Diverse Vinyl facts for kids
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Welsh: Cerddoriaeth Amrywiol
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Diverse Music, at 10 Charles Street, Newport
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| Address | 10 Charles Street, NP20 1JU |
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| Location | Newport, Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°35′08″N 2°59′44″W / 51.585600°N 2.995550°W |
| Owner | John Richards (founder) Paul Hawkins Matt Jarrett |
| Type | Music venue, record store and label |
| Genre(s) | Various |
| Seating type | Standing |
| Opened | 1988 |
Diverse Vinyl is a famous record store located in Newport, Wales. It's not just a shop; it's also an independent record label, which means it helps artists record and release their own music. It is the largest seller of new vinyl records in the entire United Kingdom.
How It All Started
Diverse Vinyl was started in 1995 by Paul Hawkins. He began with a mail-order service, sending LPs (long-playing vinyl records) to customers through the post. This was a brave move because at the time, most people were buying CDs instead of vinyl records. The 1990s were called the "darkest days" for vinyl because it was not very popular.
Back then, very few shops in South Wales sold a good variety of vinyl. The only major competitor was Spillers Records in Cardiff, which is the oldest record shop in the world. Even well-known record companies like Rough Trade Records were struggling. The rise of CDs, and later digital music, made vinyl seem old-fashioned and expensive to many people.
The Vinyl Comeback
In 2002, the shop launched its own record label called Diverse Records. A record label helps musicians produce and sell their music. Diverse Records has released over 50 records for many artists. This includes the very first vinyl album for American singer Alison Krauss and records for popular bands like Idlewild and modern singers like Laura Marling.
In the 2000s, vinyl records started becoming popular again in what is known as the vinyl revival. This was great news for Diverse Vinyl. An event called Record Store Day also helped a lot. It's a special day each year that celebrates independent record shops across the country, bringing in more customers and fun events.
For Record Store Day in April 2019, the shop was a huge hit. A queue of 80 people had formed outside before the doors even opened! Music fans travelled from all over the UK to visit the store in Newport. To celebrate, live music was played at the shop and at other places around the city, like Le Pub and Newport Market.
In the same month, the business also updated its website, which is one of the biggest online shops for buying LPs.
Artists on the Diverse Label
Diverse Records has worked with many talented musicians. Here are some of the acts who have released music with the label:
- Adrian Sherwood
- Alison Krauss
- Amy Duncan
- Carrie Rodriguez
- Chuck Prophet
- Daniel Lanois
- Danny and the Champions of the World
- Dolly Varden
- Eddi Reader
- Eleanor McEvoy
- Fionn Regan
- Georgia Ruth
- Gretchen Peters
- Heartworn Highways
- Idlewild
- Joan Baez
- Kris Drever
- Lau
- Laura Marling
- Loudon Wainwright III
- Mark Olson
- Paper Aeroplanes
- Polly Paulusma
- Richard Thompson
- Richmond Fontaine
- Rickie Lee Jones
- Roddy Woomble
- Ron Sexsmith
- Simone Felice
- The Boo Radleys
- The Webb Sisters
- The Duke & The King
- Dr John & The Lower 911
- Frank Black & The Catholics
See also
- Music of Newport
- Music of Wales
- Newport, Wales
- Welsh music
- Newport city centre
- TJ's
- El Sieco's
- Le Pub
- Weeping Angels
