Rough Trade Liverpool

Any self-respecting indie kid will know the Rough Trade name; a trip to the Covent Garden shop used to be a musical pilgrimage back in the pre-internet days. Now we’re in the age of Spotify and next-day-delivery, you forget how exciting record shopping once was. Rough Trade Liverpool is doing its best to bring that feeling back by mixing browsing with social events, album launches, and live music, all in the same place.

Head there for vinyl (new and secondhand), CDs, books, music merch, and hardware for your home set-up: think Audio-Technica turntables, speakers, and Marshall headphones. You can get barista-made coffee from Dark Arts Coffee and there’s space to sit and chat, making it feel like a hangout spot rather than just a retail store.

Upstairs there’s a 300 capacity gig venue and bar which they’re putting to good use with a lively show schedule including big names and up-and-coming local bands. Keep an eye on their socials to find out what’s on.