Can it be true? Edinburgh's Revolution shut down?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Heard a pleasing rumour that Edinburgh's stabbing an spewing centre of excellence- Revolution- has been shut down and converted to a music venue. Is this true? Hope so. Is this the replacement for the venue when it shuts down?

― Mr Gripper (Mr Gripper), Sunday, 18 December 2005 06:56 (twenty years ago)

This is indeed true. And it's been turned into the imaginatively titled music venue Gig. Yes, Gig.
The big issue in Edinburgh nightlife just now is Stefan "ruiner of Glasgow" King's attempts to turn the beautiful old Cameo cinema in one of his ghastly superpubs.

― Stew (logged out), Sunday, 18 December 2005 11:05 (twenty years ago)

from about '83 - '85, revolution was known as the caley palais. before that it had been the caley cinema (i think i saw herbie rides again there when i was about 5). anyway, the calais palais was an amazing live venue (despite its' slightly disconcerting sloping floor). over the course of it's life i saw seminal shows by the sisters of mercy, spk, the smiths and new order there. the new order one was particualrly notorious as they fininshed with 'blue monday' (new order didn't do encores back then) and they went off the stage one by one until just the linn drum machine was left playing the beat. i don't think edinburgh folk had quite got the idea of sequencers, presumed the whole show had been on tape and started a very loud collective boo. hysterical.

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Sunday, 18 December 2005 15:16 (twenty years ago)

I think it was the Calais Palais, informally at least, since the thirties. Originally the Caledonian Palace.

― Soukesian, Sunday, 18 December 2005 15:19 (twenty years ago)

you could be right - my memory is not so great. i thought it might have been 'caley' as an abbreviation of caledonian as it was near the caledonian hotel.

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Sunday, 18 December 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

what the fuck was this place during the early to mid nineties, when i lived in edinburgh? i have honestly never heard of it.

mind, i can be notoriously unobservant.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Sunday, 18 December 2005 15:43 (twenty years ago)

i can't remember what it was then as i had emigrated to the west by then. it's that place half way down lothian road, opposite the sheraton hotel, near the usher hall, opposite the caledonian hotel.

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Sunday, 18 December 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

or rather diagonally opposite the sheraton. might have been called 'the meat market'.

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Sunday, 18 December 2005 16:19 (twenty years ago)

o christ ... yes. i can't remember what it was called, but it was something appalling. mr gripper, you know the era i'm talking about ...

i'm going through to edinburgh tonight, oddly enough. i'll ask.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Sunday, 18 December 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

I believe it was the cretinously titled 'Century 2000'. I had the dubious pleasure of taking a look inside during my first few weeks in Edinburgh (word of advice to new Edinburgh residents- never follow anyone who says they know a 'really good club on Lothian Road'. From what I remember, there was loads of chrome, more make-up and a serious deficit in wit and style. The looks I got from the local pastel-shirt-two-fridges-under-the-arms brigade for even showing my little indie face were enough to make me to take out personal insurnace and never, never step inside again....By the way- hands off the Cameo, style bar scum (even if Edinburgh cinema outings are criminally overpriced)!

― Mr Gripper (Mr Gripper), Sunday, 18 December 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

"By the way- hands off the Cameo, style bar scum"

Hear, hear - search and sign up for the 'save the Cameo' online petition/campaign.

For those not in the know, one of the oldest cinema auditoriums in Edinburgh is subject to a planning permission application to close the screen and convert it to a theme bar. IIRC, they plan to keep the tiny backroom screens added since the eighties, so it will still be notionally a cinema.

― Soukesian, Sunday, 18 December 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

So, who's this chap behind the proposals?

― Mr Gripper (Mr Gripper), Sunday, 18 December 2005 20:05 (twenty years ago)

Yes, who is this Stefan King blighter? I don't follow the List.

― Soukesian, Sunday, 18 December 2005 20:30 (twenty years ago)

He does seem a bit of a cad....By the way, when does the Venue shut? And have they done anything with the site of La Belle Angele / Gilded Saloon?

― Mr Gripper (Mr Gripper), Sunday, 18 December 2005 20:43 (twenty years ago)

The Daily Record has had enough stories on Mr King over the years that i'm surprised you guys have never heard of him.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Sunday, 18 December 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

I have now, I guess...A brief resume of his illustrious career, please- Pfunk? Is he a real bounder?

― Mr Gripper (Mr Gripper), Sunday, 18 December 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)

century, yes

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 18 December 2005 22:27 (twenty years ago)

Gosh, there are people in Scotland who don't read the Record? :)

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 19 December 2005 10:17 (twenty years ago)

I too can remember going to the Caley cinema as a nipper. I think it was called the for a time.

― leigh (leigh), Monday, 19 December 2005 12:30 (twenty years ago)

Amphitheatre, duh.

― leigh (leigh), Monday, 19 December 2005 12:31 (twenty years ago)

Stefan King pretty much owns Glasgow nightlife - I just looked at a list of the venues he runs, and I was surprised just how many places he is involved with that I didn't realise. He has a whole bunch of venues - bars, restaurants, clubs, etc, some of which are soul-suckingly horrible, some of which are OK. Cleared of racism a few years ago. Used to go out with Sinitta.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 19 December 2005 13:13 (twenty years ago)

Evening News says King not involved with Cameo plans (but he has bought three Tollcross pubs). Like I say, they need to do something with the Cameo or it will be unusable pretty soon. (screen 1 stinks of damp). Does anyone protesting against the idea of change actually go there?

I don't remember Century 2000 being all that terrible.

Gig is a rubbish name for a venue.

Sorry, I am grumpy today.

― alext (alext), Monday, 19 December 2005 17:27 (twenty years ago)

"Does anyone protesting against the idea of change actually go there?"

Yes, I've been regular for twenty years or more. It's a beautiful old cinema.

Can't say I've noticed any smell, but I'm used to Edinburgh's fabulous rock venues. A few thou on renovation certainly wouldn't come amiss.

― Soukesian, Monday, 19 December 2005 18:04 (twenty years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.