This isn't the sort of place you drop in to see what it's like. For a start you need to be a…read moremember, or at least signed in by one I rely on my dad or he relies on me, the boundaries have changed somewhat over the last few years. There are not many people under forty in here as a general rule. Anyway, the club has been around since God was a lad and is a product of the rich Irish history that Haslingden has. You don't have to be Irish, or even like Father Ted, to join. Members' use it for a quiet drink, snooker, pool, darts and dominoes (there are teams' for all of these). They have acts on at least twice a week (the legendary Wolftones played recently), and you can learn Irish Music or even Line Dancing, should you be that way inclined. There is a function room upstairs. This is available for hire and I'm told it has recovered from 'Dob's 21st' in 1985 when the band 'Indecent Exposure' had their act interupted by the arrival of a batch of hot Hollands Pies. Happy days. Very friendly environment. Smartened up considerably in recent years and no sign of a Brian Potter anywhere.

Some of the best acts from the north of England every Saturday night. Be in early to get a seat,and…read moreno bingo.

Home of the Wakefield Labour Club this really is a red shed (which is appropriate and reassuring as…read moreit suggests a level of honesty). I have visited a couple of times in order to partake in poetry events but there are also musical performances and other great events. This isn't a massive place (being as it is, a shed) so it is very cosy and when I visited I felt immediately at home and once I'd started tasting the great range of (reasonably priced) CAMRA ales and bottled beers I moved from home to heaven (albeit rather unsteadily). The bar is open to members and their guests but also to people attending events here. Take a look at the website and get yourself over there, you will not be sorry.

this place is the ronseal of the pub world, it does exactly what it says on the tin. it's a shed…read moreand it's red. it offers a very old world feel. i found out about the shed a few years ago as friends of mine were always playing there. it has established itself as one of the best local music venues having a very wide spectrum of musical tastes. in my experience the beer has been generally good althought there have been instances of it being below par. it could do with a lick of paint and the toilets refurbing though but that just adds to it's charm.

Have you ever seen The Phoenix club in Phoenix Nights? Well if you want to see the real deal…read morenorthern working mens club then this is the place to go, compete with cabaret at weekends and a captain on the door 'who's signing this lot in, Come one 50p' Then come to the band club. The gentlemens Christmas party is legendary. Ask about the year the fire brigade got called due to an act with a stripper/ a young lad and setting light to his nether regions. I kid you not this made the papers. Nice enough place and cheap (ish)

Hidden away just off Princess Street, Charlies is fairly non discript from the outside and is…read moreeasily missed unless you're looking. Whether its postioning was tactical or not I've idea but what I can tell you is that this little gem has a fantastically fun and friendly atmospere that is helped hugely by the fact that it's not somewhere idiots stumble into accidently on a ramdom crawl. Offering entertainment throughout the week including Karaoke and a 70's, 80's & 90's chart club night, Charlies plays host to the hugely popular 'Heart of Soul' club night on Saturdays, playing R'n'B, funk and Sweet Soul music. Everybody there is a have-a-go hero, X Factor it isn't but Y-not Factor it certainly is! Get your tonsils warmed up and get down there.

Charlies is a guaranteed goodnight. Bit of a mixed crowd , dodgy bar and no card machine at the bar…read moreis only negatives. Good song range, great atmosphere but have a few somewhere else before to get you on your merry singing way. I hate singing but i love it at charlies and even i sing every now n then!!

Vanilla. 'Where the Girls Are.' Or according to a friend of mine who was put off after one visit,…read more'Where the girls who emulate Shane from The L Word are.' But she's a very militant lesbian who doesn't like being frowned upon by a bunch of scrawny teenagers with feathered hairdos and skinny jeans because of her red lipstick, womanly figure and vintage 1920s hairdo. You'll get the odd stereotype in Vanilla as Sophie says but there are plenty of trendy young things. The rule is if you're a guy, you're more than welcome, but only with a gal on your arm. You can meet the entire staff body on the website, they all look friendly and they make me feel old. Early twenties sods. Vanilla's a gay village staple with a traditional edge - while it has enough parties and groups heading there it's a lesbian bar first and foremost. It's not the kind of place that will turn you away for wearing 'fancy dress' (this is a true story. A friend of mine and her girlfriend went out in their best suits on Canal Street and the exact above thing happened to them) and the whole reason I know about it is that during Gay Pride, it had an L Word quiz night. If there's one area in which I know my trivia, it's those impossibly perfect and dramatic Los Angeles lesbians. That DVD boxset is my instant go-to when I've got a freezer full of Ben and Jerry's and a microwave full of salt and pepper popcorn. Whether you're gay, straight or somewhere in between, Vanilla lives up to its literal as opposed to slang name. By that I mean that proper vanilla flavour packs a punch, and so does this club. Give it a try.

This lesbian bar is anything but vanilla (as in sex that is conventional, safe, boring). Instead,…read moreVanilla is a great night out for girls to relax and have a dance. Its popular for hen and stag do's too. Their tagline is Where The Girls Are and since it opened eleven years ago, the bar has won many awards for promoting amd enhancing the lesbian nightlife scene in Manchester. The crowd in this pretty small establishment is going to make me majorly stereotype but I can't help it. Young. Mullets, the lumberjack look, a smattering of tattoos. You know the sort. But there are a few other types who frequent Vanilla too mixing it out a little at least. Men - listen up though - bring some women with you else you may not find yourselves welcome.

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!!!

It's a very local club and that's to be expected. Two pints and a large diet coke £8.10 but they…read moreneed to change the syrup . Darts and dominos. Along with the fruit machines it's a very local club.

First off I guess I should probably say that I'm not reviewing my own party that I held at Kraak…read more(that would be slightly dodgy) but I wanted to go on record to say what a great experience I had in organising, working with and ultimately holding the party at Kraak. If you haven't been to Kraak before then it's down a really small alleyway down from Rosylee and the Fitzgerald, tucked away and only open on certain nights of the week for pop up shows, gigs and all sorts of parties. It's rough and ready, grimey, dank etc but that's the way I like it! It has however got a really cool bar that's really up to date in terms of great bottled craft beer, 2 beers on tap from fantastic Bury brewery 'Outstanding' and they do a pretty decent selection of cocktails and wines. There's a gallery/art space on the top floor but that can be hired/booked be contacting Kraak directly if you're planning on holding a more art based event. I dealt directly with Jayne and Dom who were both super easy to work with and made sure our party went with a blast - nice work guys, I can't wait to pop in again soon for a few drinks when I'm actually not running around like a madman running a party for over 100. A true gem of the NQ, hopefully it'll stay like this and avoid the gentrification occurring with other parts of the area.

Second time I went here I managed to find the unmarked door (actually there was a small handwritten…read morepiece of paper saying Kraak on the brick wall around the corner) without a map so I felt very cool. I feel Kraak itself is slightly less cool, I guess they keep the space blank to keep it versatile but the black walls are pretty unattractive and it's a small bar space as well. It's fine but I wouldn't look forward to music here the same way I would at the Castle/Whiskey Jar/Odd/Trof/Soup Kitchen which are all such pleasant (if bougey) spaces and the gallery space at 2022 is far more beautiful. More importantly, the sound here is not very good. There's a lot of competition in the NQ and Kraak could raise its game somewhat, although kudos for doing a much better job of being a speakeasy than the Fitzgerald a mere 10 metres away.