The Boulevard, Wigan

When I read PSM's review I just had to sign up to this site to add further information. PSM stated that he could imagine the Boulevard would make a good gig venue if they cleared some tables away. The Boulevard is THE best live music venue in Wigan with the Tudor being a close 2nd. I would put my house on it that PSM didn't realise he had only experienced half of this amazing venue - if he had ventured through the double doors just ahead of the pool table he would of found a large room which easily holds at least 200 people with the best stage set up in the town. The Boulevard is one of them venues where you can get up close to some of the best local, national and international talent around. Their motto is Real Beer, Music and People and it supports that motto 365 days a year. They have live bands in the back every Friday and Saturday and a chilled out acoustic night in the front on Sundays. They always have my favourite tipple on - Robbie's Trooper alongside 3 guest ales that 2 guest ciders which all change regularly. This place just keeps getting better and better........ For those of you that love live music and loved the 1960's hit 'Wild Thing' then get yourself down to this place as The Troggs will be performing live on Easter Sunday!

Well described by PSM, so I won't bother. Of the 6 handpumps 2 had real cider on them on my visit. Allgates did feature on the bar alongside a Moorhouse's beer. My pint was in good nick and I was happy to spend some time down here given the eclectic music selection. Features in the CAMRA GBG2014.

This is a basement bar and live music venue in the middle of Wigan town centre. It has all the usual attributes of a cellar bar, with worn floorboards and bare brick walls setting the tone. There are some sofas and other such comfortable seating options near the entrance, with high tables and stools opposite the bar which runs down the left hand side of the room. At the rear there is a pool table and dartboard and I spotted a few TV screens dotted about the place, but they were all switched off on my Saturday evening visit, in favour of a heavy metal soundtrack. The place seemed to have an ‘alternative’ following, with metal and indie kids being the main clientele, plus one or two others who were clearly only there for the beer. Posters throughout promoted various live music and comedy nights and I could imagine it would make a decent gig venue if they cleared some of the tables away. The pub has appeared in recent editions of the Good Beer Guide and a fine collection of pump clips behind the bar highlights their commitment to providing good ale. On the bar when I visited were Wold Top Headland Red, Woodforde’s Nog, Blackedge American Pale Ale, Bridgehouse Blonde and Burscough Priory Gold. I gave the Blackedge a try and thought it was the best pint of a long day in town. A lot of the pump clips behind the bar were from the Allgates brewery, which is located just over the road, so I was surprised not to find any of their beers available. I only managed a fairly short stop off here, before dashing back to the nearby train station, but I thought it was a good place to sample some microbrewery offerings. It’s not a traditional pub in any sense and won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I enjoyed it here and recommend giving it a look. You should bear in mind that it doesn’t open until 14:00 though.