Much has been written about it and filmed about it and the music played there still to this day stands the test of time..
Most of us weren't aware at the time just how chaotic things were behind the scenes..
but let me tell you that the club and the whole dance music revolution it played a major role in should be always acknowledged and respected...
Memories?.... so many hahaha here is a few good, bad and random
The excitement of driving across the pennines from Leeds every week all crammed into a crappy little citroen every week to queue in the cold and rain outside the club with no guarantee of getting in...
Making sure you hid your car stereo and anything of value from display when you parked up..
The despair of being on the wrong side of the metal shutter at the door as security pulled it down just before you were about to go into the club as it was at capacity..
The all enveloping, incessant body pounding thud of the bass as you walked into the club..
My mate Simon skinning up with Bez at the side of the stage as the Mondays played a set and then watching him get thrown out by security as Bez lit up and carried on....
Bjork off her face and dancing on the bar in the Gay Traitor...
The awful toilets...
The moving ocean of people swaying to the hypnotic electic mixture of Belgian Nu beat, Detroit techno, Chicago Garage, Italian house, hip house, acid house... ( modern club nights should take note of this diversity)
Fleeces...
baseball caps..
scallys..
dodgy dealers lined up outside the dj booth and on the stairs..
Coming out and counting the amount of cars with their windows smashed from opportunist robbers...
So many visceral memories still now.. many of them alarming to those who weren't there..
but this was our rock'n'roll it gave a generation something of their own that was truly underground, we were pioneers and privileged to be so.. future generations are still reaping the benefit, even though at times it may seem diluted to us...
I am 38 years young, I have a record collection most of this generation would know and adore...I still even have my first Hacienda tape from 1989/90...I DJ'd for about 15 years after my first inspiration from the Hacienda... I still do on special occasions and it still gives me the same pleasure and response from the crowd.. I also still visit Ibiza every year... and I love it.
People still ask me about the Hacienda who never got the chance to visit it...
My passion for good quality dance music will always be with me and that is due largely in part to the Hacienda, Graeme Park, Jon da Silva and Mike Pickering...
Thanks to all the the people who made it special...