The Lane

I walked down the stairs from the entrance and to the left was a kind of ‘narrowish’ and long area with a bar at the end, and seats along the side. If you turn right and go around a couple of corners, there’s another ‘narrowish and long area with a DJ booth at the end and a bar down the side, but NO seats. I don’t think that this basement was originally designed to be a night club (just my opinion of course).
I didn’t see any third room but I believe that there is a V.I.P. room somewhere.
Being older than the intended demographic, I chose to sit in the area with the seats, (obviously).
The flyers on the tables informed me that there were to be four DJ’s on the Friday that I was there; each with their own genre. The first of which, as I was informed by his sister, was the new boy, and he played ‘House’ music. He was quite good at mixing and got the punters up dancing more and more as his hour progressed. Some tracks were even mixes of some established tracks that I could recognise.
The next DJ, though, had a following. He was evidently in a ‘DJ competition’ the previous week, and ‘he was really good’. He enthusiastically mixed lots of similar fast tracks together. People gathered around the DJ booth with mobile phones and video cameras and filmed him putting CD’s into a machine and mixing them together. They even chanted his name several times in time to the music. Nobody really danced as it wasn’t very danceable music.
The third DJ didn’t really have any customers left to play to. She played for about an hour and then the manager shut that section of the club down.
Around the corner was still a bit busy. It was darker and there were lasers and disco lights. People were dancing. The music was a bit less rapid and some of the tracks could be recognised.
The staff were excellent and the manager was warm and friendly. I guess that the club suffers a little from being just the wrong side of Queensferry Street to get curious passers-​by. It plays more repetitive sounds produced by Dj’s for other Dj’s to mix together. (a bit too repetitive to be enjoyed in my opinion).
It’s not really the kind of place to go if you want to dance to your favourite tune and maybe flirt with the opposite sex. There are a lot of guys that have maybe immersed themselves too deeply into the sound of a beatbox accompanied by lots of similar chords. (I’m sorry but DJ worship is too sad for me.) (especially if the biggest fan is the DJ himself)

Hiding down a lane (you see where they got the name?) this bar is a good wee find as a pre-​club place to have a few drinks and get into the swing of things.
I love the fact that this place has been around for ages, and I think you really feel that in the atmosphere. This place has a loyal following, and a diverse one at that as many of the club nights differ in musical taste greatly.
We enjoyed a bottle of wine in here before heading off to a club, so it was a brief stay, but the music was House and the atmosphere was excellent.
I will be back, definitely!

The Lane, which used to be known as Berlin, is a little unique in it’s location. It’s situated in the West End, whereas most of the other clubs similar to it are on and around George Street.
My favourite night at the Lane, called Urban, which has continued despite the change of name, took place once a month during semester time. Usually on a Saturday, entry was £6 if one was on the guestlist (it’s pretty easy to text them a list of around 10 people to create your own!) and the music, according to which of the three rooms you’re in, ranges from hip hop and r ‘n’b, to dancehall, reggae and even Nigerian beats!
The drinks were standardly priced, which means they could have been cheaper. My biggest complaint is that this place was too crowded! Thankfully Urban also has some events at other venues such as the Sportsers Bar, which have been much less claustrophobic!

I’ve been to a couple of good birthday parties here as it always looks busy even when it’s not. It’s compact and great to rent out the back room with your private DJ.
On the flip side of this I’ve been to some really crappy club nights, maybe I was going to the wrong ones and maybe I’m not being completely tolerant of the crowds but it’s not somewhere you could find anything else apart from Month old chat songs speeded up with a standard dance track behind it. Just not really my scene.

The Lane (formally Berlin) was always one of those really ‘cool’ places that I always felt too intimidated to go to. As I used to work in a nightclub in Edinburgh, I always heard rumours about Berlin — and not too favourable ones. But I actually quite liked it. The music is very indie (well, it was on the night I was there, but I’m told that it changes) and the club itself wasn’t too shabby. the staff were brilliant — Richie, the manager, in particular was a great host and you didn’t feel like you were in a club. Yeah it was a bit dingy, but nothing that a lick of paint couldn’t help.
They have a great night called Diva for all the girls out there, and I thoroughly recommend that too. Drinks were cheap-​ish and overall was quite good fun!