Manchester

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Clubs & gigs

Despite the apparent desire of developers to change the city by burying it in high-rise residential accommodation, one area of Manchester is standing firm: its legendary nightlife scene. Since the era of 1960s rock 'n' roll band Freddie and the Dreamers, Manchester's independent music tradition has defined the city; noise complaints from new neighbours and a lack of top-class venues aren't going to stop promoters carrying on the party. With the Northern Quarter radiating creative vibrancy, new musicians making their mark and genre-bending club promoters running riot, the variety, quality and energy of the after-dark scene in 2007 is on trademark roof-raising, trainer-wrecking form.

Clubs
The creativity and diversity that made Manchester the clubbing capital of Europe remains evident today, 20 years after the acid house revolution. But beware the promises of generic, money-for-old-rope-style indie promotions, which are legion.

Instead, find the rock 'n' roll spirit of Madchester alive and scissor-kicking at Clint Boon's brilliant Disco Rescue at South, or turn your attention to a new breed of club night - champions of your next favourite band like Blowout, Tramp! and High Voltage, who've spent the past year or so creating a different kind of mayhem in the pubs and clubs around Piccadilly, fusing bleeding-edge live acts with DJs to keep the indie faithful happy.

If esoteric beats are more your thing, check out Music Box on Oxford Street for flagship underground electronic music shindigs Keep it Unreal and Electric Chair. For underground techno, house and breaks venture into Ancoats, where Sankeys has emerged from its latest refurb looking fresher than ever, with its infamous Friday nighter Tribal Sessions still drawing the crowds.

Manchester has its share of identikit chain bars. For something different to kick off a night out, head to the finally up-and-come Northern Quarter where (mostly) independent bars often offer quirky aural entertainment as well as decent drinks. The perfect warm-up for the area's favourite nightclub, former burlesque bar Mint Lounge, has found rude form over the past 12 months as home to numerous quality club nights, and is a safe bet for getting your groove on any weekend. Settling into a new residency at Mint is Friends and Family, run by the Fat City label. The night is champion of local and stateside underground hip hop, and one of the original catalysts of Manchester's now world-class hip hop scene. Other hip hop-tions include C'mon Feet and Ape; the latter celebrated its first birthday in 2006 by organising a piss-up in a brewery - or more accurately, an insanely successful danceathon featuring a jaw-dropping line-up of talent at the former Boddington's Brewery, just north of the city centre. In the lead up to Christmas 2006, a team of promoters struck a deal to strip out the brewery warehouses and host a series of club nights in the massive industrial space. If the project works, it's hard to imagine that this'll be the last party we'll see there.

Back to regular events, and for those into filthy bassline breaks, Fuse at the Roadhouse is well worth checking out and Metropolis at Music Box ably flies the flag for the largely under-represented drum 'n' bass scene.

Across town, the scene is less vintage Adidas, more hairdressers, handbags and honeydew Martinis. Drinking on Deansgate and Deansgate Locks is a self-consciously glamorous affair that normally starts in cocktail bars (like footballers' former favourites Cocoa Rooms and Sugar Lounge) and leads on to dressier dance clubs like Emporia, Ampersand in the City Centre, and Paparazzi. Proceed only with designer labels present, correct and obviously displayed.

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