The Essential Manchester Music Venue Tour
Introduction to Manchester
Manchester stretches 12 miles from Heaton Park in the north to Manchester Airport in the south but is never much more than four miles wide. The population is around 450,000 but the greater Manchester area has a population figure of around two and a half million.

The city has a very excitable centre, squeezed between the rivers Irwell, Medlock and Irk. A short distance east is Chinatown, with its restaurants, supermarkets and other shops and banks. East again is the Gay Village, along the Rochdale Canal. A few years ago, the gay village became a rundown ghost town but with the magic of the pink pound it has been revived into a clubbing part of Manchester for both straight's and gay's alike.
Arriving and surviving in Manchester
In this modern world it has never been easier to travel to Manchester.
By air: Manchester airport is the Second biggest airport in the United Kingdom, with London's Heathrow airport being the biggest. Several trains run from the airport right to the centre of the city during the day, but are less frequent at off peak times.
By train: Manchester has two main train stations (Piccadilly and Victoria) both are modern, well equipped train stations.
By ferry: Access to trains is easy from the following ports - Holyhead, Liverpool and Heysham

The Ritz, Whitworth Street West

Transport to this spectacular venue is very easy from the centre of Manchester. A metro link stop (Deansgate/Castlefield) is situated 5 minutes away.
The Ritz is a ballroom with a "spring set" dance floor that moves up and down in unison with the heaving masses. The surrounding balcony upstairs gives it that truly ballroom feel, to a venue that opened in 1926 and was absolutely huge in the 1930's due to the heady dance days. The venue has hosted some of Manchester's best student/indie discos since the early 80's with its Monday night "dance yer doc's of", though is more cruelly synonymous with its "grab a granny night" reputation at weekends, attracting the slightly older women out on the town looking for a good night. For the younger generation this venue provides disco nights such as "Social beat". A night where music lovers from Manchester come to drink and listen to their favourite songs every Saturday

With the Manchester music scene hitting a high point in the 1980s and 90s, The Ritz was fully thrown into the spotlight when artists such as The Smiths and The Happy Mondays preformed there and it has been a venue for some of the best upcoming artists and established bands ever since.
The Ritz went through a £2 million refurbishment in 2011. While many of the old creaks and crannies were fixed up it still stayed true to its image as an old dancehall, even keeping the old curved, bouncy floor.
Since the 1990s The Ritz has seen artists such as The Stone Roses, Arctic Monkeys, Courteeners, Fratellis, Beady Eye and more recently Johnny Marr and the Happy Mondays.

The Manchester Arena
Transport to the venue is extremely easy as it is joined to one of the biggest train and tram stations in Manchester, Victoria station has steps up to one of the main doors.
The venue was officially opened on Saturday 1st July 1995. It quickly became Europe's largest indoor arena and finally gave Manchester what it had desperately needed- an indoor arena big enough to host stadium bands that also had a decent sound system. Unfortunately the venue does have its critics (mainly from those sat right at the back or high up in the stands) but as much as we all love small intimate gigs, we sadly have to accept the fact that the biggest bands and artists have to play in the biggest venues possible. The arena has a capacity of 21,000. The standing section is usually filled with youthful faces bouncing around to their favourite music. In front of the stage is a hectic area that usually involves lots of "mosh pits", if you're of the older generation I would strongly advise that you stand away from the oi polli or buy seating tickets. The seating in the arena is not solely for the older generation it is still filled with a rapturous energy surrounding the inside of the building.
There are many facilities that are found in the venue including 10 bars, Mc Donald's, sweet stands and merchandise shops. Alcohol is £4:50 per pint and soft drinks are £2.50. If you're planning a "tipsy" night out then be sure to take cash because cards are not accepted.
The venue has hosted some of the biggest bands from all over the world but more importantly it has contributed to the rich musical heritage of Manchester. Such bands like Take That, Oasis, Elbow, New Order, James, Happy Mondays, The Charlatans, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, M People, Doves, The Inspiral Carpets, The Verve, Simply Red and The Courteeners have played gigs at the Manchester Arena and are globally recognised as the biggest bands, all from the city that never stops raining.

The 02 Apollo, Ardwick Green
Transport to this venue is slightly harder than the other two venues as it is out of the way of most public transport. From the centre of town get the tram along the Piccadilly line to Piccadilly. At the exit to the station there is a taxi rank outside. A taxi from here will cost about 4-6 pounds. Another way is from the station walk up the road (left of the exit). You will see a famous pub called the Star & Garter on Travis Street, you will see a curved shape building that Travis street passes beneath. Follow the route under the building and immediately you will see a bus stop on your right as Travis Street meets London Road. From here, give your feet a rest and take the number 192 or 196 bus. This is a very short journey that will take you to the roundabout at Adwick green, where the Apollo Theatre stands at the junction of Stockport Road and Hyde Road. The bus stop is right outside the main entrance.
The well-trodden path to Ardwick Green has been taken for decades by local bands and fans alike. To play the apollo was to have made it. The Apollo was built as a cinema, Manchester's biggest at the time, and opened in 1938, but was redeveloped in the late 70s to accommodate live bands.
The venue has both standing and seating with a capacity of 3,500 (2,514 standing, 986 seats). The standing area is a massive space for a smaller venue. The small stage makes it very easy to see the sweat dripping off your idols face. The sound system is very good from the standing area but lacks quality upstairs in the seating.
This spectacular venue has hosted some of the biggest names from all over the world, Jake Bugg, Courteeners, Snoop Dogg, The pixies, Happy Mondays, Baby shambles and The Streets.