Band on the Wall

Band on the Wall is a Manchester venue and event presenter, operating from Swan Street between the Northern Quarter and New Cross. Its history reaches back to 1803, when the building housed the George and Dragon pub. Landlord Ernie Tyson added a raised stage to the back wall in 1937; the arrangement allowed musicians to play without using floor space and gave the venue its name. Jazz musician Steve Morris and business partners Frank and Anne Cusick reopened it in 1975.

The programme has included jazz, blues, reggae and roots, as well as events connected to Manchester’s post-punk scene. Buzzcocks, The Fall and Joy Division played early gigs at the venue, while the New Manchester Review Monday Rock Club ran there from 1977 to 1979. Later club events included Heart of Soul, a monthly Northern Soul night launched by DJ Russ Winstanley in 2011, and Twisted Wheel Club events, including Sunday Soul Sessions. Line-ups have also featured DJ Sappo.

After closing for redevelopment in 2005, the venue reopened in 2009 with the adjacent Picturehouse building incorporated into it. A further redevelopment that began in 2019 added performance, education, rehearsal and studio facilities, and the venue reopened in 2022 after a £3.5 million transformation. Its main performance room has a stated capacity of 500, with room for 150 in the Copper Bar. Band on the Wall also presents international artists at its Manchester venue, runs touring programmes nationally and develops creative music projects across the country.