Record fair spins up again

Music enthusiasts from around the country are heading to Manawatu¯ to make new discoveries and expand their collections at a Palmerston North vinyl record fair.

The Black Plates record fair is returning for its sixth instalment at Brewers Apprentice tomorrow.

Organiser and DJ Matt Davies, aka Mr Dirty Hairy, created the event four years ago to give Manawatu¯ vinyl enthusiasts a chance to meet and trade rare records, or simply round out their collections.

The fair grew out of Davies’ passion for vinyl, which he picked up along with a broad and eclectic taste in music from his audiophile parents growing up in England in the 1970s and 1980s.

Today, the DJ’S extensive collection spans both hemispheres and three countries – Davies has 1000 records still in storage in Croatia, where his family used to live, another 500 with his mum in England, and more than 7000 at his Palmerston North home.

When he moved to Palmerston North in 2015, Davies was looking forward to frequenting Mango Music. He fondly remembered the store for its large selection of vinyl records on a previous visit and he was disappointed to find it was long gone.

Apart from a box or two in secondhand stores there was nowhere in Manawatu¯ to pick up new records, so Davies organised the first Black Plates.