The Hacienda Years, New Manchester Walks
Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor
Manchester is well known for a particular musical era which still dominates popular culture today. Driven by Tony Wilson and Factory Records, bands such as New Order, The Happy Mondays, The Smiths, The Buzzcocks and The Fall created a sound that resonated with people at the end of the 20th Century. Although Manchester’s music scene has evolved and developed to challenge new cultural ideas, the venues, churches and clubs where these bands found international success are still standing, with the exception of the infamous Hacienda. From its opening in 1982 till the late 90s, this club functioned as a hub for the best new music being created in the North at the time. It was largely funded by the band New Order and Factory Records, two of the more future leaning creative forces in the city at that time. It was a politically forward thinking institution and has left a large imprint in Manchester’s cultural identity.
Join Ed Glinert as he takes you on a walk through this era of the city’s musical heritage. Starting opposite the old site of the Hacienda at HOME, you’ll not only visit some of the buildings still standing, like monuments, of that era but hear the stories behind each band’s connection to the sites. You can look forward to hearing the sounds of these legends as you travel through their old stomping grounds, with music being played throughout the walk. You’ll visit the venues where Oasis played their first gigs and the bars that employed northern Indie music’s giants in their youth. Ed Glinert has been tour guiding for 16 years across Manchester, London and other UK tourist cities. This particular tour is definitely one for hardcore fans of Manchester’s Hacienda years. It’ll take you on a nostalgia trip through the memories and memorials of a northern indie legacy. Be sure to book in advance via the New Manchester Walks website.
