Brittania 101

Corner of Ullswater Rd &Moorgate
Freehold
Lancaster

Pleasant old building in relaxed décor, lots of nooks and corners to be happily ensconced in.

Features

live DJ; live bands from Baksheesh to blues on Thursdays; singer-songwriters, monthly Art Exhibition (check out forthcoming reviews). Community roots, Greek tapas restaurant “Sun and Moon” Good folk sessions.

**RA/**WG, OC, GF5, FS5

The Gregson Centre

33 - 35 Moorgate
freehold
Lancaster

Features

Much more than a bar with music, the Gregson is an atmospheric old building, converted from a Temperance Hall in 1983, and still looked benignly down on by a portrait of its Methodist mentor. It now offers large hall with lighting system and various rooms upstairs for hire, as well as the well stocked bar and much improved American-style bar food. It is intensively used for functions from bingo to book launches, and has a band, dance, open mic or music session of some sort several nights a week.
The bar is the gathering place for the performers, the arty and the literati of Freehold and beyond.
Musical events would include lively local and visiting bands for every festival in Lancaster, as well as Gregson-based events. Big get-up-and-dance-element.
A strong community base means that the main hall is often booked for regular sessions.
DF, OC,***RA/**WG,GF6, FS6

The Mint Cafe

34 Church Street
Lancaster

Features

One especially for the under-25's. You will avoid bad beer, nasty carpets and even nastier loos by frequenting this little haven as you warm up for a night's rampage.
A long narrow funky room opens onto relaxed seating at one end and a madly busy cocktail bar at the other. Tiny balcony perched on the side is ostensibly for smokers but is a boon on hot (!) evenings. Barman knows his stuff. Cocktails with attitude. “Happy Time” 5-9 pm. No live music but pacey DJ repertoire. Fun lovers only.
GF6

The Penny Bank

Corner Penny St/Common Garden St
Lancaster

Features

This corner venue in the town centre has rock bands on through the week. Good atmosphere on Wednesday's band night, if crowded and really loud. Friendly, no-nonsense service and attitude. Very busy at weekends, when the unattached hunt each other in packs. Pint-and-a-pizza sort of food.
RA/WG, GF5, FS3

John 'O' Gaunt

Market Street
Lancaster

Ye Olde John O'Gaunt has been putting live music on five nights a week for the past twenty years.
Set in a lovely, quaint but tiny building right on the city's main Market Street, this pub became a great jazz venue when the renowned Steve Thorne was the landlord. A musician and jazz expert himself, Steve created a unique institution which gained national acclaim and lead to the pub being described by The Guardian (the national one, not the local one!) as "one of the best town pubs in England".
In the past few years Ye Olde John O'Gaunt has been through some tough times as new landlords tried to follow Steve's act. The result is a pub which still puts on some of the best and most varied live music in Lancaster. There's still jazz, but it no longer dominates and you're as likely to catch a rock, blues, folk or even indie band playing against the backdrop of the famous bay window.
Recently redecorated but keeping the feel of the place intact, it's a friendly little place with a very mixed clientele. The present manager seems enthusiastic in his commitment to keeping up the great tradition of putting on top-quality live music all week. All in all, it's well worth a visit, especially if you're a music lover.

The Stonewell Tavern

8 Church St
Lancaster

Features

Now a legend in its own time, this former Irish bar has been renovated on clean continental lines. Owners Jerry and Rohina chose to promote music and musicians as their raison d'etre, and what a good job they did. Serving pasta and pizza at lunchtimes and music whenever anyone wants to play, this bar has become the hub of session playing in the city.
From solo pianist Bill Wilding at the Baby Grand to the infamous Sam Dale-led jam sessions on Sundays, it is possible to hear trad jazz, rocksteady, boogie, and inspired improvisation throughout the week.
Music Tuesday-Sunday, good atmosphere always.
OC/RA/***WG, COL, GF9, FS6

The Yorkshire House

2 Parliament St
Lancaster

Features

Meeting place for superannuated students, venue for events from pub rock to folk to heavy metal to poets' cornered in the sweaty room upstairs, this atmospheric old coaching inn facing the river is welcoming, well stocked with a good choice of beers and a little wine. What more do you want?
Lots of old fittings and features (including some of the clientele), music most nights, open evenings and from 2pm at weekends.

OC, ***RA/WG, GF6

The Golden Lion

Moor Lane
Lancaster

Features

An up-and-coming venue for folk/R&B/local bands at weekends. Serving Pott's Pies with trad. veg.
Tuesday open Mic, Thursday new music showcase including Barnbox, Saturday landlord's choice.
this is an attractive town centre local with friendly attitude.
Df/COL, **CA/WG, OC

The Robert Gillow

64 Market St
Lancaster

Features

A beautifully refurbished old building just above King Street and handy for the market, the Gillow has narrow downstairs and pleasant, airy room upstairs. Seating a mix of armchair and upright. The atmosphere varies from loud young crowd to a set from Arsenic and Old Lace, depending on the band and time of week. Good bar food is served through till  the evening. Service is friendly and competent, bar though full is never rowdy.
There is music Monday to Thursday nights culminating in a Sunday jazz session beginning lunchtime and refusing to end till after 4.
OC, RA/***WG,GF5, FS5

The Pub

China Street
01524 848002

This friendly, evocative bar needs no other name. It occupies a large, high ceilinged venue with lots of original features decorated by beer and biker memorabilia, and excels itself with a selection of resident and guest real ales. Plenty of music at the weekends, clientele best defined as ageing rocker:- or is that just me? Dog/child friendly in the afternoons if attached to a responsible adult.

RA***WGB*COL/DF