Odeon Cinema

The Cinema at 7 Clerk Street was opened as theNew Victoria on 25th August 1930, designed by architectsWE Trent & JW Jordan for Gaumont.  Renamed The Odeon in April 1964.  1978 saw the stage made deeper, making the performance area more suited to many live bands that played gigs here bookended by the years 1970-1981(Including my first ever gig, the Madness matinee show in December 1980). In 1982 the auditorium was subdivided, ending it’s life as a music venue.  The cinema sadly closed on 30th August 2003.

The Odeon 20th April 2009. ©S.S. 2009.

Thank you to Alan for the photo.
The Odeon 20th April 2009.  ©S.S. 2009.
Interestingly, when the Odeon signage was removed there remained the faint outline of the “New Victoria” signwriting underneath dating to 1930. ©S.S. 2009.
The original Odeon back gates as they were in 2009. ©S.S. 2009.
  •  1970  20th March Deep Purple
  • 1970  23rd-25th July The Corries
  • 1970  26th-29th August, 2nd-5th September, 9th-12th September Corrie Folk (The Corries and guests).
  • 1970  28th November Julie Felix & The McCallums
  • 1970  27th December The Corries
  • 1971  13th August Syd Lawrence & His Orchestra
  • 1971  22nd August Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, & Peter, Paul, & Mary
  • 1971  4th December  Humpherey Lyttelton & Alex Welsh-A Tribute To Louis Armstrong
  • 1971  17th December Yank Lawson, Bob Haggart & The Worlds Greatest Jazz Band
  • 1971  19th December The Corries
  • 1972  19th March David Hughes-A Viennese Evening
  • 1972  28th May The Corries
  • 1972  1st November Up Country
  • 1972  3rd November The Four Tops
  • 1972  8th November Cliff Richard & Olivia Newton John
  • 1972  9th November George Hamilton IVth
  • 1973  7th January The Corries
  • 1973  17th February Freezin’ Heat
  • 1973  3rd March Slim Whitman
  • 1973  7th April Roxy Music, Sharks, & Lloyd Watson
  • 1973  23rd May Paul McCartney & Wings
Thank you to Tom McClymont for the ticket and poster above.
  • 1973  27th May The Corries
  • 1973  31st August The Corries
  • 1973  1st September The Corries
  • 1973  7th September The Corries
  • 1973  13th October Lindisfarne
  • 1973  16th & 17th November Cliff Richard (4 shows in total)
  • 1974  8th February Wizzard (2 shows)
  • 1974  5th April The Incredible String Band
  • 1974  12th April Mick Ronson
  • 1974  15th April The Spinners
  • 1974  19th April Deep Purple, support band Elf
Front row!
  • 1974  25th May Alvin Stardust (2 shows)
  • 1974  29th May Black Sabbath & Black Oak Arkansas
Unofficial programme bought at this show.
  • 1974  4th June Lou Reed (the show was very late to start as Lou was busy drinking in the bar of the Caledonian Hotel).
  • 1974  12th October Mud
  • 1974  19th October Uriah Heep
  • 1974  21st & 22nd October Roxy Music
Thank you to Charles Laing for this ticket.
  • 1974  31st October The Bay City Rollers
  • 1974  15th November  Golden Earing, support band Lynard Skynard
  • 1974  19th November Sparks, support band Pilot 
  • 1974  10th December The Rubettes
  • 1974  13th December Rod Stewart & The Faces
  • 1975  29th April The Bay City Rollers
Rollermania at the odeon!!  Thank you to Alan for the picture.
  • 1975  16th & 17th October Sparks
  • 1975  21st October An Evening With Bette Davis
  • 1975  26th November Uriah Heep
  • 1975  6th December Mud, support band Bilbo Baggins
Please magnify to read.
  • 1975  14th December Jim Cruickshanks Gala Night, compere Stu Francis
  • 1976  22nd April Nazareth
  • 1976  14th & 16th May The Average White Band
Thank you to Charles Laing for this ticket.
  • 1976  28th & 29th May The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
  • 1976  23rd June Slik
  • 1976  8th August Country & Western Festival Ethna Campbell, Carl Gibson, & Wayne Nutt
  • 1976  10th September The Bay City Rollers
Thank you to Andy Mitchell for this ticket.
  • 1976  25th September Be Bop Deluxe
  • 1976  24th October Patti Smith, support band The Stranglers
  • 1977  11th March Val Doonican
  • 1977  30th September Dr Feelgood, support band Mink DeVille
  • 1977  14th November Thin Lizzy, support band The Radiators From Space
  • 1977 15th November Gary Glitter, support band Rosetta Stone
  • 1977  25th November Peter Straker
  • 1977  6th December The Boomtown Rats
  • 1978  4th February Judas Priest
  • 1978  18th April The Commodores
  • 1978  5th May UK
  • 1978  23rd May The Maddy Prior Band
Thank you to Graham Ferguson for this ticket.
  • 1978  28th May AC/DC, support band British Lions
  • 1978  29th May George Benson
  • 1978  31st May Blue Oyster Cult, support band Japan
  • 1978  1st June Ian Dury & The Blockheads
  • 1978  5th June Gerry Rafferty & Rab Noakes (Dire Straits did not play)
  • 1978  6th June The Buzzcocks
  • 1978  14th June Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
  • 1978  22nd June The Boomtown Rats, support band Matt Vinyl & The Decorators
  • 1978  30th June UFO
  • 1978  14th July Jasper Carrott
  • 1978  30th August Patti Smith (aftershow party at The Antiquary St Stephen’s Street, Stockbridge)
Thank you to Charles Laing for this ticket.
Ticket for Patti Smith’s poetry reading at the Odeon.  This took place in the afternoon on the day of the gig.  Thank you to Andy Mitchell for this ticket.
Thank you to Graham Dumble for this signed flyer from the afternoon poetry reading.
  • 1978  13th September Blondie, support band The Boyfriends
Debbie Harry at the Odeon 13th September 1978.  Thank you to David Miller for the photograph
  • 1978  25th September Brand X, special guest Peter Hammill 
  • 1978  28th September The Tom Robinson Band
Thank you to Charles Laing for this ticket.
  • 1978  1st October Rose Royce
  • 1978  7th October DrFeelgood
  • 1978  10th October Wishbone Ash
Thank you to David Evans for this ticket.
  • 1978  11th October Steel Pulse, support band China Street
  • 1978  18th October Kraftwerk
  • 1978  23rd October Buzzcocks, support band Subway Sect
  • 1978  27th October Whitesnake, support band Magnum
  • 1978  31st October AC/DC, support band Blazer Blazer 
The pictures above are AC/DC at the Edinburgh Odeon on 31st October 1978, featuring the late great Bon Scott, who sadly died just over a year later.  Thank you to Hugh for these rare pictures. © Hugh C.W. 1978.
The pictures above are Blazer Blazer, support to AC/DC at the Edinburgh Odeon on 31st October 1978.  At one point Blazer Blazer’s line up contained Michael “Nicko” McBrain, later to join Iron Maiden.  Thank you to Hugh for these rare pictures.  © Hugh C.W. 1978.
Please magnify to read. Blazer Blazer programme excerpt, thank you to Hugh for this item.
  • 1978  1st November Sham 69
  • 1978  7th November Judas Priest 
  • 1978  16th November The Clash, support band The Slits
Thank you to Alan for this rare signed flyer.
  • 1978  20th November Lindisfarne
  • 1978  21st November The Cheiftains
  • 1978  26th November Devo
  • 1978  1st December John Martyn
  • 1978  13th December Rory Gallagher
  • 1978  22nd December The Rezillos, support band Chou Parrot (The Undertones did not play).
  • 1979  15th & 16th January Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Thank you to Charles Laing for this ticket.
  • 1979  23rd January The Kinks
  • 1979  8th February UFO
  • 1979  20th February Herbie Hancock
  • 1979  21st February Steve Hillage
  • 1979  1st March Average White Band
  • 1979  5th March Bad Company
  • 1979  6th March Graham Parker & The Rumour
Thank you to Graham Dumble for this scan.
The five photos above are Graham Parker at the Odeon 6th March 1979.  Thank you to Allan McKay for these pictures. ©Allan McKay 1979.
  • 1979  13th March Eddie & The Hot Rods & The Members
  • 1979  15th March Van Morrison
  • 1979  19th March Elton John
The three pictures above are Elton John at the Edinburgh Odeon 19th March 1979.  Thank you to Steven Betts for these pictures.  ©Steven Betts 1979
  • 1979  24th March Bootsy’s Rubber Band
  • 1979  26th March David Essex        
  • 1979  27th March Motorhead
  • 1979  30th March Folksong ’79       
  • 1979  1st April The Hollies
Thank you to Graham Ferguson for this ticket.
  • 1979  6th April Frankie Miller
  • 1979  16th April Thin Lizzy
  • 1979  27th April JJ Burnel, Support bands Blood Doner & Rapid Eye Movement
  • 1979  28th April Rush
  • 1979  1st May Child
Mike from the band Child at the Odeon.  Thank you to Chris for the photo
  • 1979  2nd May John Miles, support band Bandit
  • 1979  7th May Dennis Brown & The Professionals, support Rudy Thomas
  • 1979  12th May The Tubes
  • 1979  19th May Renaissance    
  • 1979  23rd, 24th, 25th & 26th May Status Quo
The pictures above are Status Quo at the Edinburgh Odeon May 1979.  Thank you to Hugh for these rare pictures. © Hugh C.W. 1979.
  • 1979  1st June The Police, support band The Cramps
  • 1979  3rd June Robert Halpern
  • 1979  9th June The Who

Thank you to David for his memories below of The Who at the Odeon “In the foyer they had a lot of stands advertising Quadrophenia and the Kids are Alright movie which had just been released. We managed to nick a couple of album covers and hung around outside the back of the theatre in the hope of getting them autographed. We saw John “Rabbit” Bundrick the keyboard player, and my mate swears we saw Kenney Jones as well. We did find out however that the band were staying at the Caledonian Hotel in Lothian Road”. 

“So we went down to the hotel and met Roger Daltrey, Bill Curbishley the band’s manager and Harvey Goldsmith the promoter. Roger signed the album sleeves. They asked us whether we had been to the recent outdoor rock festival at Loch Lomond, which we had. They seemed very interested in what we thought of the event. We wondered whether they might have been contemplating playing a festival that summer. They didn’t as a matter of fact. Interestingly though, their very next gig after the Odeon was Wembley Stadium”. The gig was amazing!

  • 1979  10th June Dire Straits
  • 1979  19th June Third World
  • 1979  21st June Steve Hackett
  • 1979  29th June Dave Edmunds Rockpile, support band Lew Lewis Reformer (rescheduled from 6th May)
  • 1979  29th & 30th July Ian Dury & The Blockheads
Thank you to Ian Dunipace for this rare badge.
  • 1979  29th August Rickie Lee Jones
Thank you to Gordon for the above NME review of the Rickie Lee Jones Odeon concert. 
  • 1979  1st September Alien film premier
Thank you to Oddfellow for this scan.
  • 1979  7th September The Skids, support band The Berlin Blondes
  • 1979  15th September Louden Wainright III
Thank you to Winnie Lisowski for this ticket.
  • 1979  20th September XTC, support bands Yachts & Viva
  • 1979  5th October The Boomtown Rats
Bob Geldof & Johnny Fingers autographs obtained outside the Mount Royal Hotel Princes Street.  Thank you to steve for these.
  • 1979  6th October Buzzcocks, support band Joy Division
Thank you to Steve for this Pete Shelley signed ticket
A third ticket for this gig, included for the seat number, stalls A29 for The Buzzcocks and Joy Division! Unbelievable!

Thank you to ken for his memories of The Buzzcocks gig      Pete Shelley and the guys were as loud, punchy and frantic as I’d expected but I remember being surprised at the high quality of the sound and the tight musicianship.I guess by that time they were honed by a few years on the touring circuit.

Please magnify to read. The gem above is a period review of The Buzzcocks/Joy Division Edinburgh Odeon gig my Morris.  Thanks go to him for sending this.
  • 1979  17th October Whitesnake
  • 1979  20th October Alien (midnight charity screening of this iconic sci-fi film)
  • 1979 23rd October Camel
  • 1979  1st November Steve Hillage
  • 1979  17th November Hawkwind
  • 1979  21st November Motorhead
  • 1979  22nd November John Martyn
  • 1979  28th November The Kinks
  • 1979  29th November Talking Heads, support bands A Certain Ratio & Section 25
Thank you to Winnie Lisowski for this ticket.

The support band was due to be The Human League, but on the release of this press release from Bob Last the support slot was cancelled. “The Human League, intrigued to experience their own performance themselves, have designed a remotely controlled touring entertainment. Therefore, 30 Human League minutes will be available on the upcoming Talking Heads tour. The League themselves may well join the audience on some evenings to savour the occasion. The arrangement will allow them on other evenings to continue working on their second album in their Sheffield workshop.”

Human League advert for the cancelled support slot tour with Talking Heads. 


Thank you to Ken for his memories of the Talking Heads gig                 
“Talking Heads put on a funky but spooky performance…David Byrne was in full-on sweating, awkward psycho/geek mode and hardly ever looked up at the audience!”

  • 1979  7th December The Dickies, support bands Chelsea & The Cheetahs
  • 1979  10th December The Jam, support band The Vapors
  • 1979  11th December Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen at the Edinburgh Odeon.  © Alan Wilson 1979.
  • 1979  15th December Wings
  • 1979  21st December The Specials, support band The Revillos.  The Specials stayed at the Learmonth Hotel.
Thank you to Ian Dunipace for this rare badge.
  • 1980  1st & 2nd January Blondie, support band Whirlwind
  • 1980  16th January UFO
  • 1980  19th January The Clash, support Mikey Dread & Metropak (took place on the 19th, not the 21st as per the ticket).
  • 1980  20th January The Clash, support band Mikey Dread & Josef K
Nationwide clip of The Clash arriving at the Caledonian Hotel and some Odeon footage. Clip courtesy of youtube user Littlejohnnyjewel1.
The four pictures above are The Clash at the Odeon January 1980.  Thank you to Derek Bracks for these photos.  ©Derek Bracks 1980.
  • 1980  23rd January Wishbone Ash
Thank you to David Evans for the images above of the Wishbone Ash 1980 tour programme.
  • 1980  27th January The Ramones, support band The Boys
Poster by Don Huggan.
  • 1980  5th February Robin Trower
  • 1980  6th February Iggy Pop, support band The Psychedelic Furs
  • 1980  16th February Spyro Gyra
  • 1980  22nd February The Tourists
The Tourists autographs obtained in Bruce’s record shop Princess Street.  Thank you to Steve.
  • 1980  1st March Peter Gabriel
  • 1980  5th March Gillan
  • 1980  9th March Nazareth
  • 1980  19th March Judas Priest
  • 1980  28th March Stiff Little Fingers, support band Another Pretty Face
  • 1980  4th April Jasper Carrott
  • 1980  11th April Gerry Rafferty        
  • 1980  23rd April Genesis
Thank you to David Evans for the programme above.
  • 1980  24th April Judie Tzuke
  • 1980  4th May Thin Lizzy (note the spelling mistake on the ticket below)
  • 1980  8th May Eric Clapton, support Chas & Dave
  • 1980  16th May Black Sabbath
  • 1980  21st May Suzi Quatro           
  • 1980  22nd & 23rd May The Average White Band
  • 1980  30th May The Undertones, support band The Moondogs
The Undertones autographs obtained at the Edinburgh Odeon.  Thank you to Shona for this ticket.
  • 1980  1st June Saxon, support band Tygers Of Pan Tang
  • 1980  3rd June Joan Armatrading
Thank you to Oddfellow for this advert.
  • 1980  6th June Whitesnake
  • 1980  13th June Steve Hackett
  • 1980  30th June Magnum
  • 1980  6th August Ted Nugent, support band Wild Horses 
  • 1980  15th September Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard Of Ozz
  • 1980  16th September Secret Affair
  • 1980  20th September Rick Wakeman
  • 1980  22nd September The Tourists
  • 1980  26th September Rory Gallagher And His Band
  • 1980  3rd October The Skids
  • 1980  17th October UFO
  • 1980  23rd October Ian Gillan
  • 1980  24th October The Dooleys
  • 1980  31st October Simple Minds
  • 1980  3rd November Motorhead
  • 1980  4th November Tangerine Dream
  • 1980  9th November John Martyn
  • 1980  11th November OMD
  • 1980  14th November Dexy’s Midnight Runners
  • 1980  19th November Hot Chocolate
  • 1980  22nd November Sad Cafe
This is an award that the Odeon presented to bands when they sold out the Odeon Edinburgh.  This particular one having been presented to Vic Emerson keyboard player with Sad Cafe.
  • 1980  29th November Hazel O’Connor, support band Duran Duran
  • 1980  5th December The Damned, support band The Straps
  • 1980  8th December Ultravox
  • 1980  9th December Madness (2 shows, kids show & evening)
Thank you to Ian Dunipace for this rare badge set
  • 1980  12th December Hawkwind (brought forward from 22nd December)
  • 1980  13th December Saxon
  • 1980  16th December Steeleye Span            
  • 1981  14th January The Boomtown Rats           
  • 1981  20th January April Wine
  • 1981  22nd January Slade
  • 1981  20th February Krokus
  • 1981  9th March Iron Maiden
  • 1981  21st March Mike Harding
  • 1981  10th April Showaddywaddy
  • 1981  21st April Girlschool
  • 1981  29th April Echo & The Bunnymen
  • 1981  1st May Tygers Of Pan Tang          
  • 1981  12th May Japan
  • 1981  13th May Barcaly James Harvest       
  • 1981  16th May The Cure
  • 1981  23rd May Stiff Little Fingers,  support band The Wall
SLF autographs obtained after the Odeon gig.  Thank you to Steve for these.
  • 1981  28th May Wishbone Ash
  • 1981  29th May Toyah, support band Positive Noise
  • 1981  6th June The Teardrop Explodes
  • 1981  7th June Trust, support band Cadiz
Thank you to Keith More & Nick Grieve for this scan.
  • 1981  16th June The Tubes
  • 1981  1st July Diamond Head
  • 1981  6th July Duran Duran, & The Freeze
Thank you to John Innes for this ticket.
  • 1981  19th July Def Leppard
  • 1981  23rd August Arthur Negas On Antiques
  • 1981  28th August Simple Minds
This is the actual set list from the mixing desk on the night,  along with the ticket.  Thank you to Phil for this rare item.
  • 1981  5th September Michael Schenker Group
  • 1981  16th September Hazel O’Connor        
  • 1981  19th September Nazareth
  • 1981  26th September Ultravox
  • 1981  27th September Sad Cafe          
  • 1981  9th October Gary Glitter
  • 1981  10th October Hawkwind
  • 1981  25th October Andy Williams
  • 1981  7th November Gillan, support bands Budgie & Nightwing 
  • 1981  13th November The Damned, support band The Anti Nowhere League(release date of the Friday 13th EP).
  • 1981  25th November Hot Gossip
  • 1981  26th November The Cure
  • 1981  27th November Gary US Bonds
  • 1981  29th November The Pretenders, & The Flying Padovanis 
  • 1981  7th December Squeeze
  • 1981  9th December Slade
  • 1981  15th December Rose Tattoo
  • 1981  16th December Nils Lofgren, support band Grand Prix
  • 1981  17th December The Stray Cats, & Screaming Lord Such and The Savages (as far as I can tell, this was the last concert held at the Odeon).   
The Odeon circa 1968-1969 as Oliver is showing. Thank you to Alan for the Photo.
Above the Odeon in what became the bar area was situated a dancing club.  This was a popular place in the late sixties and into the early seventies.  From the 1968 telephone directory.