Category: Manchester

Manchester Venues 103 to 106

When in attendance at the Sounds from the Other City (SFTOC) festival earlier this year I noted they had introduced a new venue to their ever-burgeoning roster which was Hot Bed Press which is located on Cow Lane in Salford.

The business was set up in 1994 by a small group of printmakers and they moved to their current site in Casket Works in 2006. They have grown since to 300 members and are the largest open-access print workshop in the region and as a result were able to buy their own building in 2017 and continue as a non-profit making organisation.  

Hot Bed Press. Image Credit britishletterpress.co.uk

The initial access was through the Manchester Hot Bed Press Courtyard where there was a small marquee set up, which was handy in the monsoon rain, and an act called Cal/Rob were playing.  You then entered the industrial zone and backdrop of the Manchester Hot Bed Press where there were cold beer cans on sale and a decent size stage set up where a band called Third Kulture was performing. They were a noisy rap/rock crossover trio from Manchester in the mould of Asian Dub Foundation.  

Nearby and further down Oldfield Road, past the Peking Duck Chinese restaurant is Manchester Five Four Studios Bar. On the day we arrived there was a delay to the opening time and there was a fair crowd building up outside the building. When the doors opened, we headed to the bar area for a drink and a much needed sit down. It is a communal space for people attending photo shoots or events and is based on a members club lounge layout with very comfy sofas. Whilst we were in residence, an act called Hold Tight were playing.  

Five Four Studios Bar. Image Credit www.fivefourstudios.com

There is a slow regeneration happening in this area of Salford and one such establishment is an Italian restaurant called Vero Moderno situated within Vimto Gardens on Chapel Street. Apparently, many premiership footballers visit here which does not itself ensure quality food, but it certainly garners attention.

We then headed over to Bexley Square where there was fortunately a one-hour sun break in the weather, and we grabbed the opportunity to perch at a table outside the Porta Tapas restaurant. Munchies struck at that point and the allure of the outside kitchen pulled us in to purchase a very tasty snack and a ‘calorie free’ Pastel de Nata for dessert washed down with a cold beer! The tapas restaurant did have some music performers on that evening, but we had left before then, but have since visited Porta for a very fine meal.

Bexley Square with the New Oxford pub in the background. Image Credit Manchester Evening News.

Across the square you would the Manchester New Oxford public house which is a three-storey building and dates back to 1850. It has had a variety of names over those two centuries including The Town hall Tavern. The Court Tavern, The Amateurs Arms and the Oxford Hotel. In the Amateur Arms days, it contained a music hall.

It has a plethora of beers to wave a stick at and it remains as one of the few hostelries still operating in the area. On the day of the festival, we saw Shannon from Admin play a set there.  

Manchester Venue 102 – Bridgewater Hall

Just down from St Peters Square whilst following the tram line back to Deansgate station you pass the grand building of Manchester Bridgewater Hall on the left-hand side. Nearby down some steps you would find the Piano and Pitcher which we used to occasionally frequent. This has in recent years adopted the contemporary trend by morphing into a large food hall called Society with various vendors and craft beers available, I visited there a couple of months ago and had a rather tidy but overpriced Tiffin Box. Your nearest hostelry on the Deansgate side is the ever reliable and olde-worlde Briton’s Protection.

Britons Protection. Image Credit pinterest.com

The earliest inkling of the concept of the Bridgewater Hall was when repairs were being considered to the nearby Free Trade Hall in the 1950’s following wartime damage. The Free Trade was at that stage home to the city’s Halle Orchestra and hosted concerts, and I visited there just the once in the late 1980’s to see a fabulous gig by 10000 Maniacs.

It was decided that a singular bespoke venue was required, and a site was chosen where the former bus station and car park used to be located. Architects were carefully chosen with the acoustic integrity being high on the requirements list. Construction started on 22 March 1993 with an overall resultant cost of £42million including a £1.2million pipe organ with an astonishing 5500 pipes and at the time of build was the largest instrument to be installed in the UK for over a century.

They adopted unusual building techniques in that it was formed from solid reinforced concrete and is built on around three hundred earthquake proof springs, both initiatives improve the sound and the second one protects the acoustics from all outside noise and vibration. These concepts are beyond my small brain to comprehend but I do know that the resultant impacts are highly effective as I have encountered some of the finest sound quality there of any venue I have visited.  

Image Credit Bridgewater Hall

The first concert there was held on the 11th of September 1996 and was officially opened by the Queen. Within the Hall there are food options in the Charles Halle Restaurant and the Stalls Café Bar, and they also serve ice creams at the intervals sparking childhood memories of Pearl and Dean music in the ABC and Odeon in Preston!  The main auditorium seats 2341 people and has been designed to be tiered in such a way for all attendees to be as close as possible to the stage.

They have around 250 events a year, mainly of a classical inclination but they do also undertake a smaller selection of carefully considered traditional gigs, often where the band’s sound matches the aesthetic of the venue. A friend of mine recently saw the Sparks there, of which I was rather jealous!

My first visit there was in May 2011 when Mercury Rev decided to play in full their timeless ‘Deserter Songs’ album. We were seated up in the balcony trying manfully not to do ‘Waldorf and Statler’ impressions. They played the record in running order even including the wonky ‘Happy End (The Drunk Room)’ track and then we were treated to a few bonus songs on top. The sound literally soared in all directions including vertically upwards to our box and it was a fabulous gig.

Bridgewater Hall. Image Credit meetmeinmanchester.com

My other attendance in 2014 was naturally to see Mogwai and was the 25th time I had witnessed them, this time we were sat in some exceedingly comfy seats at ground level.  I was envious of my pal Dave Dyson as it was his Mogwai debut, and they performed a stellar set with ‘New Paths to Helicon Part 1’ and ‘We’re No Here’ included in their encore.