DJ Mike Pickering on the decks at The Other Side of Midnight end of series Rave – Manchester.
Mike Pickering played a pivotal role in the development of house music and the rave scene in Manchester, primarily through his work as a DJ at the Haçienda Club. Widely regarded as one of the key figures in the UK’s early house and electronic music scenes, Pickering was central to shaping the atmosphere of the Hacienda, which became the beating heart of Manchester’s vibrant dance music culture in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
At the time, the Hacienda was undergoing a transformation from its post-punk and indie roots to embrace the burgeoning acid house and rave culture that were sweeping across the UK. Mike Pickering was one of the key figures behind this shift, and his influence on house music at the Hacienda cannot be overstated.
Mike Pickering’s influence extended beyond the dancefloor at the Hacienda and into mainstream media, most notably with his appearance on Tony Wilson’s TV show, The Other Side of Midnight. Wilson, the influential founder of Factory Records and co-owner of the Hacienda, was a key figure in promoting Manchester’s music culture and its transition into the rave and dance era.
In the final episode of The Other Side of Midnight, Tony Wilson dedicated an entire show to rave culture and the rise of acid house and house music in the UK, a genre that had transformed the British music landscape by the late 1980s. The *Rave Special* aired in 1989 and was an important moment in documenting the cultural shift happening in clubs like the Hacienda.
Pickering’s appearance in this end-of-series rave special was significant because it gave mainstream visibility to the club scene and its connection to the rapidly growing rave movement. The show, known for covering cutting-edge music and youth culture, helped to legitimize rave culture in the eyes of the wider public, moving it from the underground into the broader cultural consciousness.
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