He's spent decades putting on live music in and around the new city – overseeing affairs at The Pitz and bringing everyone from Mark Lanegan to Clutch and Enter Shikari to town.
These days Paul Rivers keeps busy at bustling venue The Craufurd Arms.
But when he's not booking bands, ripping tickets or setting up shows, what does he kick back and listen to?
With the next Craufurd Record Fair fast approaching (the date for the diaries is June 12) Paul dug into his vinyl box for Total MK, revealing gems from Masters of Reality and ZZ Top...
Explain when your love affair with vinyl started, and how big your collection is now
It started when I fell in love with music in the early 80’s, and started getting a few pennies pocket money off my parents allowing me to save to actually buy music for myself. It was before CDs, so it was vinyl and cassettes.
All together with vinyl, CD, cassettes I reckon my collection stands at around four thousand
Tell us about the first record you bought
My first official purchase was Eliminator by ZZ Top!
And I still have it and love it!
There used to be a record shop in Stony Stratford called Zodiac Records, I walked there on my own, bought it and walked back feeling very special, and I was 12 or 13 years old.
And the favourite/most special records in your collection - and why
ZZ Top – Eliminator – My first purchase
Big Country – Steeltown – My Second Purchase
Ramones – It’s Alive – My first punk rock purchase and live album
Iggy & The Stooges – Raw Power – Because it’s the greatest rock n roll record
Janes Addiction – Nothings Shocking – First record that had a sleeve covering the nude ladies on front cover – my first controversial purchase that also started my love affair with Alternative Rock
And loads more...
Explain the buzz of record collecting for those who don't do it!
There is nothing better than treating yourself to some new music, either buying in person or ordering online and awaiting its arrival, then opening up putting on stereo and listening while looking at artwork, reading lyrics etc, the full experience!
I don’t belong to any streaming sites or downloading facilities, I don’t want to cheapen that feeling of loving your music by expecting everything for free.
Knowing you can’t get everything makes its so much more satisfying when you do get hold of a gem!
Have you ever spent money you shouldn't have, on a release?
These days not so much, I’m pickier and money conscious… But when I was a kid, my parents were not rich at all as I grew up on a council estate…
They would give me money to go buy some new school trousers or clothing and I just couldn’t resist a quick look in the record shops and then came back with music instead of much needed clothing, used to drive them crazy!
Tell us about your favourite album cover - and has a cover alone ever influenced your decision to buy a release
Probably the first Masters Of Reality album, the Blue Garden (above)... gatefold artwork that wrapped around the sleeve and hypnotised me into buying album before I’d heard the band... Luckily they were awesome and the record and artwork still mesmerise me today!
What record is the one you hope against hope of stumbling across one day?
Not sure I can answer that. I’m not so much into getting that first pressing... As long as I've got the music I’m happy with that.
I’d rather buy as much as I can rather than one very rare expensive one!
When you are no longer rocking in this world, what will happen to your collection?!
It’s being buried or cremated with me (depending on how rich I am at time of death) but I do fancy a tomb surrounded by my meagre belongings and music collection so when the archaeologists discover it in a thousand years time expecting gold and treasure, all they’ll find is a manky copy of Hole In My Shoe by Neil of The Young Ones and be truly gutted. Ha!
The industry told us that vinyl was on the downturn, and yet it is currently experiencing its highest sales for years.
I know and it’s amazing to see!
A whole new generation of fans really making an effort, collecting and loving music, does make you realise there is still hope for us… But only thing that is depressing is the hiked up price of vinyl in the major stores, so the industry still has found a way to get their foot in!
What do you think is so special about the vinyl record, as opposed to a CD, or grabbing a download.
It does have that warmer feel when played through a decent stereo and even with all these modern ways of getting hold of music… It still feels magical handling and enjoying vinyl… So a file however good cannot replicate the feel… Basically it’s all about the ‘feels’!
The Craufurd Arms record fair begins at midday on June 12. Admission is free.
