Rave in Greater Manchester, 1985-1995

Graham Massey's, of Manchester post-punk band Biting Tongues, well used Hacienda membership card.

A flyer for The Hacienda from September to October 2015 showing a mix of bands and DJs including NUDE night.

Debbie writes:

I think this was 21/9/85. It also says there was a Fashion Show. I seem to remember it was something to do with bands who were on some sort of Government scheme to pay them to be arty. I think Tony Wilson had something to do with promoting it. We went to see Jazz Defektors but I remember a band swearing a lot so that could have been Happy Mondays.

Story by Sully67:

I got this poster from one of the notice boards inside the Hacienda at the time, typical Factory it was hand written with no exact dates on it, the gigs were in April!! I think it may have been the first couple of shows as a Factory band for the Mondays and being the support for New Order meant it was good crowds at both shows.
I seem to remember the Macclesfield leisure centre one being pretty rowdy and most people there being worst for wear. It was like a load of lads had descended on Macclesfield from trains from Manchester kind of looking similar to each other, but very different from the local lads.
The Mondays were excellent and had only played a few concerts up to then. New Order, being a bit of a home town gig for two of them were great too.
It was a difficult one to get home from though I think we missed the last train back into town and crashed on Macclesfield station until the first train in the morning! Happy days!
The poster was on me and our kids bedroom wall at my mum and dads house for years you can still see the blue tack marks on the corners!
Its now lovingly framed on my wall at home.

Ticket to see New Order at The Hacienda on 16 July 1985.

Barney's setlist from Hacienda gig, passed to me by a roadie after the show.

Freq writes;

Mondays, Boardwalk, '86-ish...special days...nuff said.

Poster for New York's hip-hop and electro-funk group Mantronix's show at Nude at The Hacienda on 09 February 1987. Support from Nude's resident DJ Mike Pickering.

Story by KH


Two Hacienda Bus Tickets circa 1987-9

This service was offered to all punters (on entry to the club, if I recall, first-come-first-served) for a private minibus that took you home at the allotted time - these particular ones were for 2am on 23 April, according to the biro scribblings, and I've guessed at 1987 as the approximate year but it could have been 1988 or 1989 (by 1990 I was working at the venue so I would have been walking home in daylight most probably). I think it cost 50p and it took you to your front door which, for me at the time, would have been either Fallowfield or Whalley Range. There was also a separate 'women only' bus service, commissioned for the safety of female clubbers and gig-goers, that went on for several years more than this one I think. What a great service that's practically unheard of today!!!

Happy times :-)

Davy writes:

A poster for the New Years Eve party at the Hacienda in 1987. I frequented the Hacienda alot in the early years and even played a hometown gig there with my band 'Communal Drop' but I can't remember if I attended this or how I aquired the poster. It might have been that good a night!

Buzzin' magazine from Stockport.

Hacienda promotional poster for Christmas 1987/New Year 1988.

Gig advert for one of the times when the Mondays played the Panic Station night, on this occasion with The Shamen.

1963 writes:

"Before the explosion of House music in the late 80's, things were much simpler....there was only one dance shop in town, namely Spin Inn which was located on the corner of Cross St and Back Pool Fold.

At this time there were only a few House records around and Hip Hop was the only genre defined enough to warrant it's own weekly chart, everything else was lumped together as Jazz Funk Soul & House.

Manchester's Fifth of Heaven score highly as one of only 5 British releases in a U.S. dominated Top 40."

three photos of views of the interior of the hacienda...

The top photo looks like it's taken from near the bar entrance, at the bottom of the stairs.

i think the middle shows the main bar with the toilet doors in the background. you cabn see the video screen above the heads.

the bottom one is similar position to the top... visible is the top of the stage and the underneath corner of the dj box is just at the top right.

i could be wrong with these descriptions- please correct me if so!


photographer unknown (and the dates a guess too!) but thanks to James Parr for sending them...

A series of merchandise flyers from the Hacienda in 1988.

A series of merchandise flyers from the Hacienda in 1988

A series of merchandise flyers from the Hacienda in 1988.

1963 writes:

"Photo taken in Spin Inn Records, Manchester's original dance specialist.

This was taken when the shop had moved from it's original location on Cross St to Pall Mall, just around the corner.

The picture shows Kenny passing a record to Hewan Clarke
(DJ at The Gallery, Hacienda amongst numerous others)
while Mike works out the bill at the counter."

Debris Magazine, Issue 18, December 1988.

Also incorporated an issue of M62 Magazine.

Features articles on:

A Guy Called Gerald
Happy Mondays
New Order

and record reviews on:

Happy Mondays (Bummed)
New Order (Fine Time)
Inspiral Carpets (Trainsurfing EP)

and adverts for:

Piccadilly Records
International
Eastern Bloc

and more

Graham Massey says:

Otherside of Midnight.
In my memory this night was a lot crazier ,but I think most people came later after the cameras
'Wet' (Aqua Party at Victoria Baths with two heated swimming pools, Turkish baths and sauna; DJs Mike Pickering, Graeme Park and Jon DaSilva, plus a special beach-wear fashion PA. A wonderful idea, but it was bit too cold to entice a lot of people to come down; there was hardly anybody on the dance floor in the sport room, but luckily there was plenty of space in the sauna and the amount of people in the pool was just right. A half-hour of the night was televised as part of 'The Other Side Of Midnight' - a weekly arts programme presented by Tony Wilson and broadcast by Granada.)
From "The Hacienda Must Be Built" by Jon Savage.

Great line up featuring all the best headsz.