HMV Picture House

Maybe it’s just me, but I like to go to a place and feel like I’m welcome. The staff here give you the impression that you’re killing their buzz by daring to pay to get in, and daring to pay over the odds for their wares from behind the bar.
And over the odds is exactly that. 2 pints, and a vodka and coke — £16. SIXTEEN POUNDS!
Not to mention the floor that becomes like an ice rink after an hour, the poorly organised cloakrooms and just the horrible feeling that you’d be better off somewhere, anywhere else.
It’s not the worst place I’ve been — but it’s not far from it.
Improvements, please!

Do you remember this place under previous incarnations? Century 2000 is as far as I go back — I believe they changed the name as we nearer the millennium, because it didn’t seem quite to futuristic in the shiny new 21 century.
Most recently I was here for a Bonobo gig, May 2013. It’s a fine venue for this kind of thing, with a large standing area down the bottom and a couple of layers going up the way with some comfy seating and more bars. The bass generated during the gig was visceral, so I’d imagine they have the capability to push through any front of house sound you’d care to throw at it.
I’ve given it three stars because although the shows I’ve seen here have been great fun they’ve owed more to the performances than the venue. It’s dark in here, inward looking, and I think lacks character. The Picture House (no longer anything to do with HMV) is an important part of Edinburgh’s music scene — go see stuff here, all the bass are belong to them.

All-​star cast, 2 star venue
Amy MacDonald was the act of the night, and she was great, even though the audience was a bit too diverse — all those chatty highlanders wouldnea shut up, even after she told them to wrap it!
Anyway, the venue was fine, a good size, but a random barrier a few feet in front of the bar made it really hard to get out without cramming into people — totally unnecessary and most likely a high risk in case of a fire — not the I am a fire marshal or anything. Acoustics were good.
Bar prices were as extortionate as I had expected — you know what gets me is that there are 4 great venues up Lothian Road (Traverse, Usher, Lyceum and Filmhouse) and none of them take the p!$$ with their bar prices — why do ‘gig’ venues feel the need to take my money and break my soul at every visit.
That’s my rant over now, i was going to give this 3 * but I’m angry now so it will only get 2*

I think I have a tendency to review every venue I see Richard Hawley play in. I hope you don’t mind, dear reader. It’s just that he plays in such awesome rooms, and this one is no exception.
The acoustics are great in this place, and there’s a touch of scuzzy glam lingering inside. I love a bit of scuzz, me.
There are bars all over the shop — hurrah! There’s nothing worse at a gig than queuing for forever and a day for a lukewarm, over-​priced pint because there is one tiny bar servicing a 2,000-capacity building, but here you get served quickly. I do so like my lukewarm, over-​priced pint served quickly. There’s the reason I’ve knocked a star off the Picturehouse: the drinks are on the high side when there are gigs on (there are more deals when it’s having a club night), which is a cunning ploy by the owners to get your money as you’re not going anywhere else if you’re at a gig (I don’t really mind being robbed in exchange for a bit of sweet, sweet music that much, though).
If your tootsies get a bit tired, there’s an unreserved seating area above the main area. This is good when you’re in footwear that allows you to see over the heads of the too tall person who inevitably decides to stand directly in front of you but which cripples your feet in return. Seats are good. I enjoy sitting down. (Oh God, how old am I again?! I’ve just turned 26 and already I’m extolling the virtues of sitting down in social situations. I’ll be wheeled around everywhere in a bed by the time I’m 40. Or probably 30. Yeah, I’d go for 30).
Also, apparently the male toilets at the side of the stage taper ‘into some kind of strange point’ (quote directly from friend, who is clearly a wordsmith of the highest order) which is… I dunno, a nice architectural feat, perhaps.
So yeah, go to the Picturehouse. Enjoy a quickly-​served pint, listen to some fine acoustics, have a wee seat and check out the tapered toilets.

As a venue the HMV Picture House is one of the best in Edinburgh. The acoustics, lighting and central city nature of the place make it ideal for live music. It even has balcony seating for when you get tired of standing or have given up on getting to the front.
As a venue I would happily give it five stars, the drinks prices however knock one off, they are expensive when there is a gig on (though I believe they do offers when open for a club night) more or less £5 a drink and served in a plastic glass. Given a gig is a captive audience this just seems a little mean spirited.
So do go here to see any bands that appeal, just be aware that the price of admission can be quickly eclipsed by the price of a drink.

It’s nice to finally see a live music venue that’s in the mid range capacity wise. For too long it’s either been a choice of the larger Corn Exchange or smaller Liquid Rooms. As the name suggests this building was formally a gorgeous art deco theatre/​cinema. Thankfully it’s new owners have restored or kept the original fittings which makes the place feel classier than a hell of a lot of other gig venues.
The stalls area makes up the main standing area of the venue which is great as it slopes down towards the stage making it much easier for short people like me to get a good view even towards the back. The bass is pretty epic in this place too; at my first gig here to see Explosions in the Sky I could actually feel it reverberating up through the soles of my feet.
If you don’t feel like scrumming it in the standing area there is seating available in a balcony area upstairs. However this is often reserved as a VIP lounge so don’t count on actually getting up there. The 2 main bars downstairs are well staffed so you don’t have to spend too much time away from the stage in order to quench your thirst. (Though the drinks are a touch on the expensive side.)
Obviously a lot of reviews will be won or lost on the quality of the acts playing, thankfully they manage to secure really decent acts. The last gig I saw there was M83 who were brilliant and just shone in a more intimate setting like the HMV Picture House.
Of course if your favourite band in the world is playing you probably aren’t going to care where they play. You’d still go even if the place wasn’t as nice as here. At least here you get to enjoy great music and a great venue.

In a city that generally lacks some seriously good music venues (well…it really does!), the HMV Picture House has provided us with a perfect stage on which to see some fantastic bands (Over the past couple of years I’ve enjoyed (among others!) Friendly Fires, Gomez, Bonobo and, as of tonight, Noah and the Whale!).
The HMV Picture House is a beautifully restored building, with oodles of Art Deco features (for those of you who appreciate such architectural traits!) including a fantastic stage area! The inside of the building is spacious and even at ‘sold out’ gigs, it never feels too crowded. There’s always space to jump, wiggle and generally get your groove on!
If you don’t fancy standing or jumping around, there is a slightly more peaceable balcony area upstairs where you can grab a seat (although get one early if you can… they fill up quick!), and the view of the stage is pretty good regardless of where in the venue you’re standing/​sitting!
There are bars both up and downstairs but it can take some considerable time to get served… and then even longer to pick yourself up off the (sticky!) floor when you find out how much the drinks cost (£4.80 for a rum and coke!). I’m sure they could certainly lower their prices… until such a time, I’m sticking at a 4 star rating!
There was also a distinct lack of loo roll in the ladies toilet, but in throwing the one remaining roll from cubicle to cubicle, I’m sure new friendships were formed!
I know acoustics can be a wee problem at times, but overall this is a fantastic venue and I love coming here to see great bands. We could really do with a few more venues like it!

I went here to see my favouritest band of all time, Twin Atlantic, on Friday night with some of my friends. They were unbelievable, but that ain’t really vital to this review.
So we arrived around half 8, doors had been at 7, and we thankfully missed the pretty naff support bands. Where is the first place we headed once we got inside???
… The bar of course. This is where my first issues arose. My friend didn’t have any cash, so decided he wanted to pay by card. This was possible but it had to be over £10, understandable, everywhere does that nowadays. So he asked for 2 pints of cider. At this point I hear him shouting me over. Why? Because you had to have both the people you were buying the drink for at the bar. They also have a one drink per person rule, he wasn’t able to buy us two pints each, therefore could not reach the required £10 to use the card. I can see why they are doing it, there quite a few under-​agers at these things, but it totally put me off even buying one. I also ended up paying for them anyway.
BUT then we got into the standing area by the stage, and I then got happy and excited. The Picturehouse is GREAT for gigs, it is a like a little mini version of the 02 Academy in Glasgow. It is still large enough that when the whole place started singing along with the last song, free, the band were very much in shock, but in an awesome way. Plus you can be very close to the front of the stage without all the moshing/​awful stuff I hate at gigs.
Then once the band had finished came my second issue. I understand it is a venue, and yes everyone is all pushing to get out at the same time, but I have never felt so cramped in my life. There was only ONE exit, and it was minute.
Other than that, I already have another gig lined up in this place, and I am excited. When you get past all the little niggles, it is pretty good for atmosphere and generally getting to enjoy whatever band it is you have chose to go see. Thumbs up. For now at least!

I would say this is a decent venue to see a band play — not too big, not too small. However, positioned at the back of the venue last night, the acoustics were all wrong, with very little vocal (Amanda F**king Palmer) which took the edge some of her performance although it was still definitely fun to watch. The other gripe I have is over 4 quid for a bottle of Corona. Four quid — did anyone mention recession? I didn’t bother asking for water, I’m not looking to pay the price for it. Otherwise, standard fare for a venue, make you throw your bottle of water away prior to entering the venue to make sure that they rape your wallet for a replacement.

I’ve been to a handful of gigs here and while the physical space reminds me of some of the San Francisco greats, unfortunately I have been unimpressed with the accoustics every time.
The last time I went to a gig here, we could hardly hear the actual artist because the backup music was so loud and the whole room had a bit of a hollow/​echoey sound.
The venue itself is good for a crowd, with your standard overpriced pints, massive queues at the bar and spilled lager eveywhere. But, as I said, in this kind of space that’s all standard.
We just couldn’t get past the sound issues and while you often don’t have a choice as to where you see a gig performed, I definitely wouldn’t recommend this place for a gig where the sound quality of the music is important.

The Picturehouse is the best gig venue in Edinburgh, better than the travesty that is the Corn Exchange and is one of the only venues that is actually a decent size. Due to Edinburgh’s frankly piss poor live music scene, unfortunately the Picturehouse does not get all the acts it deserves, but it is a great venue. Converted from an old cinema, and very similar to Glasgow’s ABC it is a decent sized, 2 floored theatre. The acoustics are great and the vision is always pretty good.
Recently I saw Frank Turner and the Mars Volta here and both put on good shows. The experience was helped by the fact the venue is big enough to get an actual crowd, and the atmosphere is really good. You can have a boogie and a bit of a mosh downstairs, but if you fancy something a bit quieter then there is the upstairs seating area.
The bar has a pretty average range of drinks, and is overpriced like all gig venues. The staff are really cool though, and even when they’re rushed off their feet always seem happy to talk to you. The only slight downside is that the club nights that used to be here got cancelled because Cav got pissy that all its customers were going here because the nights were so much better. That is a small downside though, and if you are going here simply to see gigs then it’s one of the best around

This is a great venue! It helps that I went to see one of my favourite band here but the venue definitely helped make it a really good night.
There is a touch of old school glamour about the place and you feel as though you are going into an old theatre when you first walk in. Inside is a huge bar and then steps down into the main area infront of the stage, this is for the gig watchers who don’t mess about with seating and are just there to party.
If that isn’t your cup of tea then upstairs is theatre-​esque and you can sit in what would be in a theatre, the dress circle. I didn’t sit up there but had a nosy around and it does give you a great view of the stage and I suppose depending what kind of gig it was you might be better up here.

Over the last year or so, the HMV Picturehouse has become on of my favourite venues to go for gigs. I have seen Amy MacDonald and the Dead Weather and on both times, the venue added to what were both great gigs.
The venue has two floors, the first floor has two bars and has the main stage, with quite a lot of standing room at the front of the stage. From the first floor you can walk up to the second floor which looks over the first floor and stage area. It also has a lot of seating space and a very long bar indeed. From the upstairs you have a great view for any gig, however a word of warning, get there early to avoid losing out on seating and standing spots.
As well as gigs I have been to the nightclub night at the HMV Picturehouse. Octopussy is always busy and full of us young folk drinking lots for cheap prices and dancing to awful dance tunes. There is also a bouncy castle and a fake wedding chapel. All you need for a good night out!

I’ve only been to Hmv Picture House for a night out once. It was the night of my last second year exam and we decided to hit somehwere we’d never been to before. The entry fee was standard and inside it’s seriously impressive. It’s basically just a huge opera house which becomes a night club, and a pretty good one at that. The drinks are pretty well priced, but the queues for the bar are enormous and I remember leaning over the bar for ages trying the get the staff’s attention.
Apparantly it isn’t that rough on a regular basis, but there were fair few rowdy lads there that night. We got inadvertently involved in a ruck that was kicking off and I got my nose broken by some skinny little ned and spent a good few hours in A&E the next day. Things like that can happen at any club and I would certainly go back to Picture House — but warily!

The number of international acts that come to Edinburgh is quite exciting, and they usually head over to the HMV Picture House to perform!
I’ve been lucky enough to see two of my favourite bands, first the Editors last October, and Vampire Weekend on Valentine’s Day (come to think of it, it’s probably been my best one!) HMV is far away from being a stadium, and is extremely cosy. It’s made up of two levels, the upper one being seated, and has a bar on the opposite end of the stage on the main floor.
It’s a nicely put together place, and the size is perfect; big enough to get a ticket to see your favourite acts, but small enough to give a gig-​like feeling. Ofcourse I may be biaised, having gotten a t-​shirt signed by every member of the Editors and then being serenaded by Ezra Koenig on Valentine’s Day!

Edinburgh was often criticised in the past for a lack of decent gig venues, but with the opening of the HMV the tide has turned somewhat. It looks brilliant inside, and in terms of the bands it brings in and the club nights it does, it’s now a pretty high profile venue on the Edinburgh radar. It’s quite possibly taken this blueprint from the ABC in Glasgow, as to be honest it’s practically the same venue in all but name and location.
More mainstream than it claims to be it’s still an essential addition to the local music scene.

Housed in what used to be good old Revvy (Revolution), which if I’m be honest, I wasn’t the grandest fan of, although the odd crazy dance session back in the day to Faithless and Delerium is hazily coming back to me…
I think the Picture House absolutely suits its reinvention as a gig venue. As a club, it was probably just a bit too huge, and never seemed to fill up enough to give it the atmosphere it needed, whereas getting awesome bands to play here and using it as a live venue is always going to pull in the punters. There’s the bottom level next to the stage for standing space when gigs are on, and a great upstairs level with loads of seating, if that’s your preference when watching live acts. I saw Bloc Party here and it was one of my favourite Bloc Party performances, because I could actually see them for a change, due to the relative intimacy of this venue in comparison to other gig displaying establishments.

In my mind, HMV picture house is a special place — not only is it a great venue for concerts, with some famous bands (and some not so famous any more) being constantly on the bill — it is also a fantastic night club.
On the night I turned up with a group of my friends, there had been a concert of some sort, so the place was already rather full — but it didn’t matter, because to my suprise, this place was huge inside.
Once I had gotten over the shock, I realised several things.
1) The drinks were cheap.
2) The music was GOOD.
3) It wasn’t full of Chavs or Rockers, it was a nice middle ground for normal people.
These things combined to make one fantastic, and very messy night. I havnt since been back, bt as soon as my exams are over, I will be here to take advantage of such a great place.

I rate the Picturehouse as one of the best live music venues in Edinburgh, it is a really fabulous place to see a band. I don’t know much about acoustics, but things sound pretty amazing in here — it might have something to do with the incredibly high ceilings.
Given the crowded nature of the venue I have never actually made it to the bar, but I go to gigs to see bands, not drink to over-​priced lager from a plastic glass. (It might actually be really cheap, I am just making some assumptions…)
A lot of people bemoan the fact that it gets pretty packed and can be difficult to actually see the stage, these people are obviously not in the know. Every time I’ve been to see something I’ve stood in the same spot and, not only can I see the band, I have room to dance too (I’m afraid I have to keep my exact location a secret…). Basically if you push through the throngs of people in the middle, there’s usually room to spare at the front. And if you don’t like standing up, there’s always the option of the seated section upstairs. Sorted.

Since the sad demise of Liquid Rooms (RIP), indie kids and music fans in Edinburgh have been lost. Thanks to HMV Picture House, we have found our way again.
Offering a variety of gigs, this venue is fantastic. One of the best gigs I have ever been to was here (Eagles of Death Metal, 2009 BOOM!) and I have had a few good nights out here too. The venue is not too big so you can generally get a good view of the stage, and there is the upstairs seating area also. The drinks are a little expensive of gig nights (£1.60 for a coke!) but that is to be expected.
Now Picture House used to do a great Friday and Saturday night club night. It filled the hole which was left by Liquid Rooms and it was incredibly popular. That was until the evil people at Lava & Ignite (Cav) ruined it and took them to court because the Picture House was so popular they felt it was taking away their customers. So sadly, they are only open on a Thursday night for club night. But hopefully this will change. Doesn’t change the fact this is an awesome gig venue.