Band on the Wall — Restaurant in Manchester

I have struggled a lot in terms of accessibility in venues, but it is the first time I witnessed a situation where the accessibility experience is different depending on whether the concert is sold out or not. On the 30th, I attended a sold out concert. We had the option to go on the mezzanine to have a better view of the concert (the mezzanine is not reserved for disabled people. It is accessible via stairs (there may be an elevator access which I have not seen). On the 3rd of November, because the concert was not sold out, access to the mezzanine was restricted for everyone. The only seated option was to be seated in front of the stage in a restricted area where friends would not be able to stand next to us. Also, if you are in a wheelchair or cannot perch yourself on bar chairs, your vision of the stage is extremely limited. The cherry on the cake was the use of red strobe lights during the second act that made me unable to look at the stage during the whole set. More than being upset at the lack accessibility adjustments,  I was mortified that the artist would see me turning away and sheltering my eyes. I am very sad that a venue which states that inclusivity is in their core values would be so exclusionary of disabled people who need to actively chase and ask to have decent viewing conditions. Being inclusive is not treating disabled people as an afterthought, giving them zero agency and support. Requiring disabled people to disclose their disability one week in advance so that you can prepare for our coming, shows that your space is actually not accessible if you have to make last minute adjustments to your venue. We should not have to access for decent access. I would like to thank the security man of the venue who let me in after seing I was standing outside in the rain after being told by the previous security team that I could not wait inside despite the bar being completely empty and the concert being delayed by 15 minutes. You were the only person with the waiting staff who did not treat me like...

The Band on the Wall is a fantastic venue that has been part of the Manchester music scene for many years. The building dates back to the 1860's. During World War II it was popular with servicemen from both Britain and allied countries with the band continuing to play during bombing raids. Its had a fantastic recent refurbishment and deserves the support of gig goers. There have been many bands play there over the years, some of whom have gone on to worldwide fame. We've been many times, most recently for the March of the Mods where we saw 9 great acts. The bar and security staff are all very friendly and helpful. Pleased that there were a couple of decent cask ales available and we also enjoyed the puzzas. It would have been preferable if the dj in the back room in the bar area didn't play the music so stupidly loud which made it too uncomfortable to rest in there with a drink. Overall though a...

Went to see Pharoahe Monche and it was good gig, though the venue is a lot different to what I'm used to. It's very small and cosy inside, but not quite cramped. It even has an upstairs mezzanine level, although I didn't see how you get up there. The performance area is also separated from a bar area (The Picturehouse Cafe Bar), which I guess is cool if you just want to come in for a drink or something. This bar area is actually pretty nice and spacious, surprisingly so.

Parking in the area is terrible (as can be expected), however the side street right next to the building has about four bays- If you're quick/lucky you can bag a spot, which really helps when it's raining outside- It's not on a bus route, so plan your journey.

Something to note if you haven't been there before is that the entrance isn't actually on the corner, so don't waste time trying to figure out how to get...