[Club] Madchester (1994–2018): A Scottish Tribute to Manchester Music's Golden Era

For nearly a quarter of a century (1994–2018), [Club] Madchester in Edinburgh and Glasgow bridged the late-’80s/early-’90s Manchester music legacy with Scottish indie culture. Founded by Steven Cumming and run alongside dEL (Paul Delaney), these nights became a hub for baggy beats, memorable guest appearances, and pioneering promotional tactics—ultimately leaving an enduring mark on Scotland’s clubbing scene.

Origins, Music, and Locations

Founders, Promoters, and DJs

Steven Cumming and dEL (Paul Delaney) collaborated across two decades to grow [Club] Madchester from small-scale nights to a multi-city phenomenon. Steven started the events in late 1994 at Shady Lady’s (the basement of The Mission on Edinburgh’s Victoria Street) before moving to The Music Box in 1995. Meanwhile, dEL went from handling the cash desk to becoming the main DJ by 1996.

Other DJs and promoters over the years included: John McWilliams (Liquid Room), Keith Valentine, Keith McNeill, Da Fugitive (Chris Growcott), DJ Lee (FBI), Katy (Exhibit Music), Fran Tamburrini (Stereo Revolver), Poppy Dee, and more.

Music Policy

The nights initially focused on hardcore Madchester and Acid House, expertly merging electronic and guitar music—yet they freely blended Britpop, indie revival, 60s, house breakbeat, hip-hop, and more. For a number of years there was a second room playing House, Soul, Breaks, Trip Hop and similar. Guest DJs were encouraged to be similarly eclectic. Several of dEL’s (Paul Delaney’s) mixtapes have beaten copyright bots and remain online at the Club Madchester Mixcloud page.

Primary Venues

• Edinburgh
  • The Music Box / The Liquid Room (1995–1996, 2006–2018)
  • La Belle Angele (1997–2002)
  • The Jaffacake (1996–1997)
  • Additional events at The Mission, The Gallery, Wilkie House, Cabaret Voltaire, and others
• Glasgow
  • The Record Factory (2015–2019)
  • The Admiral (2011–2015)
  • Fury Murry’s (1997–1998)

Their cross-city reach—from Edinburgh’s Liquid Room to Glasgow’s Record Factory—was remarkable, as it’s traditionally challenging/impossible for a single club brand to maintain successful monthly events in both cities.

Notable Guests and Live Performances

Much of [Club] Madchester’s enduring appeal stemmed from star-studded appearances and surprise live sets that regularly filled the calendar:

Iconic DJ Sets

• Mani (The Stone Roses, Primal Scream) – DJ set at the 5th birthday at La Belle Angele
• Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays, Black Grape) – DJ at the 10th birthday at The Liquid Room
• Tim Burgess (The Charlatans) – DJ set (his first ever) at The Liquid Room re-opening in 2010; returned many times to Edinburgh and Glasgow

• Clint Boon (Inspiral Carpets) – Regular Boxing Day and afterparty DJ
• Peter Hook (New Order/ Peter Hook and The Light) – DJ set at The Liquid Room

• Bez (Happy Mondays) - DJ set at Cabaret Voltaire after his Big Brother win
• Mike Joyce - (The Smiths) - DJ set at The Liquid Room
• Dave Booth (RIP - The Original Madchester DJ) – DJ set in Glasgow
• Andy and Jez Williams (Doves/ Sub Sub) –  brought back their Sub Sub roots at The Liquid Room
• Rick Witter (Shed Seven) - DJ sets in both Edinburgh and Glasgow

• Steve Craddock (Ocean Colour Scene) - DJ set at The Record Factory 
• Kyle and Kieren (The View) - Very wasted DJ sets in Edinburgh 
• Nick Power (The Coral) - DJ set at The Record Factory

Live and Acoustic Sets

• Northside – Reunited in 1995 for [Club] Madchester’s first birthday, returned multiple times to Edinburgh and Glasgow

• Stereo MC’s – Live performance at the 20th Boxing Day Bash in Edinburgh’s Liquid Room

• Peter Hook & The Light – First Scottish gig, and first time outside of Manchester performing Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures in full
• Rick Witter & Joe Johnson - First ever Shed Seven acoustic set, live in Glasgow for Hogmanay
• Rick Witter & Paul Banks - Shed Seven acoustic set
• John Power (The La’s/Cast), - High octane acoustic show in Edinburgh 
• Marc Morris (The Bluetones) - Played multiple times in Glasgow and Dunfermline
• Chris Helme (The Seahorses) - Played multiple times in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dunfermline
• Tom Hingley (Inspiral Carpets) - Acoustic set at The Liquid Room
• Winachi Tribe - Live set in Glasgow's Record Factory
• The Smyths and Transmission - Tribute acts that appeared in Edinburgh and Glasgow

Steven and Paul also ran many official after show party events for touring live acts, including: The Charlatans, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Shed Seven, The Inspiral Carpets, Ocean Colour Scene, The Coral, Beady Eye, and many more unofficial parties as well!

Pioneering Promotion and Branding

Viral Posters on Early Social Media

[Club] Madchester’s designs frequently went viral on Myspace and early Facebook (2008 - 2012), often featuring humorous mashups e.g., Shaun Ryder’s face inserted into classic movie/band posters, Morrissey in a Joy Division T-shirt, or Nirvana wearing Madchester band tees. The Sgt. Pepper–style collage referencing Beatles cover art with Madchester/ Alternative music icons eventually evolved into a T-shirt worn by Ian Brown of The Stone Roses. Despite the originators of the image being left out of media coverage it is easy to see where it came from via Facebook publication dates. 

Memes and Guerrilla Marketing

The events became the first in the UK to project publicity onto historical buildings in Edinburgh’s Cowgate, prompting other promoters to emulate them. Their appetite for “riskier” tactics often drew the ire of Edinburgh City Council due to posters plastered on closed down shop windows, traffic-light poster boards, and university campuses—yet the controversy only boosted their name recognition. In 1997 both Loaded Magazine and International DJ featured the publicity for the nights, publishing the "bizarre" Shaun Ryder Star Trek, and Bez 'Lightyear' posters. 

Running Dual-City Nights

Traditionally, few promoters maintain successful monthly events in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, but by 2012 [Club] Madchester had cracked the code—later expanding to Dunfermline. This cross-pollination solidified their reputation for bridging different local scenes under a single brand.

Boxing Day Bash Events: A New Tradition

Historically, Boxing Day was a dud date for the capital's nightlife, but from 1996 onward, [Club] Madchester’s “Boxing Day Bashes” flipped that narrative. Thousands of Edinburgh clubbers flocked to these annual gatherings, drawn by festive spirit and top-tier guests—like Shaun Ryder (10th birthday), Clint Boon, and the Stereo MC’s live set (20th birthday). Many rival promoters tried to replicate the magic, transforming 26 December into a viable night for major events across the capital.

Key Milestones

• Stone Roses Afterparties (2012 & 2017): Clint Boon, Dave Booth, and Steve Adge brought warehouse-party vibes after The Stone Roses’ big Glasgow Green comeback in 2012 and their last ever (?!) gig at Hampden in 2017.
• Northside’s 1995 Comeback: The Manchester band’s first reunion gig since Factory Records’ demise took place at [Club] Madchester’s first birthday, launching a wave of further Scottish appearances.
• Peter Hook & The Light (2011): Performed Unknown Pleasures in Edinburgh—marking the first time Joy Division’s classic was played live outside Manchester—accompanied by a memorable Hooky DJ set.
• Tim Burgess’s First-Ever Club DJ Set (2010): The Charlatans frontman christened the newly reopened Liquid Room with a sell-out crowd. He returned for subsequent nights, and the promoters also played Charlatans afterparties.
• Shiine On Festival (2015 & 2018): dEL (Paul Delaney) was invited to DJ in a room named after the Edinburgh/Glasgow Madchester events, then reappeared in 2018 under the “Stereo Revolver” banner with Fran Tamburrini.

• Official Madchester brand event: Paul Delaney/ dEL DJed at the only trademarked Madchester event ever held in Scotland, in 2019, becoming an 'official' Madchester DJ 24 years after first starting to play the music live at club events in Edinburgh.

The Acrimonious Split, Legacy, and Impact

Over the years, [Club] Madchester faced changing musical tastes and Steven's occasional disputes—with venue owners (The Admiral, The Liquid Room), support DJs, and even the official Madchester trademark holders. Tensions climaxed in early 2018, leading dEL and Steven to part ways that month, ending the [Club] Madchester nights without a final party for the legions of members. 

The final [Club] Madchester in Edinburgh would have been Boxing Day 2017, but it was canceled by the venue (Liquid Room) after a falling out. The last official night occurred in Glasgow in February 2018, at The Record Factory.  Soon after, dEL joined Fran Tamburrini to launch Stereo Revolver, while Steven took their Get Loose brand and used it for his new nights, failing to convince that those were a rebrand of [Club] Madchester.

Timeline Snapshot

Impact - Why Did It Endure For So Long?

• Unbroken Tradition: [Club] Madchester outlasted multiple style shifts—baggy, Britpop, indie revivals— and minted Boxing Day as a can’t-miss date in Edinburgh’s nightlife. The pair worked hard to keep the music relevant, and on-brand, showing no small amount of DJing skills by mixing guitar music with electronic music, many years before RekordBox, Serato, Traktor, and other DJ software made it pretty easy to do so. Over the years, the nights were also a hangout for local indie bands such as: The Stagger Rats, OK Social Club, 10:04s, Nature Boys, Pose Victorious, The Draymen, Dead Sea Souls, and many more.
• Adventurous Marketing: Viral posters, meme-style flyers, and guerrilla projections on historical buildings set a new standard that many promoters copied at indie nights up and down the United Kingdom. The promoters also pioneered the use of MySpace and Facebook for events promotion, years ahead of their contemporaries, that lead to developing a fanbase from all over the UK, not just Central Scotland.
• Manchester-Scotland Bridge: By hosting cameo gigs from the Madchester scene’s biggest names, the nights built a living link between Manchester’s legendary sound and a passionate Scottish fanbase, and also led to weekend visitors coming to Edinburgh just for the nights.
• Cultural Legacy: Whether reviving a defunct band like Northside, or giving Tim Burgess his first DJ sets to sold-out venues, the pair gave artists, fans, and fellow promoters fresh opportunities to explore that classic Madchester vibe. 

References and Final Thoughts

• dEL’s Madchester Mixtapes: mixcloud.com/ClubMadchester/
• The Stereo Revolver Facebook page (check the old posts, images and events for [Club] Madchester promo and chat)
• Tim Burgess mentioning the nights in his book, Tim Book Two. Photo
• Loaded & DJ Magazine (1996) – Early coverage of Madchester’s poster designs
• Other Press: Various mentions in The Edinburgh Evening News, The List, The List again, and again, and again, and again. A The Skinny mention, and another, and another . Manchester Digital Music archive photo of posters. A Time Out mention. A Reverb Nation mention. A Reddit mention. A mention on the Kickback Jambos forum. Mention in a Half Man Half Biscuit Forum post. An old Tickets Scotland event,  An old fatsoma event. Alamy photo of a club poster, a fan photo of club posters on Flickr, and another, and another, and another, and another showing poster thieves in action and another, and another. Photos from Tim Burgess night in 2012. A fan video from Clint Boon DJ set in Glasgow in 2012. Old [Club] Machester YouTube channel. A fan video from 2014, and another from 2010, and another, and another. A fan photo from 20th Birthday party on Flickr. A gallery from a Smyths gig. Paul Delaney/ dEL DJing with Tim Burgess Hogmanay 2012

From their origin in 1994 to a final curtain call in 2018, [Club] Madchester in Edinburgh and Glasgow embodied the spirit of classic Manchester sounds while reinventing stale event dates like Boxing Day and pioneering “guerilla” promo tactics. Despite the promoters’ eventual split, their two-decade run remains a cornerstone in Scottish club history—fusing unstoppable beats, boundary-pushing marketing, and iconic guest appearances that electrified nightlife across two major cities. To this day, the nights’ legacy stands as a testament to how far passion, creativity, and an enduring love of the Madchester era can carry a local scene.