Rafters (nightclub)

Rafters

Logo from 1979 poster
Address	65, Oxford Street (St. James Buildings)
Location	Manchester, England
Coordinates	53°28′31″N 02°14′29″W / 53.47528°N 2.24139°W / 53.47528; -2.24139Coordinates: 53°28′31″N 02°14′29″W / 53.47528°N 2.24139°W / 53.47528; -2.24139
Type	Nightclub
Genre(s)	Rock
Capacity	1000
Construction
Opened	Start of the 1970s
Renovated	Renamed to Jilly's in 1983, to MusicBox in 1992

Rafters was a nightclub located in St. James Buildings, Oxford Street,Manchester, England. Some well-known bands played concerts at Rafters in the 1970s and 1980s.

Rob Gretton who went on to become the manager of Joy Division worked at Rafters. It featured in the 2007 film Control. The Depeche Mode albums An Futurist Night and A Second Now in Manchester were recorded at Rafters in 1981. A Second Now In Manchester was released on CD on Vertigo Records in 1990

Rafters opened in Manchester in the 1970s in St James's Buildings in Oxford Street. The schedule generally remained the same: live gigs on Monday and Wednesday nights and a Folk night on Tuesday. By the mid-1970s the venue had become better known by the public and musicians, and leading musical bands began to play there. Following the rise of punk rock in 1976 and 1977, the venue became one of the main places in Manchester for live music. Joy Division performed there and in other Manchester venues such as Rock World.

Numerous new bands played in Rafters in 1977 among them Paul Young of Sad Café and Dougie James. At this time Rob Gretton was one of the DJs at the club and also became a leading figure in the Manchester punk scene. The Stiff Records Test (Chiswick Challenge) organised by Stiff Records took place here on 14 April 1978. The event proved significant in the history of the band Joy Division. Rob Gretton and Tony Wilson of Granada TV were present at the event and saw Joy Division play. Joy Division were the last of 17 bands to play, but made a strong impression on those at the concerts. As Rob Gretton commented: