[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, featuring unforgettable sets from DJing with Tim Burgess Hogmanay 2012, Clint Boon, Shaun Ryder, Peter Hook, Bez and another from 2010 at their 20th Birthday party on Flickr. Additionally, the club also became known for its collection of Nirvana in Madchester band t-shirts, thanks to the efforts of founders Steven Cumming and EL 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. Additionally, they also featured another set from 2010 at their 20th Birthday party on Flickr. Another set from 2010 was also featured at their 20th Birthday party on Flickr. In fact, their 20th Birthday party was one of the most talked about events in the club's history. Don't forget to check out the [Club] Machester YouTube channel for exclusive footage and behind-the-scenes content from these iconic nights, including their epic 20th Birthday party. Also, be sure to watch the fan videos and check out the Stereo Revolver Facebook page for even more amazing moments from these legendary events.

Origins, Music, and Locations

Founders, Promoters, and DJs

Steven Cumming and EL 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 Record Factory
• 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 – The bands' third ever gig, first ever Scottish gig, and first time outside of England 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 England—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): EL 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/ EL 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 Links to Mixtapes, Event Publicity, Photos and More

• Madchester Mixcloud 
• The Stereo Revolver Facebook page (check the old posts, images and events for [Club] Madchester promo and chat)
• An old Club Madchester Edinburgh facebook profile
• The old Club Madchester website, once found at madc.co.uk
• Tim Burgess mentioning the Club Madchester nights in his book, Tim Book Two.
• Clint Boon taking about how he loved Club Madchester in Edinburgh
• Loaded - clipping mentioning Club Madchester viral flyers
• DJ Magazine (1996) – Early coverage of Madchester’s poster designs
• NME article talking about Peter Hook and The Light's first ever Scottish date - at Club Madchester!
• Setlist from Peter Hook and The Light at The Liquid Room in 2011
• Photos of Bridewell Taxis name checking Club Madchester and listing the website in the sleeve notes of their album in 2013
•     The Edinburgh Evening News, clipping of Club Madchester comeback in 2006.
•     The Edinburgh Evening News, clipping from Tim Burgess DJ Set. Liquid Room reopening in 2010
  
•     The List, a Club Madchester mention as one of the best Edinburgh & Glasgow Christmas clubs of 2010,  
•     The List article about the re-opening of the Liquid Rooms (Club Madchester was the first night in the end!)
•     The List article about Taste, and Club Madchester gets a mention too
•     The List, another Club Madchester Boxing Day Bash mention as one of the best nights in Edinburgh and Glasgow
•     The List, a mention as one of the best Halloween events for Club Madchester this time
•     The List, yet another mention about how Club Madchester was an integral part of the Christmas Clubbing scene in Edinburgh and Glasgow
•     The Skinny Issuu from sometime in 2017 with a Club Madchester mention
•     The Skinny Club Madchester 20th Birthday listings page
•     Old The Skinny Club Madchester events page 
•     The Skinny December 2015, Club Madchester mention
  
• Manchester Digital Music archive - a photo of Club Madchester posters from 2008 by Tony/Longfella
• Resident Advisor listing for Tim Burgess, EL dEL (Paul Delaney) and Steven Cumming DJing at Club Madchester at The Admiral, Glasgow in 2014
• A Time Out Club Madchester mention.
• A ReverbNation Club Madchester profile 
• A Reddit mention from a fan remembering Club Madchester as one of their favourite nights in Edinburgh
• Kickback Jambos forum -
•     A thread about Club Madchester Boxing Day Bash being moved cause of the Fire at the Liquid Rooms,
•     Club Madchester being remembered here as an Edinburgh night of yesteryear.
•     And a discussion about whether Club Madchester nights were better in Faith or The Liquid Room,
•     And another mention as NOT the worst club in Edinburgh.  
• Mention in a Half Man Half Biscuit Forum post, Club Madchster was held after their Liquid Room gig. 
• DJ EL dEL (AKA Paul Delaney) old Facebook page
• 2015 Inspiral Carpets/ Shed Seven after party event on Tickets Scotland
• Chris Helme 2015 events in Edinburgh and Glasgow on Tickets Scotland
• John Power/ La's Club Madchester event on Tickets Scotland 
• 2014 Club Madchester event at The Admiral, Glasgow, on Resident Advisor
• Official Madchester night on Fatsoma from 2019, after the split
• Photo of large Club Madchester poster flyposted in Edinburgh streets on Alamy
• Busker playing a Sax in front of Club Madchester photos on Alamy
• A fan photo of club posters on Flickr, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another. 
• Photo of Tim Burgess at Club Madchester in 2010
• A video of Tim Burgess DJing at Club Madchester in 2012 https://www.facebook.com/StereoRevolver/videos/10151925131065573/ and
• Another from his first ever UK DJ set at Club Madchester in 2010 https://www.facebook.com/StereoRevolver/videos/10154434685955573/ 
• A fan video from Tim Burgess' first DJ set at Club Madchester in 2010
• Video of the end of Tim Burgess' set that night
• A fan video of Clint Boon DJ set at Club Madchester in 2010 and another video of the same event
• Old [Club] Madchester YouTube channel.
• A fan discussing Club Madchester on their blog in 2012
• A fan video from Stereo MCs performance in 2014 at Club Madchester 20th Birthday party
• A fan video of Connected performance from that night
• A fan video of Creation performance from that night
• A fan photo from Stereo MCs at Club Madchester 20th Birthday party on Flickr.
• Another photo of Stereo MCs at Club Madchester
• Club Madchester poster in the background of this Flickr Image
• Club Madchester poster in this Flickr image from 2008
• A gallery from a Smyths gig.
• Paul Delaney/ EL dEL DJing with Tim Burgess at The Liquid Room, Edinburgh in 2014
• Steven Cumming and Paul Delaney/ EL dEL DJing in The Liquid Room in 2011
• Peter Hook DJing at Club Madchester in 2011
• Flyer from first Club Madchester Stone Roses after party in Glasgow
• Flyer from Shine On Festival minicruise - (EL dEL got a little on it in North Holland and missed the boat and his DJ set)
• Original post of the St Pepper's Club Madchester Flyer from 2012
• Louder Than War stating exactly where the St Pepper's Madchester image came from originally
• A gallery from a Club Madchester presents The Smyths night
• Press coverage of Tim Burgess DJing launch nights of Stereo Revolver after the end of Club Madchester
• One of the Club Madchester flyers being ripped off by someone on Flickr
• A Flickr fan sharing the St Pepper's flyer, again
• A Flickr fan with a shot of a Trainspotting Club Madchester flyer from 2016
• Another Flickr fan sharing a Club Madchester poster from an Edniburgh street in 2009
• Image of Nirvana in Madchester band t-shirts, another Club Madchester viral publicity image

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.