Liquid Room

Cracking place for gigs in an old converted church in the city centre. Check out ripping records on south bridge st for listings & tickets too.

I’ve been to this venue for gigs many times over the last ten years or so, and on this occasion we were seeing Skid Row! Yay! Who doesn’t like a bit of good-​time rock?
Naturally, Skid Row were awesome… but the Liquid rooms, while perfectly fine, is not the best venue around. When you come in, it isn’t immediately apparent that you can choose to go upstairs or downstairs, and if you don’t know where the cloak room is, you have to climb back up the stairs to ask the person on the cash desk. In my experience, there aren’t too many stewards inside the venue. On this occasion, I couldn’t see any, which isn’t great if they are required. I don’t know if it was because this gig was on a week day, or if they were hiding somewhere… The place wasn’t as packed this time as it has been before, which is again maybe why they weren’t around, but if an emergency arises you want to know that someone’s around to take care of it.
At the end of the gig, it was also apparent that the bar had been dispensing glass bottles… which as you know at any gig it’s a big no-​no. There were a few shattered bottles on the floor after people had cleared out. It’s just lucky, with the wet floor, that nobody slipped and cut themselves. Poor show.
All in, it’s a fairly decent venue. I’ve seen many amazing bands here, but Edinburgh has better venues. The Liquid Room is just… OK.

For a place to just go and boogie, Liquid Rooms is actually pretty good! I’ll admit, I had my reservations when I accidentally suggested we go here — the last time I went was probably in my late– teens.
However, on a Friday night, the place is filled with all ages — some with top banter– and there’s a shisha bar in the back ! At the time, I thought £10 for an hour was a total bargain and it might have been something to do with the jäger-​bombs, but it tasted just like it does on holiday and was a really nice addition to an otherwise so-​so night out.
It is a handy location for when you are debating where to go to finish a night out. The music was pretty standard. Can’t beat a bit of impromptu karaōke to Bohemian Rhapsody with some randoms!

The Liquid Room is a decent venue for watching a band but it wouldn’t be my first choice as a bar to continue drinking in after the pubs close. Partly this is because they do not consistently have every beer/​cider or draught (my preference) and to often you need to fall back to a bottle.
This isn’t that unusual for a live venue, but it is pretty poor for a bar/​club, it also isn’t that cheap… Back on the plus side the sound system is decent and I have enjoyed the gigs I have seen here, but it feels like making do, simply because Edinburgh is so lacking in decent sized venues.
In short I would avoid the club nights, but am happy to go to a gig, so Liquid Room’s gets a very middle of the road A-​Ok from me.

The Liquid Room was the venue for the night Pokey Lafarge and his band hit Edinburgh town. It’s a cosey intimate venue with the full sound desk upstairs. The one door in and out of the music hall itself is located on the opposite side to the cloakroom, so I imagine during jam packed gigs, it could be tricky to get from one side to the other. (It would be better if the cloak room was located outwith the music hall.) The bouncers also seemed a little threatening on the front door. Still, a nice enough venue. — It does the job!

I am into Techno/​Trance/​Electro music so far that I am living in Edinburgh as a student for 3 months, I had not found a better disco/​club than liquid rooms which offer this type of music (perhaps that’s why 4 star not 3). In fact the music quality, DJ-​set, and type of music is amazing and perfectly to my liking. I went 3 times so far, twice was techno and once trance and I both endured till 3am, when they close.
However there are things that I did not like compared to clubbing in my country I come from. First of the entrance price is high 10−12pound. Secondly, things start getting nice and warm around midnight (a bit late), and then within 1 hour the dance floor tend to be packed up and you end up loosing a bit of the fun. Nevertheless, one of the nights was not so packed and I really enjoyed myself. Crowd is very nice coming from all the spectrum of the society, on average mid-​20s to 30s, and there is a certain feel of party.
I don’t drink much, but I thought the prices were a bit high. To put the coat in a secure place, that’s another 1pound. If this place was bigger and the price is about half as much, it will one of the best music clubs ever and would see lots of 5 stars. There were bodyguards at the entrance (checking ad hoc) and inside.

Went to see Little Dragon. Was disappointed that they didn’t have any wine. Other than that it was a pleasant experience.
I was a bit taken aback by the toilet attendant, who would high five everybody coming in to the restroom. She would turn the water on for you to wash your hands and give you paper towels, then would ask you for «a contribution.» I gave her 50p and she offered me a lollipop which I politely declined.
This reminded me of the time I went to see a band at the Grog Shop in CLE last year. I got there a little early, and there was a chair in the restroom so I decided to sit there for a while. It occurs to me now that people might have thought I was a toilet lady. But I was just sitting in a chair playing with my phone. No wonder I didn’t get any tips.
What was I talking about? Yes, Liquid Room. I’m always apprehensive about the restrooms when I go to gigs. Theirs was big with lots of stalls, with a pleasant enough toilet lady. That’s why I give them 3 stars.

Having not been here for a club night in a long time, this review is purely as a gig venue. With that said, despite it’s shortcomings, it is one of the best small venues in Edinburgh for live music.
I have been going to gigs the liquid rooms for years, long before it burnt down and the refurb has offered an improvement of the stage, lighting and sound although everything else is exactly the same.
The biggest problem with this venue is its use of space and the fact that there is only 1 small door in and out of the main room, which leads straight into where the bar is a therefore creates just about the worst bottleneck of any venue I have been to, anywhere. It means you need to fight to get in, fight to get to the cloakroom, fight to get to the bar and then fight to find a space, and god help you if you want another drink during the show. The thing is though, for some reason this venue fills from the back, making it seem like its rammed and no one can move. If you fight towards the front though, its almost always seems to ease up there and its easier to find a place to view the show. Just expect the same in reverse when leaving though!
Assuming you can get past the flawed layout, the sounds is great and the lighting is good (apart from those stobes that seem to be pointed at eye level and cause the entire crowd to look away at EVERY gig I go to there — sort that out, its actually painful and it doesn’t happen at any other venue.
Assuming you can get to bar (you are actually quicker going to the upstairs one normally), its not cheap but that’s pretty standard for a gig venues, they may have promo’s during club nights but not sure.
I know it sounds fairly negative, but once you get past the issues with the layout, its a decent venue for watching enjoying live music and about the best we have in terms of small venues in Edinburgh, but with so many good venues in Glasgow of a similar size, when compared it doesn’t quite stack up.

Average gig venue. Lights too low that flash in the eyes of the audience. Musicians complained they were too low too and it was not good to see the audience.
What saves the place is the patio at the back and the cheap bottled beer.
But please, please, do something with these lights, they make people feel very uncomfortable!

I’ve been to two gigs at this venue, both of them were packed to the point that once you got squeezed into your spot on the floor, that was it, no more moving for you. No getting to the cloak room, don’t even think about getting to the bar, and hey, if there’s another fire just stay there and burn, it would be easier than trying to get outside.
At the first gig, this poor lass fainted, maybe due to drink, probably due to a lack of oxygen or a combination of both, either way, getting her out was damn near impossible.
The only reason I haven’t opted for one star is purely because of the quality of the bands that I’ve seen there on the two occasions. I have since, however, refused to see bands because of the venue, and that is bad news.
Sum up in two words: Firetrap sweatbox

I loved this place while I lived and studied in Edinburgh. My class mates and I went every week (almost every night) and always had a great time. I hope it is as much fun now after the fire as it was a couple years back when I spent way too much time dancing and too little time preparing for exams.

I was here with a friend recently to see Ash on a Thursday night and loved it, it was a great wee venue. It’s pretty small but that always makes for an amazingly intimate experience if a band you like are performing there. They didn’t pack people in like battery hens so it was a nice civilised experience (urgh, I’m getting so old!) and the under 18’s are up on the balcony area so you can even enjoy the experience without any mosh pit related black eyes. The drinks we were having were only £1.50!!! and you hardly had to queue. Brownie points to the staff both on the door and the bar, they were really friendly. Even the guy selling merchandise was unusually upbeat!

Liquid Rooms is a great club, or at least it was before it burned down. I have not actually subsequently been back, but plan to in the next week or so. When I was in my Freshers year at uni, this was probably my favourite club in Edinburgh along with The Hive as it played the music I liked which was generally indie.
However, the first night I went there which was the week after Freshers Week, my friend got involved in an unfortunate situation, this guy who looked off his head on drugs just stared at me and my mates and came us and headbutted one of us, completely unprovoked. This was a really weird and isolated event for Liquid Rooms as all the subsequent night I went there, the folk in there alwyas seemed friendly, so I won’t hold that event against it too much, and if anything ithe event brought me closer to what went on to be my flatmates.
I have also been to the Liquid Room when it is used as a venue for gigs and it is also a pretty good place for that as it provides a nice and intimate space.

The Liquid Rooms remind me of being in my first year of University and going to their alternative night. Actually, it may not have been alternative, but it was called something like that. It was free to get in, and they played alternative rock that no-​one really danced to. We spent most of our time sitting outside drinking beer away from the noise. To be honest, I’m not quite sure we went there in the first place. I guess, the Liquid Rooms is a place I now avoid because of the fear of finding my 18 year old self being foolish in the patio. No-​one wants that.

The Liquid rooms was, the number on club for students, however, as already stated in previous reviews it was effected by a fire in the restaurant above it last year. But do not fret, the rooms are suppose to be making a comeback at the end of the summer, with a range of gigs booked for the Edge Festival.
When the Liquid Rooms were open, one of the best nights out was its student indie night on a Wednesday. Entry was cheap and drinks were cheap all night. The venue itself was quite small with one main dance floor, while the second floor had an extra bar and seating area. Apparently when it reopens the Liquid Rooms will of been expanded with an extra floor for bigger gigs and hopefully for more dance floor space!
I loved the Liquid Rooms as a student, even though on a Wednesday night students were packed in like sardines! Come the end of summer, the Liquid Rooms will hopefully be the place to go again!

I walk past here regularly and it still looked burnt to a crisp a few weeks back so I’m quite surprised to find out it’s reopening so soon. It’s good news though, as it was one of the very few clubs /​gig venues in Edinburgh that could be called edgy, underground, leftfield or any other pretentious moniker used by people with messy hair and tight jeans.
Even if it still smells like a barbeque come opening night, it will still go down a storm I’m sure, though with HMV Picture House now having stamped it’s mark on the middlebrow clubbing scene, they might have to work a bit to get their old fanbase back.

Poor Liquid Rooms!
It was set on fire last year, and when I heard the news I was devastated. It was one of my favourite clubs in Edinburgh because they played brilliant music, it was never too busy and you could always get served at one of the two bars. However, when the fire shut it down for several months, I didn’t think it would survive.
…but it’s back! Having it’s grand re-​opening this week, Liquid Rooms is all set to return to its former glory. And I can’t wait! As I said, it is one of my favourite places in Edinburgh and I know it will come back with a vengeance. Watch this space!

Here’s hoping Fire damage does not cost this solid institution any further.
Liquid Rooms is one of the few medium sized live music venues in the City and, although not without fault, is sorely missed from the events listings!
Ess

Zählt zu meinen Lieblingsplätzen im Edinburgher Nachtleben. Der Club ist immer gut gefüllt und Musik und Publikum sind auch sehr angenehm. Achtung: Die Getränkepreise sind horrend, wahrscheinlich ein Grund dafür, dass sich der Schuppen erst um 1 Uhr füllt. Um halb 2 ist es dann aber brechend voll!

I have never seen a band here so Im only commenting on what this place is like as a nightclub. Personally I hate it! It costs a fortune to get in, the place is grimy, the punters, depending on what music is on that night, are either sad wannabes trying to impress everyone or they are pill heads. I just really am not impressed with this place at all.
The ONE thing however that I do like about this club is the area outside. If this were attached to a better club I would probably spend my life in this outdoor area as it is just beautiful and intimate despite being full of people! Sadly though its really just for the smokers.

I saw Regina Spektor here in 2006, as part of T on the Fringe, which is a great festival for seeing bands when you’re at the Edinburgh festival. Belle and Sebastian played a massive gig in Prince’s Street Gardens that year too. Acers.
The Liquid Rooms were pretty good as a venue. It was large enough to create a mini-​stadium atmosphere — with the balcony stuffed with people, on top of the main room being squashed up with Spektor lovers, or Spektacles, as I call them. (I just made that up). But it’s also small enough to give a sense of intimacy and actually being able to see most of the person on stage.
Regina herself was as awesome as awesome can be. I fell deeply and irremovably in love with her. Along with everybody else at the gig.
One downside is that I stuck very firmly to the floor. Not because i was being particularly resolute about my position, but because the floor was incredibly sticky. One of the stickiest I have ever tread on.