The Haçienda: how not to run a nightclub

[Quiff Boy]

The Haçienda: how not to run a nightclub

Legendary venue the Haçienda had windows but no cloakroom, and lost owners New Order millions.

amusing article from today's Telegraph, contains bits of an interview with Hooky

http://is.gd/40p6P

[Debi]

very interesting Main Man. That would be an interestng read that biography.

thank you

[markfiend]

On the Manchester Goff scene in the late 80s, early 90s, it was a point of principle never to go near the Haç. Full of f*cking pill-heads don't you know. So I never went.

I kind of look back on that with mixed emotions TBH. Drug snobbery is a strange thing.

[Debi]

On the Manchester Goff scene in the late 80s, early 90s, it was a point of principle never to go near the Haç. Full of f*cking pill-heads don't you know. So I never went.

I kind of look back on that with mixed emotions TBH. Drug snobbery is a strange thing.

well being from bristol and not on drugs any competitiveness is / was lost on moi

[Quiff Boy]

On the Manchester Goff scene in the late 80s, early 90s, it was a point of principle never to go near the Haç. Full of f*cking pill-heads don't you know. So I never went.

yeah, it was strange growing up in manchester and being into goth while all the madchester thing was going on around you.

you were aware of madchester, and when you looked past the dodgy flowered up videos on the chart show and the bandwagon-jumping soup dragons on top of the pops, you sensed that there was a genuine scene happening... albeit one that was happening over there

i remember hearing the first stone roses album when it came out and thinking that there was something interesting to it, but as a wee goth kiddy it just wasn't the done thing to be bothering with that kind of stuff...

i remember several goth friends that i'd met on the manc goth club scene getting bored with it all and veering off to try the burgeoning manchester Club (with a capital C) scene and experimenting with all the new drugs that came with it... we'd bump into each other occasionally and sadly i couldn't really relate to what they were doing

looking back now it's much easier to look at what was basically another scene's music and assess it on it's own merit, away from any stigma or snobbery that might have been around at the time...

manchester in the late 80s/early 90s was a very interesting place, on the whole

[Debi]

as was Brissol me gurt babber

my goth club - called - The Whip of all names, was actually within the same building as a very "housely" club called The Studio. So we could actually venture into the "trendy" bit as we used to call it for a laugh / look see at all the "wierdos" in there They used to do the same to us though however but weren't nearly as brave - usually leaving pronto stylee as soon as they'd caught one small glimps of what it looked like

[markfiend]

looking back now it's much easier to look at what was basically another scene's music and assess it on it's own merit, away from any stigma or snobbery that might have been around at the time...

manchester in the late 80s/early 90s was a very interesting place, on the whole

Yeah I think you've hit a nail there. Another scene's music.

And of course where would the goth scene be without someone to look down on and sneer at? We sneered at the Madchester loons, we sneered at the crusties, we even sneered at each other* (and everyone sneered at the students ).

There was a bit of resentment of the Madchester scene I think; it seemed like one weekend Afflecks was all winkle-picker boots and black shirts, then the next week it was all flared jeans and tie-die. I'm sure (in retrospect) that it didn't take over that quickly

I think there was even resentment of New Order too: "WTF are they doing turning their backs on Ian's memory and going all dancy-techno?" -- which is obviously bollox in retrospect; bands are allowed to grow, change, evolve, what-have-you.

* I think that got to be a real problem with the goth scene for a while (and for all I know, still is) -- the petty cliqueyness, bitching, and in-fighting. Tends to put people off.

[emilystrange]

I just stayed in liverpool. job done.

[James Blast]

But Hark! he speaks....
it's not up yet but should be here or hereabouts tomorrow
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n46hr#synopsis

[timsinister]

Picked this up in WH Smiths and was intrigued, might put it on my Xmas wish list. Mind you, I've not even seen Control yet so maybe I should prioritise!

I think that got to be a real problem with the goth scene for a while (and for all I know, still is) -- the petty cliqueyness, bitching, and in-fighting. Tends to put people off.

It does seem to be endemic to the scene. Thankfully I've skated past most of it, and just look down on people for irredeemable stupidity.
But I've met refugees from Manc', and they report it's still a seething cauldron of backstabbery and betrayal.

Leeds seems a lot more relaxed, perhaps because we didn't have a great social upheaval like Madchester?

[Ed Rhombus]

as was Brissol me gurt babber

my goth club - called - The Whip of all names, was actually within the same building as a very "housely" club called The Studio. So we could actually venture into the "trendy" bit as we used to call it for a laugh / look see at all the "wierdos" in there They used to do the same to us though however but weren't nearly as brave - usually leaving pronto stylee as soon as they'd caught one small glimps of what it looked like

Yup, the Studio was an odd mix of clubs.

Do you remember 'Badlands' that used to happen in a small room in the townie club The Ritzy on Baldwin Street?

[Debi]

as was Brissol me gurt babber

my goth club - called - The Whip of all names, was actually within the same building as a very "housely" club called The Studio. So we could actually venture into the "trendy" bit as we used to call it for a laugh / look see at all the "wierdos" in there They used to do the same to us though however but weren't nearly as brave - usually leaving pronto stylee as soon as they'd caught one small glimps of what it looked like

Yup, the Studio was an odd mix of clubs.

Do you remember 'Badlands' that used to happen in a small room in the townie club The Ritzy on Baldwin Street?

good lord, blast from the past!!! Yup!!

and Silks on a Tuesday night (Small Street?), The 69 Club (Yup, the gay bar, gay bar) at the bottom of the Christmas Steps on a Friday night, and um, Spirals in Yate on a Thursday night. Yup, them were't days......

did you live in Bristol then?

Were you lucky to see The Sisters at The Studio? I can't remember the exact year - around 85 / 86 me tinks. If I weren't busy i would look on the website - its on there.

[markfiend]

Were you lucky to see The Sisters at The Studio? I can't remember the exact year - around 85 / 86 me tinks. If I weren't busy i would look on the website - its on there.

Sunday 31 March 85 -- Bristol Studio.

Sorry. Ignore the train-spotter in the corner.

[Debi]

Were you lucky to see The Sisters at The Studio? I can't remember the exact year - around 85 / 86 me tinks. If I weren't busy i would look on the website - its on there.

Sunday 31 March 85 -- Bristol Studio.

Sorry. Ignore the train-spotter in the corner.

no,no, no,

thank you

what a brain you have there!!!

it should be imprinted in mine tbh being a memorable event in my life

but another is stealing my brain cells

[markfiend]

what a brain you have there!!!

no, just fast look-up skills.

[Debi]

what a brain you have there!!!

no, just fast look-up skills.

oh, you are far too humble indeed

[timsinister]

what a brain you have there!!!

no, just fast look-up skills.

oh, you are far too humble indeed

Sorry, are we talking about the meercat master?!