Club:
Tangled
Venue:
The Phoenix, Oxford Road, Manchester
Dress code:
Anything that looks good on the dancefloor
Door staff:
Large, hefty males, easily spotted in their fetching yellow anoraks
Ease of entry:
Get there early if you don't want to queue. It's possible that you will be searched on the way in
Promoter nonsense:
"Tangled is a club without dress restrictions - you can come down here and wear what you feel comfortable in, rather than what you feel you have to wear. We play good music, too," says Phil Morse
Number of obvious alcohol casualties:
There are many punters, glazed of eye and smiley of face, lurching around
Punter ages range:
Solidly 18-20 something
Superstar DJs:
Phil Morse, Terry Pointon, Herbie Saccani and Steve Thorpe with occasional guests, but Tangled is definitely on a localised tip and all the better for it
Musical policy:
Purist house music with a harder edge at times. Definitely no handbags
Big tune of the moment:
Binary Finary's 1998
Atmosphere:
Friendly. Everyone seems to know each other, although it might be a touch intimidating if its your first time, but hey, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet
Copping off potential:
The trick seems to be to sidle up to some unsuspecting individual on the dancefloor but Tangled isn't the kind of club people go to with a copping agenda
Decor:
The Phoenix has finally undergone a long-overdue facelift and now sports this season's boldest colours
Toilets - Ladies:
Like the rest of the club the ladies have has a new paint job. Low ceilings and mediocre toilets
Toilets - Gents:
As above
At the bar: The usual range at the usual prices
Random overheard quote:
"Yes, but does haemoglobin red really go with mucus green?"
The best thing about Tangled is:
The relaxed, friendly and unpretentious atmosphere
The worst thing about Tangled is:
Too much dry ice - we did all that in the 80s, thank you
Chance of a cab home: If you can't find a cab on Oxford Road, you ain't looking
Overall impression:
This popular Manchester night has been steadily building up for the last four years to the stage where you can now get seriously Tangled every Saturday night. Brand-loyalty among the punters is strong and the fourth birthday party on July 18 should be packed and well worth a visit
Marks out of 10:
Eight
Return visit?
Certainly