Dave Haslam

Dave Haslam is a writer, broadcaster and DJ who DJ'ed over 450 times at the Haçienda nightclub in Manchester and has since DJ'd worldwide. He has written for the New Musical Express, The Guardian, the London Review of Books, and The Times, and has published four books. Originally from Moseley, Birmingham, and educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, Haslam moved to Manchester in 1980, and later graduated from the University of Manchester after which he worked as a concert promoter, hosting live performances by Sonic Youth, Big Black, Primal Scream, the Stone Roses, and others, and began DJing at clubs including the Man Alive and the Venue. From May 1986 he was a DJ at the Haçienda nightclub, including a residency at Thursday's Temperance club night until October 1990. In the 1990s he also hosted the weekly night Yellow at the Boardwalk nightclub in Manchester.

Links to Peel
In the mid-1980s, Dave founded the fanzine Debris. He also ran a music label called Play Hard Records signing bands such as King Of The Slums, The Bodines and The Train Set. During his time running the music label, he released a compilation album in 1987 of artists signed to Play Hard, which Peel played on his shows.

In his 2018 book, Sonic Youth Slept On My Floor, Dave mentioned going with Peel to an Indian restaurant eating curry, as well as taking him to a Public Enemy gig. He also praised John Peel in promoting not only the Debris fanzine on his shows, but also artists that were signed to Play Hard Records.