St Philip's Church

Not your typical music venue at all, St Philip's Church carries on the tradition of Salford churches doubling up as a place for contemporary live music. Located in the heart of Salford, this church boasts a huge roster of previous acts including Florence And The Machine, Sugababes (yes, really), Bombay Bicycle Club, and can also claim to being home to Cat Eyes' first UK gig and Hurts' first live performance ever. The setting makes for an entirely different atmosphere than any other music venue, with beautiful acoustics and some brilliant views from the seating located upstairs. As well as hosting more contemporary acts, the church also puts on a few classical acts both in the day and at night, with the BBC Philharmonic and musicians once taking part in a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3. They also open up a small bar during events, although it's probably sinful to get too drunk in church. [Charlotte Davies]