A Kilwinning record shop raised over £200 for Cancer Research at a special David Bowie Open Mic Day in honour of the late music hero.

Rare Trade Records, which opened just three months ago, hosted the event in memory of the legendary singer and actor who died of cancer this month at the age of 69.

Colin Boyd, owner of Rare Trade Records, told the Herald: “Artists die all the time but I don’t think there was anyone who touched as many musical genres as David Bowie. He was a creative genius who inspired so many people. We thought we’d do something in the shop to acknowledge that.

“We raised a couple of hundred pounds and there must have been about 40 people who came along. It was a great day and it was something that was a bit different.”

Colin got Glasgow-based artist James Morrison to design the posters for the event, which was held in the Main Street store on Saturday, January 16. The all-day session saw local acts, such as War Time Coats and Tragic O’Hara, take to the floor and perform well-loved Bowie songs. Ayrshire-based musician Tragic O’Hara is also a graffiti-artist and he painted a striking backdrop, which included a portrait of Bowie as he appears on his Aladdin Sane album.

Continuing with the Bowie theme, Ziggy Stardust lightning bolt keyrings, made by local artist Lauren McLaren, were given away to the first 20 customers. The store also auctioned off a vinyl record of The Thin White Duke’s 1974 album David Live.

Colin said: “All the Bowie stuff in the shop was selling really fast just after he died. We had one Bowie album left and we held on to it so we decided it would be a good idea to auction it for charity. It raised about 60 quid, which was good.

“We’re going to auction off the paintings that Tragic O’Hara did as well and give the money to charity. We’re going to donate one of them to Rikki Black for one of his golf-a-thons, which he does for the Ayrshire Hospice.”

The David Bowie Open Mic Day was such a success that Colin is planning similar fundraising tributes in the future. The store will run ‘Dead Heroes’ sessions, beginning with a Nirvana event on February 20 on what would have been singer Kurt Cobain’s forty-ninth birthday. There will also be various open mic sessions for unsigned acts. The next event is on Saturday, January 30 and will feature performances from local bands War Time Coats, Black Cat Revue, and James Michael Rodgers.

Colin said: “There’s a strong music scene in Ayrshire and we want to give local acts the chance to showcase their talents because we think that’s important.

“It’s a great feeling to give stuff back to the community. One couple came in on the day we opened and bought loads of 80s stuff. They said they were going to have a party with it all like they did in their youth. They came back and said we’d transformed their lives!

“We’re having another unsigned act event on February 27.

“So far we’ve got Seaside Sons from Ayr, The Outlawed from Kilwinning and we’re looking for another one so any bands who are interested should give us a call.”