Idlewild Set To Open New Edinburgh Venue This Weekend

The former site of the Revolution nightclub and ill-fated Gig on Edinburgh's Lothian Road is set to re-open its doors as the Picture House this weekend. Playing the first show in the newly refurbished venue will be local indie rock heroes Idlewild.

Roddy Woomble and co will set the ball rolling on an opening season geared to suit a fairly diverse range of musical tastes, including shows by the likes of Travis, Dirty Pretty Things, Walter Trout, The Charlatans, Martha Wainwright, Tangerine Dream and Atreyu in the coming months.

Pitched as Auld Reekie's new equivalent to Glasgow's ABC, the venture will hopefully fill the void in mid-range city centre gig venues left in the wake of the much missed Edinburgh Venue's closure in 2006.

The London-based MAMA group, the Picturehouse's new owners, will have to fight to bring back the old luster from the venue's halcyon Pink Floyd and Van Morrison days, but with September geared to run the gamut from blues to death metal it looks like interesting times are in store for the local music scene.