WE ARE THE LAST. TRULY. INDIE. VENUE. YOU WILL EVER KNOW.

Sometime in 2016 The Star and Garter was supposed to cease trading as a music venue and be forced to close in order for Network Rail to action a Compulsory Purchase Order and expand Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station. It never happened, but the building owner nevertheless sold it in 2019 to the company in charge of redeveloping Mayfield Railway Station and the land surrounding. The rent more than doubled, but the S&G had survived again.

The Star and Garter is a big building in Manchester which celebrates its 221st birthday in 2021. It was originally constructed in 1803 approximately 100 yards from it’s current position and moved, brick by brick, in 1849 to allow London Road (before it became Piccadilly) Railway Station to expand, reopening in 1877. It celebrates it’s 144th Birthday on it’s current site in 2021.

It is home to the longest running club night in Manchester- the Morrissey Smiths Disco – a night so famous it’s had a song written about it.

It’s also a venue for live appearances from bands and artistes covering all genres of music and performance, be it musically, on film or television or just somewhere someone has ended up by mistake or on purpose.

Low, Status Quo, UK Subs, Vice Squad, Architects, At The Drive In, Courteeners, Kevin Montgomery, Al Perkins, Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce, Frank Carter, Nine Black Alps, Hovis Presley, Frank Sidebottom, Tony Wilson, Peter Slater, Liam Frost, Clint Boon, Autokat, The Longcut, The Mavericks, Tommy Allsup, Half Man Half Biscuit, The Calvin Party, Kevin Rowland, Belle and Sebastian, Richard Hawley, Bobby Conn, Marc Riley, Electric Six, Ray Winstone, Kevin Eldon, Samantha Morton, Susan Tully, Suranne Jones, Dean Lennox Kelly, Ben Miller, Carl Chase, Robbie Coltrane, Ricky Tomlinson, Helen Mirren, John Simm, Matthew Horne, Pete Shelley, Keith Allen, Tara Fitzgerald, Ollie Alexander, John Thomson, Neil Fitzmaurice, Joseph Gilgun, Michelle Keegan, Peter Hook and Chloe Sevigny are among the select many who have appeared as a performer or punter.

The building has appeared as a location (interior and exterior) on There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble, Funland, Mine All Mine, Cracker, Band Of Gold, Dead Clever, Prime Suspect, Worried About The Boy, Body Farm, Snodgrass, Prey, Cradle to Grave, Brassic and It’s A Sin as well as various adverts, documentaries and university, youth and community projects.

Ask anyone about the Star&Garter and the response will be as follows:

Never heard of it

The Morrissey Smiths Disco

Punk Gigs

Metal Gigs

The Temple of Doom

The Municipal Fortress of Vengeance

Smile

Dive

Haunted

It’s closing

It’s being knocked down

It’s being turned into flats

It’s in the Red Light district

It’s Anti-Facist, Anti-Racist and Anti-Knobhead

The “Legendary” Wristbands