• Music | Music venues
  • Recommended

The Ruby Lounge (CLOSED)

Treading an accessible middle ground between niche and mainstream, this low-key venue has nights dedicated to indie hits, northern soul and pop bangers

Advertising

Time Out says


Dressed and lit in sultry shades of red, Ruby Lounge is split into a gig and lounge area, with an ornate, speakeasy-style bar in between the two. It’s an inviting atmosphere that belies the venue’s somewhat blink-and-you’ll-miss-it entrance, sitting between a bakery and a betting shop and beneath a dentist.

Owing to the rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic, the crowd at Ruby Lounge is perhaps a little older than at similar clubs of its ilk, however its flagship night Remake Remodel attracts as broad a demographic as any on the first Saturday of the month. A ‘psychotic reaction’ to dull, laddish indie nights still prevalent around Manchester, punters can expect to hear everyone from The Velvet Underground to Fleetwood Mac to Tame Impala. Pop Curious pulls a similar trick and makes a raucous night out from a glittering, retro-pop soundtrack, without getting too cheesy. There’s also Howling Rhythm, a newer night dedicated to Motown and northern soul.

All three provide a soundtrack more varied and niche than at the likes of faded indie megaclubs such as 5th Ave and 42nd Street, with the added bonus of a pleasant atmosphere, room to chill out and a well-stocked bar that’s not too decadently priced. For a large or varied group, Ruby Lounge could be the all-round agreeable ticket. Aside from club nights, there’s a regular turnover of touring bands calling in throughout the week, usually from the indie rock and pop scene.

Details

Address
28-34 High Street
Manchester
M4 1QB
Advertising
You may also like
You may also like