Peter Hook remembers Manchester hotspot Hacienda

By Mickey Mcmonagle

The legendary Manchester band should have earned a fortune from the hit Blue Monday and their Joy Division classic Love Will Tear Us Apart.

But they barely saw a penny as Factory Records label boss Tony Wilson poured the royalties into his nightclub instead.

The problem was, no one told the band.

Hooky ended up helping to run the Hacienda during its final eight years - and he says the excitement made up for the eye-watering cost.

The bassist - who looks back at the Hac in his book How Not To Run A Club - told Email: "It is tragedy and tears. Going over it all again for the book was difficult, seeing just how much money we lost.

"It's unbelievable but the adventures we had and the things we did were incredible.

"New Order, Joy Division and Factory Records lost £8million to £10million.

"Over the 16 years it was open the Hac made another £18million to £20million - and that all disappeared too.

"It was the biggest p***-up Manchester ever had and we paid for it.

"But it was worth it. My accountant said it won't bother me until I'm skint so that's what motivates me - I am determined not to end up skint so it won't bother me.

"The adventures, stupidity and naivety involved are what makes the world go around. The book is the story of how a band, Tony Wilson (Factory Records founder) and Rob Gretton (New Order manager) thought they could change and help the world. But not everyone wants help."

Hooky has relaunched the Hacienda brand through club nights - including one in Glasgow on December 27 - plus his book and an acid house compilation.

Reviving the old Hacienda spirit has comforted him as he faced up to the massive losses. He said: "It's very easy to get cynical and I started to get that way writing the book.

"But now, a couple of years on, I have got into the Hac thing again and I do the nights and stuff which has transformed me in a way.

"I ran the club with Rob from 1988 to 1996 but the other members of New Order didn't have that involvement. At least I had a say in what went on.

"They had nothing but still lost the money and you don't get over that.

"I get solace from doing the nights now. They feel like I am getting something back.

"I don't earn much money from them but, as my wife says, they keep me out of the garden. I'm not ready for that yet."

The Glasgow gig will star Happy Mondays, 808 State, Peter Hook and Jon Dasilva - plus dancer Bez will play a daytime DJ set in Buchanan Street's Bench store earlier in the day.

Hooky is stunned by how many young people turn up - and often ends up speaking to their parents on the phone.

He said: "I love talking to people who went to the Hacienda. They have such great memories of it and their faces light up when they speak about it.

"What I love most is we get loads of kids at these nights - it's amazing.

They are so young I feel protective of them. "They come up and tell me their mum and dad used to love the Hac back in 1983 then give me the phone and ask me to talk to their parents.

"What a compliment - people send me their children. Then I look over at Bez and wonder if it's such a good idea.

"I try to inject new music into the nights because there are only so many times you can hear A Man Called Gerald's Voodoo Ray and 808 State's Pacific State.

"It's incredible the DJs we had - Mike Pickering, Graeme Park, Jon Da Silva - are still among the best in the world. On the other hand, it's ridiculous you have me playing alongside those DJs.

"But it's my bloody brand and I will do what I want. I paid for it - over and over again."