i think it seems a bit harsh that folkies have to traipse out to dalry for their edinburgh festival fix, when surely there are still buildings lying dorment in the city centre!  eg, what about the old school opposite the royal oak?  imagine, infirmary street would become even more of a folkie heaven than normal during august.

it would be nice, but in some ways i quite like the fact that one of the best venues in the fringe isn't in the city centre (although it probably does hurt the tourist audience sizes).

but then, maybe i'm just saying that because i live in gorgie.

I say leave the Acoustic Music centre where it is!!! Having it out of the city centre is more of a blessing than a course at this time of year, as you don't have to wade through armies of flyer bearing thespians to get to it, and the performances inside are less likely to be disrupted by the sound of passing double decker busses packed with lunatics advertising a show and making a raket!

It is pleasant to have a venue outwith the city centre, and to a lot of folkies, its not such a trek as Carla pointed out, but i do take on Jack's point. In many ways, the folk of now, needs to be showcased & brought to the attention of a wider audience, and there is none better than the international audience that the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe Festival bring to the capital. See my 'blog' for reference to how folk can continue to be perceived, and giving a very accesible venue may help the media & wider diaspora of cultures and bodies see what folk/trad/roots music has to offer, and attract a new, wider audience....my vision for this may be revealed in next 'blog'/opinion, what out for it...

i think more than anything, i'm just imagining a folkie haven on infirmary street - which could potentially rival some of the bigger venues at the festival.  of course this would be a wonderful thing - if, in scotland's capital city, one of the main venues of the fringe offered something distinctly scottish.

Mother india would get in the way a bit, though I'm sure Boland and Hunter could take up camp in there - playing in return for 3 square meals a day ;)

I do love the idea of a folkie heaven on infirmary street . . .

are you suggesting that a curry house is not distinctly scottish?

Last I heard chicken tikka masala was the national dish . . . now that Haggis is English we'd better hang onto our curries!

I'm suggesting that it would need to be folk-e-fied to fit in with the ideal image of infirmary street!

Why don't we just knock a hole through the wall of the upstairs bar so punters don't even have to leave their seats to get served steaming curry through a serving hatch?

The folk world doesn't revolve around The Royal Oak.

There has been a history of folkie events in The West End and Gorgie areas for many years, e.g. The West End Hotel, Thistle Hotel etc, The Scots Music group started off in Dalry, and The Diggers' sessions are still very popular.

Also, how would you define the city centre. Dalry is just as central as the South Side depending on where you live. You can walk to Dalry Road from  the west side of Princes Street just as quickly as to The Royal oak and surrounding areas.

Unless you're talking about City TOURISM centre, of course?

true, the folk world doesn't revolve around the oak - but during the festival there are only 2 venues (that i know of) which feature folk music all day every day.  so having them next to each other would make infirmary street a folk utopia.

also, the acoustic music centre can move (as it has in the past), the oak can't.

Jack, are you old enough to remember the old Chambers street days in the old "Girls'" Union or are you talking about The Grouse House days?

There certainly was a good buzz around there in the old days. The Tron was on the go then too and, of course, Sandra ruled in The Oak.

Interestly, you're not the first person to suggest something similar.  Simon Thoumire....he with the thousands of bees in his bonnet.... once campaigned to have the old Infirmary Street Baths converted into a multi purpose folk venue. Some of his more recent projects have turned out to be a bit more practical, mind you.  :-)