Music is the focus of Nashville's nightlife, of course, with many of the city's bars starting their music stints at 1000, when they open. Acts play throughout the day and into the night - sometimes two acts play simultaneously in different rooms at the same venue. Country music is not the only attraction, however, as Nashville also attracts rock, swing, blues and jazz musicians. Downtown is the hub, with many of the liveliest places along Broadway or nearby in Printer's Alley.

The legal drinking age in Tennessee is 21 years and bars are licensed until 0300, but most tend to close earlier on Sundays. Drink prices start at US$3-4 and vary enormously according to the establishment; draught beers are less expensive than bottled imports. A tip of 10 to 15% is expected at the bar and table. Dress code is 'anything goes' in the honky-tonks and 'smart-casual' elsewhere, although Nashville is always more casual than smart.

The free, weekly listings magazine The Rage (website: www.nashvillerage.com) and the more comprehensive free weekly paper, Nashville Scene (website: www.nashvillescene.com) provide information on nightlife venues and events. Listings information is also available online (website: nashville.citysearch.com).

Bars: These are too numerous to mention them all, but no one should miss Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, 422 Broadway. Close to the stage door of the church-like Ryman Auditorium (original home of the Grand Ole Opry), musicians used to nip in here for a drink between shows and famous visitors have included Hank Williams, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristoffersen. Other nearby options with live bands include the Bluegrass Inn, 418 Broadway, where there would be no prizes for guessing that bluegrass is always playing, Robert's Western World, 416 Broadway, where the band BR5-49 launched their career, and The Stage, 412 Broadway, a super-sized country music honky-tonk. In the Gulch, an up-and-coming area on the edge of the CBD, Bar Twenty3, 503 12th Avenue South, is an upscale lounge bar.

Clubs: Blues music, a bar, and good food is available at the ever-busy Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar, 220 Printer's Alley (website: www.bourbonstreetblues.com). There are several sophisticated jazz clubs, including Level 88 Jazz Bistro, 609 Ninth Avenue South. 3rd & Lindsley Bar & Grill, 818 Third Avenue South (website: www.3rdandlindsley.com), is an intimate jazz and blues club popular with session musicians and singers. The Bluebird Cafe, 4104 Hillsboro Road (website: www.bluebirdcafe.com), is the place for singers and songwriters to be noticed. Many, such as Garth Brooks, played here as virtual unknowns, and have gone on to fame and fortune as top recording artists. Exit/In, 2208 Elliston Place (website: www.exitin.com), features rock and alternative country, while Station Inn, 402 12th Avenue South (website: www.stationinn.com), is one of Nashville's legendary bluegrass venues, featuring acoustic music in a smoke-free environment. Many clubs in town are also going smoke free after the recent change in Tennessee's smoking laws. (Smoking is prohibited in bars and clubs unless clientele is limited to over 21s.)

Live Music: As you would perhaps expect, Nashville is a thriving live music centre - and not just for country music. Great live performances can be caught just about every night of the week, in one or other of the city's numerous bars and clubs. The Bluegrass Inn, 418 Broadway (website: www.laylasbluegrassinn.com), Robert's Western World, 416 Broadway (website: www.robertswesternworld.com), Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, 422 Broadway (website: www.tootsies.net), and Wildhorse Saloon, 120 Second Avenue North (website: www.wildhorsesaloon.com) (famous for its line dancing), have live bands virtually around the clock. The Ryman Auditorium, 116 Fifth Avenue (website: www.ryman.com), has bigger acts, as does the Tennessee Performing Arts Centre, 505 Deaderick Street (website: www.tpac.org). Opposite Zanies Comedy Night Club, at 2106A Eighth Avenue South, is Douglas Corner Cafe (website: www.douglascorner.com), a popular club with nightly live music from every genre. Songwriters have often been known to disregard the stage, pull up chairs in a circle and perform in the midst of the audience.