The Queens Hall

Was here for a gig and I liked this venue. As well as the standing area in front of the stage, there is ample church pew style seating curved around the back of the hall. There’s also a balcony with flip down seats which is where we chose to sit and we had a pretty good view facing the stage!

Edinburgh Quartet
Postcard from Paris
Queen’s Hall
Monday 17 November
7.30pm.
Tickets £15; Concessions £12; Students £5; Children Free
Founded in 1960 The Edinburgh Quartet celebrates an extensive and exciting history as one of the UK’s leading chamber ensembles, having performed frequently at major venues across Britain and toured extensively across Europe, the Far and Middle East, and North and South America. In addition to an eventful concert schedule the Edinburgh Quartet can be heard regularly on BBC radio amongst other stations. The Quartet supports new music and living contemporary composers, such as James MacMillan, Michael Tippett and Howard Blake, however in this concert, ‘Postcard from Paris’, we see they are equally talented in bringing traditional classics to life. Harking back to their origin, they demonstrate what a vast range they can create.
The opening concert of their Queen’s Hall season is entitled ‘Postcard from Paris’, as the schedule is loosely inspired by the growth in Paris’ musical connections. A trio of Violinists Tristan Gurney, Gordon Bragg and Jessica Beeston and solo Cello player Mark Bailey open with Franz Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in C. Consisting of four movements, the first is light, jovial and playful, the second turns somber, slow but dramatic and the third is a Menuetto. The musicians performed this piece outstandingly. I lost myself in the music, however Haydn maintains to challenge the conventional and throws in the odd unpredicted surprise to keep us on our toes.
After a brief interlude where Violinist, Tristan Gurney explained the Parisian connections behind the performance, he introduced Claude Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor. Debussy lived in Paris and I truly felt I was immersed in the throngs of Parisian life. High in energy, the piece flows from slow meandering emotion to high-​tension drama. Then spirals down to a still hum, a highly emotive journey. The quartet delicately pluck the strings creating a jumpy experimental dramatic energy in the second movement. The theatrical dynamic builds with elements of cine magic. This powerful charismatic piece flows, spins, glides and tingles until finally building into a frenzy of spectacular energy. The daring contrasting movements throughout the composition produces a rich story. Debussy’s revolutionary String Quartet is considered by many to be one of the finest quartets ever written and it was undeniably my favourite of the evening.
Following the interval the Quartet were joined by a solo Pianist Simon Callaghan, to perform Cesar Franck’s Quintet for piano and strings in F minor. Franck was a Belgian composer who lived and worked in Paris. The Piano Quintet is one of Franck’s most comprehensive instrumental compositions. The pianist opens the piece with dramatic vigour. The Quartet follow producing a powerful and wonderfully executed piece with tantalising pauses. The pianists hands effortlessly dance across the ivory keys. The emotionally charged piano Quintet evokes great sadness, elegant peacefulness then rises to a theatrical finale. The varied textures and skill of this composition generates remarkable stimulation.
The wealth of talent here was outstanding and it is beautifully well synchronised, not one note is placed amiss. I find it wonderful to be taken to another place for a few hours, away from the rat race. A moment of escapism from every day and some self-​indulgent ‘me time’. To lose ones self in the music and the moment. There were times you felt there was only one instrument playing, which demonstrated how exceptionally skilled the ensemble is. The conversation between instruments took us on a musical journey of heart felt energy and drama.

The Queen’s Hall is the venue that makes me proudest of Edinburgh. It’s just so totally in love with live music — «We *heart* it live» is even written above the door — in a way that so many venues around the country don’t seem to be, regardless of their programming. The Queen’s Hall just exudes passion for music of all genres and it’s a venue that loves to share its enthusiasm. They’re hot on the social media too, sharing music from forthcoming events, video clips from past concerts, and just generally stuff that makes them happy.
The bar area is spacious so it doesn’t feel cramped or crowded before the show. The loose-​chair seating in the stalls means that a range of different setups are possible to suit the occasion, from straight rows to cabaret tables. And finally, the floor is made of wonderful stone flags, the stage is low, and the whole space feels remarkably intimate despite the venue’s solid capacity of 900.
Pretty much every time a musician I love and admire comes to Edinburgh, I know before I even have to check the listings that they’ll be performing at the Queen’s Hall. If the treatment they get is anything like what the audience gets from the front of house, bar and box office staff, then it must be one of the most enjoyable dates on the tour.
Everything combined makes me genuinely emotional at the thought of the Queen’s Hall. I feel like I’m getting a big warm musical hug every time I so much as walk past. Oh, I love you, Queen’s Hall. I love you dearly. Stay forever.

Wonderful Venue
I really enjoyed my first visit here, I came with a friend to see the comedian David O’Doherty, and was quite surprised. My mum runs a theatre in Aberdeen, and having been brought up in and around theatres I am no stranger to the odd ‘dive’ of a venue. This is most certainly not a dive.
Staff we very relaxed and welcoming, the box office made collecting tickets a pain free experience. We walked past to nip to the pub after collecting our tickets and there was a girl opening the doors who made time for a quick chat.
The bar is simple, with only one beer on tap, reserved for local brewers The Williams Bros. and it was a good beer. They looked like they had a good range of red wines, I couldn’t see the whit varieties, but often smaller venues only have one red available, I counted at least three.
The auditorium is very wide, and they have rows of seating at the front and circling around the outside of the room are baby blue pews. I started looking for a bible when I first sat down, but there weren’t any. The Pews are on a slight upward slope so you still get a good vantage point, we were second row from the back and felt they were good seat. They have a U shaped balcony which arcs around the top of the pews, but it wasn’t open for this event.
I feel this would be quite a good venue for gigs, and also late night events, as I think you can remove the central seating. Toilets were clean and practical.
There are many great venues in Edinburgh, and The Queens Hall does not buck the trend.

Second year we’ve been along to the Banff Mountain Film Festival event which seems to have found a home in Queens Hall. The event shows the pick of award-​winning outdoor sports/​activity movies and attracts around 500 people, most of who look like they never venture further than Tisot’s for a wardrobe change and hew their furniture from granite slabs. For this reason there’s a kind of edgy, slightly off the radar vibe to the crowd and Queens Hall somehow fits the bill perfectly as a venue.
It’s not too comfortable in terms of seating up top. I imagine at one time Sunday morning sinners were crammed in here and their discomfort may have been a prerequisite of the experience. Imagine an old uni lecture theatre but with less back support and you’ll get a general idea.
Down below the open space was given over to seating which looks a bit more comfortable but would really put the focus on you if a toilet break was required before a scheduled interval.
There’s a decent sized bar, and while it doesn’t have an extensive stock, it does the job. You can collect your pre-​ordered interval drinks and beat the crowds which helps things along. Only downside are the toilet facilities which seem woefully limited for the potential capacity of the place. The queue for the ladies was three abreast and at least a pint and a half long.
Would be keen to try out the venue for another event.

I really like this venue. In a slightly more random location than a lot of Edinburgh permanent venues (I say permanent as in the midst of Festival frenzy, I wouldn’t be surprised if my kitchen became a Fringe venue).
It’s an old-​fashioned building squeezed in between computer-​part shops, charity book shops and Sainsbury’s. It’s on the very-​long and ever-​name-​changing Nicholson Street South Bridge /​Clerk Street — for some reason it’s location pleases me. It could be because I’m biased and it’s really close to where I live, but I think even if I moved away I’d still like it’s subtle, nothing-​to-​shout-​about location.
The shows it puts on are all of a nice, also off-​the-​beaten-​path type. I went here to see Hidden Orchestra in the Jazz Festival. Great venue for them.
It’s got a big open standing space, and a collection of seats around the outskirtrs. I can’t imagine the seats get a great view but there’s always the top floor too. I imagine it’s easily adaptable to theatre too although much better suited to music. Not a professional theatre stage I’d wager… As Anna F has said, the stage isn’t very high up and you can come right up to, so it’s really quiet chilled out and intimate with the band.
There’s The Southern up the road for some food before, Drouthy’s round the corner for a quiet pre-​gig pint. Great wee venue overall!

I’ve been to the Queens Hall on three occasions and overall it’s an OK venue.
On two occasions I had a seat, however, some views obstructed so be careful around where you choose to sit. On another occasion it was mainly standing, which was better for a gig atmosphere.
The bar is pretty good and they have Williams Bros beers in bottles.
It’s a really nice building, but probably more suited to the more sedate gigs.

The Queen’s Hall is one of the nicer buildings on Clerk Street and after walking past it daily, I finally had a reason to venture in when one of my favourite singers, Melody Gardot, decided to perform there!
We expected the whole affair to be quite fancy, as they should be in Queen’s Hall, but realized it was basically a live and let live atmosphere in there. The seating was amazing, and the hall is built in such a way that sound carries amazing through the whole room. The opening act, for example, consisted of the talented Puerto Rican singer Gabriel Rios and his acoustic guitar, but we had no problems hearing at all.
There are several tiers, all with a good view of the stage, and inbetween acts, there was a pretty room with a bar where one could mingle, or desperately avoid having to mingle! The ticket office is right next to the hall, and you can conveniently order tickets online, which may be sent to you or pick up there instead.

I have no choice but to love this place, just on the basis of convenience alone as it’s under a minute’s walk from my flat. IN spite of that though, I’ve lived in Edinburgh for 4 years now and I still only got around to going to a gig here last month, when my flatmate dragged me along to see Mumford & Sons.
I have to be honest, they wouldn’t normally be my first choice of music. But I ended up really enjoying myself, which I think was partly due to the venue. The auditorium isn’t the biggest you’ll ever see in your life, but that meant there was a great atmosphere… there’s nothing orse than going to a gig or concert in a huge arena somewhere, where unless you’re in the very first block you won’t even see who’s on the stage let alone make out any words.
Yes, like every other theatre or music venue the queue for the loos and the bar were insane, but I challenge anyone to find a venue like this where that’s not the case. The difference i noticed between here and other theatres, like the nearvy Festival Theatre, was that the staff were friendly, efficient and polite — presumably in an attempt to compensate for the wait.
Whatever type of music you’re into, it’s worth checking out their listings, as they have everything from classical to some lesser-​known pop names that you’ll find floating around in the lower half of the Charts.

As with all places such as the Queens Hall, you have to take the good with the bad.
The actual venue has a low stage, so you genuinly feel close to the band, but being so low its difficult to see if you get stuck near the back. The hall is small, which means you can have a very intimate gig with the band, but again there is a problem with this — you may not get tickets at all. The bar is small, understaffed and expensive, but at least its there.
See what I mean, a mixture of good and bad for each of the elements of the Queens Hall. But in general, I have never been here and not had a good time — the bands are always really good and the atmosphere is usually electric. A great gig venue, if you are willing to forgive all its little problems.

This is a great venue for live music although it’s not very big so keep this in mind if you plan to go to a popular gig. I saw Orkestra del Sol here and loved it, the «stage» was not very high up at all, we were all almost dancing with the band, but high enough for people in the back to be able to see and enjoy the gig as well.
There is also seating area around, but at this particular gig we were all in the main dance hall. The bar is a little unimpressive and a bit overpriced, as usually bars at these places are.
The ticket hall is next to the main entrance at a separate little office and the staff there are very friendly and efficient.