Stuff You Gotta Watch: The Hacienda: The Club That Shook Britain
Manchester, England, May 21st 1982. The legendary nightclub The Haçienda opens its doors for the first time—according to DJ Mike Pickering, with the dance floor "still very wet" from paint. For the next decade and a half, the venue would host the most exciting raves, the craziest parties, and the most pivotal concerts. (Madonna's UK debut took place there in January 1984.)
Founded by impresario Tony Wilson and largely subsidized (albeit involuntarily) by Factory Records' chéris New Order, The Haçienda quickly became the northern cathedral of nascent acid house culture and the epicenter of a brand new music scene later christened "Madchester." Unfortunately, the club would also suffer the inevitable consequences of an ecstasy-fueled underworld which, allied to poor financial management and constant security problems, eventually dictated its decline.
This dizzying rise and spectacular fall of a place, a scene, and a way of life is superbly recounted by Matt Drury's BBC documentary The Hacienda: The Club That Shook Britain, which includes fascinating stories and insightful anecdotes from Haçienda regulars such as Ang Matthews, Peter Saville, Leroy Richardson, Noel Gallagher, Shaun Ryder, and Peter Hook, as well as previously unseen archive footage of the club's golden days.
Review by Ana Leorne. Check out the full archive of the Stuff You Gotta Watch column.