Manchester Academy (Manchester Academy (Manchester))

Member Name: sugarcultsweetie

Product:	Manchester Academy (Manchester)
Date:	24/06/09 (170 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Range of venues within, well laid out building, friendly staff

Disadvantages: Stairs can get very busy, as can toilets

Indisputably known to most simply as a music venue, following the MEN and Apollo in Manchester's venue size and capacity, Manchester Academy is actually part of The University of Manchester. The building comprises of 4 gig venues as well as meeting rooms, a ticket office, student union offices and other services, and a main bar. Positioned on Oxford Road, Manchester Academy is both in prime position for the students, and for the journeying public, directly on major bus routes - Oxford Road train station is also a 10 minute walk away.

Manchester Academy in its entirety is spread out over several floors, club academy in fact being at basement level. This is the smallest gig venue, with seating towards the back and a wall-length bar - often half closed on quieter nights. This room seems suprisingly modern in its decor, and is a good venue for small shows by independent or fairly unknown bands, though the stage size leaves something to be desired. Club academy's neighbouring corridor leads to a cloakroom, and toilets - of standard student sanitary conditions.

Academy 2 and 3 are on the first and second floors of the building, academy 3 being the smaller of the two. Not much can be said really - both are basically big rooms with sound equipment, lighting and a stage at one end, individual bars for each present. These have proved for myself great venues of perfect capacity, but then that's personal gig preferences.

Academy 1 was previously linked to the ground floor of the Academy building, but construction has recently given this venue an entrance of its own, housing a large bar. This change has calmed the chaos that was former nights of several simultaneous Academy gigs, with the largest venue's audience being completely seperated. The bar within the foyer has been an addition rather than replacement of the wall length bar within the venue, so the same gig atmosphere has remained. A small balcony along the back wall of the room provides respite for some of the more hardcore gigs, and so encourages younger gig-goers.

Throughout the Manchester Academy, toilets are numerous, and though of varying condition are in my opinion really fairly decent for a student venue. Similarly, there are around 6 bars, all of which are reasonably priced. Staff are generally helpful and pleasant, and though the big burly men turfing crowdsurfers out seem strict, they are genuinely caring and willing to help anyone in trouble or upset. Ticket prices can vary, though generally they rise through the venues from the club academy (around £6-8) to academy 1 (£15-30) - obviously dependent on the individual band or artist. Music of all genres can be found there (As a student living nearby, 'guess the band by the audience' can be a very fun game...) and in conclusion, it is definitely not a venue to be overlooked in the search for gigs.

Summary: An awesome gig venue!