The former head office of Manchester’s infamous Factory Records is set to reopen January 28 as a full-on, three-floor superclub. Factory, of course, was synonymous with the city’s cult, but massively over-budget and ultimately doomed Hacienda.
The new club, situated at 112-118 Princess Street, has been converted by original Hacienda architect Ben Kelly; now including a dedicated live ‘gig’ space and Funktion One ‘surround’ soundsystem. It is thought to have come about following a late-night conversation between New Order bassist Peter Hook and Aaron Mellor, the kingpin behind Digital Newcastle and Digital Brighton.
Hook, author, ironically, of last year’s How Not To Run A Club, based on his personal experiences with the Hacienda team, is a co-owner alongside Mellor. The venue is expected to be named FAC251 after Factory’s decadent former HQ – rumour suggests former head Tony Wilson once spent £50,000 on a table as part of its decoration.
