Conori Bell-Bhuiyan

We've all been faced with the night bus at some point. Whether it's because you've missed the last train or tram, or because you can't quite stretch to a taxi after a few extra beers, night buses in Manchester have their own unique charms. Here's the five things you'll learn on the night bus. 1. You've missed the last train home. Now you're going to have to pay for it.  You knew in your heart of hearts that when you ordered that extra drink no amounts of arcane calculations could stretch the minutes long enough to make the last train home. You knew it, but you ignored it all the same. Now you have to pay the price for quashing that inner voice. You have to face the long hard journey before you. Fortify yourself and layer up on gloves - you're taking the night bus home. 2. You'll meet some characters.  That guy serenading the lamppost with Celine Dion might be having the night of his life but it's the last thing you want to hear just now. In fact it's the last thing you want to hear ever. Does that guy actually understand what singing is? And did he just grind the lamppost!? 3. You might come across some unwanted extras. Like vomit. Oh that familiar smell. Doesn't it just take you back. Remember desperately cleaning up after house parties before parents came home? Your first experiences with tequila? Fond memories I'm sure. But not ones you want to relive all the while eyeing a suspicious lumpy pile slowly spreading down the aisle. Hold up your bags, tuck your legs in and take

It rains, it pours, it’s grey, the takeaways are distinctly dodgy and the infrequency of public transport past midnight is a distinct planning flaw…but no one can be down on the nightlife of Manchester, because we have produced some truly great music and we have the venues to prove it.Going out to gigs in Manchester is as much a rite of passage as those feelings in your stomach the morning after that truly suspect kebab (the meat was as grey as the sky in winter but it tasted like heaven in a greasy styrofoam box). So grab your high-enough-to-let-me-see-over-the-crowd gig shoes, gulp your pre-drinks and we'll explore Manchester’s finest, from largest to smallest. The Ritz Rob Martin       With a capacity of 1,500, the Ritz is the big bouncy heart of Manchester indie rock and pop scene (that bouncy is literal by the way – the place still has a curved springy dancefloor that harks back to the ’20s). What started out as a dance hall burst into the spotlight as Manchester’s music scene picked up momentum, hosting the likes of The Beatles, The Smiths and even Frank Sinatra. More recently the refurbished Ritz has seen (or will soon see) the Arctic Monkeys, the Weeknd and the Maccabees perform on stage, plus hosting regular student-y club nights.   Islington Mill Yeah yeah, say it all together now… 'It’s in Salford. Salford ISN’T MANCHESTER.' Well, maybe not, but Islington Mill isn’t exactly a cut and dried music venue either and it still deserves a place on the list. Art galler