While at Manchester’s City Life magazine in the late 1980s, photographer Peter J. Walsh was in the right place at the right time as he became immersed in Manchester’s revolutionary acid house, club, and rave scene, documenting many hedonistic nights at the Hacienda.
Acid House
Peter documented the early years of the UK’s acid house explosion in the city. He captured the various faces and colourful fashions that adorned The Hacienda dancefloor as the city became a cultural mecca and global hub for music and fashion.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
Documentary Photography
Peter, “I began working as a photographer for a documentary co-op in Manchester in the mid-eighties. I learned how to process films, make contact sheets, and black and white prints. The photographers in the co-op worked individually but would meet once a month to compare and critique each other’s work and printing skills. The training I received in all aspects of documentary photography during this time would prove invaluable to me as the rave scene hit Manchester just a few years later.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
The Haçienda
“Around the same time I began shooting for ‘City Life’, Manchester’s equivalent of Time Out in London, I was also photographing the burgeoning club scene at The Haçienda and other clubs in the city. Tony Wilson got me to photograph the Happy Mondays gig on Granada TV’s The Other Side of Midnight, which he hosted. After sending those images down to the NME in London, I was asked to be their photographer covering the North of England. I also started working regularly for The Face, i-D, and Mixmag.”
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
Temperance Club
As a photographer, Peter used to go out into the city to document what was happening around Manchester. He would attend events at The Haçienda, including ‘Hot’ and ‘The Temperance Club’, a student night on Thursdays with DJ Dave Haslam, which fused indie, disco, and house music.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
Cultural Movement
As acid house exploded, Peter knew that Manchester and The Haçienda, particularly, were at the epicentre of a cultural movement. Aside from documenting club culture in the city, he also took photos of the numerous bands and DJs that helped shape and define the music scene that came out of the city.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
“The rave generation, Madchester, whatever you want to call it, was a revolutionary time in musical and British cultural history. On the back of a grim, economically challenging decade under Thatcher and the last era before smartphones and the internet age, it united a generation. Ecstasy and music brought young people together, from single mums and students to council workers and football hooligans. Lifelong friendships were forged, and ideas were created that continue to shape today’s cultural landscape.” – British Culture Archive.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
Gallery
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
Photo © Peter J Walsh, all rights reserved.
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