Manchester Music Trail: Band on the wall

About

Named after the fact the stage was effectively a perch on the wall so as not to use up precious drinking space, Band on the Wall has come a long way since its days as a pub for the carters, fishmongers, and barrow boys of the Smithfield Markets in the 1930s. The venue was conceived as a home for jazz, although it was always a more mixed bag than that, with a reputation for ‘world-music’, as well as regular nights like Craig Charles’ Funk and Soul Show, and Mr Scruff’s Keep It Unreal. Short-lived Icelandic art-punk anarchists, Purrkur Pillnikk, performed here in 1982 (rumours have it, with a teenage Bjork). The venue also works closely with local charities and initiatives such as Brighter Sound to bring music to the new generation with events like Junior Jam and early-years session Shake, Rattle & Roll. Manchester Jazz Festival has strong ties with the venue, as well as with nearby Matt & Phreds; an intimate music venue full of soul.