avalanche records

Archive for March, 2015

My old neighbour in the Grassmarket Jos at Helios fountain has today announced that the shop will be closing. A fountain of knowledge with over 30 years in the Grassmarket Jos was always very good to me and though I’ve known the news for quite some time it is still sad now the news is finally public. I would urge everybody to pay one last visit and support their closing down sale.

It is of course a massive blow to the Grassmarket’s footfall but you will be relieved to know that at least there will not be a second tartan tat shop appearing. I can’t say just yet who will be moving in but some of you will be very excited indeed. There will not I should stress be an Avalanche comeback !

Again many thanks and my best wishes to Jos and all the staff I got to know so well.   

Just a quick update as many of you have been asking. The wining bidder as was announced has plans for student flats. Representatives of Peveril Securities did ask to meet with me and I was happy to oblige. Given all I was told by Edinburgh Council I find their plans perplexing but as things stand they tell me they have no concrete ideas for an arts complex just a commitment to build one after consultation. Retail seems to consist of a cafe within the “arts complex” and the “attraction” that the council made so much of for now seems to be forgotten.

The accompanying hotel I’m told could be anything as again they will go to the market for a best offer but everybody I have consulted sees it as being a budget hotel something I know will be unacceptable to many. They have other meetings in the coming weeks and it only seems reasonable to wait for those to have taken place before making any further comment.

For those wondering why their bid was accepted ahead of others I can say I have it on very good authority they offered a considerable amount more than any other bidder something that in itself I would have expected Edinburgh Council to find a little odd given how competitive the bidding was. It might be concluded that they could only make such an offer by ignoring some of the less profitable areas required in the bidding process.

We won’t be taking part in Record Store Day this year. Labels had asked that shops were open for trading  on January 30th and by a massive coincidence this was the date we had planned to open a new shop. I had been offered a shop in the New Town as the proprietor had to start a new job at the beginning of February hence the start date which was perfect timing. The start date was however put back at the very last minute to mid March and then finally to the end of April. At the same time I was still looking at the Tron which was originally only planned to the end of July and intended to open in both. Quickly the Tron looked like it would become a more permanent fixture until we have reached the situation now in which I’m happy with the Tron Church’s future plans and will not currently look for any other location.

I’d been advised to explain the situation to the labels given we had only not been open on the 30th due to circumstances beyond our control and had in fact been open in the Tron by mid February. Most came back very happy for Avalanche to be included though there was one naysayer who contacted the organisers directly. However after their own consultations the organisers decided an exception could not be made as otherwise it would open the floodgates for other latecomers to ask for inclusion. When I asked how many others had in fact registered on time as we had done but without having premises open by the date the answer was one ! Beatnik in Altrincham, already again sadly closed, had in fact in a previous year been allowed to take part despite opening on Record Store Day.

Given this year’s list is more dubious than ever my main disappointment was that I was looking forward to putting on some great entertainment in the Tron Church. To be fair RSD did offer to publicise any events we put on as part of the celebrations but without stock it seemed pointless and more importantly would only cause confusion. I had had to inform all those who had offered to supply RSD stock that it wouldn’t be possible after the organiser’s ruling.

It does of course leave me free to comment on RSD which is something I’m regularly asked to do but I will leave that for another time. Apologies !

Next to me in Tron church is Gerry Gapinski who as well as making jewellery from broken watch parts also has amazing pictures of Edinburgh made from different pictures of famous buildings he has taken and then photoshopped together into one image.

They were dome to complement a graphic novel still to be written and they certainly have an eerie quality. More images are available here

http://www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/user/gapinski

Just in case anybody has missed the news Avalanche is now back open seven days a week in the heart of Edinburgh at Tron Church which recently opened as a cafe and record shop with a small selection of very fine arts stalls. Scottish produce is also available. 

We are carrying  both new and used vinyl, posters (including the large fly posters) and our usual selection of local band CDs. There is also a small selection of new and used CDs.

There are four boxes of LPs at £5 (4 for £20), a vast selection covering all genres of LPs at £3 (4 for £10) and five boxes of dance 12″s constanntly being added to as space permits (I have a lot still to go out).

There is a great selection of posters from the ever popular Arctic Monkeys, Frightened Rabbit, Pixies, Oasis etc and I’ve two more deliveries expected soon with posters covering the last year’s releases. 

We are open 10am to 6pm every day except Sundays when opening is slightly later at 11am.