Last night, Manchester took a step back in time to celebrate the iconic days of Hacienda nightclub for its 40th anniversary. The sun made a welcome appearance for the show, which was held outdoors at Castlefield Bowl as part of the ongoing Sounds of the City series.
Thousands of ravers turned up for the event, which looked like a scene from Parklife it was so bustling. As we found a spot at the very top of the hill for the best view, I looked around and saw countless happy people.
It was a delight to see such a diverse and varied mix of people from all ages dancing with one another. There were plenty of parents who'd gone with their (grown up) kids, as well as couples and large groups of friends.
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It was an event which families were there to enjoy with one another - something none of us should take for granted after Covid. It was a joy to see people happy - it sounds so simple, but that's the essence of the Hacienda - a good, Northern night out.
This year's show marks 40 years this summer that the Hacienda first opened its doors on Whitworth Street West in Manchester. It would go on to become the centre of the house music world in the late 1980s and early 90s.
Hacienda Classical, which brings the music of the club to new life in a orchestral-DJ live music mix, has become something of an annual fixture at Castlefield Bowl, becoming one of staples of the summer music calendar. For this event, support came from music icons Soul II Soul and original Hacienda DJs Paulette and Tom Wainwright at the start of the night.
Stood at the back so I could get a decent view and away from some of the more drunken revellers for the main event, I was left disappointed by the sound. The blaring bass meant we could barely hear the orchestra - which is what we'd gone for.
A few years ago I saw a live orchestra performing club classics at Manchester Pride. It was one of the most immersive and memorable experiences I've had - because it was heavily based on the orchestra.
At this event, backing music and a vocalist took front stage, leaving us a little disappointed. There's something really special about seeing the worlds of club and classical music collide, but it missed the mark a little bit for me at this event.
It was an enjoyable experience in the sun, but I felt the orchestra would have been better suited to an indoor venue to make sure people could hear them properly. We battled our way through the crowds to get to near the front to see if it made any difference to the sound.
We could hear the orchestra a little better, but they were still largely drowned out by the bass. Perhaps the orchestra needed a few more microphones on stage to project out into the open-air arena.
As you'd expect with a Hacienda event, it wasn't just about the music though. Smoke plumes filled the audience along with fireworks and confetti at key moments of the show. I loved that - it made for a special moment as the sun started to set in Manchester.
Famous faces from the time also appeared during the show - including Happy Mondays star Bez shaking his maracas, while Hacienda co-owner Peter Hook performed a DJ set at the start of the night before heading onto stage during key moments of the main show.
Highlights of the set included classics like Rhythm Is a Dancer, Doctor Love, Blue Monday, accompanied by Manchester music icon Peter Hook on the bass, and You Got The Love - which ended the show. There was something really special about dancing to classics like these performed live in the city I love, surrounded by people who think the same.
Overall it was a brilliant show for those who wanted to relive the essence of the Hacienda. But if you wanted to really experience the sounds of a live orchestra, I'm not sure Castlefield Bowl is the ideal venue - and I imagine it would have worked better indoors.
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