The Venue, which closed its doors for good in 2006, is remembered by many not just here in the capital - but across Scotland.
The Calton Road spot first opened in the early 80s as the Jailhouse, before becoming The Venue. During its earlier years, the spot was mainly known for live music - and saw some huge names during its time.
The Stone Roses, My Bloody Valentine, Deacon Blue, Sonic Youth and LCD Soundsystem are just a few of the notables who graced the stage over the years. Folks will remember The Venue for many different things, but one that stands out to most is their techno nights.
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Their signature nights Pure and Tribal Funktion were considered some of the best club nights in the capital - with revellers travelling from far and wide. The night time venue remained popular until the mid 00s, when it was announced that the building had been sold to a property developer.
The final night saw The Venue packed out in June 2006. Hearts were broken across the country, with one mourner even taking to graffiti ‘The Best, RIP’ across the doorway shortly after closing.
Seventeen years later, the establishment remains ingrained in the heads of locals. We posted in our Edinburgh Live Nostalgia group on Facebook, to see what people had to say about the loved and lost venue.
Lorna Blackie recalled: “Such a great venue. So many good nights.
“In particular I loved seeing Muse in 2000, it was great to see them raw and old school in such a small venue. Loved the smoky atmosphere, sticky floors and cheap drink.
“No other venue has been the same for me. People were genuinely going to have a good time and be present, I’m glad I had some time to enjoy places like The Venue before this.”
Diane Scougall looked back on a wild night at The Venue: “It had a really low ceiling with steel beams.
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“At one point a crowd surfer ended up dangling upside down from one of the beams by his feet. It was a crazy night.”
Edinburgh Live spoke to Peter Symington, also known as DJ Kid, who was heavily involved with club nights at The Venue. He told us: “I started DJing in 1989; by the time the rave scene was in full flow in 1991, Pure was the most significant event in town - a huge techno night.
“It was the first regular night, definitely in Edinburgh and maybe even in Scotland. For many, it was their first experience with techno.
“It was also a catalyst of change for club nights, in a shift away from live music so much and more club nights and events.
“For me, I first DJ’d at Buster Browns on Market Street which was the main spot in Edinburgh for many in the 80s. They had an under 18s on a Friday night, which my friends took me to.
“One of my mates asked the resident DJ if I could play for him, which he let me do the next week. I started playing there.
“I organised my own night called Street Knowledge there in 1995, which I brought Roni Size & MC Dynamite to Edinburgh for. It was the first regular Jungle and Drum & Bass night, then I also went on to promote Manga and Jungle Magik nights at the venue - all really successful.”
From Street Knowledge and Pure, to the array of big names that hit the stage, everyone remembers The Venue for something different. The consistent thing is that no one is forgetting it anytime soon.
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