Part 1 of my deep dive with Hewan Clarke — the first ever DJ at The Haçienda — joined by Aniff Akinola, who provides quality control, memories, and context from the dancefloor to the DJ booth.
This episode goes right back to the birth of The Haçienda and the foundations that shaped Manchester’s entire nightlife culture. Hewan tells the story of how his journey began at Rufus, a small club in the Corn Exchange where jazz-funk dancers practised new moves every Monday while Hewan played records. Those nights led to unexpected visitors — members of Factory Records band Swamp Children — and eventually to their manager, Tony Wilson, driving Hewan across the country, rolling spliffs while discussing WBLS DJ Frankie Crocker.
It was on that car journey that Tony said the words that would change everything:
“I’m opening a club in Manchester… and I want you to be the DJ.”
From there, the episode dives into the opening night of The Haçienda, the chaos, the unfinished paintwork, and the surreal moment Tony abandoned his speech after being heckled and shouted: “Hewan, play the music!”
Hewan describes what the DJ box was really like — decks here, mixer above your head, monitors in strange places — and the infamous acoustic nightmare that caused bass to bounce around the room. Yet despite that, it was magical.
We explore the sound of the early Haçienda: not house music (that came later), but funk, electro imports, New York grooves, Buffalo Gals, early hip-hop, and tracks discovered in Manchester’s record shops — Spinning, Yanks, Decoy, Robinson’s — where DJs dug 50p cut-outs that became legendary club anthems.
Hewan and Aniff talk about:
• the real opening atmosphere — students, alternative kids, jazz defectors
• why very few Black dancers came early on
• how tracks like Dirty Talk (Klein & MBO) helped inspire Blue Monday
• how jazz, electro, dub, funk and alternative cultures collided on that dancefloor
• the moment The Haçienda’s acoustic problems nearly ruined the night
• why the eventual design inspired generations of later club owners
The interview also explores Hewan’s transition from vinyl to digital, his recent music-tech course at Manchester College, and how younger DJs have never even heard of The Haçienda — something that shocks him but also excites him because the stories now matter more than ever.
If you’re passionate about Manchester nightlife, Factory Records, early club culture, or the real story of how The Haçienda found its sound, this is essential viewing. These stories aren’t in books — they’re lived experiences.
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