City Art Centre
Some of you will remember that at the same time I took the break in the lease in our Grassmarket shop Edinburgh Council declared their support for keeping music industry related businesses in the city centre given that these days promoting music be that in shops or through gigs was not sustainable given the costs of the city centre. They looked to similar projects in New York and Sydney that had been very successful supporting shops, gigs and other music related projects. I was interviewed for the Evening News and of course was later asked to write an opinion piece about a new arts quarter in King’s Stables Road.
Promoting music in a shop is now very different from selling music in a shop. Without a doubt with so much music now available people are still looking to shops for advice but these days the most likely outcome is they will go away and stream or possibly if they like what they hear enough buy from the band. Very few indeed will return to the shop or buy from their website. Contrary to what some now seem to think the reluctance of shops these days to spend time promoting new music has nothing to do with “punishing” bands for selling themselves and all to do with it simply not being financially viable given a shop’s overheads.
Of course without the pressing need to cover overheads it would be a different story. Creative Scotland long ago ruled out giving grants to shops to help them support new music considering that was “our job” but again I recently received a phone call from their head of music suggesting a meeting and requesting an agenda as they rethink their whole approach. So much money is spent helping musicians make music and almost nothing on getting that music to the public. Promoting music isn’t about selling Pink Floyd albums or indeed Nick Cave vinyl reissues but about making people aware of music they otherwise would not have come across. That takes time and even in the day when people bought the music the time spent was often more costly than the money made. In these days of social media shops potentially have an even more influential role to play.
Anyway Edinburgh Council were unlikely to have entire buildings to just give over especially as a city centre location was important but they might have space in one of their many buildings already in use. I asked around for ideas and the City Art Centre cropped up again and again. The ground floor already had a gift shop if not that exciting and of course the cafe was next door. There was talk of a revamp as the wall currently blocking the view of the gift shop wasn’t popular. There was potential to make the ground floor something quite exciting promoting both artists work for sale and Scottish music. I wasn’t sure what the position would be about playing music but otherwise the location and space was perfect.
Aware it was important I speak to the right person they were indeed identified and a meeting was agreed. This in itself I was assured was promising. Waiting three weeks wasn’t great but I had a flood of positive feedback for the idea so decided it was worth it. Unfortunately at the meeting there was little discussion about the possibilities. I was asked if I wanted to sell stuff because if so that would clash with the shop they already had. Despite all the details being in the email they’d received they admitted they had no idea who I was ! This to put it mildly was more than disappointing.
To be honest I can’t think of a better idea and it makes me just want to go to Plan B which was to simply set up a base people could visit. A sort of HQ more than a small shop but with a decent selection of things on sale. A while ago Analogue Books told me they were closing which is very sad news indeed and a another great loss to the Grassmarket area. Only now they have gone public can I say that I did consider it for an HQ and indeed they have said they will put in a good word for me if needed when they leave. I can imagine there will be a lot of interest in a small place like that so certainly there is no guarantees there. The key thing with any relatively small place is that no rates are due and that in these times makes all the difference.
I have a wide range of other projects I could pursue all music related in some way but without facing direct competition from HMV and FOPP. Competing with the terms they are given is one battle I certainly can’t win. I’ve no idea as yet what involvement I’ll have in the King’s Stables Road site but that should become a lot clearer very soon. Again given the arts quarter idea it is a pity the City Arts Centre couldn’t be used to support more of the arts. Also given how central it is it could also be used to direct people to all the other fantastic arts related locations in the city. After only a little investigation I do find Edinburgh’s approach to the arts bemusing. Even the social media side of things given all the buildings they own could be improved dramatically with little effort and at no cost at all barring maybe some man hours.
So again a case of what might have been. It is a shame given the incredible enthusiasm there was from so many different people some directly involved with the City Arts Centre and I was after all reacting to a council initiative but clearly that was not enough.
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/kevin-buckle-edinburgh-needs-its-own-arts-quarter-1-3557357