The Boardwalk opened in the mid-1980s and quickly became important to Manchester's and the UK's indie scene. The club became a place for local bands to play their first or earliest concerts - famously this includes Oasis' debut gig (with Noel Gallagher), who were then the support band on a local band night (with Catchmen and Sweet Jesus).
Thousands of touring bands passed through here too, and the place became important to the UK's thriving C86 indie scene, with gigs by guitar bands such as Shop Assistants, Primal Scream, The Pastels and Tallulah Gosh. The Boardwalk was also one of the places where the 1990s Madchester scene developed, with early gigs by The Inspiral carpets, Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses(who also rehearsed there, along with Inspiral Carpets, of which Noel G was then a roadie.
After acid house The Boardwalk became a popular club venue too, and was crammed with clubbers when the Hacienda was sold-out and they'd be turned away at the FAC51 doors.
