The Hacienda returned to Blackburn last night (some fifteen years since) with the first showing of various FAC51-themed videos from the ikon& archive at Barzooka. Dry/Hacienda Manager Leroy Richardson, Moist, ex-Smiths Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke, Bunnyman Will Sergeant and a hundred or so paying red rose guests witnessed live footage from a variety of early years Hac gigs.

Accompanying excerpts from original Factory acts New Order, ACR, James, Marcel King and (opening night guests) ESG were clips that reflected the true diversity of those largely forgotten or ignored pre-acid house years : Gregory Isaacs, Virgin Prunes, Orange Juice, William Burroughs, Echo & the Bunnymen and The Smiths. Completing the picture were home videos of the Hacienda as construction site, an interview with VJ Claude Bessy and an unseen ikon video christmas card featuring that famous situationist puppeteer combo Harry Corbett and, er, Sooty.

Plans are afoot to take the show on the road to Manchester and Liverpool in the coming months (echoing the original ikon video 'tour' of the early eighties).

Full review to follow.

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Thanks to OMMCR.

Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, ESG, FAC51_The_Hacienda, Marcel_King, New_Order

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