Keep Picture House Alive!

[harryomatic]

Read yesterday that Picture House in Edinburgh is to close, and that it is to become a Wetherspoons. Real shame. Saw this petition to try and keep an element of live music there, needs some signatures!

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/jd-wetherspoons-keep-edinburgh-picture-house-as-a-live-music-venue

[PatsInThePark]

Signed it. Never been to the venue but still worth my signature.

[DomDom1984]

Signing it. I was only in once, but it was one of the best nights I've had. Wrestling show during the fringe. Magic.

[Deeps]

Seen a few cracking gigs there, most notably The Streets, The Courteeners and Frightened Rabbit. Shame to see it go

[Pocoyo]

It's awful news on so many levels, Edinburgh has a lack of music venues, we don't need more Wetherspoons in that area, Lothian Road has enough trouble already without a Wetherspoons, etc etc.

BUT

It makes me laugh how when anyone disagrees with something nowadays they think a realistic way to change it is by starting a petition. Really? What do you hope to achieve here? I don't get it. Even if you got half a million signatures, what do you think will happen? Wetherspoons will sell it back and it will continue as a music venue?

Edinburgh needed several new music venues, whether Picture House remained or not. There's a bigger picture to be tackled here and this petition is not the way to tackle it at all.

[harryomatic]

I think the hope is that if enough people signed, Wetherspoons would recognise a desire for live music there and maintain some element of that in the new pub. No one is expecting them to sell it off and we'll suddenly have Picture House back just the way it was. A band showcase one a week or once a month, something like that at least nodding to the musical heritage of the building.

Well what would you suggest I do instead? Go to Wetherspoons HQ, politely tap on the door and ask how much it would cost to buy Picture House from them? Start up my own chain of venues around the city from scratch? Doesn't seem like a much more realistic option to me.

There's not much I can actually do to bring picture house back or improve the live music scene of Edinburgh. But if I see a chance to add my voice to that of hundreds (when I signed it, now over 6000) of others sharing my concerns, even there's only the slightest chance it will make a difference, then I'm going to take it.

[devilman]

Sad times. One of my best gigs ever was there, Cult playing Love in full. It's a great venue. The petition will achieve cock all. Wetherspoons operate on small margins and high volume. It wouldn't be possible to have a dual purpose building.

I love a trip to Edinburgh for a gig but it happens less and less these days

[Pocoyo]

I think the hope is that if enough people signed, Wetherspoons would recognise a desire for live music there and maintain some element of that in the new pub. No one is expecting them to sell it off and we'll suddenly have Picture House back just the way it was. A band showcase one a week or once a month, something like that at least nodding to the musical heritage of the building.

Well what would you suggest I do instead? Go to Wetherspoons HQ, politely tap on the door and ask how much it would cost to buy Picture House from them? Start up my own chain of venues around the city from scratch? Doesn't seem like a much more realistic option to me.

There's not much I can actually do to bring picture house back or improve the live music scene of Edinburgh. But if I see a chance to add my voice to that of hundreds (when I signed it, now over 6000) of others sharing my concerns, even there's only the slightest chance it will make a difference, then I'm going to take it.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Pocoyo

[Gingo]

Went to see 3 doors down in the picture house was a great venue, sad to hear of another music venue closing however from a completely selfish point of view the more chance of acts playing Glasgow instead of Edinburgh on tours is better for me

[harryomatic]

Wetherspoons don't run music venues though. Why would they start here and why would anyone want them to?

Yes, you would be better accepting that this venue has gone and then putting your time and energy into something which could improve the Edinburgh music scene as a whole.

Edinburgh's music venue options are an embarrassment compared to Glasgow's, when you consider the cities are of similar size. I'm not sure why this should be. I wish I was rich enough to do something about it and it always surprises me that people who are rich enough haven't built more venues. We desparately need an SECC-sized venue in Edinburgh, I'd say more so than we need the Picture House remaining open.

[Gingo]

Some bands don't even play Glasgow when they tour so really don't see the need for an arena in Edinburgh especially when it is easy enough to get through to Glasgow for big acts, there is no way a band would play hydro and an arena in edinburgh far too close the only other place a big act would would is aberdeen since it is a big enough distance away to make it viable

[harryomatic]

Exactly. We need places like Picture House, to compete with the likes of Barrowlands, ABC, and the Academy in Glasgow, and the Music Hall in Aberdeen. We still have the Corn Exchange, but that's about double the capacity of Picture House I think

[Gingo]

Exactly. We need places like Picture House, to compete with the likes of Barrowlands, ABC, and the Academy in Glasgow, and the Music Hall in Aberdeen. We still have the Corn Exchange, but that's about double the capacity of Picture House I think

[frankblack]

The Picture House is a venue that let bands play Scotland twice a year, alternating between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

I do go through to Glasgow for some gigs but I will think twice if ALL gigs ate in Glasgow.

[TheGaffer]

http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/74428 Article on the Picture House top on NME.com, surely going to gather a lot of interest!

[GazzaScotland]

Seeing Slash in there was crazy, from seeing him a couple of weeks before at Donington with 100,000 others to just about 1,000 people was brilliant. Security were rubbish mind you.

[frankblack]

I think it is insane if the council allow another Wetherspoons a license. That would be three of their super-pubs within a few streets of each other.

There should be some way to force the owners to keep it as a live music venue.

Edited December 15, 2013 by frankblack

[Paul ™]

Only ever went once to see placebo last year, great venue be a shame for it to go.

But these petitions are a waste of time am afraid.

[sinc72]

Good on you Calum for starting this but I'm afraid I really don't see this making any difference. Wetherspoons don't give a toss about any venue history or what a building represents to the locals. They are a multi - million pound company who own the blandest chain of pubs in the country. They don't even have music playing in the background in their pubs so what are the chances of having a live band playing!?

On a broader scale its another example of Edinburgh completely losing touch with any sort of indie/alternative/ rock scene and much of this has to be thrown at the council. They have made it very difficult for venues to operate with strict licensing rules. Recently both Sneaky petes and studio 24 both lost live music licensing due to noise complaints!! You have the G1 group buying up large parts of the city and changing iconic venues like Cab Vol into some type of George Street bar. Fundamentally there probably isn't as many people interested in that scene as much as there was 15-20 years ago. I was at Haddowfest a few months back and there was a lot of low attended gigs and even the main headliners struggled.

All that said well done though for trying to make a difference but I'm afraid your actions will probably end up being futile.

Read yesterday that Picture House in Edinburgh is to close, and that it is to become a Wetherspoons. Real shame. Saw this petition to try and keep an element of live music there, needs some signatures!

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/jd-wetherspoons-keep-edinburgh-picture-house-as-a-live-music-venue

[Chiefski]

Shambolic move, there is actually no need for another pub on that street. Closures to places like this effect live music fans across the whole middle-east side of Scotland just as much as Edinburgh imo

[frankblack]

The petition has now hit its 10k target. It should be interesting to see what the council have to say when its presented to them.

[Paul ™]

Can't see them doing anything about it, it will pretty much just be a change of premise licence required.

[guitarbhoy1888]

surely that place is too big to be a wetherspoons ?

[cobaltstargazer]

Shame, i used to make a point of traveling through from Ayrshire to see gigs at the Picture House, always a great night out afterwards in Edinburgh. Favourite gig was Alabama3 in August.

[frankblack]

surely that place is too big to be a wetherspoons ?