Venue spotlight: In conversation with site manager Max Knibb on the ongoings of Albert Hall

Music-lovers have flocked to Manchester like a moth to a flame for a long time. Our music scene is unparalleled, harbouring a community that offers a taste of anything and everything. The pillars of this Mancunian musical sphere are undeniably the venues; the spaces offering a stage to those who want to take a shot. No matter the scale — from the UK's largest arena to the social clubs where Oasis, Joy Division, and The Smiths found their feet — there’s a space for everyone.

Equally, these beloved venues attract crowds, which in turn provides jobs: over 11,000 Manchester residents are working within the music industry. On any given day, you’re guaranteed not to be short of choice for gigs, but it's important to take a second to speak to those working behind the scenes, keeping the venues that host these events alive.

A relative newcomer yet already beloved Manchester venue is Albert Hall, located on Peter Street. The 1900-capacity venue is a grade II listed former Wesleyan Chapel, and in the twelve years it’s been on the scene, it has hosted a variety of both industry titans and up-comers on their way to the top, including the likes of Jorja Smith, Sharon Van Etten, Laura Marling, The Libertines,Remi Wolf, Kesha, Fred again.., Olivia Dean, Little Simz, Mitski, PJ Harvey… the list goes on.

Site manager Max Knibb was able to provide an insight into just what goes on in bringing these gigs to life. “There’s a long chain of people that it takes to put on a show: months of planning, tons of logistics, countless email threads. My main role as a venue manager is to be that final check, to make sure that the show we’re putting on works for everyone – the artist, the staff, and most importantly the audience”. 

“I came to love this work in the Deaf Institute”, he notes, recognising his own beginnings at one of the city's best smaller venues. “It’s where I got my chance at managing and really learned I thrived in the chaos of the music industry. I saw Albert Hall as a new and fresh challenge, but what’s kept me here is an incredibly passionate team. I’ve never worked in another environment with such dedicated and open individuals – everyone here wants to make their venue the best it can be, both for the staff and for our guests.”

It became clear through the conversation that Albert Hall’s appeal is also what draws in its staff, in that they all seem unified in their real passion for live music: “I think we all see Albert Hall as an entity, a being with its own personality and history. It’s well into its second century now, and still as reverent and powerful as it ever was. You can feel it in the stained-glass windows towering above you, the ornately carved ceiling arches, everything. This building has created a million memories for people and will create a million more. It’s a very intimate and beautiful space, and has always been a cultural community hub; a host for music and art. It’s one of a kind. Community is the pillar. We can do bad, or we can do good – what’s important is we do something that matters. Truly, it’s a privilege to be at the helm.”

Albert Hall are making big commitments in hopes of continuing the building’s history of giving back: “we’ve now partnered with Music Venue Trust, offering a direct donation option across all ticket sales”, Knibb is happy to announce. “We’re a perfectly sized venue in that we’re large enough to have hosted the likes of Hozier, but not big enough to have forgotten just how those artists got here: through the support of grassroots music venues”. 

“One of our other big focuses is to really strive to establish lasting and fruitful links with the local community. We’ve recently elected our sustainability committee, a staff-led group focused on our eco-practices as a venue, and also on our outreach to those who support us. A large chunk of our staff, ranging from those in senior roles like myself all the way to fresh-faced bartenders, recently embarked on a twelve-hour hike in support of The Proud Trust, a Manchester-based LGBTQ+ charity, who also receive all donations that we take on the door for the guest list”.

Interestingly, Albert Hall finds itself in the same web as Manchester-born pizza chain Rudy's and Eastern European-inspired bierhouse Albert’s Schloss. The parent company, Mission Mars, seem to have brought a forward-thinking hospitality attitude to Albert Hall. Knibb notes that in creating a workplace that recognises individuality and rewards ambition, the venue has managed to gain a team that has morphed it into exactly the safe space it was always intended to be.

Speaking on what the next ten years could look like, Knibb expresses pride in the fact that “we’re currently on a roll for booking in more shows than we’ve ever had before. Each consecutive year I’ve been here has been busier and busier, and our live bookings team are really flying with things at the minute. We’re working on offering a diverse range of shows, such as comedies and podcasts on top of our already busy gig schedule". Albert Hall also has a staff initiative titled the Young Promoters Scheme, in which it hopes to partner and host events with some of the skilled promoters they have within their team.

“It’s been in talks for a bit, but we’d love to eventually expand outside of Albert Hall and present some smaller shows around the city. It’d be a great way to support both independent artists and grassroots venues. Every venue has a right to give back to the scene. We understand that we’re part of a bigger picture, one of a globally interconnected and renowned city. Basically, more music, more events, more memories – that’s our plan”.