Pure Groove, one of London's most-loved record stores, made the switch from Archway to Smithfields earlier this week, opening its brand new doors on June 2.
Find it: online and at 6-7 West Smithfield, London EC1A 9JX.
Just before the store opened, DiS popped in for a nose and took these pictures.
puregroove.co.uk
Photos by Lucy Johnston (Flickr / MySpace)
DiScuss: With so many record stores closing, can this be a success? Have you been in yet? Will there always be a home for the collectible seven-inch? Do you worry a store which looks this nice will make you spend too much money? There are plenty of in-store shows this week and next - see HERE.
Oooh, swish
I want that CPWK vinyl!
^ I have it
XD
i worry that
i'll be so put off by the pretension and lack of stock that i wont bother going in
It looks shiny
but everyone's nice in there, they've got pretty MBV photos on display and a very nice selection of stock!
Honest its real nice -no need to be put off :)
It does look like they're running low
So they really are doing that stupid 'just 100 things' thing?
Stupid.
it looks a bit
like an expensive shoe shop.
it does seem a bit of a brave/daft move
they are doing a lot of in-stores which should bring in a few punters - had an exhibition of MBV photos last night with free wine and Maps/Sonic Cathedral DJs ... and the staff are friendly (with a ratio of about two per customer) and they have listening posts to check out their limited stock
I hope they do survive - it's practically next door to where I work, so I'll be popping in regularly
Oh, I don't doubt the friendliness of the staff or that putting in-stores on is good.
I just like a record shop to sell, y'know, records. That I might want to buy. I want to walk in and maybe be able to be vaguely confident of finding what I want, rather than there being an incresingly high risk the the new album that I want to buy will not be in stock because its place is taken by a signed Blood Sausage 12".
^
i'm not trying to be a twatty critic for no reason, obviously everyone involved has good intentions, its just that i very rarely buy things on impulse that i havent heard (cant afford to!), and so if i think somewhere isnt likely to have things i want AND its out of the way, i'll probably not bother with it.
It's a really stupid place for a
record shop too, you have to go out of the way - much like book shops in the area that have all gone bust.
They really
need some help with their logo.
check out the new website
hmm.
As reported on Monday
I have been there, the shop looks really neat, like an expensive designer boutique, and I did buy two CDs (at normal prices), but could not find everything I wanted, so had to go to Rough Trade East later in the week to complete the rest of my shopping list.
The gigs may pull in punters but not necessarily people who will spend some cash (if you're gonna see say Metronomy chances are high you already have most of their records, and the only related item in their 100 list is a 7" single, not even the album).
The location is problematic, as there will be virtually no walk-in trade. Not just because of the area where they are now located, but that bit of the street doesn't lead anywhere other than a Tesco Metro.
The more I think about the more I think they are doomed. Again, I do hope I'm wrong ...
It looks shiny
But hella pretentious. It's only about five/ten minutes away from where I work though so I might check it out next week.
nice photogs lucy
!
Thanks Tom!
Glad someone likes them :D
This place is round the corner from where i live - when the bank lets me have money again (which judging from my visit half an hour ago is going to be NEVER) I'm going to buy lots of nice things in here.
that's what i thought
i was really surprised when i saw the logo on the door when i passed it on my way to work just before they opened. i haven't been in yet because it looks so pretentious, but as i walk past it a few times a week anyway i will probably pop in sometime soon.
i used to live above it
now the fuckers have deserted me! smithfields indeed. It's driving prices down round my way, that's for sure. It'll be a half hour bus ride for all those blood sausage signed 7"s now. BALLS
Lovely photos Lucy!
Looks
so clinical and airless in atmosphere. Like a snotty art gallery. Bring back the old style store, please!
agree
it does look pretentious. one of the best things about record shopping (AND Archway Pure Groove) is browsing through bargain bins and shelves of old and new odd records. This new place doesn't look FUN.
went there yesterday, thought it was great
the whole cross between a record shop and art gallery thing it's got makes you browse in a different way to a normal record shop. You pick things out and discover things you might have missed, and get an overall sense of what some of the great releases of the moment are. Love it!
.
The cable on those HD25s will tangle up in no time!