Legendary DJ spins stories in a new book
THE HACIENDA CLUB, MANCHESTER BANDS... AND WHAT HE GAVE MORRISSEY FOR HIS TEA?
WHAT do the Stone Roses like to drink? Are Sonic Youth good house guests? And what do you cook The Smiths legend Morrissey for his tea?
The man with the answers to all these questions is Dave Haslam, a major force from the Manchester music scene and someone who DJ’d nearly 500 times at the famous Hacienda nightclub.
His rock memories are detailed in his latest book - Sonic Youth Slept On My floor, a memoir of his life that will be published later this year.
For now all he will confirm is that the answer to the last question is cauliflower cheese.
Having spent his life strongly associated with the Madchester scene, Dave, of West Didsbury, has rubbed shoulders with the music industry’s greatest luminaries, from Chic’s Nile Rodger to radio DJ John Peel. At the age of 56, he says he is now old enough be ‘honest rather than careful’ when recounting what these people and times were like.
Among the subjects that his book covers is the Hacienda, a topic he says is surrounded my myth.
While it is true someone once pulled a gun on him there, Dave says much of what is believed about the club is wrong and that he can set the record straight.
Dave said: “It is humbling that a lot people are still genuinely interested. Nothing we did was about trying to be legendary, it was just pure enjoyment.
“The 1980s and 90s are viewed as a golden era and so much has been written about the Hacienda.
“The fact we didn’t know what we were doing meant it was very authentic. A lot of activity now involves marketing strategy and focus groups but we weren’t like that. It was wake up in the morning and try and do something interesting that added a little bit of magic to Manchester. The scene around the Hacienda helped redefine the city.”
Despite this ramshackle approach, the club - and The Boardwalk nearby - attracted a number of top names, albeit without the glamour that would be attached in this era.
He said: “I kept notes on how much we paid the bands and DJs and, for example, what drinks we ordered back stage to keep the Stone Roses happy. These details have helped jog my memory. There is a note saying to pay Sonic Youth £200 plus £50 if all tickets are sold. When I was a music journalist Morrissey came round for tea and I cooked him cauliflower cheese and interviewed him about This Charming Man.”
Among his latest projects is with another Manchester icon of music - New Order - as he is currently curator for their live shows.
Sonic Youth Slept On My Floor will go on sale on May 24. There will be three launch events in Manchester, details of which will be revealed later this month.