Band on the Wall is one of those venues that you can’t come to Manchester without going to
Not only do we class it as a legacy venue, with its firm foundation in Mancunian music history, but it is a venue that constantly brings some of the best bands to the stage. Since its recent renovation, the new face of the venue has been shining strong,
History
Keeping it short, we can say the venue has always been synonymous with music, from all the way back to the early 1800s, and has always been a pub at heart. Getting the nickname band on the wall as the former landlord in the 1930s, Ernie Tyson, placed a stage on a wall at the back where the musicians could play. From piano to drums to a saxophone and even accordion, all types of instruments and musicians would grace the stage
Seeing a brief decline in the area after WW2, as Manchester lost its slot at the top of the technological revolution, the venue was briefly forgotten. In 75’ it was envisioned as a Jazz bar but it wouldn’t be until the sound of Punk graced the masses that Band On The Wall would be at the epicentre of a musical revolution.
Artists that we all know have shaped music history have played in the very venue, from The Clash to The Smiths, Oasis and Joy Division to Bjork (and more!). the venue has been and will continue to stand as a testament to the Manchester music scene.
Since the facelift and the post-pandemic need for a social life, Band on The wall is proving to continually keep us on our feet with great modern musicians and working with esteemed festivals like Manchester Jazz Fest & Manchester Psych Fest I cannot wait to see what is on the horizon
What's to come?
Here are a few that we are definitely going to see in the next few months:
Mulatu Astatke | 26.08
The man whom we wanted to see back in May of this year at MJF, unfortunately, he couldn’t get into the UK due to visa restrictions *coughs in Priti Patel*. So here we are in August and we cannot wait.
He is the father of Ethio-Jazz and has made the genre of music world renown. He blends a mixture of sounds from modern jazz to traditional Ethiopian music which is soaked in Latin and Caribbean rhythms. His music ignites our souls!
For Fans of Agbeko, Orchestra Boabab, Felt Kuti
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Kevin Morby | 04.09
We cannot hype him up enough, Kevin Morby is just pure talent; his music transports us to a field on a hot summer's day, cold cider in hand. His psychedelic mix of Kansas rock mixed with an uplifting, almost church-like sound creates his amazing music. His voice lets you hold on and the rhythm leads you on the journey.
For fans of Khruangbin, Kurt Vile, Cotton Jones
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Sambroso All Stars Present: The Buena Vista | 23.09
We saw these guys at Movie Festival 2021 and they brought such an amazing sound to life. Based on the songs from The Buena Vista Social Club, they Brough Latin to the streets of Manchester once more. The seven person band are leading percussionists in the UK and always bring a good performance to the stage. Their music is perfect for people who want to let their hair down and dance to their heart's content.
For fans of The Buena Vista Social Club, Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer
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Murkage Dave |27.10
As is stated, his sound is defiantly British. He merges a lot of modern musical elements which you can hear throughout his music. From Garage to R&B, to influences from the Smiths and rap artists like Skepta. He is definitely one to see.
For fans of The Mouse Outfit, Hak Baker, Greentea Peng
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Sudan Archives | 24.11
Experimentally she merges modern electronica with clear bases in both R&B and Hi-Hop.
Mesmerisingly blunt, she leaves you wanting more. With her continually growing fan base not slowing down anytime soon, you might as well join the hype.
For fans of Kadhja Bonet, Nick Hakim, Moses Sumney
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We sat down with Dep. Venue Manager Ben Armitage who was excited for what the future of the venue is going to bring to the table, noting that he himself has tickets to see Kevin Morby!
You can listen to the entire conversation below to find out what the venue has been up to since the pandemic and hear from someone who works there that this is truly a legacy venue in Manchester.
As they proudly state on their website:
“Heritage is as important to us as the music we now present, and in many ways, the music is just a continuation of the same tradition of celebration of human endeavour which has taken place here for hundreds of years”
So I will nick their ending as I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Instagram: @bandonthewall so you keep up to date with whats going on.
