GIVE US THE BACKGROUND - WHEN AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO OPEN A RECORD SHOP?

Annette and Erik started with a small stall in a local emporium selling all sorts, including vinyl and CDs. When the shop came up in Tuckton, it was the right time to move forward, so in 2017 Pandemonium was born!

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STORE? WHAT'S THE VIBE?

We’re an independent record store near the beach in Bournemouth. We play music all day and there is always a good vibe and lots of chit chat. The shop was named Pandemonium because of a wide variety of quirky products. It just seemed to fit! The variety of our customers makes every day memorable.

There's nothing quite like seeing the excitement of a collector with thousands of records finally discovering that long-sought gem. And when the schools let out after 3 p.m., the kids' enthusiasm as they chat about music is equally uplifting.

CAN YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST RECORD YOU SOLD IN THE SHOP? AND THE LAST?

The first was Black Sabbath – Tyr, and the last one was Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People…

DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST RECORD SHOP YOU WENT TO? AND DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT?

It was Rough Trade in Bristol. As for the first album I bought, it was a copy of Currents by Tame Impala

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RECORD SHOP (APART FROM YOUR OWN!) AND WHY?

Castle Sounds in Christchurch have a great selection and a friendly vibe!

WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE RECORD STORE EXPERIENCE?

Queueing for RSD from 6am and meeting some lovely people in the queue and chatting about nothing but music the whole morning. I love that Record Store Day unites music fans and you can share your excitement for all the new releases together.

How successful has Record Store Day been for your store?

Our first RSD was in 2022 which was quite a learning curve! Regardless, both our customers and the team really enjoyed the event.

Record Store Day over the following years has really helped us grow our customer base. In October 2024, we moved to a new shop on the same street - offering double the store space for customers. It made RSD 2025 so much easier to manage 😊

Now, we hear schoolkids to pensioners talking about Pandemonium, which is still quite unbelievable to us!

WHAT'S THE BEST GIG YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO?

Arctic Monkeys in the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. My favourite band - and they played all the hits back to back outdoors in the July sun!

WHAT'S YOUR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE FILM?

Hot Fuzz (2007) by Edgar Wright

WHAT WOULD MAKE UP YOUR DESERT ISLAND DISCS?

Definitely Maybe – Oasis

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish

AM – Arctic Monkeys

Volcano - Jungle

Currents  - Tame Impala

The Balcony - Catfish and the Bottlemen

SOS - SZA

Pratts & Pains - Royel Otis

Starboy - The Weeknd

Nevermind - Nirvana


(Assuming there is a record player on the island as else it would be quite frustrating!)

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