From legends of the yesteryear to modern hitmakers, Tuesday evening saw Isle of Wight musicians attend the official launch party for Needles in the Groove, a free exhibition bringing together eight decades of Isle of Wight music on vinyl.
Showcasing records by Level 42, The Bees, Craig Douglas, Grade 2, Lauran Hibberd and many more Island musicians, the display runs until 8th December 2023 at The Depozitory in Ryde.
Live performances
To officially launch the exhibition, Stu Spiller – the frontman of grunge rockers Panda Swim – and Paul Armfield were among the performers.
Legendary IOW Cherokees member, Brian Sharpe, also took to the stage, and was joined by blues singer Angelina for a couple of tracks. Brian’s records from the 1960s are among the ones on display.
To add to the festivities, a plethora of Island musicians were in attendance including Ben Stubbs, Froglands PK and members of Plastic Mermaids, who also provided some framed original artwork.
Fresh from touring
Half of indie rock band Coach Party – Steph Norris and Guy Page – were also present at the launch.
In the last few weeks, Coach Party have released their debut albums and completed a huge European tour.
John Hannam’s collection
Signed records by the likes of Uffa Fox and Mark King are from the collection of the legendary journalist, John Hannam, who died in 2021.
The earliest 78rpm records on display date back to the 1940s while some of the exhibits are so new that they are not due for release until the end of the year.
Where and when
Needles in the Groove: 80 Years of IOW Vinyl Records is organised by Island record label, Wight Vinyl, with support from Newport’s AAA Records.
You can visit the exhibition Tuesdays-Saturdays between noon and 4pm until 8th December at The Depozitory, Nelson Street, Ryde.
Entrance is free and there’s a chance to purchase prints of the exhibition artwork (see below) by Paul Armfield (£15) or a souvenir programme (£5).
For more information, please contact [email protected]
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