In this episode, Tony Ross shares his incredible journey through the birth and explosion of House and Acid House music in Manchester. Recommended by Jacqui, who appeared in a previous video on this channel, Tony opens up about discovering electronic music as a kid and how that sound changed everything for him.
Born in 1970, Tony was already captivated by Electro by the age of 13. Tracks like This Brutal House by Nitro Deluxe blew his mind when he first heard them at Spin Inn Records, where he’d be sent by his brother after working Saturdays at the fish market in Manchester Arndale and Salford Precinct. He laughs remembering how he’d walk into the shop in his fish-smelling clothes — but that’s where it all began.
The arrival of Ecstasy changed everything. Tony recalls taking his first pill at the Hacienda in 1987 — it cost him £35. That moment completely shifted his mindset, the people he connected with, and the music he was drawn to. DJs no longer spoke on the mic; it became all about mixing and the music.
Tony talks about learning to DJ on Citronic decks before finally getting his hands on Technics at Russ’s house. He became a regular at Salford parties — even DJing for notorious local figure Paul Massey — and eventually played clubs like Man Alive for Eric Barker. His deep love for vinyl led to a job at Spin Inn, where he became such a valued customer that he could take bags of records home to decide what to buy.
He was a resident at Kaos alongside Steve Williams and Sasha — a legendary Tuesday-night club that packed 1,600 people with queues of thousands outside. Tony reflects on how magic the scene felt before social media, when DJs protected their record identities with stickers, and rare tracks created nationwide followings.
As the scene spread to Ibiza, Tony played legendary nights including the closing party of Space alongside longtime DJ partner Andy Barker (of 808 State). He recalls the Ibiza 90 moment, when UK DJs went en masse to the island, bringing with them the energy and influence that helped shape the Balearic scene.
But as Jacqui noted in her own interview, Manchester’s scene began to darken. Tony recalls sitting in a Salford pub with some heavy lads from Liverpool and hearing them question why Manchester gangs were fighting among themselves. The city had earned the nickname “Gunchester.” Violence and gun crime overshadowed the magic, and eventually places like the Hacienda became unsustainable.
Tony closes the interview by choosing Your Love by Frankie Knuckles as his defining track — a tune that still gives him goosebumps, especially the memory of Jon Dasilva playing it at sunrise at a night called Joy.
This is a powerful and honest trip down memory lane with someone who lived through one of the most exciting — and chaotic — musical revolutions in UK history.
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