The Hacienda is a Manchester legend. This famous nightclub opened in 1982 and in its early years was mainly a live music venue.
The venture was financed by Factory Records and New Order. Events were initially low key affairs, although there were notable exceptions including Madonna’s first UK appearance.
1986 saw a shift in focus from bands to DJs and shortly after the venue became the first in the UK to play house music. By 1988, riding the wave of rave culture and ecstasy, the club had become famous not only in Manchester but throughout the world.
In 1989 Claire Leighton collapsed at the club and later died. It was the UK’s first well-publicised ecstasy death and the first sign of the Hacienda’s impending doom. Gang warfare and widespread drug dealing followed.
The club closed in 1997 and is now the site of overpriced apartments bearing the same name.
I am from the north east…8 miles from Middlesbrough but lived in Macclesfield in the early 80’s…saw john cale there, birthday party, durutti column etc but sadly turned up t see william burroughs and he said thank you and goodnight…the blame was on another! great place, fond memories – the cocktail bar! – best days early 80’s before the drugs piled in with financial worry to boot!
I joined the Hacienda when it first opened. I wish I had kept the membership card. I saw New Order play there a number of times as well as The Undertones, The Eurythmics and others. Tony Wilson was often present wearing his long beige raincoat among the crowds. I preferred the battle of the bands night which I think was on a Tuesday. Lots of memories for me. Thankfully I moved on before the drugs took hold of the scene.
Started in 89 and Hacienda was best and luckily i knew a few on the door (thanks Sarah), but also did a few nights at the Konspiracy, Dome and even the bizarre but quaint Man Alive too. I was one who left the trendy brigade who were flocking to Manchester to move on to Shelleys in Stoke. A shame all the clubs got problems with the gangs moving in but hey folks – we were all lucky to have lived the best years of peace, love, music and partying when we truly did love each other "where you from, what you had, giz a hug" peace to all 🙂 Alex
Started going may/june 88 till feb/march 89 when the THUNDERDOME opened.
Hac was good but the Thunderdome was better!
I first went to the Hac in 89 it was amazing, Konspiracy was it though for me. Miss it like hell, a long way in the past now. 39 year old dad now playing those old school tunes to my kids. Sometimes I wish I could step back for a night.
The Hacienda broke the mould when it came to clubbing. It changed everything. It gave rise to many imposters and a new wave of "super clubs" such as Ministry of Sound and Cream. Tony Wilson and the gang dug the foundations and provided the platform that brought us house music. Cream and MoS got fat off it. They sold out, and that’s something that The Hacienda never did! The Hacienda will never die. It will never be replaced. The club became the legend that it is today, not only because of its music, its atmosphere, or sadly, the gang troubles, but because of the devotion, talent, vision and sheer downright genius of the people behind it. As James Dean once said, "LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG AND LEAVE A GOOD LOOKING CORPSE", The Hac did just that!!!
True, Hacienda was THE seminal venue up until around 1990. Had some great blow outs there. Looking back, I consider myself very lucky to be able to see this historical musical movement from the inside as it rose to prominence. Post ’90, well unfortunately, it just seemed to thrive on its former glories, stained by the ‘Armani’ generation and greedy gangsters, in equal measure. Anyone out there remember Yasmin, the female ‘bouncer’? Bloody Hell, she was hard work to get past some nights. P.S in reality, Konspiracy was only the place to go if you were turned away from Fac 51, and arrived much later on the scene than its peer.
Hacienda. Best times of my life, miss it so much. Clubland has NEVER been the same since. Long live the HACIENDA.
Still miss The Hac. We used to make the weekly trip from Leeds. A totally magic era. Thank you.
Manchester does need something to replace the Hacienda; but endless nostalgia about an irretrievable past isn’t going to do it.
I was just about too young for Hot 88, but I got into it in September 89. My first proper clubs were Konspiracy and the ‘Dome: they were mental. When I first went to the Hac in early 90 it was full of poseurs and they were playing ‘Beats International’. I’m sad I missed the boat at the Hac in 88/89, it was the original club. But the ‘Dome and Konspiracy were miles better…clubs for proper Mancs. Yes they were shady as hell, yes the music was harder, but at least they were free of Madchester bandwagoners. Thunderdome/Konspiracy/The House RIP
The Hacienda lost it as quickly as it found it in my opinion, 88 up till it temporarily closed it rocked, once reopened, the podiums gone, it filled with dressers on coke, more interested in what each other were wearing. Millions of wannabes flocked there every weekend after hearing about it on the news, and went there because "it was the cool thing to do" not because it was a cool place to be. I pretty much stopped going on a regular basis around that time, you could never bring it back and its best left as part of history, with some dignity intact, instead of reopening elsewhere, or never closing. Imagine the people that would fill it now. If it wasn
There wont ever be another place or time that can compare to the summer of love 89. All of us on the fantastic E’s of that time and the new music played to us at the Hacienda. I’ve tried a million clubs since and nothing will ever come close!! RIP FAC51.
We used to travel from Leeds every Friday (Nude) night. This club brought people together! Why did the authorities want to stop that? Stiffs of the day also used to slag off the Hacienda (now those fools are eating their words). I am proud to be from the North and house music forged my life. Amazing!
The first night of Void (Feb 89?) was absolutely mental – indoor fireworks, white sheets blocking the balconies out, the two dancers on the podiums upstairs (one was an absolute stunner and great dancer but the other was just trying to copy her – can’t remember their names) .Then after the fireworks there was (IIRC) an extract played of Marlon Brando reading the Hollow Men from the bit at the end of Apocalypse Now.
Bexley – you’re probably right when everything started going mainstream in 1990 but before that, no club could (or in my opinion ever will) come near to it.
There should definitely be a new Hacienda. I remember watching The Enemy in Manchester last year at the Apollo and there was a DJ doing an Hacienda set before the Enemy came on. The crowd was going wild.
I remember the very first time I walked into the Hacienda and it was so euphoric. The place was bouncing and the buzz was amazing. And I remember how gutted I felt once the last tune had been played out. Gutted! How do you replace that? You can’t!
If only the Hacienda was still going. I can’t believe its been replaced by a block of fancy flats; that stole its name! I’m 18, so was never old enough to experience the Hacienda itself. Need to keep the scene alive though. I’m gutted its gone.
Void nights at the Hacienda were absolute classics. I’ll never forget what the Hacienda meant to me. Pickering was a legend. I miss it all. I’m 38 now and won’t ever have those nights again with me, Nicky Lowe and all the mates we made. Seeing Derrick May live and meeting him. Thanks Tony and Hooky for the ride. RIP Tony. You’re surely missed.
"Void" nights on a Wednesday were great and Thursday nights were ‘Indie Infused’. I loved it and would be there every week. The rest of the time I was at Legends. Konspiracy and Thunderdome were not the same.
88 to 91 Nude Night. The best times of my life. It was such an anti climax when that period finished. It was hard to adjust and still is in a way. But thanks Hacienda.
I’m only 15 and obviously never experienced the hacienda but I’m completely obsessed with that era and Manchester needs something spontaneous just like the hacienda to bring it back. I wish I had experienced it!
The night VOID was just amazing. Those where the days. Walking past the sides of the club to get in with the walls bouncing. Thank you for giving me some of my best nights ever!
I agree this was great club but it’s the legend that makes it so interesting and that’s the way Tony wanted it. To try and reinvent it would be a futile exercise as the Hacienda was only special because of all the key players involved (most of which are on longer with us) and no one tried to invent this club in the first place it just kinda happened. Think of the best weekends you ever had i’ll bet they weren’t planned they just happen. In my opinion that’s the Hacienda on a much grander scale! Plus half of it is i’m afraid to say you just missing your youth. Never mind party on!
The Hacienda was for posuers. The real Manchester clubbers club was Konspiracy. There, I said it. Discuss.
So proud to have been a member of the Hacienda in its early days.
The real problem was the continual war with the gangs that messed it all up. Why couldn’t it of been a gathering of fun e taking with no guns and stuff. Man those days where the best until folk got greedy and the police become oppressive against happy pills.
More folk have died from alcohol than E, even more so! More people have died from eating nuts which they are allergic to.
So cheers to the government and chief of police for destroying a happy club. I go out now and clubs which are of that culture have no problems and if they do it’s solely drink fuelled fighting not over drugs.
They should open a new Hacienda. Some things should never die.
Pop a pill get a bottle of Purdeys from the bar and climb up on the stage and ‘RAVE ON’ !! The best times have passed, FAC51 has gone, come on Manchester we want more fun.
I loved the Hacienda in Manchester. It was the best club in the world. It was a shame that it closed down. We all piled to the Thunderdome one week but soon returned to the Hacienda and its great atmosphere.
Strings of Life has got to be one of the best tunes ever. Bring back the Hacienda!