Madchester returns!  Exploring the heritage of rave in the British Pop Archive

Dr Helen Holmes and Bruce Wilkinson

The British Pop Archive was officially unveiled at the John Rylands Library in 2022. We were honoured to be some of the first to undertake research using the archive to explore our ongoing interest in Manchester’s rave scene. The archive contains a whole host of fascinating material from renowned leaders and thinkers in British pop culture, including Ian Curtis, Tony Wilson, and Rob Gretton. Importantly for us, it also includes many documents and artefacts related to the history of Manchester’s rave scene or ‘Madchester’ as it is affectionately known.

Rave Renaissance

Our interest in the archive stems from an earlier project (2018-19) supported by the University of Manchester, called ‘Rave Renaissance’. This study sought to explore what we describe as the resurrection of Manchester’s rave scene whereby older clubbers (over 40) were returning to the dance floor. Interviewing clubbers and music professionals who were both active during rave’s 1990s heyday and still were now, we wanted to understand why rave was having a resurgence and if this new contemporary version was any different. Our findings found that rave had changed with new spaces and formats being central, such as one-off day time events rather than nightclubs, and clubbers attending less often due to the responsibilities and commitments of being older (see Holmes et al. 2023 for more info). Significantly, we became aware of rave being described as having heritage and that this heritage was very much attached not just to particular locales, such as Manchester, but also to particular club brands – the Haçienda being a core focus throughout many of our interviews.

Madchester Muse

When the opportunity arose to work with the archive through a John Rylands Research Institute and Library grant and to be able to access materials not just from rave’s heyday, but specifically the inception, lifetime, and eventual decline of the Haçienda, we were very excited to get involved. Our aim with the project, titled ‘Madchester Muse’, was to explore Manchester’s rave heritage in more detail and to understand the main drivers of the original rave scene and the influence of the Haçienda and other rave spaces and key players.

Over 9 months, Bruce Wilkinson, as project researcher, painstakingly went through the archives of Tony Wilson, Andy Spinoza, Rob Gretton, Bob Dickinson, CP Lee, and Kevin Cummins, documenting any material relevant to Manchester’s rave scene. What he found was a plethora of newspaper cuttings from local, national, and international press detailing the rise of the Madchester scene, alongside promotional materials including flyers, posters, tickets, passes from clubs and events, much of which is related to the Haçienda and Factory Records. The Wilson and Gretton archives also contain numerous documents related to the management and running of Factory, including meeting minutes and agendas, staff memos, faxes, and financial accounts. The archive has enabled us to piece together the story of rave in Manchester, and how the Haçienda has been central to putting Manchester on the map in the electronic dance music scene.

Rave: the Hacienda’s saviour and destroyer

What it has also illuminated though is that whilst the Haçienda was central to rave’s evolution in Manchester, without rave it is unlikely the Haçienda would have continued. The archives detail how the huge, cavernous arts space was struggling during the early to mid-1980s. Gretton’s experiences as manager of New Order in renowned New York nightclubs, such as Danceteria and Studio 54, are thought to not only have inspired New Order’s shift to electronic music but also the birth of the Haçienda. Not unlike the urban myth that ecstasy arrived in UK clubs thanks to a few famous DJs trying it on the white isle of Ibiza and bringing it back, this narrative has a grain of truth to it. Wilson and Gretton saw the appeal of dance music and its relevance for the post-industrial city and its youth.

Yet, whilst rave proved to be the Haçienda’s saviour it also resulted in its demise. As the archives detail, by the early to mid-nineties the club was once again struggling – plagued by issues of violence, drugs and organised crime, alongside exorbitant debts right up to its closure and eventual bankruptcy in 1997.

Building rave’s heritage

Despite its demise, the vision and foresight of Factory Records cannot be ignored. The archive details a sustained focus on brand development both for Factory and the club right from the outset. From UK Haçienda club night tours to international Haçienda events in Paris and the US, all accompanied by high-end promotional material, the Haçienda was creating a legacy not just in Manchester but beyond. Its closure and subsequent demolition have only enhanced its international heritage, enabling the sell-out success of its contemporary Haçienda events.

Acknowledgements

‘Madchester Muse’ was supported by a John Rylands Research Institute and Library Small Grant.  The project co-investigators are Dr Helen Holmes, Prof Nick Crossley, and Graeme Park, with Bruce Wilkinson as research assistant. Thanks go to the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Hannah Barker (former Director John Rylands Research Institute), and Mat Bancroft (British Pop Archive curator).