Avalanche hiatus to hopefully end soon

At the moment I mainly work on the Scot Pop Centre and as Avalanche sell online to bring in what income I can. I’ve used up all my own funds and sold a lot of my own collection to keep things going sure that at the latest something would be settled by now. I was wrong !

The large vinyl collection I was given to sell recently bought me a couple more months but now I need to make that side of things more permanent. Avalanche’s reputation as an indie shop supporting all new music but especially Scottish music goes back decades but these last couple of months selling not just collectable stuff but also good quality regular used vinyl and CDs has been more enjoyable than I expected with only the occasional idiot and we’ve built up quite a following in that area too. 

As I’ve said selling new releases are lost to me now and that is fine so long as I’m not wasting time competing with the direct to fan model. Reaching new people was always the best part and I’m really looking forward to seeing how that works out in partnership with Waterstones on Princes Street. We will initially be supplying them with albums from 20 Scottish artists that we think their customers will appreciate and looking to attract new fans from their large footfall rather than the current trend of mostly targeting an established fan base.  

What I need to do now is find a space in the city centre to base myself. I say space rather than shop because realistically all I need is a secure space that can be accessed by the public. Not I should add one of these places that sells online and says you can visit but it will be a space I can work from and people can visit for whatever reason. It will be laid out like a shop for sure but not with a full on shop ethos.

I’m amazed how often people buy something online and then leave a message saying they used to come in the shop when they were a student but have since moved away. They have such good memories and often recall the bands they discovered at Avalanche or the gigs we recommended they go to.

Sadly those days will never return and I do get asked a lot if it is not possible in these days of “experiential” selling to bring back that vibe but unfortunately everything is stacked against that now. There was a period when we still did what we did but with far less sales as people could just go away and listen for free and buy online. Once the direct to fan sales kicked in for new releases that time was over.

So for now the emphasis will shift back towards selling stuff and working on the ScotPop Centre will be something I do when I can and have the time. Many may not even notice a difference as social media will not be affected too much I suspect.

Certainly if I had just kept on with the shop and worked on the idea of the centre when I could I would never have reached the point I have now. The few people who know how much we have ready to go appreciate the work that has gone on unseen and of course unpaid.

So the first big push will be to find somewhere and I’m hoping people will come forward with ideas for spaces or buildings and preferably people who own or have rights over the space.

Edinburgh Council have failed to come up with anywhere in four years and if you do find something they say they have to offer it to everybody. If I had got a council gallery or museum space then obviously the focus would have been different but for now the plan is to have a physical presence and shift the emphasis back to Avalanche until such time as the centre is up and running but not set any deadlines for that.

As always I can be contacted using [email protected]