Article content continued

“We weren’t going to do what we normally do, which is a sale, treats, a draw, and bands play and stuff like that,” Tomlin said. “We weren’t going to make a big deal out of it.”

In response, the Record Store Day organization dropped Tomlin’s shop from its official merchants’ list, effectively denying his customers access to the exclusive records major labels such as Warner, Sony and Universal have lined up for the one-day only event.

“We actually got an email from one of the major labels saying, ‘You’re not listed on the official members list on the site anymore, so we can’t solicit you these titles,’” he said. “And that’s pretty much how I found out.”

Many record labels and artists prepare special releases for the occasion. Picture disc reissues of classic albums are common, as are one-off singles.

RSD exclusives from years past include releases from Jack White, the late David Bowie, and RBC Bluesfest 2016 headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, and hundreds of others.

A long-standing Ottawa shop, Vertigo Records had been participating since 2009.

“I don’t really care about the promotion through Record Store Day,” Tomlin said. “What I care about is not having the product available to me because I’m not part of this little clique.

“Whereas, I’m still an independent store — that seems to be the only criteria in order to sell this material — I guess because I badmouthed them, or said something negative about Record Store Day, then all of a sudden, I’m just not a part of it anymore.”

Since the LRT construction started, he said, “walk-by traffic is most definitely down.

“Sales are definitely down. I’m down about probably 25 per cent. I’ve had to cut back staff hours. I basically had to cut staff hours in half.”

To protest Vertigo’s exclusion from Record Store Day, Tomlin added, he is holding a customer appreciation sale the weekend of April 9, a week prior to RSD.

“I think we’re going to call it The First Annual Bollocks to Record Store Day Sale.”