Interview: Mike Pickering and Graeme Park

This Easter sees Fac 51 The Haçienda return to Sankeys with a selection of the club's finest ever residents, for an all night celebration of this iconic Manchester institution. 

At the top of the bill, Graeme Park and Mike Pickering resume their legendary partnership and play together in Manchester for FAC51 for the first time in five years - with each DJ playing individual sets before uniting for a unique B2B session. 

Here the two DJs tell us about their 25 year DJ relationship, and let us know what to expect on the night. 

Both of you played recently for The Hacienda last Christmas. You in London Mike, and Graeme you at Sankeys playing a 7 hour set for the entire night of The Manchester Xmas Party. How did you find these gigs?

Mike: It was great to return and it was a brilliant gig. Koko is such a great place to play, especially when it's packed like it was that night.The crowd were excellent and of all ages - it was especially pleasing to see so many young people there

Graeme : I was actually quite nervous beforehand, but as soon as I plugged my headphones into the mixer and cued up my first tune ('Wishing On A Star' by Fresh 4) excitement took over and the journey began. I was in my element and played a real variety of tunes spanning five decades - from the late 1960s to the present day. I spent a lot of time in the build up to the gig digging deep for some of the less obvious but still massive tunes that I used to blast out at The Haçienda, and as a result played a lot of stuff that I haven't dropped in years. The ocean of smiling faces beaming back at me from the dancefloor that stayed packed all night made all the hard work worthwhile. I wish I could play that long more often.

Listen to Graeme’s 7 hour set from The Hacienda’s Xmas Party here:

When you play out nowadays with FAC 51, do you try to mix up the more classic tracks that are synonymous with The Haçienda with more modern stuff?

Graeme: Every Haçienda gig is different. It depends on the venue, the crowd, how long I get to play and who else is on the line up. Obviously I do play a lot of classic tracks, but I have such a rich and vast heritage to draw upon. There are a few certain tunes that I have to spin but a hell of a lot of modern tracks that fit so well in the mix. I have to mix it up otherwise I'd go insane. I often "retire" certain tunes and replace them with less obvious ones to keep it fresh for me and for the punters. That's also why it's important to drop newer tracks too. The Haçienda has evolved since it closed and a whole new generation of clubbers are experiencing our nights and loving the eclectic mix of old and new.

Mike: I play much more contemporary tracks these days and try when possible to play newer reworks of the classics. A lot of house music being released at moment is much like the sound of the Haç in those days.

You’ve been playing with Mike some 25 years now. Your relationship and your knowledge of each other’s styles and tastes must be very strong? Can you describe it?

Graeme: When we used to play together every week there were tunes I didn't play because I knew Mike would and vice-versa. 21 years after our Friday Nude nights ended, that's still the case. The last time we played together a few years ago we did more of a back-to-back set and even after all these years we still had that second sense about what we were going to play. Some tunes Mike picked reminded me of other tunes that I hadn't played for ages and I think the same was true for him. This time I'm hoping to get together with Mike to go through our vast collections and try and come up with some surprises. Not just from the past either.

Mike: When we DJ together it just always feels natural, our personalities just fit. We shared an amazing life experience at the Haç and I think it's bonded us for life.

Are you in many or any ways like an old married couple?

Graeme: I'd say we were more like The Odd Couple. You can decide which one of us is Walter Matthau and which one is Jack Lemmon.

Mike: Ha yes, but who wears the trousers??

What is your favourite, or most scurrilous but printable memory of each other?

Graeme: I'm saving those for my memoirs. Too many to mention here.

Mike: Oh there are so many but probably our first DJ tour of Australia when a surfing clothing company wanted us to wear their extremely loud day-glo clothes and we stupidly agreed. What a sight we were! I still have the photos too in case we ever fall out.

What can we expect from your performance together on Good Friday?

Graeme: Some great music and hopefully a few surprises. And maybe a hug or two.

Graeme Park and Mike Pickering will appear together at Sankeys this Easter, joined by a host of Hacienda residents including Greg Wilson, Jon Dasilva, Russ, Herbie Saccani and James Noon.

Tickets are available now through Skiddle. Get yours below. 

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