Examining, with your help, which Manchester clubs currently suit the different age groups

With advances in modern medicine, the option to lead healthier lifestyles and a refusal on some peoples' part to grow old, we now have a population of mature, not quite middle-aged-but-getting-there adults that is looking relatively fresh, compared to that of previous generations, despite being in its thirties or forties.

The modern male has learned how to evolve and keep pace with his female counterpart, holding back the ravages of time thanks to an awareness of diet, fitness, fashion,  grooming and cosmetic products. Much of this is due to the indirect pressure poured on him by the style magazines to be like the male celebrities that are within his age range such as David Beckham, Daniel Craig or Brad Pitt. We're not thinking of Simon Cowell in terms of role models here.

Besides, plenty of clubbers that were 18-30 during the nineties, or even eighties, don't want the good times to go away. For them, Madchester might be gone, but they've still got some life left in them, regardless of whether they've taken on the mature responsibilities of mortgage, marriage, children, career, etc.

There's a distinct possibility that 38 year old Mrs. Smith is in One Central Street on a Saturday night while her first born, now a 19 year old, is over at Bar 38 at the same time. They can share a cab home together later on!

We'd like to hear your thoughts on which clubs you feel most comfortable in. Are you a 19 year old art student that mixes with your contemporaries down at Clique, or perhaps you are in your early thirties and think that the Funkademia crowd are more your scene?

Clubs have been turning away punters for decades for not looking old enough, but recently one well-known club in the city rejected a group waiting in the queue for being too mature. They were told that the event was a 'younger night' and sent on their way. Has this happened to you? Have you walked into a club recently and felt awkward because of the age demographic? Maybe your fave club night started out rammed with people in their mid-twenties and has been steadily infiltrated by older teenagers over the last six months until you don't feel the club is 'yours' anymore?

Let us know by logging in and using the comments box below. Even if all you've got to say is that “Everyone at Club Event X is under 25 and fashion-conscious”, that will be useful to someone else in the AfterDark community. Let's have a good chinwag about it and help others avoid any age-related faux pas on their next night out.

Words: Justin Richards

Comments:

12 Sep 2009 Neil Duran

The Manchester nightlife scene has been on a perpetual decline since regeneration changed the shape of the city. In my opinion this has led to a shift away from a mixed age range to a mostly youngster age group in the city centre. Manchester does not cater for anyone over 40. All it has are the student places and the gay village. The pubs and entertainment venues that shaped and inspired the Mancuncians are now gone. Too many soulless bars, tacky pubs and a dress culture that's shameless. A place that looks pretty in the daytime and a miserable place at night. Good memories too: Beer Keller, Fagans, Foo Foo, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sam's bar, Rotters, Ronnies bar, Mannings, Conti, Ritz of yesteryear, Tiffanys, Riser bar, blob house, tommy ducks etc. Rest in peace.

5 out of 5

31 Aug 2009 Hayleyy

I'm 18, and me and my dad go out together all the time. He can't dance to save his life, but we have a laugh!

5 out of 5

28 Aug 2009 sue

i am 51 and am desperate to find a club that has 40+ ravers in

5 out of 5

27 Aug 2009 Tony

Age doesn't matter, its being in the mood for the music. I've clubbed it from 16 to 31 and sometimes you get a brilliant set where you can dance all night, and others it just doesn't click and you're home by 12. I think you'll always prefer the music from when you were young, experimental and carefree and having the best time of your life but thats what retro nights are for. Some tunes are timeless and get picked up by everyone young and old, some are of the moment and come and go within a week. Either way its your mood that makes it not your age.

5 out of 5

22 Jul 2009 Jack Foley

So Riina, you seem to be saying that all clubbers should only be in the 21 -24 age range just so that you can be made to feel comfortable?

Luckily, by your own rules you'll be retiring from clubbing in a year, so we won't have to suffer your narrow-minded attitude any more. Ever heard of this new word, 'diversity'?

5 out of 5

22 Jul 2009 Riina

I am 23 and i feel awkward sometimes at clubs when the crowd is mostly 16-20 years olds, and honestly i think anyone over 25 is too old to party!

5 out of 5

12 Mar 2009 Tom Scott

Music is timeless, I ask the young clubbers, when will you forget the good times of today? The music, the memories, the friends, the freedom of dancing, lost in music and the beat. Hearing the music from the past and being transported back to those days. I guarantee you will have it forever. I will be 50 next month, still enjoy clubbing much to the embarrassment of my daughter.

5 out of 5

22 Feb 2009 John Evans - Prestwich

I find that any hassle is in general by the younger crowd, I attend funkademia at least once a month, mix with people from 25 to 50 years only (i am mid thirties) and have found a new love of clubbing again... next day hurts more tho

5 out of 5

03 Feb 2009 Jack Foley

I'm not sure I quite align myself with the baby boomer generation, more like Generation X, but as a man in his 30s that isn't quite past it, I think it's spot on to say that the likes of South, Mint Lounge and One Central plus bars like Bluu can be suited to the more mature individual, and they appeal to music lovers as well.

There's an older crowd at the style bars such as Ithaca and Panacea, but naturally youngsters don't have the kind of money and profile to be at ease in those bars anyway, unless they're part of the northern soap opera casts in which case they're probably perfectly at home in bars where its more important to be seen and bask in your wealth than to actually enjoy yourself, have fun, dance, appreciate music and mingle.

Tiger Tiger has an over 25's door policy but am I alone in feeling that the place is tired?

5 out of 5

22 Jan 2009 Frankyworthy

Exactly! I was clubbing at the Hac, Legend, Cyprus Tavern and The Venue right through the 80s. Then kids and stuff got in the way. We recently went to South on Clint Boon night and it was great. I don't think we looked out of place and we certainly didn't feel it. Where else caters for the cool parent baby boomers generation like this?

5 out of 5

22 Jan 2009 Lucy

I am just about to complete a PhD that has looked into 'older clubbers' (amongst other "older" music fans) so this is a highly poignant article for me. Lots of club nights I visited in Manchester for the research and for pleasure have a mixed age range. Funky house nights often have clubbers aged over 30 (like plush and 2risque) and I inerviewed lots of people from round the UK who continue clubbing into their 30s and 40s. It's not Manchester but at Southport Weekender the average age of punters is probably 40. Age shouldn't matter in clubland. It's supposed to be about community and the music so to get knocked back from somewhere for looking a bit older is boll**ks. Lots of older clubbers have house parties or put their own nights on/hire somewhere cos of this sort of thing happening. Don't let it put you off cos we all have to grow old at some point and being there in the 80s/90s should mean you're respected not asked to leave.

5 out of 5

Got something to say? Tell us here:

Please complete the form below. Mandatory fields marked *

1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Rating out of 5 * 1 2 3 4 5
4. Review *

Thank you