There’s light at the end of this tunnel.  The year which began with bad news for Edinburgh’s live music scene is ending with hopeful signs. Beneath the scaffolding tunnel on South Bridge, there are glimpses of new developments beginning to fill that yawning gap in Edinburgh’s Cowgate.   And first to emerge is the shell of La Belle Angele.

Not an angel, just light at the end of the tunnel.

Almost miraculously, exactly ten years since fire destroyed the nightlife and soul of this part of Edinburgh’s Old Town, there is visible evidence that the old club is indeed being rebuilt.  A sign on the scaffolding rising out of Cowgate on to South Bridge introduces SoCo, an urban regeneration development which promises a seemingly predictable mix of hotel, business centre and shops.

But with at least one unpredictable difference:  the plans also make space for La Belle in the hotel basement.  And now there are pictures on La Belle’s Facebook page which show construction is indeed well under way. (They’ll be putting in plenty of sound-proofing we expect.)

At the same time, as STV reports, not far away the Bongo Club is to move into a space in the basement beneath Edinburgh Central Library on Chambers Street. With days numbered at their old home in Moray House (since Edinburgh University ended the lease) the Bongo Club are about to begin refurbishing their new venue with the help of £75,000 from Creative Scotland. First, though, they are planning a grand finale at Moray House with a last Hogmanay party on Monday 31 December.

Meanwhile of course The Forest Cafe has settled into their new location in Laurieston Place, Tollcross  “the Times Square of Edinburgh” and is serving up their characteristic fare of arts, music and vegetarian food.

Glad tidings for 2013 then – we’re going to have to update some of the information on our Edinburgh Comedy Tour which winds around that part of town – and lets hope there’s plenty more to come!