The Edinburgh Gig Archive - Caley Cinema/Picture House

The Caley Picture House at 31 Lothian Road opened in 1923 and played host to many concerts throughout the seventies and into the mid eighties, when it changed it's name to the Caley Palais. After a couple of decades under various nightclub guises the venue has now reopened as The Picture House, owned by the Mama group & HMV, who run such prestigious venue's as London's Hammersmith Apollo and The Kentish Town Forum.

1969 14th November David Bowie (midnight show)
1970 6th February Family
1970 11th August Tony Williams Lifetime (Tony Williams, John McLaughlin, Larry Young, & Jack Bruce).

1970 13th September "Stars At Night" featuring Mungo Jerry, Story-Teller, Julie Felix, The Humblebums, Pentangle, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Ralph McTell, The Strawbs, Taste, & Jake Holmes
1971 19th May Pink Floyd (moved to the university student health centre, bristo sq.)
1971 27th June Wishbone Ash
1971 19th April The Strawbs, support band Brake & Crane
1971 25th April Van Der Graaf Generator, Genesis, Graham Bell & Arc (in place of Lindisfarne)

Thank you to David Evans for this rare ticket.

1971 10th October Argent, The Climax Chicago Blues Band, & The Duffy Power Band

Thank you to Oddfellow for this ticket scan.

1971 21st November Wishbone Ash, & Glencoe

Thank you to David Evans for this rare ticket.

1972 4th February Steeleye Span
1972 13th February Wishbone Ash

Thank you to Geoff Collier for this ticket.

1972 23rd April Gentle Giant & a screening of "Jimi At The Berkeley".

Thank you to Geoff Collier for this ticket.

1972 30th April Barclay James Harvest, with Iron Claw

Thank you to David Evans for this rare ticket.

1972 14th May Uriah Heep, support Mike Maran

Thank you to Geoff Collier for this ticket.

1972 21st May Slade
1972 30th July Hawkwind

Thank you to Geoff Collier for this ticket.

1972 17th September Stone The Crows, & Tennent And Morrison

1972 30th October Ten Years After, & Frankie Miller

Thank you to Geoff Collier for this ticket.

1972 12th November Stackridge

Thank you to David Evans for this rare ticket.

1973 25th February Rory Gallagher, support band Greenslade

Thank you to Oddfellow for this ticket.

Thank you to Al McNab for the two scans above.

1973

22nd March Status Quo, support band Byzantium

Thank you to Oddfellow for this ticket.

1973 23rd April Sutherland Brothers & Quiver

1973 30th September Gentle Giant, and special guests Wild Turkey

Ray Schulman of Gentle Giant at The Caley Cinema. Thank you to Nick Brand for the picture.

Derek Shulman of Gentle Giant at The Caley Cinema. Thank you to Nick Brand for the pictiure.

1973 2nd October Man, Deke Leonard's Iceberg, Johns St Field & Vyvyan Morris

1973 14th November Fairport Convention, support from Mark Brailie

1973 25th November Mott The Hoople, support band Queen

1974 9th January Beck, Bogert, Appice

1974 23rd January George Melly & Peter Skellern

1974 10th March Chick Corea

1974 22nd March J.S.D. Band, Pete Atkin, & Lucas & McCulloch

Thank you to Oddfellow for this ticket.

1974 1st May Rab Noakes & His Band

1974 3rd May Man, & Chris Darrow

Thank you to Oddfellow for this ticket.

1974 6th June Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band & Henry Cow

1974 13th June Magma

1974 20th June Stomo Yamashta's East Wind (Stomo Yamashta's music was used in the Nicholas Roeg film "The Man Who Fell To Earth" starring David Bowie).

1974 15th September Gong

1974 19th November Tangerine Dream

Thank you to Al McNab for this scan.

The programme for this Tangerine Dream tour.

1974 1st December Argent

1975 10th January (rescheduled from 27th May 1974) The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

1975 9th February Robin Trower

1975 23rd February Chick Corea

1976 31st October AC/DC

The AC/DC programme from the 1976 tour.

1978 7th October Robert Halpern

1984 22nd January The Cult
1984 4th May Ian Dury, support band Baby Knives (ex Trax)

1984 6th May Blancmange
1984 8th May Dead Or Alive
1984 10th May Runrig
1984 13th May Orange Juice

1984 17th May Psychedelic Furs, support band Passion Puppets. (Psychedelic Furs spotted dining in nearby "Rock Bottoms" restaurant before the show).

1984 31st May Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, support band Bourgie Bourgie
1984 4th June Billy Bragg
1984 14th June The Smiths

1984 4th October The Sisters Of Mercy
1984 7th October Aztec Camera, support band The Go-Betweens
1984 12th October Shriekback

1984 18th October Hanoi Rocks, support bands Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers & The Baby Sitters

1984 21st October Billy Bragg, The Hank Wangford Band & The Frank Chickens

1984 22nd October Spear Of Destiny

1984 25th October The Fall
1984 1st November Bronski Beat

1984 2nd November SPK, support band Rebublika
1984 4th November The Alarm

Thank you to Jim Barr for the ticket above.

1984 8th November Lords Of The New Church
1984 9th November The March Violets, & First Priority

1984 16th November REM, support band The Lucy Show

Thank you to Paul Trotter for this ticket.

I.R.S Records badge, the record label REM were on at this time. Thank you to Ian Dunipace for this rare badge.

1984 23rd November The Redskins

1984 30th November "The Home Front" featuring Baby Knives, Rubber Yahoo, & Ege Bam Yasi

1984 18th December Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
1985 24th January Everything But The Girl
1985 5th February New Order, support bands The Royal Family & The Poor

1985 10th February The Boomtown Rats

1985 21st February Killing Joke, support band Ellery Bop

1985 10th March The Sisters Of Mercy

The Sisters Of Mercy, Caley Palais 10/05/85. Thank you to Jim Barr for the picture. © Jim Barr 1985.

2008 13th September Idlewild (special preview night, the first concert at the revamped Picture House).

The photos below were taken prior to the revamp. © Pete Naples

A view from the intact balcony of the hall and stage. Once the chrome
decking is removed you can see wha a great place this will once again be.

Another view from the balcony.

A view of the bar!! This is situated in the original position at the back wall of the
venue opposite to the stage.

Another view of that all important light refreshment area!!

Another shot of the bar for good measure. If you'll excuse the pun!!

Original art deco Tiffany style stained glass situated above the fire
exite doors, taken from the inside.

More period art deco features.

Original proscenium situated above the stage area. This motif
is continued throughout the building.

A closer view.

Even closer.

Another original plaster feature.

Disco days ceiling art. Also original skylight with plaster detail.

More disco days ceiling art.

Original cast iron radiator lurking behind some plaster board paneling.

Now arguably some of the most interesting pictures. The original projection
room is still present, and amongst the air conditioning that has been placed here
remains a number of original projectors. As far as I know
films have not been shown here since circa 1983, so it's amazing
these have been left to gather dust. Possibly with the weight and bulk of these
machines, it has just been easier to leave them be. How fantastic and spooky!

Another view

And another view

Inside the projector

The makers mark proudly displayed on the top of the projector.

Another view

I think this is some sort of old stage spotlight, but it could be another projector.

Another view

And another

Not sure exactly what this is, but it's "made in England", and is
something to do with film projection.

Another view amongst the rubble and dust.

This looks like some sort of service sheet for the equipment.

Some sort of old control centre.

Amongst the dust some old film reels lie.

Another view

No idea what this is...................

Back To Top