Welcome to the first instalment of ‘Know Your Pub’, The Mancunion Music Section’s guide to understanding your sub-city-centre cultural environment. Shining a light on the venues at the heart of Fallowfield and beyond, from local live music to jukebox drinking holes, we’ll help you find the places that suit you.
Our first stop: HandleBar
Opening in 2022, they are relative newcomers to the student scene. HandleBar is a venue that has just found its feet, and is proud to be punk. A venue with a distinctly unique style compared to its Fallowfield contemporaries, it’s a portal to something different on Wilmslow Road.
Walking into HandleBar can feel something like stepping into a 1970’s acid trip: soft, colourful lighting bathes your surroundings, the walls drip with psychedelic posters, and, very often, the soundtrack is just what you’d expect to be playing. Your fellow punters are usually who you’d expect to be there with you, too.
On the back wall, past the beer taps and next to the original 60’s ‘Live Peep Show’ neon illumination, a ‘Now Playing’ sign proudly presents which of the records (sourced from vinyl stores and charity shops around the city) is currently spinning on the turntable at the end of the bar. Chosen by the bar staff, recognisable by an unofficial uniform of band tees and strongly-held opinions on ‘Who’s the best guitarist of all time?’, it’s very rare to hear a dud pick.
Take a look at the other walls when you’re next there, between the art of mid-century French revolutionaries, and see if you can spot a poster of your favourite band. So prominent is the sound and imagery here, it would be easy to be of the impression that in this place the music is the primary concern, and that the serving of drinks is something of an afterthought.
Are you into rock ‘n’ roll? Have you found yourself in a flat of indie lovers? Need somewhere to go where you and your trusty Shazam app can expand all those Spotify playlists you started? Want to impress a first date with your stunning and downright seductive knowledge of niche, late-60s psychedelia? Yes? Well, maybe this is your kind of place.
An interview with HandleBar’s barman
To find out more about the venue, and to ask his thoughts on HandleBar’s place in the student scene, The Mancunion sat down with resident barman and erstwhile DJ, Adam Strong.
What’s the thought behind the musical ethos at HandleBar?
“For myself, one of the main reasons I came to Manchester is that I’ve always loved the music scene here. When HandleBar appeared, I realised it brought something that Manchester had, but that Fallowfield was missing. In the past you’d have had to go to Withington to find an interesting music venue, but when HandleBar opened, it was somewhere to go where you could talk about the music, relate to it, and to be interested in the tunes, not just somewhere I was going to drink pints.“
What kind of atmosphere does HandleBar look to create?
“I think HandleBar wants a creative atmosphere where you’re sort of shocked and taken aback as you come into it, where once you settle in you feel comfortable, somewhere you can fit in with, especially if you’re into our sort of aesthetic. It’s just a cool atmosphere, basically.“
Who do you think HandleBar is for?
“I think it’s mainly for people who live in Fallow and Withington and the student areas, who are after something a bit different, where they can listen to good music in a friendly, independent venue.“
What is HandleBar’s place in student culture?
“A place for fans of of rock ‘n’ roll, or fans of punk rock, the type of music you don’t really get to hear in a lot places nowadays, y’know? We’ve got something for everyone, as long as it’s good!“
If HandleBar were a song, what song would it be, and why?
“‘Gimme Danger‘ – Iggy and the Stooges. When I’m behind the bar and that song comes on, it just feels like the right place, right time, to be listening to it. Slinging drinks about and seeing everyone have a good time.“
And there you have it. HandleBar: a Fallowfield punk island, aiming to offer something different to musically-inclined students, and hoping to bring some rock ‘n’ roll to the doorstep of Owen’s Park (and saving you a bus fare into town). Is their brand of ‘cool’ for you? Check it out, and see what they’ve got playing.
It’s different, it’s independent. Besides, let’s face it, where else are you going to hear Captain Beefheart on a Tuesday night?
Get out and get listening!
