10 legendary Edinburgh gigs down the decades – including The Beatles, David Bowie and Queen
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie… Edinburgh has played host to some truly unforgettable concerts down the decades.
Scotland’s capital city is often referred to as the ‘poor cousin’ to Glasgow when it comes to attracting the biggest names in music – but Auld Reekie has seen its fair share of legendary gigs.
Some of the biggest names in music have played here – including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Queen.
There have also been plenty of bands who visited either before they were famous, or just as they were on the brink of superstardom, such as Oasis and Arctic Monkeys.
Take a look through our picture gallery for a musical nostalgia trip.
1. Radiohead, Meadowbank Stadium, August 22, 2006
This one was reviewed by yours truly for the Edinburgh Evening News, and it earned the Oxford band five stars as they proved beyond any doubt they are one of the greatest rock bands in history. Thom Yorke and the boys dusted off classics such as Fake Plastic Trees, Karma Police and Paranoid Android, while the rarely-played Creep was even given an outing, much to the delight of everyone in attendance that night. The support act was none too shabby either, US legend Beck warming up the crowd alongside the pint-sized mini-Beck, a painstakingly accurate puppet, complete with the star's shaggy blonde hair and fedora, who was lip-synching and playing air guitar alongside the singer. Photo: Photo: JPI Media
2. EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 29: Prince performs on stage at Meadowbank Stadium on July 29th, 1993 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Peter Still/Redferns)
The Minneapolis maestro performed in the Capital back when he was in his prolific pomp and churning out one classic album after another like a conveyor belt. Torrential rain lashed down on Meadowbank Stadium that night, but no one seemed to mind much as this musical force of nature gave a masterclass in live performance, dusting off the likes of Raspberry Beret, Kiss, Little Red Corvette, Let's Go Crazy, 1999 and Purple Rain. Photo: Getty Images
3. Queen, Edinburgh Playhouse - 1 and 2 September, 1976
Rock legends Queen did a two-night stint at the Edinburgh Playhouse a year after the release of their famous A Night at the Opera album, Freddie Mercury and co performing tracks like Bohemian Rhapsody and You're My Best Friend at the packed-to-the-rafters Greenside Place venue. Photo: Photo: YouTube
4. The Beatles relax with drinks at the ABC
The Beatles played not one but two gigs at the ABC Cinema, in what was billed as the Capital's biggest shows of all time. Hordes of screaming adolescents descended on Lothian Road to try and grab a piece of John, Paul, George and Ringo, who were paid £850 for their trouble. The Fab Four performed two half-hour shows, and the setlist was as follows: Twist And Shout, Money (That’s What I Want), Can’t Buy Me Love, Things We Said Today, I’m Happy Just To Dance With You, I Should Have Known Better, If I Fell, I Wanna Be Your Man, A Hard Day’s Night and Long Tall Sally. The Beatles were at the absolute peak of their fame at this point, having just recently returned from the USA and their seminal appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. The Fab Four revisited the ABC and Edinburgh as a group for the final time in October 1964. Photo: Photo: JPI Media