Comment: Edinburgh has a lot to offer music lovers

The closure, and threatened closure, of so many well-loved live music venues has brought a sense of gloom to the Capital's gig scene.

Bands like The Rezillos are part of Edinburgh's rich music heritage

So it is interesting to hear the views today of such a successful concert promoter as Mark Mackie. The man who brought Bob Dylan and the Pet Shop Boys to the Capital clearly believes we have a lot to shout about.

He points to fantastic venues and a wide range of top class acts visiting the city.

There are clearly some serious challenges facing many of the smaller venues where new bands cut their teeth. The soaring value of property in the city centre means many gig operators are effectively being priced out of the market.

The debate which has sprung from these closures is healthy and will hopefully lead to some creative solutions to the pressures they face. Pop venues don’t get the lucrative grants that more ‘elite’ art forms like, for instance, opera and modern art enjoy, but they do deserve active support from the authorities.

There is definitely a danger of talking down the city’s active music scene and rich musical heritage. The idea that Glasgow is a music city and Edinburgh is not is simply wrong. We should do more to celebrate our status as a music city.