Road Records

raindog.promo

Does anyone know if it is still open?

John

It was open a couple of weeks ago. Is this a general "I haven't been there in years" question or has something happened very recently?

raindog.promo

I was reading a mailout before christmas kind of hinting that things were getting a bit tough-going in the current climate. Was on the website today and couldn't get in to the online catalogue.

Was planning a trip in to fill out my vinyl. It would be a shame to lose them.

John

I know they've been saying a good few times about running a record shop being tough lately but I always got the impression that they were overcoming it.

I just went to the site, there's a box in the top corner saying that the catalogue is down due to maintenance work so I think we're safe. Phew!

raindog.promo

Good to hear, Thet're a great shop. Friendly staff and support the local scene and what with the cancellation of nightshift is becoming a rarer thing these days.

grumpytrousers

dunno lads; i'm not versed on how well it's doing, but if you go to Jim Carrolls blog on http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/ where they discuss the phantom playlist from last night, there's a bit of dark muttering going on there. Again, nowt concrete and i hope it's wrong, cos i always like to think there will be record shops, even though i'm in the minority on this...

ANarcho-Munk

Unfortunatly, it's true.

http://www.thumped.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=69787

I'm crying inside.

raindog.promo

That does indeed suck balls.

discobeaker

Was just in Road today and nothing was said,no signs up either. But there is 50% off 2nd hand records... Nice!

wolfgang123

Yeah it's a real shame. Great shop and great people

John

I'm gutted!

grumpytrousers

again - shamelessly nicked from somewhere via OTR...

http://thrillpier.blogspot.com/2009/01/road-records-to-close.html

I hope the 'i download cos i want to and bands make enough fuppin' money and i don't like paying money and music should be free, like, man' brigade read the post. Especially, um, point number one. From the bloke whose record shop has hit the skids...

Point number two just makes me sad. I get awful peed off with folk who go on about the 'rip-off' nature of shops who simply HAVE to charge more for music as they have overheads that play/amazon/cdwow etc simply don't have. (yes, i know that Road and Play weren't exactly competing, for the Westlife Greatest Hits market, but you get my drift)

welcome to the future kids...

wolfgang123

It would be nice if the various bands they've helped over the years did a farewell / thank you gig for them

John

Maybe they'll have people play in that basement room they have on the last day. A going away party would be essential.

catch--22

This is terrible news! In fact, the worse news since this bloody recession started!

Red Sleeping Beauty

What bands did Road Records help out ?

yevveh

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

What bands did Road Records help out ?

It was one of the only shops to stock small Irish bands' releases. Tower will too but as I understand it's harder to get them to stock your release than Road. LPX thanks them specifically on his blog for that, they were apparently the only place to stock his. I'm sure there are plenty more, RSAG and Adebisi, etc. etc.

Setun

Shameful news indeed. I remember that was one of the first record shops I found when I started buying vinyl.

wolfgang123

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

What bands did Road Records help out ?

Road also had their own label for a while

John

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

What bands did Road Records help out ?

It's easier to list the Irish bands they didn't help out. They released a bunch of split 7" singles featuring The Jimmy Cake, David Kitt, Giveamanakick, Nina Hynes, Adrian Crowley, The Chalets, Neosupervital, Glen Hansard, Decal, The Redneck Manifesto and others.

They stocked albums by now big names like Josh Ritter and David Kitt when no one else gave a ****.

They would give anyone who walked in off the street with a CD to sell their time and would sell their records for them.

Red Sleeping Beauty

John wrote: »

They would give anyone who walked in off the street with a CD to sell their time and would sell their records for them.

I hope you don't take this the wrong way , but, did they have any quality control ?
It's quite easy for a band to do up a demo/CD release and say "Oh yeah, we're indy, we sound indy, listen to us , we're indy, we check all the boxes".

John

Well I never came across an outright bad CD, stuff not to my taste but not inherently bad so I imagine yes they did.

lordgoat

Road were a pillar of the irish music scene and it is a very very sad day when their doors will no longer be open. Wishing them all the best and much success in future endeavours.

Saruwatari

Man, I was gutted when my dad told me about it through an article concerning the closure in The Irish Independant. That's just so ****ty.
I only recently found out about the place (I'm only seventeen, wouldn't have known about it before), and I'm bloody depressed now, because I was planning on going in and buying tons of stuff I spotted on their website. I've only bought one CD there, a Saso album which I couldn't find anywhere else, not even in Tower, but I'm already greatful towards them.
Zavvi, HMV and Golden Discs will never have anything on Road or similar shops, not in a million years. Its that personal feel you get when you walk in, you don't feel uncomfortable browsing through the racks like you might in the major stores, and that kind've atmosphere is priceless.
I'll be heading in Saturday to pick some stuff up.
Goddamn.

Red Sleeping Beauty

They're selling their 2nd hand vinyl at 50% off the marked price.
There's not much there, it's all really old stuff. I'm sure there's a few gems but nothing interested me.

I overheard the chap behind the counter (Mr Road Records ?) talking about a possible gig being set up for the closing.