-​shirts and few other bits and bobs in the way of merchandise. Prices are brilliant, this is a great place to find something thats usually hard to find or that you didnt know you could buy! They cater for all genres of music, and they say that they are «the only people in the city who specialise in local music past and present». Dont ask how much the smiths poster on the wall is cause its SO rare that its not for sale!