The Ruby Lounge

Went to a lovely country concert here from Aaron Watson who is big in the USA but small here so I got to enjoy him in this small and very ‘personal feel’ venue!
Nice cosy place in the basement. Sound quality was good. Plenty of couches around the corner. As it is L-​shaped when sitting in the couches you can’t see the concert. If only it wasn’t it would be more than perfect haha!
Nice place!
LOTS of ladies toilets but almost no doors with a working lock… so that is why the –1…

I love the Ruby Lounge. In the seven, nearly eight. years I’ve lived in the city centre, I have been here many times. For 6 years I have been nearly neighbours. I once even had to deliver some post that somehow ended up through my letter box.
The prices are really good — £3.50 for a vodka and lemonade.
The layout is good, with the area with the stage/​dance floor and the seating area.
It is a great place to see bands as acoustically it is really good. I have to confess though, I don’t usually go to see bands. I usually go for the various club nights.
My Pop Curious is just fantastic. It is the sort of night you’d have in the gay village but in the Northern Quarter (which is better for me as it saves a taxi fare home) and plays great pop music from 70s to present day. The best night I’ve been to was the Eurovision special, when Sonia performed and then I got my photo with her in the meet and greet.
Last night, I went to the Absolute Sh*te night which is a bit like Pop Curious but with some of the worst songs. For example they played Barbie Girl and I’m Still Standing but also things like Bön Jovi. The music is so bad it’s good and there is such a good atmosphere.
Overall am a big fan and would recommend going here for bands or for the nights mentioned above.

I was looking for an opportunity to go to Ruby Lounge for a while but for some reason or the other it never happened till last weekend! I firmly believe in the saying good things take time to come and but when it comes it blows your mind!
Last weekend after my Unilocal events, a friend invited me here for a party and even though I was exhausted I agreed to go because I did not want to miss out on the opportunity of going to the famous Ruby Lounge! I was shocked to see where its located because I walked past that several times but for some reason NEVER noticed it! That is how unpredictable its location is, and from outside it looks nothing like a club! Having said that I was equally impressed when I walked in because the venue was spacious with comfy couches and a big enough dance floor! The bar staff were extremely efficient too, as I did not wait loner than 5 minutes at the bar!
Coming to the music, its a rock club and the Dj played some of my favorite tracks all through the night, we kept singing aloud to it (yes lost my voice the next day). There were dancers on the main stage too, but funnily enough the dancers were middle aged men which made it hilarious! The crowd was mixed and less pretentious than typical NQ hipsters (slowly some of them have started to annoy me) and price of drinks was very modest too. The only complain I have is the entry at the door, 8 pounds is a bit much, don’t you think so?
Verdict: Loved it and will definitely go back again and again! :)

The Ruby Lounge has been my number one club and music venue since my first year of university in Manchester.
Hidden on the edge of the Northern Quarter, this venue actually holds some of the top nights in Manchester — Guilty Pleasures has a monthly spot, Juicy often takes on one of its opponents here, and they even hold some 50s style dance nights. It can become a bit of a sweat box, but just wear something short sleeved, because it is worth a bit of smudged make up.
In terms of live music, it has some of the best acoustics for solo or acoustic acts (funny that) that I have experienced in Manchester. Recently I went to see the Secret Sisters, a Southern American sister act who dedicate many of their songs to Hank Williams and that era of country music. Their voices sounded heavely and could be heard at every corner of the venue, even with their dulcet tones and ghostly harmonies. It sent shivers down my spine.
One tip — the bar can become ridiculous later on in some of the nights they have, so be prepared to be patient. Or just throw yourself towards the bar like some do.

Heading over to this venue confused me somewhat. It’s not quite in the Northern Quarter enough to have true Northern Quarter status in the eyes of the hipsters, perhaps, nor is it situated centrally enough to be considered ‘in-​town’. The Ruby Lounge sits in a most awkward spot, amongst some tired-​looking clothes shops, at the tatty end of the Arndale Centre. It’s really not nice of me to say that, but you know what I mean by the tatty end. Sort of Piccadilly Gardens way but not quite. Musician friends of mine had deemed it an excellent venue however.
‘Is it?’ I asked, nonplussed.
‘Yeah. Some good bands have played there.‘
What, in the weird little randomly-​located shop-​type thing on the tatty side of the Arndale Centre? Yes, it just so happens they have. And when I went to a friend’s acoustic gig there, I must say how pleasantly surprised I was.
It’s decorated beautifully. It’s spacious, yet manages to remain cosy. There are comfy leather sofas everywhere. And the stage area is excellent. I was starstruck, as Shelley from Coronation Street was there. Being a Mancunian, she’s an über-​celebrity to me, she was always my favourite Corrie character. It just so happens that she’s married to Paul Weller’s drummer who helps manage my singer friend. Well ain’t it a small world. And some kid from one of those C4 reality shows played too, you know, the rockier version of X Factor. He was awful.
One of my essential features of any good gig venue is pear cider, and with Koppaberg cluttering the fridges I was in my element. Also, this may sound weird, but girls, visit the loos. Please. There seems to be an ongoing debate in each cubicle, as the customised doors with magazine articles superimposed onto them have inspired a fair bit of graffiti. Just have a good excuse for when you resurface twenty minutes later and your friends are wondering where you are.

I went to that club when I was in Manchester for the weekends with friends and it’s a place for real fun!
The night I was in, it was an after-​party of The Courteeners, who eventually never showed up, but I found the music really good! Purely rock with The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and so on. A kind of playlist I really love and that is hard to find in French clubs.
A great place with enough space and good vibes and really cheap drinks!

The most common comment you’re likely to hear about this place is «where is it? never heard of it». This is rather a shame, since this is a pretty good gig venue. The subterranean space (thankfully air-​conditioned) is larger than you might expect, with plenty of room to move about the bar area. Tucked in the corner is the actual venue proper with the stage on one end. Until recently, this was somewhat of a pain, but it’s been expanded and is easier to watch the band now. The staff here are friendly and the bar well-​stocked (no ales, but that’s hardly surprising).
The crowd are, naturally, indie types, but it never feels scummy or down-​at-​heel.

I have a sore head. It’s not good but it’s the price you pay for a great night out. Ruby Lounge totally exceeded expectations. Me, planning, making a decision is a rare thing. My suggestion was actually a hit. I did my indecisive alterego very proud.
There are many quality club nights organised by the Lost and Found name and this was no exception. Dance off, being £1 entry, sold it for me. Doubles for £3, a range of sambucas £1.50? Messy. Dance off saw a battle between three major DJs, strangerways, good vibrations and juicy DJs playing a mix of Joy Division, The Temptations and Dr Dre. Amazing combination.
Ruby Lounge is renown for it’s quality club nights and live music. The venue is perfect, with an adequate dance floor, a stage to match and plenty of seating on a slightly raised level for a chill out. Another great Northern Quarter location that needs to become a regular thing for me.

I was a little dubious about this place at first — probably because it used to be a dodgy R’n’B club that was often mentioned on all those late night TV shows about gangs in Manchester. But when I got off my high horse and went to see a gig there, I realised what a brilliant venue it actually is!
With Ex-​Night and Day booker, Jay Taylor, at the helm, the 350-​capacity venue attracts some cracking acts. In fact, I’ve seen everyone from the Hidden Cameras to Hefner here! The stage is pretty small and the standing room can feel slightly cramped. But there’s a big chillout area away from bands with some big, squishy sofas. So if you are feeling a little squashed, you can always head out for a breather.
I don’t know why, but the Ruby Lounge always feels slightly posher than other Mancunian live music venues of its size. It might be the décor, which has a bit of a New York feel to it. But, most likely, it’s the booze prices, which can be a little on the expensive side. Still, if I’m honest, you can usually expect to pay a pretty penny for a pint at gigs anyway!

I bought tickets for me and my boyfriend to see Athlete here. I thought he liked Athlete, but it turns out I was getting them confused with another band. I didn’t particularly like them either, so I had pretty low expectations of going to see an average band in a distinctly drab looking venue opposite the Arndale centre.
The venue was actually really surprising. As Emma-​Louise says, it somehow manages to be spacious, yet cosy. I think the gig was sold out as the area in front of the stage was completely packed (get there early to stand up on the raised up platform at the edge for a great view of the stage), but there was still plenty of space at the bar and to the side. We made use of the comfy sofas around the corner during the mediocre support act. Although you can’t see the stage you can still hear what’s going on round the corner. The atmosphere during Athlete was really good, though I imagine it wouldn’t be quite so good if there were only a few people there.
We ordered a couple of cans of Red Stripe at the bar as they were on offer, but they smelt and tasted a bit strange. It reminded us of wet wipes. Oh well, I guess disinfectant is infinitely better than rats’ piss.
All in all, a good intimate gig venue. I hear that the weekly Caged Asylum rock /​lap dancing club nights (Fridays) are worth a visit too.

Manchester’s a little bit odd with its live venues; there seems to be an inverse relationship between the quality and history of the place, and the look of the place from outside. It’s not unusual to find that the back-​alley door with vomit spatters outside and two tramps having a punch out is the entrance to a grand old place that played host to Oasis back in the day.
Ruby Lounge isn’t quite that bad outside, but it certainly doesn’t look like a good music venue. Inside though, it transforms into a well-​planned out stage and bar set-​up, and the live nights you can see there are often fantastic. The bar prices aren’t too bad either if you know what to pick, so it almost feels as if the management actual like their customer base. So yeah, visit it and be surprised, good things can come in small packages. Or in this case grubby ones.

The Ruby Lounge, located underground on the cusp of the Northern Quarter and the City Centre is 100% about the music.
It’s a great little venue for gigs, with the sound punchy and loud. The stage is low and intimate, meaning that, whoever you watch, you’ll be able to touch them (should you wish).
It also doubles up as a venue for club nights with a varied amount of styles on offer. Importantly, the beer is good enough and there’s ample room to dance on the more than adequate dancefloor.
If you need to get away from the action, you can pop around the side of the bar, which is refreshingly well-​lit and there’s enough in the way of comfy seats.
It’s a handsome little venue that should be on the list for any music lovers. Great music and good drink.
That’s all you can ask for isn’t it? Just be careful going down those stairs after you’ve had a few…

From the outside, the Ruby Lounge is just a shabby looking door on Manchester’s equally drab High Street.
Inside, there’s a really good small venue with a big stage, professional PA and a long, curvy bar. It’s not got the sheer cool of the Deaf Institute or even the bohemia of Night and Day, but it concentrates on doing the one thing it has to. And that is putting on consistently good bands and giving them the opportunity to play a great show.
There are a couple of pillars that can get in the way and true, it needs to be busy for the atmosphere to really pick up.
If you fancy a chat and there are acoustic acts playing, there’s plenty of space and sofas in the side bar area so you won’t disturb the bands.
I like this place. Its simple, professional and lets the bands do the rest.

I think this might be a strip club. In fact I’m pretty sure. Well, it wasn’t when I was in the Ruby Lounge last night for a Lost and Found gig which is why I felt comfortable to take my boyf in with me.
The gig was billed as The Cribs Aftershow but it was basically just a gig– most of the spectators were either in one of the four bands, looked like they should be or were girl groupies who were way too impressed with themselves that they were getting backstage.
The sofas and high backed armchairs in the main bar area were nice touches, there were a few mirror balls around too. Plus velvet curtains — hello, strip club? Then you turn to the grimy stage area with the big grill up between the bands and the crowd. That said, no one went past the pillar anyway. Too cool to stand right at the front.
Alright drinks prices — get some of their cheap vodka mixers or flavoured sambucas otherwise you’ll run out of money quickly. After the bands they had Gareth Brooks from Xfm DJIng but we didn’t end up staying.

Ruby Lounge is located in Manchester city centre. Primarily a rock club, its interior is quite a departure from the other rock clubs in the city. Well lit (for a club) and with walls not dripping sweatily, this is a much nicer place to go. It plays host to lots of bands, so there’s plenty of live music on offer. On a Saturday, its Caged Asylum, which is basically a metal/​rock night with lap dancers! Brilliant bar, only thing that lets it down is a lack of beers on tap

The Ruby Lounge has been created upon the fault line that lies between the restless tectonic plates of The Northern Quarter and the rest of the city. A visit will involve an incursion into the southernmost outer rim of Manchester’s more eclectic area of regeneration, and perhaps the location of Ruby Lounge, seemingly equidistant between the 21^st century’s Piccadilly and the 19^th century’s Victoria, is part of the reason for this relatively new venue’s success. Existing in a multitude of guises over the years, Ruby Lounge quietly occupies the vanguard of small clubs that serve as Manchester’s breeding ground for unsigned talent and unsung heroes garnering a wider audience. The symbiosis between the success of live acts at places like Ruby Lounge, Deaf Institute and Matt and Phred’s, and the on-​air patronage of such venues by the likes of 6Music’s Marc Riley, has produced a bounty of entertainment across the city for the kind of prices that make taking a chance on a little known band well worth while.
We were there to see The Leisure Society, word of whom has passed like a whispered secret password between the likes of Messrs Riley and Garvey and out across the digital ether. I found myself there by surprise, a secret well kept — some would say, like the venue or the band we went to see, its a secret that’s getting out.
It was also a welcome surprise to find an interior that, although subterranean, is a far remove from the hollow caverns of the 80’s and 90’s. Ambient lighting, a herd of comfy sofas and a room with recesses and alcoves shooting off in various directions made for a warmer venue with an inviting character, for a change.
Hoegaarden is available in those annoyingly small half pint sized bottles and the beer selection is perhaps a cut above your average Carling warehouse. I did ask for a white russian and a black russian as an alternative to beer and wine at one point, but was very politely rebuffed. There was no milk at the bar. My impromptu request for a black russian was thwarted as I was unable to tell the barmaid what the ingredients are, being a white russian, myself. I was told that they don’t usually do cocktails, but I was charmed that they would have had I known the recipe — vodka, khalua coal?
The space for actually watching the bands is on one level and very small. We arrived early — and I think it’s well worth doing that as it’s a nice enough place to grab a couple of drinks. That meant we shuffled to the barrier that separates performer and artist, Wall style, except with a meshed metal fence that looks like a set prop from mid eighties TOTP. The first of the performers was superb and around for a chat afterwards. When the main act came on the place behind us was absolutely packed. I guess it would be pretty hard to see from more than a couple of people back from the fence. A quick glance over towards the DJ booth, segregated from the rest of the audience, revealed the familiar features of Paul Heaton — presumably another admirer of the main act.
Afterwards the crowd dispersed quickly and the atmosphere remained convivial and bubbly. There was an excellent range of ages and genres of dress.
We emerged into the Mancunian night, facing the conundrum of whether or not to immerse ourselves further in the delights of Thomas Street and the High Street bars or head off towards Oxford Road, blissfully unaware of the last train we were about to miss

I went to the Ruby Lounge for the first time last night to see a gig, so I obviously cannot comment on this place as a club but as a music venue, it’s pretty good.
It’s kind of reminds me of Academy 3 as a place to see live music, small, intimate and close up and personal with the act.
The only downside was that there was no stage to speak of, just a barrier between the crowd and the group, so even though I was near the front, it was probably difficult for people at the back to see what’s going on. I’m not sure if this changes with each gig though.
Good venue though, and have already got a couple more gigs lined up to see there.

Located in the City Centre, Ruby Lounge is definitely a hidden gem. The décor is quite different to most metal clubs. Instead of drowning itself in the obligatory black, The Ruby Lounge instead employs subtle shades. It even has a shiny bar!
Drinks are on the more expensive side but the selection is excellent. The main downside is a lack of draught beers.
Ruby Lounge is home to a fantastic night on a Saturday when there are lap dancers are available for hire! I have also been witness to jelly wrestling but I don’t think this is a regular event, for shame! If you love your rock music, nice drinks and semi-​clad ladies, then this place is worth a visit for you!

I’ve only been here to see a gig but it wasn’t a great venue for it. It’s got an alternative, bare feel to it, but the stage area is quite narrow and it gets really crammed meaning it’s pretty hard to see the band unless you’re right at the front.

Ruby Lounge does have some great lie gigs during the week, saturday nights it turns into caged asylum– a metal lap dancing club. The atmosphere is good, but you do get the single men who come to look at the dancers, and you get the other people who come to dance and have a good time. the dancefloor is a good size for the size of the club, drinks aren’t cheap but they do offersome drink promotions every now and then. They sometimes have after parties for metal gigs and UFC fights. They also sometimes have fancy dress/​themed nights so best to check out the website– you could get reduced price entry or a free drink!