Former New Order bass player Peter Hook is preparing to release his warts and all account of legendary nightclub The Hacienda.
When Factory Records decided to move into the world of nightclubs, it did so in some style. Spending a small fortune, the label intended to re-create the vibe of New York’s famously debauched night scene.
Given a Factory number (FAC 51) the nightclub wasn’t quite the success they hoped. With acoustics not suited to live music, the Hacienda began focussing on club nights with Mike Pickering launching the famed Nude night.
As Acid House exploded the Hacienda was perfectly placed to capitalise on this. DJs in the club had been playing house and techno as quickly as American producers could crank it out, with the Hacienda becoming one of the most famous nightspots on the planet.
However the Hacienda always struggled to make money. With its denizens more intent on consuming illegal drugs than spending money at the bar takings were poor, while an upturn of violence in Manchester frequently spilled over into the club.
Factory Records collapsed in 1993, with the Hacienda staggering on until 1997. As a member of New Order Peter Hook had more than just an emotional stake in the building – he actually part owned the club.
In his new book ‘Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club’ Peter Hook reveals just how it all went tragically wrong. Revealing the secrets behind one of Britain’s most iconic nightclubs, the book will shed light on some hitherto unknown facts.
However that depends on the book actually being released. A new MySpace posting from the bassist reveals that lawyers are worried that he may face libel action if the book is published in its current form.
Hooky’s lawyers state:
“This is the account by Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order of his involvement in and subsidising of the Hacienda Club in Manchester. As there is a considerable amount of drug-taking and involvement of gangs with resulting violence and a fair degree of professional incompetence in the running of the club, there are obviously potential defamation issues.”
Going on, the legal team list a series of tantalising excerpts from the book:
“Check that XXXXX did use a lot of Nazi stuff. It looks as if it is very much a matter of record.”
“I appreciate the author says he is great friends with XX, but on the other hand he does call him an obnoxious bastard!”
Sounds like some book.
Peter Hook is set to release ‘Hacienda: How Not To Run A Club’ in October.
