The Hacienda, How Not to Run a Club by Peter Hook, 322 pages
Started March 28th, finished March 30th
I had put this one aside as I'm not a huge 'Hooky' fan. He rather grates sometimes.
Reading the first chapter of the book I thought I'd done the right thing. The guy's arrogant stupidity and his actions described made me cringe. However as the book goes on he's less irritating. This was a book I couldn't not read. Everyone's account of those days differ wildly. Sometimes in fact and always in opinion. This is a guy who has probably the most invested in the story of the club. Both financially and emotionally. I had to hear his story.
Well I say his story. A huge percentage of the book is quotes from other writers. Normally this would irritate. here though I feel while not a great thing it's understandable. Better writers, clearer memories and viewpoints helped rather than hindered. All the books referenced are listed at the book. They make a pretty good reading list.
The author has led a charmed life. He was in the right place at the right time and was pretty central to a movement which changed Manchester. He had the money (even if his manager was only paying him per week) and the time to spend the Acid House years off his trolley enjoying the vibe. Most people would have given more than their right arm to be where he was. To spend the summer of '88 in Ibiza discovering MDMA, well people would have given their left.
He doesn't brush over his outrageous disrespect of other people's property, the taxman and anyone else who doesn't follow his line of thinking. He puts it in there. I can't decide whether this is because he wants to be honest or whether he's proud of it. Maybe he wasn't surprised for the lack of respect the staff showed the Profit and Loss side of the club. No-one there was leading by that kind of example.
After reading the book my thoughts haven't really changed. Yes Manchester and music in general owe New Order a hell of a lot for allowing the Hacienda to exist. Maybe if they'd have put a little effort in they could have made it more successful as a business. But we all love the fact that it was done for the love of it.
What Mr Hook doesn't tell us is how much he has recouped from his ownership of the Hacienda name since it's closure. How much have the other 3 band members made from it?
This is a must read for anyone with an interest in the club. For others the lack of common sense may keep them cringing throughout.
3 out of 5 pawprints
Total so far, Books - 21, Pages - 6,222
Next - The Tattoo Murder Case by Akimitsu Takagi
Posts
3 comments:
I may have to give this a go. I've always been a huge NO fan but I have a real problem with Hook.
There's something about his behaviour before and (even more so) since the 'final' split that makes me want to slap his face and say "Show some dignity and shut the f*** up about it" - in much the same way Greg Dyke constantly banging on about his departure from the BBC got on my nerves. Methinks the lady doth protest too much etc...
However, the story of the Hacienda is a fascinating one and I'm prepared to give it a shot.
We've got tickets to see dave haslam interviewing Bernard Sumner at the Manchester International Festival this summer. It will be nice to hear another opinion for once.
It certainly will. Let me know what happens. Maybe my natural mistrust of loudmouths has prejudiced me but (rightly or wrongly) I swing towards Sumner and Morris's version of events rather than Hooks...
Post a Comment