Hop & Grape – Manchester Academy 3

Im gonna use this to describe all of the Academies… ive see every thing from Slayer to Amplifier to Steve-​o and Venom at either of three Academies and loved each and every time ive been…

Fair play to this part of Manchester Academy. I think its the best thing about the place. I know that the big bands and artists always play in the main Academy but I just don’t feel that its that good (see my Unilocaling).
This place is ultimately similar, a long dark room to re-​deploy Rob’s accurate summary. Bands are unknown, and you get to see a good few on each visit.
For me this makes it a little more exciting, and the crowds are always those more interested in music. Plus its never too packed which can be a problem with the bigger gigs. Of course, its a lot cheaper as well.
Plenty of those who play here turn out to be big stars so if you want to tap into the music scene early then give it a go.

Students are not very picky when it comes to nights out and venues. Give them a long, dark room, put a stage at one end and a bar at the other, and then book decent bands to play there and they’ll love you forever. That’s what Academy 3 did, and they’re still going strong.

Like Sarah-​Jane, I’ve seen countless gigs here and have never been disappointed.
Recently I’ve seen Nine Black Alps, Duke Special and Manchester Orchestra here. If your reaction to those bands is ‘who?’ then that’s not particularly surprising. It is mainly smaller bands that play here, which is reflected in the ticket prices: £7-£14. But as Sarah-Jane’s list has proven, many of these bands then go on to achieve great things.
There’s nothing fancy or pretentious about the venue. It’s simply a small dark room where bands play. Nothing more is needed.
You can buy tickets from the box office downstairs in the union, and when you’re there you can buy cheaper drinks from the union bar (ask for plastic cups) and take them upstairs to the gig.

By far my most favourite of the Academy venues, Academy 3 sits on the third floor and manages to combine the intimacy of the Club Academy with the flair and professionalism of the Academy 1.
The room is long and spacious, with a high stage giving even those who are a bit more vertically challenged a good chance of seeing some of the action on stage. The sound is great, meaning both the band and the crowd seem to have a good time.
I went to see King Creosote here and his dedicated and well-​mannered loyal following were a nice change to the beer-​throwing lads you usually share the Academy venues with at that more raucous indie gigs.
The bar is situated directly at the back of the room, meaning that you can still see and hear the band whilst you’re getting your drinks. A clever idea.

Juliette and The Licks
Placebo
Sonic Youth
The Flaming Lips
Cornelius
Devendra Banhart
Antony and The Johnsons
I’ve lost count of the amount of great artists I’ve seen perform here over the years. Let’s just say, there’s been a lot and I enjoyed most of them. The shows I didn’t were usually down to something out of the band’s control like getting all their equipment stolen the day before and having to play with borrowed equipment and no soundcheck!
The smallest of Manchester Academy’s venues, the Hop & Grape is also the most intimate and atmospheric. There’s a tiny bar at the back selling beer, cider and spirits and raised windows sills down both sides — which you can jump up and sit on if you get there early enough. Otherwise, it’s a case of standing or if you’re near the front and it’s a rock gig, moshing with the kids!
In the summertime, the lack of air conditioning means sold out gigs can get unbearably stuffy /​humid. When I saw Antony and The Johnsons here a few years back, he even made a quip about sweat dripping off the ceiling and onto his piano!

I went back when it was the Hop & Grape. The Student Direct office was right around the corner, so I’d see the lines and the posters everywhere.
As the third ranked and sized concert hall in the student union, the Hop & Grape still drew better acts than most medium-​sized venues in the US.
One disappointment, however, was that I was supposed to review Peter Yorn, and he canceled.
I used to go down the back stairs and buy Cadbury Fruit & Nut chocolate bars during lulls.