Manchester is a city noted for its nightlife - from exclusive bars and nightclubs to trendy hipster joints and everything in between.
But sometimes you don't want any of that. No, you just want to go somewhere where you wake up the morning after with sore feet from dancing, and your heart won't sink after squinting at your bank balance.
Yes, I'm talking about the cheap 'n' cheerful, and ultimately cheesy, night out. For many of us, it's likely our first taste of Manchester's nightlife will have been some gaudy, neon fleshpot promising a free shot, radio friendly pop and a dance mega mix.
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Back in the 1990s, there were plenty of establishments that would cater for such tastes. Undoubtedly a time when it seemed much easier to get through the door for not being able to prove you were old enough to be there.
So if you were out in Manchester in the '90s and harbour a secret love of disco music, cheesy pop, Bacardi Breezers or foam parties, you may well have spent time in one of the cheesy nightspots below. Of course, this isn't a comprehensive list, so if you think of any others let us know in the comments.
Fridays
Fridays on Oldham Street was located right in the heart of '90s Northern Quarter clubland. Boasting the 'best weekend party' in the city, the '90s saw regular ladies nights with erotic male dancers.
There were also weekday bar promotions where you could by a triple for the price of a single.
Fridays was part of Britannia Hotel chain of bars, and much like its Didsbury counterpart, it attracted crowds looking for cheap drinks, good times and cheesy music rather than cutting-edge cool. Following the club's closure in the late Noughties, it became Sacha's Wave Bar.
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Idol's bar and the Lazy Pig
We don't have any photos of Idol's bar - it seems nobody does! - but that doesn't stop it being one of the most notorious of Manchester's cheesy '90s bars. The promise of cheap drinks and scantily-clad barmaids - and barmen - pulled in the punters to Idol's, and the Lazy Pig on Oldham Street that lurked in the basement below.
These were the pre-club venues for many of the Piccadilly 21s crowds. The building later became Moho Live, renamed NQ Live.
Discotheque Royale
Although rarely called its full name of Discotheque Royale, this enormous venue next to the Free Trade Hall sparks fond memories for those who partied there in its heyday. The huge Peter Street venue peaked in the '90s - and smelt like it too - dry ice, spilt Bacardi Breezers, Lambert & Butler, Joop Homme and CK1.
'Royales' opened in the former Theatre Royal in 1978. An episode of the late-night dance music show The Hitman and Her was filmed there in 1990, which featured the first TV performance of Take That.
It had several reincarnations as nightclubs including Coliseum and M-Two before closing in 2010. The building was bought in 2012 by the Edwardian Group, which owns the Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester hotel next door in the old Free Trade Hall, but it is still remains empty.
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Blob Shop
Located on High Street, the former Yates's Wine Lodge was still owned by the bar chain when it became the Blob Shop. A fixture of the '90s Northern Quarter's scene, the bar was named after its unique blob drink made of Yates's Original Liqueur wine, sugar and a glug of hot water.
The Pubs Of Manchester blog described it as a "Tardis of a pub," with a tiny front entrance that "betrayed a large cavernous room at the back." It is described as one of the first pubs to introduce a queueing system at the bar due to the large crowds it attracted.
After the Blob Shop it became Brooks Bar, then briefly the Market Trader, Dr Livvy's, karaoke bar Melodies, and then a Breakout Rooms. Of course if you're hankering for a blob, there is still a Blob Shop open in Liverpool city centre if you're looking for that nostalgic hit.
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21 Piccadilly
With its entrance just around the corner of Oldham Street next to the Nobel's amusement arcade, 21 Piccadilly was loud, sticky and cheap and had chandeliers in the loos - in other words, it was a proper '90s party palace. Through the '80s and '90s, it was affectionately known by clubbers as 21s.
Luring in the masses with an irresistible combination of cheap drinks and pounding chart music, this was a popular haunt with students and locals alike. It struggled to shake off its reputation for being a bit rough after attracting gangs in the late '80s and mid '90s, but managed to stave off closing its doors for good until 2005.
Jumpin' Jaks
Based on the corner of Portland Street and Dickinson Street, Jumpin' Jaks was popular in the '90s for playing chart, cheese and dance from across the decades. It had an Australian beach shack theme inside with fake alligators and crocodiles, and was known for its roller disco, which turned the dancefloor into a drunken rink on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The Pubs of Manchester blog remembers Jumpin' Jaks being memorable for its clientèle who were "mainly underage, all p****d and the type who flock to Deansgate Locks these days for a good night out". Although it adds a huge mural of Hilda Ogden on the dancefloor did earn it some credibility points.
Later it became Billie Rox, before closing in 2010. The building is now home to Chinese buffet restaurant Tops.
Do you remember dancing in these cheesy nightspots? Perhaps you have photos of these clubs and bars back in the day? If you would like to share your memories or pictures of Manchester's lost nightlife, email our nostalgia writer lee.grimsditch@reachplc.com
