As previously reported, The Quietus is publishing an anthology of the Acid House fanzine “Freaky Dancing” that was originally distributed outside the legendary Manchester club The Hacienda during its year long publication and developed a cult following. The collection will contain an introduction by  A Guy Called Gerald and is a complete collection of the 11 issues that the zine published between July 1989 and August 1990. You can buy both the psychical and kindle editions here. 

The first eight copies were handed out for free to punters queing up outside the club, whilst the rest were sold when its readership reached 750. A book launch will held in Manchester on Saturday 2nd March featuring a question and answer session  with both of its editors, a performance from Classical Uproar and a DJ Set from Suddi Raval.  More information can be found here.

The zine had several fans who were key figures on the Manchester scene including New Order  guitarist Peter Hook, DJ Mike Pickering and Factory label boss Tony Wilson who described it as “the most important piece of journalism I’ve read in the last twenty years.”

During the time in which “Freaky Dancing” was produced the Hacienda was as infamous as it was famous. That particular twelve months saw some of the most glorious events in music and club culture happen but also some of the worst cases of drug abuse. This ultimately became its downfall, as the paranoia that many of its clientele faced as a result ended in things such as shootings. What made “Freaky Dancing” relevant was the fact that it chronicled this downfall as the editors saw it before their very eyes. The editors in question were Paul “Fish Kid” Gill and Ste Pickford who used to work on it during the week with input from Hacienda regulars before taking it to print.