Gone from the main bar are the plain white walls and chunky wooden tables with mismatched chairs, a fixture there for more than a decade.
Instead, velvety green chairs, dark walls, and exposed filament bulbs overhead give the revamped space a sort of New York speakeasy vibe that more than fits with plans to host late-night music acts here for ‘after show’ parties, some running as late as 2.30am throughout the week.
Image: The Manc Group Image: Jody Hartley
Little nooks carved out in corners make for intimate date spots at night (or a good hidey-hole to work away in during the daytime), and right at the back the original bar has been replaced by a stage draped in theatrical red velvet curtains – perfectly setting the scene of a late-night jazz bar.
In the day, they’ll be serving Patel’s Pies and other snacks here, with a new bar menu full of bespoke cocktails, cask beers from Hebden Bridge brewery Vocation, low-intervention wines from Kwas, and a solid no and low section with different wines, beers and spirit offerings.
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By night, it’s all pints in hands and party atmosphere as the venue’s live music programme gets rolling again after months of reconfiguration, postponements and delays.
Image: Jody Hartley
Some shows taking place this month are part of tours the Band On The Wall team had organised in 2019 or 2020, showing just how long it has taken for things to get back to normal after the pandemic. At last, nature is healing.
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The main bar and stage area has been expanded, the stage pushed back from the stage door and lifted high above the crowd to ensure even those in the back now have a decent view (as long as they’re not stuck behind one of the supporting pillars).
The balcony area is still there, as is the main stage bar – with most of the work here going into tweaking and upgrading the already-excellent PA system and installing a brand new lighting rig.
Image: Jody Hartley
We’re told the capacity has now grown in here to at least 500, but the team is anticipating being able to sell even more tickets once they’ve worked out a few kinks. It’s cost a pretty penny, too, with around £3.5million being fundraised for the project’s development since 2015.
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Backstage, a connecting platform makes it easy to roll the grand piano from the main stage to the bars, and lots of work has been done throughout the venue to ensure it’s completely wheelchair accessible for both performers and artists.
More is still to come, with ongoing construction at the back of the building currently putting in a new recording studio, workshop spaces and a roof terrace that will be used by students of Manchester College.
Image: Jody Hartley
The work is set to be fully completed at the end of April, but after a long period of closure, bosses were keen to get the doors open again to keep doing what they do best: booking brilliant underground musicians and filling up dancefloors with fans eager to hear (and see) them play.
With so many closures of small, intimate venues in recent years, the new bar makeover at Band On The Wall brings something Manchester is sorely lacking – a small, intimate space where upcoming artists can play and be heard, right in the hearrt of the city centre.
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Riding the line between the big mainstream venues and the spit and sawdust dive bars, it’s great to see it open once again with a promising lineup for artists all confirmed for its reopening.
Featured listings for the Band On The Wall reopening:
MF Robots / Fri 11th March / Buy Tickets Amadou & Mariam and Blind Boys of Alabama: From Bamako to Birmingham / Tue 15th March / Buy Tickets Avi Kaplan / Sun 20th March / Buy Tickets Balimaya Project / Tue 22nd March / Buy Tickets Bill Laurance Trio / Thu 24th March / Buy Tickets Soft Machine / Mon 28th March / Buy Tickets Ibibio Sound Machine / Fri 1st April / Buy Tickets Mario Biondi / Sun 3rd April / Buy Tickets Focus / Tue 5th April / Buy Tickets Asian Dub Foundation / Fri 8th April / Buy Tickets Roberto Fonseca / Thu 21st April / Buy Tickets James Taylor Quartet / Sat 14th May / Buy Tickets
Strangeways declared ‘threat to national security’ following drone deliveries of drugs, weapons and more
Danny Jones
A recent trend at HMP Manchester has been declared a “threat to national security” after it was learned that drones have been regularly delivering drugs, weapons and more into the facility formerly known as Strangewaysalong with other UK prisons.
It’s said there were roughly 220 drone sightings over the past year or so – more than any other prison in the country – and issues around contraband, violence, hygiene and more have been on the increase ever since. HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire was found to be similarly neglected.
A rife drug and rat problem was found following a surprise autumn inspection between September and October; it is now evident that the chronic issues have been exacerbated by a major security breach as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, says police have “ceded airspace” over facilities.
The most recent report on conditions at HMP Manchester and Long Lartin was published on Tuesday, 14 January and, in short, it insists that huge investment is needed in order to curb the crisis.
Credit: HM Inspectorate of Prisons
Drones, corruption and a lack of investment have seen Strangeways maintain its reputation
A top-line assessment of Strangeways found that many of the sticking points came down not only to the advent of drones delivering items such as phones, drugs, weapons and other “large payloads” weighing up to as much as 7kg, but merely “poor physical security” and concerns regarding corruption.
Most notably, high-risk prisoners who Taylor described as “extremely dangerous” have been burning holes in cell windows in order to pick up drone deliveries. The ease with which these exchanges are able to take place comes down to what he simply calls “slow action”.
There has been a damning failure to spot, repair and/or replace these panels, as well as the torn netting over exercise yards, meaning that drone operators have an easier task when dropping their packages into the 158-year-old penitentiary.
According to the report, “a staggering 39% of prisoners had tested positive in mandatory drug tests at Manchester” (50% at Long Lartin) and a simple survey found that drugs and alcohol were “easy” to acquire inside Strangeways.
In addition to the rodent infestation, general hygiene looks to have plummeted to new lows in recent times too, with “widespread dirt, damp and litter” as well as vandalism in several areas. Inmates have also been tearing up mattresses to insulate windows from the cold.
Numbers relating to assault, self-harm, suicide and more have also risen since the last major inspection in 2021. By all accounts, it remains one of Britain’s most dangerous prisons for a whole host of reasons.
There has also been a significant drop-off when it comes to socialisation and rehabilitation efforts, as the work day, learning and general activities look to have dwindled too.
Taylor signed off by writing: “The safety of staff, prisoners and ultimately that of the public, is seriously compromised by the failure to tackle what has become a threat to national security.
“The prison service, the police and other security services must urgently confront organised gang activity and reduce the supply of drugs and other illicit items which so clearly undermine every aspect of prison life.” To put it simply, he says the situation is “highly alarming.”
It may not make for pleasant reading, but if you want a clearer picture of the current conditions inside Strangeways prison or to learn more about the growing advent of smuggling drones, you can read the extensive 67-page report in full HERE.
Broken cell windowDamage and dirtThe state of a kitchenette (Credit: HMIP)
Featured Images — Robert Wade (via Flickr)/HMIP (HM Inspectorate of Prisons)
News
Murder investigation launched after man in his 50s found dead in Little Hulton
Emily Sergeant
A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a man in his 50s was found in Little Hulton this past weekend.
Shortly before 7:30am on Sunday 12 January, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was called to an address on Hope Hey Lane, in the Little Hulton area of Salford, following reports of concern for the welfare of a man.
Once emergency services arrived on the scene, the body of a man in his 50s was sadly found dead.
According to GMP, following a post mortem taking place, officers believe the man’s injuries are “consistent with an assault”, and because of this, detectives have subsequently launched a murder investigation.
#ARREST | A murder investigation has been launched after a man was found deceased in Little Hulton yesterday.
A woman in her 40s has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
There will be an increase in police around the area while we investigate.
With the investigation ongoing, a woman in her 40s has already been arrested on suspicion of murder, and she remains in police custody for questioning.
Addressing the incident and speaking on the murder investigation as it progresses, Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Sadly, following the discovery of a body at a property in Little Hulton, we have now launched a murder investigation, and we have a team of detectives working around the clock to understand the circumstances.
“We do not believe there to be a threat to the wider public, but you will likely see an increased presence of police in your area whilst we conduct further enquiries.
Hope Hey Lane in Little Hulton, where the incident happened / Credit: Google Maps
“If you have any information which may assist our investigation, or any dashcam, CCTV, or doorbell footage from the area in the lats 24 hours, then please get in touch with us. No matter how small the information may seem, it could be crucial to our investigation.”
Can you help? Any information can be shared by calling police on 101 quoting log 650 of 12/01/25, or using the LiveChat function online at www.gmp.police.uk.
Georgina Pellant -
8th March 2022 
