Last month I saw The Front Bottoms (Yes, a real band) play Manchester Academy with my brother-in-law, Adam. I've seen the band play a few times at different venues and having been to the Academy before I knew the venue was great for disabled access.
Travel
With the venue being on Oxford Road, it's well connected when it comes to public transport, with a lot of bus stops and Oxford Road Train Station on the same road. I drove us there, which worked out easier for us. Parking is always a bit of a nightmare for any city centre venue, but things are made a little easier with having a Blue Badge. We parked a few roads over in an on-street disabled bay, and pushed/walked the 5 minutes or so to the venue. If you're unfamiliar with the area, I'd recommend checking Parkopedia before you set off; I know there's a Q-Park car park nearby which people tend to use for the Academy.
Tickets
Like always, I pre-booked the carer's ticket. So, when we arrived it was simply a case of speaking to the person at the box office to be issued our wristbands; I hadn't seen them use the wristband system before, but it felt like a step forward in making accessing the viewing platform easier. I was given a band in one colour and Adam was given one in another to identify us as the disabled person and the carer; these bands allowed us to get into the disabled access area.
Image Description: This is a selfie taken by Nah, of him and Adam (his brother-in-law). They are both smiling, the background is black and they can only be seen by the flash of the camera.
Toilets
I didn't get photos of the bathroom because I simply forgot - sorry! There were a couple of accessible bathrooms in the building, one of which was upstairs near the viewing platform. I was able to use the bathroom with no issues in my manual wheelchair and I saw power chair users go in on their own, so there was plenty of room inside. I wish they had two accessible bathrooms upstairs, with it being closest to where disabled people would be watching the show, but the most I saw was two people queuing for the toilet. I suppose if you couldn't wait, you could always head downstairs to a different bathroom, so no big deal!
Bars
Before heading up to the access area, which is only accessible via the lift or a set of stairs, we went into the main room to look at the merch. There are bars downstairs, but I knew there was one upstairs near the viewing platform that tended to be quieter and less stressful, so we went there instead.
The upstairs bar also has a seating area, so if you need a moment away from the noise and general chaotic experience of live music, it's a good place to head to. The staff were also more than happy to help with carrying drinks from the bar to where you're sitting, which was a big help!
Seating
The viewing platform here is a balcony at the back of the room. It does feel slightly detached from the rest of the crowd (more so than being on a platform within the crowd), but I welcomed the extra space that night because I was struggling with my anxiety. The access area was busier than I'd seen it before, and people were free to sit wherever they wanted, so arriving early to make sure we had a decent spot was a good shout.
There aren't any fixed seats, so they have foldable chairs available for anybody not bringing their own furniture like me! This is great, or at least I think it is, because you don't have to start trying to fit into spaces that aren't big enough etc, as everything can be moved and set up to accommodate different people's needs.
It was great to be able to see the whole stage from the platform, as too often I've been sat in wheelchair spaces with obstructed views. Obviously, there was the balcony barrier that sits in front of you, but I didn't find it too much of an issue.
Image Description: This is the view of the stage from the viewing platform. The photo is taken from a central position and there is a good view of the stage. The crowd is busy and can be seen from above. The lights are blue and purple and the band is on stage, mid-set.
Final Thoughts
It had felt like a while since I'd been to a gig, so it was nice to be back in the thick of it at the Academy. I didn't really have to think too much about the logistics of being a wheelchair user here, which is always nice, and a good sign that a venue is doing things right! I wouldn't think twice about booking tickets for a gig here in the future, and I don't think you should either. Like anywhere, there are 'niggles', like I'd have preferred to feel more involved than sat apart from the rest of the crowd, but I wouldn't say that it would put me off coming back. It was simply a great night seeing one of my favourite bands.
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