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The Venue

Rocky

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Mentioned this place on the choons thread but any memories or photies of The Venue on Calton Road would be braw. I miss that place. Fecking architects studio last I saw.
 
It was a great place to see bands.
The only unpleasant part was that sweat would condense on the low ceiling then pour onto your head.
I saw Lyle Lovett there. Later that year he played in the playhouse.
Amongst others I saw there were LCD Soundsystem, Jonathan Richman, Bruce Cockburn, Jellyfish, Martin Stephenson & The Daintees, Danny Wilson, That Petrol Emotion, Brendan Benson, The Selector, Roachford and lots of others
 
It was a great place to see bands.
The only unpleasant part was that sweat would condense on the low ceiling then pour onto your head.
I saw Lyle Lovett there. Later that year he played in the playhouse.
Amongst others I saw there were LCD Soundsystem, Jonathan Richman, Bruce Cockburn, Jellyfish, Martin Stephenson & The Daintees, Danny Wilson, That Petrol Emotion, Brendan Benson, The Selector, Roachford and lots of others
Think we were there in different eras! Mine were soft metal on a Saturday night (Bedrock) and proper metal on Sunday nights (Moshpit). Highlight would be Mordred I reckon. For contemporaneous reference Red Stripe was £1.60 a can.
 
Another 2 come to mind that i saw there.
Ian Hunter and The Rant Band who included Mick Ralph's on guitar
And a welsh band called Diesal Park West.

Like all great music venues it was tiny and you could be right up and personal with the performers.
The dressing rooms were a minging shithole. God only knows what the likes of Lyle Lovett and Bruce Cockburn made of them.
Lovett was about to be a country star, marry Juliet Roberts and as i said play in the nearby plush Playhouse on his next tour. Cockburn was music royalty in his native Canada.
 
Think we were there in different eras! Mine were soft metal on a Saturday night (Bedrock) and proper metal on Sunday nights (Moshpit). Highlight would be Mordred I reckon. For contemporaneous reference Red Stripe was £1.60 a can.
What is soft metal?
Who are Mordred?
Sounds like hell!

I think LCD Soundsystem that I attended was one of the last gigs before it closed.
They used to get noise complaints and the owners probably got far more money selling it than they could make as a music venue.
From the music nights you speak of it had become more of club venue rather than a venue putting on bands so it was probably the beginning of the end.
 
Mordred were apparently a San Franciscan thrash/funk metal band between 1989 and 1994.
 
Mordred were apparently a San Franciscan thrash/funk metal band between 1989 and 1994.
Indeed they were and I what a night at the Venue that wis. They had to extend the stage to make space for the disco decks and the rest. What a night. Wee treat for you Jacko:
 
From the music nights you speak of it had become more of club venue rather than a venue putting on bands so it was probably the beginning of the end.
Nah they were still all live acts. The scene was so good at that time though that they could split them between heavy stuff and softer rock
 
Nah they were still all live acts. The scene was so good at that time though that they could split them between heavy stuff and softer rock
Biggest bams were on the Sundays. Glory days
 
Indeed they were and I what a night at the Venue that wis. They had to extend the stage to make space for the disco decks and the rest. What a night. Wee treat for you Jacko:
That's good.
I listened to them doing a poor cover of a Rick James song "Super Freak" and an impersonation of Thin Lizzy on a track called "Smash Goes The Bottle". Copied the Scott Gorham guitar sound and the vocalist even sounded like he was trying to sing and phrase like Phil Lynott.
 
That's good.
I listened to them doing a poor cover of a Rick James song "Super Freak" and an impersonation of Thin Lizzy on a track called "Smash Goes The Bottle". Copied the Scott Gorham guitar sound and the vocalist even sounded like he was trying to sing and phrase like Phil Lynott.
God knows where you found that guff. Here's another belter

 
Saw some great bands at The Venue (Crazyhead, Half Man Half Biscuit, Dead 60s, Delays, Gaye Bikers On Acid, Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction, Pop Will East Itself, Renegade Soundwave ... etc) and some pish (The Bible, The Kooks, LCD Sound System ...) and went to all sorts of clubs there from Misery to Pure to some Punk/New Wave nights. Loved the place. And it stank. And I always left soaking due to the sweat falling from the ceiling. I went to the art gallery / studio that opened after it closed down and couldnt believe it was the same place. It wasnt the end of the world when The Venue closed down as we had the Calton Studios...
 
One of my fav nights out as a youngster was in the Venue, watching Daevid Allen and Gong tripping out of my face on magic mushrooms, it was fucking magical..
 
Saw many a band, first at the Jailhouse then as the Venue.Bands I would have seen included the Shamen, Ege Bam Yassi, Cop Shoot Cop, Annie Anxiety , The Iron Brotherhood, Swans and one which I was partly responsible for puting on a Love Music hate Racism event with Fundamental ,the only time I've ever had Ecstacy and I had a great time.
I also went to Pure maybe about 3 times (bit boring on alcohol if I'm being honest) and Chocolate City which was much better.To be honest I was getting a bit too old for all these girnning arseholes,and so moved on to just going to the pub with the odd gig thrown in.
 
One of my fav nights out as a youngster was in the Venue, watching Daevid Allen and Gong tripping out of my face on magic mushrooms, it was fucking magical..
That sounds fun
 
Saw many a band, first at the Jailhouse then as the Venue.Bands I would have seen included the Shamen, Ege Bam Yassi, Cop Shoot Cop, Annie Anxiety , The Iron Brotherhood, Swans and one which I was partly responsible for puting on a Love Music hate Racism event with Fundamental ,the only time I've ever had Ecstacy and I had a great time.
I also went to Pure maybe about 3 times (bit boring on alcohol if I'm being honest) and Chocolate City which was much better.To be honest I was getting a bit too old for all these girnning arseholes,and so moved on to just going to the pub with the odd gig thrown in.

I forgot about Swans, I saw them there when they covered Love Will Tear Us Apart as a single, I was working in Virgin so it must have been around 88
 
Loudest band I think I ever heard.I had a buzzing in my ears for about a week after that one.
 
Loudest band I think I ever heard.I had a buzzing in my ears for about a week after that one.
Motorhead at the Barras was the loudest I ever heard. Big part of the reason I'm deef now imo
 
Motorhead at the Barras was the loudest I ever heard. Big part of the reason I'm deef now imo

Saw Motorhead a few times through there, loud but not as loud as My Bloody Valentine!
 
Watched loads of bands and went to a good few clubs mid to late 80s at the Venue. Stand out gig was The Godfathers, pay at the door, god knows how many people were in there. Place was heaving and the band brought the house down. They played Anarchy in the UK as their encore, chaos ensued. One of the many gigs that I've attended that I'm glad to be over 6 foot tall!
The Ingleby Gallery that was set up after the venue closed was excellent, some fantastic exhibits. The poster high up on the side wall is from the last exhibition that was held there before it closed.
 
Motorhead at the Barras was the loudest I ever heard. Big part of the reason I'm deef now imo
Deep Purple at the Odeon (I think) early seventies. Couldn' t hear the traffic outside afterwards for the ringing in my ears.
 
Saw Motorhead a few times through there, loud but not as loud as My Bloody Valentine!
Motorhead were in the record books for loudest band on the planet. I suppose depends on the type of venue and the quality of the sound engineer working. I have been at some exceptionally loud shows which can ruin it. Motorhead were perfect the times I saw them.
 
Loudest band I think I ever heard.I had a buzzing in my ears for about a week after that one.

Black Sabbath at the Empire in 1971 must have caused structural damage to the building. As above regarding my lugs.

BIG G
 
Deep Purple at the Odeon (I think) early seventies. Couldn' t hear the traffic outside afterwards for the ringing in my ears.
I saw them the same year as Black Sabbath at the Empire mate.

BIG G
 
One of my fav nights out as a youngster was in the Venue, watching Daevid Allen and Gong tripping out of my face on magic mushrooms, it was fucking magical..
I too was at that dav. Fantastic.
Previous to that I saw them at that Edinburgh Empire 15 years before that in 1973, over several nights with some great bands. It was organised by Bruce Findlay, of Bruce's Record shop and Simple Minds fame. He can still be seen going to Easter Road. I think Gong were support to his old pal Kevin Ayers.

BIG G
 
Black Sabbath at the Empire in 1971 must have caused structural damage to the building. As above regarding my lugs.

BIG G
Sabbath was my first proper gig, Playhouse 1987
 
Sabbath was my first proper gig, Playhouse 1987
Saw them at the Odeon in 1980.....loud but great !
 
Sabbath was my first proper gig, Playhouse 1987
Nae wonder Ozzies body is shot, playing at 1000dB for decades.

BIG G
 
Nae wonder Ozzies body is shot, playing at 1000dB for decades.

BIG G

abbath was my first proper gig,
Wisnae Ozzy when I first saw them.

Btw I've no said this before but it was an absolute pleasure to meet you in real life big yin. Hope you're well
 
I saw them the same year as Black Sabbath at the Empire mate.

BIG G
That would have been it. I saw Sabbath too the same year. Support band were Black Oak Arkansas?
 
One of my fav nights out as a youngster was in the Venue, watching Daevid Allen and Gong tripping out of my face on magic mushrooms, it was fucking magical..

Mescaline was my trip of choice in the early 70s. First dropped it at the magnificent Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. Plant based is best. God bless San Pedro Cactus.Meat is Murder. Did I ever tell you about tripping on Mescaline with my then to be wife circ 1972/3, getting a lift from Dalkeith to Musselburgh by a guy in an NCB van. Silver Machine came on his radio/tape and both of us held hands whilst the van took off into the blue sky and flew across the Forth, like jets do now, before landing us in Galt Avenue. Poor driver, we thanked him and he looked in puzzlement at us. The time prior to the lift was spending a splendid night with two friends, in Newbattle Abbey grounds. It is worth another conversation in itself.

*Drugs deaths in Scotland are the worst in Europe, and hope it can be reverse sooner rather than later. I can only be honest and share what were life changing, joyous experiences I had 5 decades ago. *

Anyway @davhfc In that Edinburgh Pop Festival at the Empire in 1973, which I attended most of the 9 or 10 nights that they were on, I saw some brilliance in my opinion. In 1973 pleasantly high on, Red Lebonese, Pakistani Black or rare but splendid Nepalese with wee cobwebs of white opium would have been me at gigs

Getting back to Gong. I loved the whole Canterbury Scene 50 years ago and still do now.
Daevid being an Australian, but was definatley an associate member, starting as he did Soft Machine with Kevin Ayers, Robert Wyatt etc. Caravan another, splendid band.
The best of the gigs in my opinion was one night that 3 of my top 10 favourites were on the same bill, Kevin Ayers , with Ivor Cutler as MC and Gong.
I was like a pig in shit. Only to be surpassed by a strategic placed Gong entourage in the upper flight firing hundred of paper plates printed on them, 'We are from The Planet Gong'. Quality.
There were two comic cut bouncers at the stage front. Hard as fuck looking, who ended up like Keystone Cops. Trying to catch the offending flying saucers and bumping into each other. Spendid at battering drunk erses, but couldnae handle Hippy Intercallatic bams.

BIG G
 
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the Wombles at Leith Town Hall fair belted it oot.
Not sure how Orinoco and Uncle Bulgaria wi those big lugs survived the experience.
 
the Wombles at Leith Town Hall fair belted it oot.
Not sure how Orinoco and Uncle Bulgaria wi those big lugs survived the experience.
I saw Slade at the same venue. The only reason I was there in any conceivable manner was to see the support band, The Sensational Alex Harvey band, who were absolutely fucking sensational.

BIG G
 
I saw Slade at the same venue. The only reason I was there in any conceivable manner was to see the support band, The Sensational Alex Harvey band, who were absolutely fucking sensational.

BIG G
Next!
 
My last time at the venue was supporting Kirk Brandon of Spear Of Destiny. Not the greatest of gigs but a nice memory to have along with supporting Half Man Half Biscuit at the Cas Rock.
 
Mescaline was my trip of choice in the early 70s. First dropped it at the magnificent Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. Plant based is best. God bless San Pedro Cactus.Meat is Murder. Did I ever tell you about tripping on Mescaline with my then to be wife circ 1972/3, getting a lift from Dalkeith to Musselburgh by a guy in an NCB van. Silver Machine came on his radio/tape and both of us held hands whilst the van took off into the blue sky and flew across the Forth, like jets do now, before landing us in Galt Avenue. Poor driver, we thanked him and he looked in puzzlement at us. The time prior to the lift was spending a splendid night with two friends, in Newbattle Abbey grounds. It is worth another conversation in itself.

*Drugs deaths in Scotland are the worst in Europe, and hope it can be reverse sooner rather than later. I can only be honest and share what were life changing, joyous experiences I had 5 decades ago. *

Anyway @davhfc In that Edinburgh Pop Festival at the Empire in 1973, which I attended most of the 9 or 10 nights that they were on, I saw some brilliance in my opinion. In 1973 pleasantly high on, Red Lebonese, Pakistani Black or rare but splendid Nepalese with wee cobwebs of white opium would have been me at gigs

Getting back to Gong. I loved the whole Canterbury Scene 50 years ago and still do now.
Daevid being an Australian, but was definatley an associate member, starting as he did Soft Machine with Kevin Ayers, Robert Wyatt etc. Caravan another, splendid band.
The best of the gigs in my opinion was one night that 3 of my top 10 favourites were on the same bill, Kevin Ayers , with Ivor Cutler as MC and Gong.
I was like a pig in shit. Only to be surpassed by a strategic placed Gong entourage in the upper flight firing hundred of paper plates printed on them, 'We are from The Planet Gong'. Quality.
There were two comic cut bouncers at the stage front. Hard as fuck looking, who ended up like Keystone Cops. Trying to catch the offending flying saucers and bumping into each other. Spendid at battering drunk erses, but couldnae handle Hippy Intercallatic bams.

BIG G
Worked at Newbattle Abbey years ago, and spent a good few ' dreamy' nights there 😉
 
Loudest band I think I ever heard.I had a buzzing in my ears for about a week after that one.
I was there too and you are 100% correct! Did I see Add N to X there around 1992?
 
Did anybody see The Exploited in The Abercorn about 1979? Sounded like the loudest gig I've ever heard from outside.
 
I was there too and you are 100% correct! Did I see Add N to X there around 1992?
Interesting band but I don't think they were active in 1992.
I remember them from near the end of that decade.
 
I saw Slade at the same venue. The only reason I was there in any conceivable manner was to see the support band, The Sensational Alex Harvey band, who were absolutely fucking sensational.

BIG G
Couldn't fucking stand Slade. Still hate that bloody Xmas song! 😡
Anyway saw SAHB at the Caley, fantastic. At one point Alex stopped the show and told the bouncers, who were getting a wee bit over zealous in their handling of the hundreds going radge at the front to fuck off and he would take responsibility. As the crowd cleared at the end it became apparent that loads of seats backs had been broken so people could lay them across the chair arms and get a bit higher. Wonder how much that cost him?
 

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