Matt And Phreds

For aficionados of live jazz, this cosy Northern Quarter club has been at the heart of the Manchester music scene for years.

Now, with up to six gig nights a week, the venue offers the best in jazz as well as folk, gypsy, electro, salsa, swing, world and ska music, too. It’s not just a place for small-time up-and-comers, either – artists who have graced the stage here include Adele and Jamie Cullum.

Every first Monday of the month is the ever popular Blues Jam, where the house band will happily invite anyone who brings along an instrument or their voice to join them on stage. Gigs are free to get into apart from at the weekends when a door charge of a fiver operates, but annual membership is also available for £50 if you’re thinking of becoming a regular. Membership also extends happy hour prices which operate through the week until midnight.

It is sometimes bemoaned that Manchester has lost some of its more independent, cosy, late-night live music clubs, so quick was the city to hop aboard the high-end cocktail bar bandwagon. If you hanker after something a bit more down to earth, Matt and Phred's won't let you down.