Promoter Focus: Hacienda in December

Few clubs in this country have had quite the staying power culturally as the Hacienda. The infamous Mancunian nightclub was opened in the early eighties as a venture between Factory Records and the band with which the record label was most identifiable with, New Order, and went onto become one of the defining influences on the absorption of electronic music into the fabric of British society.

Initially the club’s musical output rested upon the alternative fringes, with clubnights for bands, electro, rare groove and (Greg Wilson was an early resident) and early performances from the likes of the Smiths, Madonna and, oddly, Bernard Manning. However it was when the club began putting on acid house parties, most notably Nude helmed by Mike Pickering and later Graeme Park, that it became established as one of the leading clubs in the country.

That reputation would increase to stratospheric levels as the Hacienda became the focal point for the explosion of acid house in this country, breaking not just the off kilter brilliance of records by the likes of Mr Fingers, DJ Pierre, Marshall Jefferson and Steve Silk Hurley, but those of their UK counterparts as well. Both A Guy Called Gerald’s ‘Voodoo Ray’ (above) and 808 State’s ‘Pacific’ were pushed early on at the Hac as well, with the producers close proximity to the club a shaping focus on their exposure to the sounds.

Now, over thirty years since the club first opened its doors, the Hacienda still tours across the country and remains a focal point for fans of acid house at its inception both old and new. December sees now fewer than three of these events on sale on Skiddle, so we've rounded them up for you below.

Preston w/ Greg Wilson & K-Klass @ Rumes, Sat 7th December

The first Hacienda date of the month sees original resident Greg Wilson and Northern house music heroes K-Klass come to Preston. Wilson’s first stint as a DJ ended in 1984, but by that time he had already held a residency at the Hacienda, pre-dating the acid house explosion and being a crucial component of the early history of the venue.

Although his DJing ended, his involvement with music didn't and Greg witnessed first hand the acid house explosion, and his re-emergence as a DJ and music historian in 2004 saw him preaching the acid house gospel alongside his electro funk roots (check out his edit of the epochal 'No Way back' from Adonis above). You can expect a loving tribute to acid house and it's legacy when he is behind the decks, and pure classics from K-Klass who were right in the thick of the acid house explosion, regular weekly attendees on the dancefloor at the Hac and the band that played at the club the most frequently

These tickets are on sale for Hacienda w/ Greg Wilson + K Klass. Skiddle.com is an official ticket outlet for this event. All credit card purchases you make at Skiddle.com are encrypted through our Secure Server Technology

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Huddersfield w/ Graeme Park, CJ Mackintosh, K-Klass @ Tokyo, Sat 28th December

K-Klass are also part of the line-up at the Huddersfield leg of the club's tour, which also boasts residents spanning the full tenure of the club's reign. Graeme Park is joined by CJ Mackintosh, behind seminal Hacienda track and British number one 'Pump up the Volume' by M/A/R/R/S (below), Tom Wainwright and Jon Dasilva also repping the club's halcyon aicd house tenure (we spotlighted a rather brilliant mix from the latter here) and Elliot Eastwick who was there as the club shut in 1997.

Although the Hacienda was of course in Manchester, what made it and acid house so readily integrated into cultural society in the late eighties was the outpouring of youth from the towns and villages that existed around it (the High on Hope documentary charters this with reference to Blackburn spectacularly). It adds an extra caveat of prescience to events like this in Huddersfield, which twenty five years ago were the lifeblood of the second summer of love.

These tickets are on sale for Fac51 The Hacienda Xmas Party with Graeme Park, CJ Mackintosh, K Klass, Jon Dasilva, Tom Wainwright. Skiddle.com is an official ticket outlet for this event. All credit card purchases you make at Skiddle.com are encrypted through our Secure Server Technology

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Manchester w/ Frankie Knuckles, Todd Terry, Marshall Jefferson @ Royal Albert Hall, Tue 31st December

The final Hac date of December sees them celebrating the end of the year in spectacular fashion in the city where it all began. A jaw dropping ensemble of talent sees three American heroes, Frankie Knuckles, Todd Terry (listen to his classic hosue mix for us below) and Marshall Jefferson (check our interview with him here), joined by the likes of Graeme Park, Tom Wainwright and 808 State who represent the UK sound.

Skiddle Mix 016 - Todd Terry (Hard Times 20th Birthday) by Skiddle on Mixcloud

They've even enlisted Hacienda and Happy Mondays alumni Rowetta and Bez for the showcase, in what will be the closest thing to reliving the original club this New year's Eve, Read our earlier preview of the event for full details.

These tickets are on sale for Hacienda NYE with Frankie Knuckles and Todd Terry. Skiddle.com is an official ticket outlet for this event. All credit card purchases you make at Skiddle.com are encrypted through our Secure Server Technology

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