I am geek and have never been inside a nightclub but here I
am stood outside the former site of The Haçienda nightclub
on Whitworth Street in Manchester. It opened in 1982 and Madonna did her first
ever performance here in 1984.
It had been a
yacht builder's shop and warehouse then, in the seventies, a cinema showing
Bollywood films to the local Asian community. However its cult status (there
was someone else taking photos when I was there) stems from its use of a
nightclub and music venue when Manchester became “Madchester”, a musical kernel
in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The nightclub
opened on 21st May 1982 and was conceived by co-owner Rob Gretton who was the known for being the manager of Joy
Division (then New Order). He owned it with Tony Wilson who whom he ran Factory
Records. Rob had been in warehouse-type clubs in New York and thought it would
be a good idea to try in Manchester. On the opening night comedian Bernard
Manning said in the microphone, "I've played some shit-holes during my
time, but this is really something." The audience disliked him and
returned his fee.
Many groups
and musicians played there - The Smiths three times in 1983 and Madonna in 1984
- but it was made consistent losses. It gained legendary weight when DJ ‘house’
and rave nights were introduced (being a geek I don’t know what this means.) The
house music scene (still don’t know what this means) was already healthy in
other nightclubs but the club started pioneering acid house and trance nights.
The place was packed and people started visiting from all over the country. In
1987 it was full every night and turned a profit.
What was
inside?
Upstairs : a
stage, dance area, bar, cloakroom, cafeteria area and balcony with a DJ booth.
Downstairs :
three bars, The Gay Traitor (named after Anthony Blunt, a British art historian
who spied for the Soviet Union), The Kim Philby and
Hicks (named after Blunt's fellow spies.) At one
point there was even a hairdressing salon.
As drugs taint
most things they tainted the club’s upward trajectory. In July 1989 a
16-year-old girl died in the club itself, reacting badly to an ecstasy tablet
give to her by her boyfriend. After this the police started to slowly suffocate
the club though Manchester City Council didn’t agree as it attracted thousands
of money-laden visitors to the city.
Where there
are drugs there a guns and anxious trigger fingers. Many shootings ensued inside
and outside the club and the licence to sell alcohol was in question. One day
in 1997 the police and local magistrates visited to review things; they
witnessed a man get bashed on the head with a metal bar then pushed into the
path of an on-coming car. However the club imploded due to finances than
illegal drugs and guns. It simply didn’t sell enough alcohol. It was last used
of a nightclub was on 29th June 1997. Overall the club itself was a
financial failure but it was propped up by record sales.
Later it
re-opened as an art gallery before going bankrupt and closing forever. It remained
empty but still loved for many years before Crosby Homes bought it is 2002 and demolished
it. They built a high stack of glossy apartments. Whoever redeveloped the place
was going to get the back hand of old party-goers and they must have smarted at
the slogan in the glossy sales brochure, “Now the party’s over...you can come
home.”
The club had made
an affectionate mark though - in November 2000 the fixtures and fittings were
sold at a charity auction. Enthusiasts from all over the world bid for
radiators, tiles, a DJ booth box and emergency exit lights. The story of the
club is told in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People. Not far away from the
apartments is The Manchester Museum of Science and Industry which exhibits a
few pieces - the main loading bay doors from the club, props and posters.
I wasn’t sure
if there would be a blue plaque outside the entrance. I crossed the busy road
and, up on the wall, saw evidence that something had been on the wall…then torn
off.
At the time of
writing typical flat are for sale at £210,000 and rent out for £800 per month.
Wonder if I can touch a bit of history…………………………………………….yes!
Manchester band James played there…
Camera facing
the wrong way. It missed seeing the person who stole the sign (note five blobs
holes)…
The front and
back…