If you have a turntable in your house, you know that feeling that crinkles gently at the nape of your neck when the needle first touches down on the vinyl. It might be the sweetest sound in the world - a pop and gentle crackle and then the music comes in.
Mitchel Eaton remembers hearing his own songs coming in over that crackle for the first time after his band, The Howling Rats, made a pressing almost a year ago. It was like some kind of sorcery.
"To hear your music come off a record," he said, surrounded by countless LPs at Hiss and Crackle. "It's totally different to even when you're recording it. It's like magic, and you're just sitting there thinking, 'Holy- ... how does that happen?'"
Mr Eaton, who runs the Wallsend record shop on Council Street just off Tyrell, says music is like religion; everyone has their own relationship with it, and it's deeply personal.
On Friday afternoon, Mr Eaton (pictured) was hunkering down for a long night of final preparations ahead of Record Store Day on Saturday.
The one-day in-store-only sale event was conceived in 2007 when a group of independent record store owners got together to inject some energy into their trade. The first sale was held in April the following year, and has since spread around the world.
The idea is simple: independents only, no big-brand stores, the sale lasts for one day, and there are no layaways or early bird reservations. It's first come, first served, and you have to shop in store. If you're quick - if you know what to look for - you could strike gold.
Jason Sherman was lingering around Hiss and Crackle Friday afternoon as Mr Eaton busied himself with preparations.
The mornings are hectic, he said, it's smash and grab for the first few hours, and then about 11am he gets to take a breath before the line-up of local and visiting bands start playing in the store.
Mr Sherman had come down from Port Macquarie where he lives with his family. He's a tall man with a steady gaze, dressed in a casual hoodie, fingering through the CD collection.
Since Mr Eaton opened the store, Mr Sherman has reliably been the first one in line for Record Store Day each year. Sometimes he camps outside, keeping himself awake for the night, but with a shower or two expected for the weekend, he was thinking about going to have a sleep first and then returning early Saturday morning.
"I'm just an addict," he said, smiling, "These guys and girls don't get paid well enough unless we support them and you do that by going to their gigs and buying their merch or buying records. Streaming is terrific to get the sound out there, but unless they're clipping the ticket by millions of people, they're not really getting much."
The one-day sale shoppers come from all corners, Mr Eaton said. Sometimes they're diehards, like Mr Sherman, and sometimes they're one-day-a-year customers. Sometimes they will take a trail around participating stores in the city - the Mosh Pit at Cardiff, Abicus on Darby Street, The Rock Shop and Rudderless on Hunter and Parry streets, or Lake Side Music at Toronto - looking for that one record or just to take in the vibes. All are welcome.
In the vinyl renaissance, Record Store Day has become a kind of pilgrimage. Big names like Taylor Swift and Pearl Jam might time exclusive releases to capitalise on the marketing potential, as fans scour the lists to find rare items, but there is an element of chance about the whole endeavour, too. Mr Eaton makes his orders months in advance of the sale, and hopes what he chooses will sell. Sometimes he gets what he wants, sometimes he gets more, and sometimes less - unless you're in the shop on the day, it's anyone's guess.
A collection of Australian music from 1985 to '94 was Mr Eaton's pick of the litter this year. The Zen Arcade volume includes names like the Hard Ons, God, The Hollowmen and The Mad Turks. Vinyl might be exploding again, but the US market and the superstar names can suffocate the market; it's a special moment to see the Australians come out of the vault.
"It's an amazing era of Australian music," he said, "I just wish the major labels with the resources would look at those vaults. Of course there are a lot of independent releases, but the mainstream never get to hear it all."
There's a jam for every kind of taste hidden in the stacks around the city. Mr Sherman blames his addiction on his dad, Peter, who collected coins. He says that is probably when he picked up the collector bug.
"I just love records," he said. "Sometimes you might spend a little bit more than you planned - but plenty of people will benefit."
As he mulls over his plans to get in line this year, he says he can't say exactly when he will be waiting at the door on Saturday morning, but he'll be there.
"It just depends on whether I sleep," he said, with a laugh. "If I haven't, then sorry to the next person who wants to come along. I'll beat em here."
Record Store Day 2024: Shops to check out in Newcastle
- Rudderless Records: Parry Street, Newcastle West
- Mosh Pit: Main Road, Cardiff
- Abicus: Darby Strett, Cooks Hill
- Rock Shop: Hunter Street, Newcastle West
- Lake Side Music: Toronto
