Island factfile - Entertainment
Entertainment on the Isle of Man is certainly varied and plentiful - even if it doesn't always shout from the rooftops! Douglas, the Island's capital and business centre, tends to hold the monopoly on leisure and pleasure because of its young and affluent population but it has quite a different feel to the rest of the Island and should by no means be considered the 'be all and end all' of Manx social life.
Pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and a small but lively club scene provide most activities in Douglas, which by night takes on a similar atmosphere to any other small British town. A typical Saturday night usually sees hundreds of young people partying in pubs and clubs along the North Quay, Strand street and southern end of the promenade, while family entertainment, theatre and shows tend to be the preserve of the Gaiety Theatre, Villa Marina complex and Summerland concert venue. A centralised area is however being planned by Douglas 2000 (a joint public/private development partnership) which, it hopes, will provide a key venue for 'festivals, galas and events... somewhere to go for a drink, a meal, a coffee, to shop, see an art show, visit the theatre, hear a concert or just watch life go by'...
Clubbing and dance music has a big following here and of the eight nightclubs on the Island, the majority are in Douglas. The clubs have longer licensing hours than pubs, most have strict dress codes (eg no jeans or trainers), even stricter 'bouncers' and if you get there at pub closing time be prepared to queue. Recent guest spots by top UK DJs have attracted sell-out audiences.
Unfortunately visits by big-name bands are not such a common occurrence, mainly due to a shortage of large concert venues and the cost of including the Island on tour schedules. Recent gigs by Liberty X, Ocean Colour Scene, Mansun and Ladysmith Black Mambazo have been sell-outs for just this reason but otherwise TT fortnight is the only time well-known bands play here, though even then they tend to be Seventies and Eighties bands.
Tribute bands imitating Abba, Meatloaf and Queen may be the nearest Manx audiences get to star turns but they're usually high quality performers in their own right and still pull in appreciative crowds. Many of them perform at the beautifully-restored Victorian Gaiety Theatre, as part of a packed and varied programme that also includes variety shows, plays, opera, musicals, visiting magicians, international stage shows and stand-up comedians.
Further along the prom, the now fully restored Villa Marina provides the Island's largest venue for indoor acts. During the summer it puts on a busy program of entertainment ranging from dance shows on ice to circus acts, philharmonic orchestras, rock concerts, ballroom dancing, comedians and beauty pageants.
Located further along Douglas promenade is The Venue which typically hosts a variety of acts aimed at the younger crowd - live music concerts, guest DJ's, exotic dancers to name a few. Be sure to check events calendar (click through) for current details.
If you're feeling lucky, a night out in Douglas can end with a visit to the Island's casino which is located in the Hilton Hotel on the seafront. It is open to everyone over the age of 18 and because it is governed by the Island's own progressive gambling laws (which are 20 years ahead of UK casinos) it is able to provide 170 fruit machines and on-the-spot membership.
All gambling on the Island is controlled by the IOM Gaming Control Commissioners and although there is no actual horse or dog racing here now (the famous Derby race originated at Langness in 1627 and ran for over a hundred years before transferring to Epsom) there are ten licenced public betting offices on the island and plans to introduce international telephone betting. The National UK Lottery is available in the Isle of Man.
New Manx licensing laws effectively permit 24 hours opening for any alcohol licensed premises. This law has several benefits including the alleged reduction of binge drinking and the availability of taxis at so-called closing times. The choice of opening hours is down to the licensee holder of each premise. The times are usually based upon location and time of year with some preferring to stay open dependant upon number of customers. Many pubs provide regular venues for local musicians, although advertising of gigs is generally low key and mostly reliant on local billboards and word of mouth. The standard is generally very high, and a packed night in a small Manx pub can be a real treat.
In west coast pubs especially you can also hear traditional Manx Music given an airing by enthusiastic amateurs who bring along their flutes, fiddles, bodhrans, accordions and Gaelic pipes for informal jamming sessions.
Traditional Ceilidh (pronounced 'kay-lee') bands also ensure a lively night out with their own brand of Celtic-inspired live music, usually performed in community halls and marquees and often accompanied by a 'hot pot' supper. Manx music has enjoyed a revival in recent years, with bands such as Mactullagh Vannin and Phynodderee arranging and recording old tunes that had lain dormant for many years. A small number of Manx singers have made it big on the international scene and are well worth catching on their visits home, including Emma Christian and Christine Collister.
In the south of the Island the Erin Arts Centre is a major and extremely busy venue for the performing arts with a packed, year-long programme of music.
Major music events that showcase the best of Manx music include the Mananan Festival of the Arts, the Isle of Music Festival and the Inter-Celtic festival Yn Chruinnaght.
TT fortnight brings its own entertainment in the form of the world's best open-air bikeshow and just being part of the throng of thousands of bikes and visiting bikers is enough to fire the adrenalin, let alone the racing itself. Even if you're not interested in motorbikes the partying, BBQs, demonstrations, live bands, bungy jumping and street theatre extend way beyond the racetrack and unless you leave the island (as some TT-weary locals choose to) it's hard not to be affected by 'TT fever'.
There are only two cinema complexes in the Isle of Man - both in Douglas, and they tend to show mainstream movies that appear slightly later than their general release dates elsewhere in the UK. The Palace complex has two screens and there are also two at the Villa Marina complex. Additionally Erin Art Centre, Port Erin, show old and avant-garde movies (see events calendar). For real movie buffs, the Arts Council occasionally stages more offbeat, 'arthouse' movies at the Villa Marina.
A large slice of the Manx entertainment scene springs from the plethora of charity fundraising events that are held throughout the year ranging from public concerts, celebrity dinners and fashion shows to coffee mornings, fairs and fetes, talks, lectures - and even fire walking! Dancing is popular in many forms including line dancing, 'Old time' dancing, ballet, ballroom, ethnic and modern dance and even belly dancing. Manx folk dancing is widely taught in schools, youth clubs and community halls. To find out what's going on around the Island check out Community noticeboards, the IOM College, Tourist Information centre, Manx Radio and the local newspapers.
Acknowledgements: Manx Heritage Foundation