By HMP Manchester and nestled within a Salford industrial complex, The White Hotel is Salford’s nightlife mecca…
While navigating your way to The White Hotel, you might believe you have taken a wrong turn somewhere. The ominous watchtower of Strangeways looms overhead, while a small caravan door opens and two German Shepherds leap out and hurtle towards you. They say hello and enthusiastically wag their tails.
The ground beneath your feet feels unstable and a small garage up ahead appears to be rumbling with the sound of music, so naturally, you follow. Two fellows robed in black greet you with a warm smile and ask for your ID and ticket, this is all you require for passage. You walk around the dilapidated exterior until you find a door. Upon stepping inside the venue, you quickly realise that this place is unique.
Piety overcomes you as a crucifix glows neon red, parting a path through the fog. A sea of disciples flow around you as you follow the rumblings from the car park into the next room, like a call to mass. People are transfixed, and so are you. This is your space and everyone else’s too.
Named after a D.M. Thomas novel about a woman’s erotic encounters with the fictional son of Sigmund Freud, The White Hotel was never supposed to be an ordinary nightclub. The spirit of the venue is about breaking taboos, feeling comfortable in your own skin and being present in the moment. A night in The White Hotel will ask you to abandon any prejudices and facades and to expand your horizons. You will speak to new people, hear new music and experience something beyond a regular night out.
This spirit is what makes this venue so magnetic. It is small and compact; you have no choice but to meet people and hear perspectives you never would have otherwise. Events are hosted to celebrate talent, whether it be Mancunian, international or those from the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a safe space for everyone.
Engaging in the true essence of the underground, people can be seen crawling out of the venue on a Sunday morning, any time between 7am and midday. Although, if crawling through Salford at 11am on a Sunday after 11 hours of dancing does not sound like your idea of fun, The White Hotel offers a consistent line-up of more socially timed gigs. These evening performances are perhaps where the diversity of the music on offer shines through the brightest.
The venue is one of Manchester’s last few safe havens for authenticity in the nightlife scene. Many nightclubs operate strict dress codes, offer ridiculous drink prices, and demonstrate a shallow appreciation of the music that made the city what it is today. The White Hotel asks you to dress as true to yourself as possible and will not allow you to spend a fiver on a pint.
They champion small labels and independent artists whose musical integrity could never be questioned. Genres from South American psychedelia to spoken word are showcased here, on top of the entire spectrum of electronic music; there undoubtedly is something for everybody staying a night at The White Hotel.
Related stories:
