The Edinburgh Playhouse opened on "The Glorious Twelfth" of August 1929 as a cinema seating 3040, designed by architect John Fairweather.  The building is one of the finest surviving examples of the "super-cinema" built in an era when creating a feeling of opulence and granduer, as well as maximising seating capacity was top of the list.  Closed to cinema in 1973, and narrowly escaping demolition, it has hosted many bands and performers, as well as now being mainly used for touring musicals.

1966  2nd September Chris Barber Band with Kenneth Washington

1976  24th March Diana Ross                                                                                             1976  1st & 2nd September Queen

 

1976  16th September Crosby & Nash

1976  17th September  Elton John

1976  14th November Santana

1976  17th November The Carpenters

 

1976  2nd & 3rd December Bryan Ferry                                                                   1977  11th January Rod Stewart

1977  14th January Genesis

1977  25th February Bryan Ferry
1977  7th May The Clash, support bands The Jam, The Buzzcocks, The Slits, The Prefects, and Subway Sect

1980  20th July The Stranglers


1980  24th August The Ramones

1980  27th September Gary Numan

1980  15th October The Pretenders

1980  25th October UB40

1980  29th October The Jam 

                                                                                             

1980  10th November Weather Report

                                                                              

1980  13th November Shirley Bassey

                                                                                

 1980  26th November Ian Dury & The Blockheads

                                                          

1980  29th November Yes (Trevor Horn Vocals)

                                                              

1980  8th December Dire Straits

                                                                                      

1981  31st January UFO 

                          

                                                                                                                                         1981  19th & 20th February The Who

 

Thank you to David for his memories of The Who at the Playhouse

"For the Playhouse gigs, it was a case of queuing down the steps at the side of the theatre for tickets. The queue stretched down to the bottom of the steps and way up the road to the John Lewis walkway (behind where the multi storey car park is now). We managed to get stalls tickets for both gigs, as we started queuing quite early in the morning of the sale. It was well worth it though because both gigs were fantastic, with some different songs played each night. I recall quite a few mods at these gigs, as the ska/mod scene was blooming that year".


1981  24th February The Stranglers 

                                                                                

 

1981  27th February Siouxsie & The Banshees, support band The Comsat Angels    1981  5th March Jeff Beck

 


1981  11th March The Supremes

                                                                                      

 

1981  26th April The Undertones

 

                                                           
 
1981  16th & 17th May Bruce Springsteen (The original show was rescheduled from 30th March, see ticket below, and a second night was added).

 

                   

 

1981  17th June Kraftwerk (rescheduled from 9th May) 

                                                  

 

1981  21st June Robert Palmer                                                                                           1981  6th July Iggy Pop   

                                

                                                                                                                                                 1981  13th August Siouxsie & The Banshees, support Linton Kwesi Johnson

            

1981  26th August Whitesnake, special guest Billy Squire

                                             

1981  30th August Ian Dury & The Blockheads                                                                 1981  30th September The Grateful Dead  

 

          

                                                                                                                                                                         1981  5th October Steve Hackett

                                                                                           

 

1981  13th October Renaissance  

                     

                                                                                                                                               1981  17th October  Johnny Cash                                                                                      1981  18th October Greg Lake

 

1981  19th October Saxon

                                                                                                  

 

1981  5th November Cliff Richard  

                        

                                                                                                                                                1981  21st November The Human League

                                                                       

 

1981  22nd November The Stranglers


1981  30th November Gene Pitney

 

 

 

 

1981  15th December Japan
1981  19th December Duran Duran                                                                                   1982  13th January UFO

                                                                                                      

 

1982  22nd January Stiff Little Fingers                                                                              1982  30th January Sammy Hagar

                                                                                    

 

1982  1st February The Teardrop Explodes

                                                                     

1982  11th February Krokus & Magnum  

                                                                           

1982  15th March Iron Maiden
                                                                                            

 

1982  4th April Graham Parker
1982  10th April Blackfoot

                                                                                                   

 

1982  14th April The Scorpions (Rescheduled from 11th February)

                              

 

1982  20th April The Boomtown Rats
1982  26th April The Cure


1982  2nd May Meatloaf 

                                                                                                    

 

1982  5th May Foreigner

                                                                                                     

 

1982  14th May Jethro Tull
1982  22nd May Todd Rundgren 

                                                                                      

 

1982  28th May The Rolling Stones, support from local band TV21, who decided to call it a day backstage after this concert.  The Stones were introduced on stage by Billy Connolly


1982  29th May Camel 

                                                                                                       

 

1982  9th July Toyah 

                        

                                                                                                                                                  1982  23rd & 25th July The Clash

 

 

 

 

1982  9th September Mike Oldfield

                                                                                   

 

1982  16th September UB40

                   

                                                                                                                                                1982  17th September Elvis Costello                                                                                1982  27th September Echo & The Bunnymen                                

                                                                                                                 

 

1982  1st October Roxy Music

 

 

1982  7th October Shakin' Stevens

 

1982  10th & 11th October AC/DC, support band Y&T


 


1982  12th October Hall & Oates

                                                                                      

 

1982  18th October Joan Jett & The Blackhearts                                            

                                                                                

 

1982  20th October  Depeche Mode
1982  21st October Hawkwind

                                                                                          

 

1982  26th October Japan

                                                                                                  

 

1982  29th October Stiff Little Fingers
1982  1st November Duran Duran

1982  4th November Elton John


1982  6th November ABC

                                                                                                   

 

1982  7th November Gillan & Spyder 

                                                                                                

 

1982  16th November Siouxsie & The Banshees (Robert Smith on guitar) 

                                                       

                                                                                        

 

1982  17th November Ultravox 

                                      

 

 

1982  18th November Yazoo

                                                                                              

 

1982  23rd November Budgie, support Bernie Torme 

                                  

                                                                                                                                                1982  25th November Billy Connolly

                     

                                                                                                                                               1982  1st December Michael Schenker Group

                                                                 

 

1982  2nd December The Kinks

                                                                                       

 

1982  4th December Cliff Richard

 

                                              

                                                                                                                                                1982  19th December Simple Minds

                                                                                

 

1983  16th January Echo & The Bunnymen 
1983  11th February The Stranglers

 

1983  28th February U2

                                         

 

                                                                                                                                          1983  2nd March 10cc

                                                                                                        

1983  17th March Thin Lizzy 

                                                                                              

 

1983  19th March Fun Boy Three
1983  20th March Mari Wilson                                                                                             1983  31st March The Undertones                                                                                      1983  7th April Marillion

                                                                                                       

 

1983  8th & 9th April Eric Clapton


 

1983  22nd April Spandau Ballet 

                                                                                      

1983  23rd April Steve Hackett

                                                                                          

 

1983  27th April Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark, Support band The Cocteau Twins

  

 

 

1983  13th May Iron Maiden

                                                                                               

1983  20th May Kajagoogoo                                                                                               1983  21st May Robert Palmer

 

1983  14th September Peter Gabriel  

                                              

                                                                                                                                                1983  18th September Big Country


 

1983  19th September Depeche Mode                                                                            1983  22nd & 23rd September Rainbow, supported by Lita Ford

                               

 

1983  14th October Cliff Richard 

                                                                                           

1983  28th October Kiss

                                                                                                     

 

1983  30th October Michael Schenker Group

                                                                  

 

1983  20th November Ozzy Osbourne, support Heavy Pettin'

 


1983  23rd November Robert Plant                                                                                    1983  28th November Y & T, support band Rock Godess 

                            

                                                                                                                                                1983  20th December Whitesnake                                                                                    1983  31th December Marillion

                                                                                          

 

1984  12th February Saxon

                                                                                                

 

1984  19th February Marillion
 

 

1984  23rd February  Hawkwind 
1984  24th February Simple Minds

                                                                                    

 

1984  3rd March The Clash


1984  8th March Manowar                                                                                                   1984  11th & 12th March The Thompson Twins                                                                1984  31st March Nik Kershaw                                                                                           1984  2nd April Pallas

                                                                                                         

 

1984  26th April The Cure


1984  17th June Siouxsie & The Banshees (This was around the time venues first started to use these hideous electronic tickets, the Playhouse being about the first!).

 

1984  22nd September Dio

                                                                                                

 

1984  6th October Kiss

                                                                                                       

1984  8th October Big Country

                                                                                          

 

1984  12th October Echo & The Bunnymen                                                                      1984  14th October The Style Council
1984  18th October Depeche Mode

Scarf purchased at this gig....Yes, you could still buy these at gigs in 84'


1984  2nd November Motorhead, support band Gas 

                                                                                      

 

1984  5th November U2

 

1984  24th, 26th, 30th & 31st December Big Country
1985  17th February The Stranglers


1985  27th & 28th February Eric Clapton, special guest Chris Rea                                                                  1985  28th March Shakin' Stevens 

 

           

                                                                                                                                               1985  29th April Rick Wakeman                                                                                         1985  30th May The Firm                                                                                                     1985  31st May The Hollies

 


1985  1st June The Damned, support band The Fuzztones

 


1985  8th June Wishbone Ash                                                                                           1985  11th June Foreigner                                                                                                   1985  7th September Saxon, Support band The Pretty Maids 

                                      

 

1985  15th September Gary Moore

                                                                                   

1985  21st September Marillion                                                                                          1985  22nd September The Cure                                                                                        1985  24th September The Smiths                                                                                     1985  5th October Magnum                                                                                                 1985  11th October Siouxsie & The Banshees, support band The Scientists

 


1985  17th & 18th October The Thompson Twins                                                             1985  31st October Billy Connolly 

                                                                                      

 

1985  17th November The Everly Brothers    

                                               

                                                                                                                                              1985  18th November Hawkwind                                                                                         1985  21st & 23rd November Cliff Richard

 

 


1985  13th December Nik Kershaw                                                                                    1985  14th December Paul Young                                                                                      1986  14th January Sting                                                                                                     1986  22nd & 23rd January AC/DC
1986  8th February Motley Crue, support band Cheap Trick 

                                                               

 

1986  16th February Ozzy Osbourne                                                                                  1986  23rd March Big Country
1986  10th April Accept, support band Warlock

                                                               

 

1986  22nd April Twisted Sister

                                                                                      

 

1986  11th May Public Image Limited   

                                       

                                                                                                                                                1986  14th May The Ramones (Moved forward from the Empire on the 16th May, but this ticket was bought after the reschedule)

 

 


1986  11th September New Order                                                                                    1986  17th September Motorhead
1986  29th September Five Star                                                                                         1986  15th October The Damned, support band Blue In Heaven
1986  24th & 25th October The Stranglers


1986  30th October Wasp

 

                                                                                                   

 

1986  2nd & 3rd November Ultravox
1986  13th November Hawkwind                                                                                  1986  25th & 26th November Alice Cooper, support band Doctor & The Medics

 


1986  27th November George Benson                                                                              1987  9th February The Psychedelic Furs (Rescheduled from 16/12/86)
1987  18th February Nik Kershaw                                                                                      1987  6th March  Deep Purple
1987  10th March Simply Red
1987  19th March The Thompson Twins                                                                             1987  28th & 29th April  Duran Duran                                                                                1987  16th June Iggy Pop


1987  2nd September Def Leppard                                                                                   1987  20th September Motorhead

                                                                                     

 

1987  4th October Jethro Tull                                                                                              1987  7th November Ben Elton                                                                                           1987  13th November Tom Waits

                                                                                      

 

1987  5th December The Cult


1987  17th, 18th & 19th December Marillion

 

 


1988  17th January Depeche Mode
1988  27th February Heart                                                                                                   1988  22nd March Ted Nugent, support band Krokus

                                                    

 

1988  13th April Hawkwind                                                                                                  1988  28th April Clannad                                                                                                    1988  17th June Judas Priest                                                                                              1988  26th November Billy Connolly                                                                                   1988  28th November The Mission, support band The Mighty Lemon Drops
1988  6th December Hawkwind
1989  18th January Eric Clapton
1989  29th January Big Country
1989  20th February Simply Red
1989  16th April  Duran Duran
1989  27th May Big Country
1989  1st & 2nd June Elton John, special guest Nik Kershaw                                         1989  21st September Jethro Tull
1989  16th October Transvision Vamp 

                                             

                                                                                                                                                1989  21st October Yes                                                                                                        1989  25th October Runrig                                                                                                  1989  28th October All About Eve

                                                                                      

 

1989  17th & 18th November Dave Lee Roth                                                                    1989  31st December Big Country
1990  5th March The Stranglers (rescheduled from 27th September 1989)


1990  27th March Fish                                                                                                         1990  9th May Jeff Beck                                                                                                       1990  20th October Hawkwind
1990  1st November Queensryche                                                                                     1991  11th March Deep Purple
1991  28th March Judas Priest                                                                                           1991  30th March Megadeth                                                                                                1991  17th July Kraftwerk

                                                                                                    

 

1992  17th March Jethro Tull
1992  1st May Hawkwind                                                                             &nbs