Synopses & Reviews
The acclaimed and wildly outlandish inside account of Britain's most notorious club,
The Haçienda—a story of gangsters, drugs, violence, and great beats
In the 1980s, The Haçienda was one of the most famous venues in the history of clubbing—a celebrated cultural icon alongside Studio 54, CBGB, and the Whiskey a Go Go—until its tragic demise.
Founded by New Order and Factory Records, The Haçienda hosted gigs by such legendary acts as the Smiths, Bauhaus, Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, Happy Mondays, and Stone Roses; gave birth to the "Madchester" scene; became the cathedral for acid house; and laid the tracks for rave culture and today's electronic dance music. But over the course of its near fifteen-year run, "Madchester" descended into "Gunchester" as gangs, drugs, greed, and a hostile police force decimated the dream.
New Order cofounder and bassist Peter Hook provides an up-close and visceral look at this cultural touchstone and it's rise and fall. The Haçienda is a funny, horrifying, and wild story of success, idealism, naïveté, and greed—of an incredible time and place that changed the face and sound of modern music.
Review
Praise for the UK Publication of THE HACIENDA:“A frank memoir of altruism, idealism, and breathless incompetence.” < i=""> Uncut <> magazine (5 stars)
Review
“Had the Hacienda not been run by a bunch of Manchester chancers it wouldnt have been half the club it was, nor would Hooks account be half as riveting.” < i=""> Time Out <>
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“Entertaining . . . Hook is revealed as a born anecdotalist . . . engaging and hilarious.” < i=""> Sunday Times <>
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“Saturated with gleeful hedonism, Hooks memoir includes frank admissions of eye-popping commercial ineptitude, which gives the book a restless energy.” < i=""> Financial Times <>
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“Honest, punchy, and rough-hewn . . . a portal into a vivid moment in rock history . . . the life and times of a working band . . . and, in the middle of it all, the transformative power of music.” < i=""> Los Angeles Times <>
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“Unflinchingly honest . . . Hook peels away the romantic sheen colored by its dark history and gives unfettered insight into the bands origins and inspirations . . . this is required reading for anyone who ever felt moved by Joy Divisions cold, dark music.” < i=""> Kirkus Reviews <> (starred review)
Review
“Packed with period detail and tales of debauchery, gangsters, and especially, as the title promises, how not to run a club.” Under the Radar, 7 ½ out of 10 stars
Synopsis
The acclaimed and wildly outlandish inside account of England's most notorious music club, The Hacienda, from Peter Hook, the New York Times bestselling author of Unknown Pleasures and co-founder of Joy Division and New Order--a story of music, gangsters, drugs, and violence, available for the first time in the United States.
During the 1980s, The Hacienda would become one of the most famous venues in the history of clubbing--a celebrated cultural watershed alongside Studio 54, CBGBS, and The Whiskey--until its tragic demise.
Founded by New Order and Factory Records, The Hacienda hosted gigs by such legendary acts as the Stone Roses, the Smiths, Bauhaus, Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, and Happy Mondays; gave birth to the "Madchester" scene; became the cathedral for acid house; and laid the tracks for rave culture and today's electronic dance music. But over the course of its fifteen-year run, "Madchester" descended into "Gunchester" as gangs, drugs, greed, and a hostile police force decimated the dream.
Told in Hook's uproarious and uncompromising voice, The Hacienda is a funny, horrifying, and outlandish story of success, idealism, naivete, and greed--of an incredible time and place that would change the face and sound of modern music.
The Hacienda includes 32 photographs in 16-page four-color insert.
About the Author
As cofounder of Joy Division and New Order, Peter Hook has been shaping the course of popular music for more than thirty years. He provided the propulsive bass guitar melodies on "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and the bestselling twelve-inch single of all time, "Blue Monday," among many other songs. He tours New Order and Joy Division albums with his band Peter Hook and The Light and DJs internationally, including at the numerous regular Haçienda nights at clubs around the world. The author of the New York Times bestseller Unknown Pleasures, he lives in Cheshire, England, with his family.