Joe Theobald, aka DJ Captain Wormhole, Looks at all things vinyl 

A SIDE

I’M having a quarter-life crisis.

I’m convinced I’m treading water, 30 is looming on the horizon and sometimes I fantasise about disguising a resignation letter in this very column and heading down to Commercial Road to pick up a cushy little temp gig while I work on a novel.

Or perhaps moving to a more enlightened cosmopolis with many more record shops and a deep-set appreciation for the arts.

I don’t though. I’ve got limited capital and creditors who rely on my income and ties in this town and I don’t like looking for new jobs.

Quitting is an easy fix but you don’t often win respect by throwing in the towel.

When people rely on your skills and services, whether it’s as a media sales consultant or a balloon artist or even a purveyor of quality second hand records, for example, you must not take for granted the impact of your absence.

B SIDE

Record Store Day is next month and as I write this column on a Monday night/Tuesday morning I’ve not yet seen this week’s official list of releases for the day.

By the time this is in print we’ll know exactly what commercial catastrophes the good minds behind this farce of an event have come up with (34 inch ‘Lightning Bolt’ Bowie picture disc FTW).

I’ll not bore you for too long with my thoughts on the subject as I covered it fairly thoroughly last year but clogging up pressing plants for months on end to flog a bunch of overpriced novelty picture discs and reissues is not my idea of a ‘good thing for the industry’.

Still, in the spirit of solidarity I wish any local businesses taking part in RSD the best of luck and fingers crossed it isn’t raining on the day. I would hate for all the guys attending to have to put their annual record store visit on hold for another 12 months.