Big hair, ripped jeans and fluoros are back as Rarotonga braces itself for another dose of nostalgia before the sun sets on 2022.

Trio’s Garden Bar will again roar to the sound of retro early as self-confessed vinyl junkie Ian Wheeldon brings back sounds from a decade of decadence. 

Wheeldon has been spinning vinyl on the island for several years, and will be on the decks again on Saturday from 8pm.

It’s always a good atmosphere, he says, and that atmosphere comes with two turntables, two speakers, several of boxes of vinyl, and disco lights.

There will be fairy lights and a santa hat added to the mix on Saturday, just for some festive measure.

Wheeldon co-founded the Vinyl Revival Club with his partner Clare after they bought a stack of records from a local Buy Swap Sell Facebook page.

Their main motivation for buying them was the cover art of some of the Polynesian records.

When they got them home, it seemed a waste not to listen to them.

They ended up buying a turntable and enjoyed it so much they got a turntable for their Avarua café.

It proved a hit and brought local vinyl fans out of the woodwork.

So began the Vinyl Revival Club.

They started searching the island and asking around, and found more records that people were prepared to sell or loan to them.

The pair soon ended up with a decent collection that was too good to keep to themselves so they shared the sounds with others.  

The vinyl revival evenings have been a hit in recent years and will continue in 2023.