Part 2 of my deep dive with Hewan Clarke — the first resident DJ at The Haçienda — joined again by Aniff Akinola, sharing incredible memories and insight into Manchester’s club and DJ culture.
In this episode we go right back to the beginning, to Pips — the club where Hewan first put a needle on a record and realised he wanted to become a DJ.
He shares stories of Ian Connors (Johnny Washington) giving him his first chances behind the decks, the four-room setup at Pips, and how seeing different musical tribes — rockers, new wavers, soul kids and funk heads — helped shape his musical ear.
From there, Hewan talks about the moment that changed everything: meeting Eric Harris, whose dancing and alternative style led him to Rafters, the home of legendary DJs Colin Curtis and John Grant. This was Hewan’s baptism into serious DJ culture, jazz-funk imports and rare groove.
He explains how he carried Colin Curtis’s record boxes, warmed up for him, and learned the craft that would later influence the earliest musical foundations of The Haçienda.
We also dive into Berlin, the legendary Manchester club that began with a simple request for the track “Holland Tunnel Dive”. That one moment led to Hewan connecting Colin Curtis with the venue owners, and the famous Berlin Tuesday sessions were born — an important bridge between jazz-dance, Latin sounds, electronic imports and what would soon evolve into Acid House.
Record shop culture also plays a huge role in this story. Yanks, Spinning, Decoy, Robinson’s — the places where DJs built their collections from 50p cut-outs and obscure imports. Hewan and Aniff talk about the excitement of discovering music, crate-digging, and how rare grooves entered Manchester nightlife one record at a time.
The second half of the interview focuses on The Reno in Moss Side, one of Manchester’s most legendary underground clubs.
Hewan describes finishing DJ sets at The Gallery and then heading to the Reno to play until 5am. He recalls the atmosphere — the heat, the banging on the wood panelling, and the reaction of the crowd when new imports like SOS Band and Nucleus dropped.
Aniff adds his own memories of the Reno: the regular dancers, the magistrate who came every week, the smoke-filled rooms, the gambling tables, and even Fonzo the Whistler doing backflips on the dancefloor.
You’ll also hear how Tony Wilson, Rob Gretton and visiting American producers would end up there after hours. The Reno was a raw, unfiltered late-night world that shaped Manchester’s music culture as much as any famous venue.
If you’re interested in Manchester nightlife history, DJ culture, jazz-funk, electro or the roots of The Haçienda, this is essential viewing.
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