Manchester Academy

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Manchester Academy
Manchester Academy 3.jpg
Exterior view of 'Academy 1' (c.2009)
Former namesUniversity of Manchester Main Hall
Address Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
England
Location Chorlton-on-Medlock
Coordinates 53°27′49″N2°13′54″W / 53.46361°N 2.23167°W / 53.46361; -2.23167
Owner University of Manchester Students' Union
OperatorUniversity of Manchester Students’ Union
Capacity 2,600 (Academy 1)
950 (Academy 2)
650 (Club Academy)
470 (Academy 3)
Construction
Opened18 October 1990 (1990-10-18)
Renovated2005, 2007–08, 2016
Construction cost£1.2 million
(£3.77 million in 2023 dollars [1] )
Website
Venue Website

The Manchester Academy, originally known as the University of Manchester Main Hall, is composed of four concert venues, located on the campus of the University of Manchester, in Manchester, England. The four venues are: Academy 1, 2 and 3 and Club Academy. Utilised by the Students' Union, the venues are housed in two buildings, the original Students' Union built in 1957 and the academy, built in 1990. In 2004, after the merging of the universities, the venues carried the "Academy" moniker. Unlike other music venues named "Academy" in the UK, Manchester Academy is not owned or managed by the Academy Music Group. [2]

Contents

History

The original Students' Union building, 2010 Manchester University Students Union Building (geograph 1963615).jpg
The original Students' Union building, 2010

Known as Victoria University, the Students' Union building was erected in 1957. It began hosting concerts in 1963. The venue hosted many jazz artists in its early dates. The first performance was by Humphrey Lyttelton and His Band on 16 November 1963. The main building housed three of its original venues: the University of Manchester Main Hall (now "Academy 2"), the "Hop and Grape" (later became known as "Solem Bar" and now "Academy 3") and "The Cellar" (also known as "Cellar Disco" and now "Club Academy"). Other music venues on campus were Whitworth Hall and "The Squat". After operating for eight years, the building was demolished and became a carpark. With the music scene expanding in Manchester, there was a need for a larger capacity venue on the campus. In 1984, a proposal was submitted for building a concert venue adjacent to the original Student Union.

It opened on 18 October 1990 and was first performed in by Buzzcocks. It was closed completely between March and October 2007 when a major refurbishment and rebuilding programme began, which was completed in early 2008. [3] It had had a capacity of 2,000 and hosted around 50 gigs a year prior to closure; the capacity was increased to around 2,300 with the expansion and further increased to 2,600 in September 2013. [4]

Venues

Performers

The following list is composed of musicians performing at either the old or new buildings, from 1963–present. [5]

Reception

Following the re-opening of Academy 1 in October 2007, the University of Manchester Students' Union came under much criticism for large parts of the refurbishment being incomplete. Customers originally had to use portable toilet facilities outside, suffered long queues for the one small bar and had no access to a cloakroom.[ citation needed ] These problems were eventually rectified with the opening of the completely rebuilt foyer, which included a sizeable bar and VIP balcony and lounge (also open to customers with disabilities).[ citation needed ]

Awards

Manchester Academy has attracted positive publicity after being referred to as the UK's "greenest venue" with a third of the £3.5 million refurbishment budget going towards minimising the environmental impact and improving the sustainability of the reconstructed venue, as well as making substantial accommodation for disabled music fans. [6] It also received the title of "Best Entertainment Venue" in the 2007 MCR Awards. [7]

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References

  1. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  2. "O2 Academy Birmingham". O2 Academy Birmingham. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  3. Acad refurb Archived 14 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Manchester Academy – VMS Live". Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  5. "Manchester Academy | Roll of Honour" . Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  6. "The green Academy". Manchester Evening News . 18 April 2010. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  7. "Manchester Academy wins award". Archived from the original on 22 September 2008.