The Hacienda

[ElectroClaret]

First opened exactly forty years ago today.
Never got there, myself, but did anyone go regularly and what was it like?

Apparently, there's a party tonight in the car park under the flats that replaced it.

[bodge]

Went a couple of times during the week, lots of people on the back of disco biscuits.

Rubbish tunes but wasn't my thing, I was into the Brickhouse and 5th Avenue scene then.

Glad i went though.

[RammyClaret61]

Went once, didn’t get in. It was in a dodgy area back then. All warehouses, dark lanes with dodgy stuff happening. No one lived in that area of Whitworth st. Never went again.

[Acting Claret]

Saw New Order there around 1986. Never went to the club nights though. Strange place.

[DCWat]

I went once - it can’t have been a matter of months before it closed down, I was only a youngster. I don’t remember too much about it - other than it being packed to the rafters, hot as hell and there being plenty of less than pleasant people in there.

We used to travel around quite a bit to various club nights; Manchester, Liverpool, Stoke, Burnley (Angels), Leeds, Newcastle and lots of places in and around. Even Todmorden had the ‘out in the sticks’ night.

Most places were friendly (drug induced of course) but The Hacienda wasn’t on my visit. Wish I’d been able to go when it was in its pomp. It certainly influenced lots of music and helped launch the careers of some very talented people.

[Goddy]

Saw Gil Scott-Heron there back in 1985. Loved the gig, less so the venue......

[Buxtonclaret]

New Order in the mid 80s (also saw them at The Factory).
Went to the club a few times.
It was ok. Think it seems to have got 'better' since it closed.

[elwaclaret]

We used to pop in on route into town in the early 1990’s from Salford. By then it was just full of posers and wannabe’s - beer was expensive, music all house type and you struggled to get to the bar because Mick Simply Red Hucknall (?spell) and his cronies seemed to have taken up residency. I was nothing like it had been ten years previously and was no surprise when it closed.

[Silkyskills1]

Was at school with Tony Wilson in the 1960's. A decent enough lad. A bit eccentric and liked to be listened to.

[elwaclaret]

Was at school with Tony Wilson in the 1960's. A decent enough lad. A bit eccentric and liked to be listened to.

Met Tony Wilson a few times working on Granada ‘Up Front’. Over time I got to like him, but yes appeared a right smart arse was the first impression. Never socialised with him but chatted a few times on set - I was also working with Bad Manners at the time and he loved discussing what was going on in the Ska scene.

[Silkyskills1]

Genuine enough though. He travelled into town from Marple and then on to school in Salford. Very good debater.

[TheFamilyCat]

Genuine enough though. He travelled into town from Marple and then on to school in Salford. Very good debater.

Some would say a mass debater.

[basil6345789]

Met Tony Wilson a few times working on Granada ‘Up Front’. Over time I got to like him, but yes appeared a right smart arse was the first impression. Never socialised with him but chatted a few times on set - I was also working with Bad Manners at the time and he loved discussing what was going on in the Ska scene.

Met him when he came to PDO for his discs orders. Still got a Deco one "Let The Music Pay" - worth a fortune. He was a nice, humble chap, nothing like the smart arse people thought he was.

[EarbyClaret]

Everyone who was part of Factory has written about it extensively. From what I've read I'd say the books by Steven Morris and Dave Haslam are the best. Bez tells it from a slightly different perspective - entertaining rather than insightful

Anyone ever see Sean there? During his time at Chesterfield he was a regular apparently

[Billyblah]

Went there a couple of times. Basically a warehouse with steel columns and not really designed for the acoustics which were pretty shocking.
Cant say I noticed any drugs issues but it was full of poseurs and a place to be seen. I didn't miss it following it's closure .

[yTib]

never made it to the hacienda but was a glass collector at angels in '95 and the drug use was epic.

[Burnley1989]

Legendary club, hate it when folk slag it off!

[claret wizard]

Went a lot in 89 - 90, it was great. Lived in Manchester from ‘92, never went once.

[Neil]

Imagine seeing The Smiths play at the Hacienda! My era's equivalent of seeing The Beatles at the Tavern. More remembered for the ecstacy era of the early nineties but what a club.

[dougcollins]

Was at school with Tony Wilson in the 1960's. A decent enough lad. A bit eccentric and liked to be listened to.

I played at the Hacienda. I liked Tony Wilson, I thought he was a decent bloke.

I preferred the other club though - Electric Circus was it?

[THEWELLERNUT70]

Saw Gil Scott-Heron there back in 1985. Loved the gig, less so the venue......

Gil Scott Heron's last gig in the UK was Colne Muni

[THEWELLERNUT70]

Tony Wilson is one of my hero's, a true visionary and arguably a genius imo

Amongst many things he foresaw and tried to implement was a platform that would allow you to buy a singular track or album over the web (a few years before apple) but unfortunately PayPal or a relevant micro payment system wasn't in place at the time

[Bosscat]

Surprised no ones mentioned this film

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[Goddy]

Gil Scott Heron's last gig in the UK was Colne Muni

Really? I saw him in Brixton just before he died but didn't realise he played another UK date after that one.

Did you go, WellerNut?

[Garnerssoap]

Went in 1989 when I was doing my a levels. Couldn’t afford a white dove.
Went again a couple of times once I had a job and can’t really remember much but I’m fairly certain I enjoyed it.