At long last I made it to a gig at the Albert Hall - a venue I've been wanting to check out for a…read morelong time but needed to wait for the perfect gig. So on Saturday night my friend and myself went to see Metronomy which was perfect for the surroundings and was totally 'high energy' kick ass! If you've ever been lucky enough to gig it up at the Paradiso in Amsterdam then this is the closest equivalent we have, a converted church and hall and some amazing Victorian architecture surrounds you on all sides. Trof own this place which fits in well with their portfolio of Deaf Institute, Gorilla, The NQ one etc (all cool venues, all a bit different) and I believe there's plans downstairs to make it a all a bit more proper soon (bar, food, day time venue etc) The only thing letting this place down is the quite awful selection of drinks on offer - the beer is either Tuborg or San Miguel and more random lagers...not a single ale, IPA or anything which is really not on considering you're still have to pay £4-£4.50 for such rubbish beer. Considering Trof have always got a good rep in their bars across their portfolio I feel this is really letting down the brand. Getting out is a bit of a ball ache - great venue but narrow Victorian stairs. Be expecting to wait in line and the queues for the coat check were huge so I really wouldn't bother. We have tickets for Afrikka Bambata and DJ Shadow in Feb - can't wait to get back then, just hope they sort out the beer before then.

Thank you Trof!! The hazy memories of Brannigans are completely replaced by the best music venue in…read moreManchester. The music hall itself is the majestic renovation of the old church, with stained glass windows, and the old organ pipes acting as a backdrop for the stage. The standing area is spacious and well proportioned - it's almost a square, which makes a change from the long thin 'corridor' approach of many venues in Manchester. The seating area is a 3 sided balcony standing on ornate pillars. Despite the balcony, the space feels completely open thanks to the high ceilings (which are full of ornate carvings). Churches always make great venues (e.g. Islington Chapel or Manchester Cathedral), so it's a massive service to the music scene in Manchester. What I think is most exciting about Albert Hall is that because it's such a unique space, hopefully bands will treat gigs there as something special. Everyone's seen bands mid-tour sleepwalking through a set, especially mid-week. The first band I saw at the AH was Half Moon Run (the first 'official' gig at the AH, excepting the special gigs for the MIF), and they certainly seemed to be excited to be playing such a beautiful venue. Anything that can snap bands out of a trance and reminds them to stay in the moment is a great thing. London has plenty of beautiful venues, so it's about time Manchester had something to compare. Downstairs is a pub-like bar, with a strangely anachronistic light-up dancefloor (was this a leftover from Brannigans? I can't remember). I assume in non-gig nights, this will act as the main bar, but at the gig it was used for pre-drinks and the march stall. I can see the venue would be great for club nights as well as gigs, so I'll be interesting to see which nights move over to there (I assume the typical Deaf Institute rota?). The only issue I can see is with leaving. The exit is via two very poky stairwells that then lead into a single door exit (for some reason the exit onto Peter street is blocked so everyone leaves into the backstreet). Leaving a gig involves a lot of crushing at the best of times, but this felt somewhat unnecessary. Still, that's just nitpicking. Can't wait to watch the gig list for Albert Hall get released. Next gig I'll be seeing there is Neutral Milk Hotel, and I can't wait to see a special band in a special venue!

Back in the 40s and 50s, The Ritz must have been Manchester's most glamerous music venue. As well…read moreas platforming visiting acts like Frank Sinatra, it was unique in having curved walls, a fantastic balcony, and a sprung dancefloor. Whilst it still makes a wonderful music venue - hosting occasional gigs by bands like Babyshambles, Arctic Monkeys and Klaxons - The Ritz's main occupation these days seems to be hosting cheesy club nights. Every Monday, there's weekly student night Dirty Stop Out with rock, pop and metal deejays, every Wednesday there's 70s night Love Train and every Saturday there's Party in The Town playing bad music from the 70s to Take That. All three nights seem to be a hit with students and singles but I've personally no desire to go somewhere there's (A) a surplus amount of Alcopops and (B) big groups of horny, intoxicated stag and hen parties. I prefer to remember The Ritz as the place Sinatra once glided across the stage crooning 'In The Wee Small Hours'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XdN4SDYwyc&feature=related

First off I like a nice sticky floor,it gives a gig a much better atmosphere,and as i'm only ever…read moregoing to go to a Metal gig, a sticky floor is a must. The Ritz has sticky floors,and it is also a decent place to watch a band or 3,why the hell anyone would want to go to a club night here is beyond me. Although saying that why anyone would go to a club night anywhere is beyond me,I have an irrational hatred of disc jockeys and lines for the toilet.. Where was I? Oh yes the Ritz,if the gig I went to was crap then it might've got a worse review,but as it was the gig was one of the best I have been to in 21 years of gigging. German Thrash,the king of music. I was prepared to give the place 4 stars but then I remembered the bar prices, if you want to rip off club goers fine,but don't rip off those that have already spent £20 to watch a band. There really is no need to charge £17 for two pints and a JD and coke!! In summary,good for gigs,bad for club nights,and stupid pricing policy.

My family are local to Marple and we love Traders! Always great independent beer, the evolving…read morebuilding and kitchen (trading between independent vendors) keeps you on your toes. Customers and staff are friendly, music choice is great and the new live music is just what the local area needs. Highly recommend!!!

I tried to enjoy a quiet pint here but I was unable due to the amount of restless barking dogs…read moreallowed in the outside seating area. It was like trying to have a pint in the middle of a kennels. I like dogs. I have 2 myself, but I dont take them to the pub with me because I'm capable of consideration and wouldnt want to disrupt other customer's enjoyment. Its a shame the owners of this bar/kennels dont encourage the same level of consideration from their customers. The barking was excessive, and nobody wants dog hairs floating in their drink.

Great bar with large real ale selection and some loopy juice, sorry cider on tap. Prices are low…read more Some seating outside but tends to be very busy at weekends Well worth a trip

Delightful if quite tiny little pub whose seating spills out onto one of the platforms of Bury…read moreBolton Street train station. This is the home of the East Lancashire railway. What better way to while away an hour or 2 than to sit drinking a pint or 2 of beer watching steam trains and vintage diesels pass by. However, beware!!! If its a themed day, such as Thomas the Tank, then the place will be full of young children running around and families using the tables which are intended for the pub even though they aren't buying anything. On this occasion I had a Green Bullet IPA, which was well priced at £2.95, though it tasted a little bit flat.

A funky and quirky little bar serving a good range of beers, wines and spirits. Ideal for a pre or…read morepost drink before popping next door to the Academy for a gig. Band members are often spotted in here after doing a gig.

Admittedly I haven't spent much time in Lounge 31, but I don't think you necessarily have to be a…read moreregular to get a feel of whether a venue it's for you or not. Personally it's not really a place I'd make a regular hang out... Located in the centre of the city, this late night club gets a lot of foot traffic from the Printworks and also because of its late license. Every night there's a different DJ entertaining a predominantly 20-30 crowd of young professionals and students. It's a fun place to start or end you night, but there isn't really anything outstandingly original that makes it stand out from what else is on offer in Manchester. What especially turns me off is the 'exclusive private booths' (in black faux-leather no less..eww) and 'VIP' area, to buzz terms that send me running for something a little more down to earth.

Lounge 31 is a relatively new club, located next to the printworks on withy grove. It is one of the…read morefew places in Manchester to stay open after 3am, on fridays and saturdays it is usually open until around 7am, great if you want an all nighter!! They play r'n'b, hip hop and some soul. They have lots of leather seats and a VIP area for those who want to feel important. They also have a toilet attendant and perfumes, sweets and other make up you can use for a small fee!! It is pretty busy on weekends and there is normally a pretty good buzz to the place. Drinks are a little expensive though!!!

I am a local resident of Gee Cross and have been drinking in this pub as a regular for the last few…read moreyears. It used to be a lovely, well run pub with nice clientele. However, over the last six months or so there has been a massive change, with a lot of local residents choosing to avoid this establishment. The landlord is more concerned with profits, than the well being of local residents and customers, maybe he should stick to barbering than running a pub. He lets in a lot of customers who are barred from other local pubs in the village, unconcerned about the trouble they may cause. He also turns a blind eye to the obvious drug dealing/taking in these premises. The last few times I have been in this pub, there has been fights breaking out, with no door staff on to intervene. Only this Friday as one fight erupted at the rear, other fights started to break out, resulting in one person being randomly head butted and knocked out completely. The only person who seemed to do anything about it was the barman, Gregg, who stopped the fight. As a concerned resident of Gee Cross village, I will no longer be drinking in here, and will also be making complaints to licensing authorities. I would like to point out that this in no way is a review of the restaurant, which has always been superb, but this is a review of the bar.

This pub is currently closed while it is being refurbished and a new italian restaurant is opening…read moreat the premises. I cant wait as I love Italian food and Gee Cross needs some more eating places. The grapes is a very beautiful old building with a lot of original features intact like the stained glass windows and the fireplaces. The owner is Italian so hopefully it will be authentic food.This pub has tables outside and is usually packed at weekends and on warm evenings in summer. i await the grand opening.

In Lymm for the weekend and was recommended to stop by and eat at Little Manor - what a great…read morerecommend! It has a bright country pub/bistro feel, and is dog friendly which I loved! We ordered drinks and food at the bar on a tab then chose a lovely table in a window bay. We both ordered the steak sandwich which came with onions, tomato chutney and chips. At under £10 it was good value, although did require mustard and pepper to jazz it up a bit! It was a shame it was chucking it down with rain so we couldn't appreciate the outdoor area - which looked like it had good potential. Nice pub that I'd visit again if I was in the area.

Didn't book but got a seat straight away…read more Food was nice, beer was cold. Love places that let dogs in.