New Order Information Service

The Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club - REVIEW

The Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club - Peter Hook

By Chris Nash - NewOrderOnline.com

ISBN 978-1-84737-135-5

Release Date: 5th October 2009

Many aspects of this book will be familiar to so many people, from the startling danger tape-design cover, taken from Ben Kelly's Hacienda Club design, to the characters involved in the whole story. Familiar, but certainly not boring. It will be of great interest to fans of the Hacienda, New Order, Factory, the club scene in general... and quite possibly to Greater Manchester Police and HM Inspector of Taxes.

If asked three years ago who might have written a book with such a title, you'd probably be thinking of a few names, such as Mick Middles, Paul Morley, Claude Flowers, even David Nolan. Although Claude Flowers was one of those who suggested that the book be written, it was Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order/Revenge/Monaco/Freebass) who was persuaded to take on the task. After reading it from cover to cover, it becomes apparent that he was not only the obvious choice, but also the best. Afterall, Hooky spent more time at the Hacienda and the Dry Bar than most and is therefore better qualified to comment, even if, at his own admission, much of the time spent there was slightly blurred by "overindulgence".

The layout of the book isn't quite what one would expect, but it works very well as an organised, chronological record of the club's history - facts and figures subsequently put into perspective by the human element to the story. You begin to get to know more about the people you may have seen in documentaries, or even nodded to on occasion and it's this that brings the whole story to life. It's not just a series of reasons as to why the club lost so much money, but more a celebration of the individuals involved, their dreams, their ambitions to "give something back to Manchester" the music and the excitement of being part of something that instigated change in the British club scene. It is not, however, self-indulgent. It's warm, almost conspiratorial in style and that's what will ensure that if you have to put it down for any reason, you'll go back to it as soon as you can.

Each year is given its own chapter, which contains a brief history or background of events, interview comments, etc. to set the scene and put it all into historical context. Hooky then proceeds to elaborate on the finer details, dispelling some of the myths and confirming even more of the rumours. For those with more enquiring minds, excerpts from company accounts, committee minutes and memorable quotes are included in the chapters - these make a surprisingly entertaining read. For the completists, there's a year-on-year list of every event held at the Hacienda from start to finish - have a read through and tick off the events you attended!

Hooky's direct involvement in the Hacienda Nightclub spanned the whole of its fifteen year lifespan, from inception to disintegration and his first-person view of the events surrounding the club and the people who walked across its stylishly designed, but way over-budget threshhold are more revealing and often entertaining than one would initially expect. The club still holds an iconic status worldwide due to the detailed design, the famous bands that played, the innovative music nights and the now famous "superstar DJs" who started out spinning discs in its cramped DJ booth.

The book is very informative about the club, its staff and its finances, detailing the initial idea of the club, day-to-day running, the rise of the acid house movement in the North of England, the "Madchester" scene and the colourful characters it encompassed. It is also a surprisingly poignant story of a small group of people who made it the centre of their lives for such a long time - voluntarily or otherwise. The tone is chatty from the start, intimating that as the reader proceeds through the chapters, they'll be treated to a few personal insights, previously unpublished anecdotes and a few slightly unnerving revelations. It's a story of friendships forged, alliances made, naiivety and ultimately, downfall. You'd never have thought that a true story of business incompetence could make such compelling reading, but with that particular music scene and the characters involved, it could hardly be anything otherwise.

Hooky addresses the problems with design, finances, staffing, security, local gangs, and so on with wry humour - you have to admire the man for the fact that he can still smile about it now - especially after so many problems and a huge loss of personal investment. It may be a guilty pleasure, but you'll find yourself smiling and sometimes laughing along with him, but never at him. He elicits the reader's sympathy, unintentionally I'm sure, as this is a very honest and self-effacing account of the business and personal affairs of The Hacienda, Factory Records and Dry Bar and how everything became inter-linked.

The writing has a real "one-to-one" feel to it as the book reads very much along the lines of one of Hooky's Myspace blogs - though thankfully, he didn't type it himself. This is certainly a book I'd recommend - easy to read, interesting, informative and a great addition to any collection. I'll be reading it again tomorrow...

Chris Nash
www.neworderonline.com


Also released 5th October: 'Hacienda - Acid House Classics' - Double CD
A selection of classic "Acid House" tracks, remixed by Peter Hook.

Track Listing:

CD1

01 Man Ray – Ways Of Making Music
02 A Guy Called Gerald – Voodoo Ray (HAC09 Manray Edit)
03 Hardfloor – Acperience 1
04 Frankie Knuckles ft. Jamie Principle – Baby Wants To Ride
05 Bassheads – Is There Anybody Out There?
06 Fast Eddie – Acid Thunder (Fast Eddie Mix)
07 Mr Fingers – Washing Machine
08 Phuture – Rise From Your Grave (Wake Da Fuck Up Mix)
09 Charles B & Adonis – Lack Of Love
10 Maurice – This Is Acid (Dovsa CD)
11 Josh Wink – Higher State Of Consciousness (Tweakin Acid Funk Mix)
12 Ralphi Rosario – An Instrumental Need
13 Mr Lee - Pump Up London

CD2

01 Man Ray – We’re On It
02 Sleezy D– I’ve Lost Control
03 Phuture – Acid Tracks (Afro Acid Mix)
04 The Party Boy aka Bam Bam – The Twilight Zone
05 New Order – True Dub
06 Rhythmatic – Take Me Back
07 Victor Romeo – Acid Raid
08 Last Rhythm – Last Rhythm
09 Jack Frost and the Circle Jerks – Two The Max
10 Reese & Santonio – Rock To The Beat
11 Neal Howard – Indulge
12 Phortune – Jiggerwatts
13 Esctasy Club – Jesus Loves The Acid

http://www.fac51thehacienda.com

Thanks to Chris Nash for the submission and informations

Excerpts taken from .
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