In the ground floor bar of Ocean Drive, DJ Paulette greets us with the warmth of an old friend.
One of Manchester’s most respected DJ personalities, Paulette has been waving the flag for the city’s music scene since day dot. In the present, she remains an integral part of The Haçienda set up. It was at the club’s notorious gay party, Flesh, where she honed her craft.
Within seconds, we are putting the world to rights.
She’s chatty, interpersonal, witty, informed and confident enough to not take herself too seriously, when the mood calls. I think we’re going to get along.
We meet as her city’s former mayor, Andy Burnham, has been installed in 10 Downing Street as the UK’s sixth prime minister in ten years.
"Without getting too political, I think it's a very good move. Change is good. There are a lot of issues that need immediate attention. Hopefully the ship will stop rocking quite so much. If he can steady the ship long enough to do some good, that would be amazing."
Conversation steers to the weather (hot), the blight of phone-use on the dancefloor, the attention span economy (or lack thereof) and an alarming recent incident at a club in Belgium, where the DJ Ella Knight was assaulted by a customer mid-set.
"What the hell was that? What is wrong with people? That's not how we party."
Paulette is currently penning her second book, the follow up to her 2024 autobiographical debut Welcome To The Club: The life and lessons of a Black woman DJ.
"It's not about me," she says, although some immediate family members get their props. "It’s called Blackout: An alternative history of Manchester music and it’s about the under celebrated icons and innovators who have contributed through the years."
The deadline for the final manuscript is June next year, pointing to a likely publication in the final quarter of 2027.
"In the last six months I've interviewed around a hundred people and I still have a few left. I am honoured that my publishers have commissioned it. It'll be the first time a compendium has been dedicated specifically to Manchester's black music legacy.
It's a great book and I'm very proud to be the one writing it."
Later on, she’s been invited to play alongside Ewan McVicar at Club Knuckles (above). "We message each other and chat if we land on the same line-up. He's a great DJ and producer and such a lovely human too. I’m a big supporter of his."
Aside from her writing commitments, she has an upcoming tour of Australia, marquee bookings at Drumsheds London, a Flesh reunion for HOMOBLOC at The Warehouse Project and is recording a podcast with V&A all scheduled in the coming months.
She’s a busy woman, but I can tell she wouldn’t have it any other way.
After the niceties (and some gentle ribbing about my chemically-impaired memory - "I’ve been doing this ten years now and I don’t know how many I’ve got left in me!", I tell her) are exchanged, we finally get down to business. After all, The Haçienda is the one and only point on the agenda.
The enduring legacy of FAC51: The Haçienda
We're here to talk about the Amnesia takeover next month, but let's quickly touch on The Haçienda's first island show of 2026 at 528 Ibiza. How was that?
"It was impressive. I think it was thirty degrees at 18:30 when I started playing. It was baking hot. Brutally so. I was worried and wondered if people were going to come out to dance? But dance, they did. I did my thing and built up the dancefloor.
Graeme Park had a big smile on his face when he took over. Job done."
What was the makeup of the crowd like?
"It was family, friends, young, old, male, female, black, white, English, Spanish - there was even a couple who I talk to when they’re walking their dogs in the park near me in Manchester. There was a good mix of people there. That's why I like 528 though. It's got a really healthy mix.
For Haçienda shows in the UK, we get families: parents raving with their kids. I think The Haç has a really beautiful cross-generational appeal.
You don't have to be an older clubber to come and enjoy it.
Just because it’s got a deep history, it doesn’t feel exclusively for the older generation. It's for everybody - all ages and nationalities and shapes and sizes who love House music. That's the best thing about The Haçienda. It’s always been about the music and the brilliant mix of people."
When you're booked for Haçienda shows, do you have a certain mindset about what you're going to play? Is there an inclination to play more classics?
"No. I'm a bridge of souls. I like to carry people from one era and genre to another because, as much as I love the classics, I'm still alive. Music evolves and I've never stopped DJing. It's never been about heritage to me.
‘Heritage’ bores me. I do like a classic and a vocal and I love them even more if they’ve been beefed up, f***ed up or remade for 2026 dancefloors with a load of compression. A fatter bass and a fatter kick that does more damage in a 2026 sized space. I love to mix it up.
I do occasionally play the original versions. It keeps people on their toes, gives them lovely flashbacks. The eclecticism is what I love about the way I came through at The Haçienda. You can play curveballs. There's room for everything in any set.
At 528 I opened with Frankie, Knuckles and Jamie Principle’s Your Love. Then I played a remix of Running Up The Hill by Late Nite Tuff Guy.”
"I really enjoy Haçienda sets, because I've got carte blanche to play whatever. It's fun to play old, new, re-edit, remix and put all of those things together. I played my remix of Inner City’s Pennies From Heaven and that sounded fantastic.
You need to be able to mix it up with the tunes that, in ten years time, somebody will say ‘oh, remember when Paulette played this at Amnesia - it’s such a classic now!’"
Aside from the obvious, how do you imagine the 528 date will differ to the Amnesia one?
"People have a different way of raving when they can't see the sky. It's weird, but it's true.
Dancefloors react differently indoors than outdoors. I think it will probably be a bit more heads down. It could be a bit harder, could be more techy. It might be a bit more sing-songy? It depends on various factors. We’ll just have to see where the mood takes me."
The parallels between clubbing institutions
Do you see any - many? - similarities between Amnesia and The Haçienda?
"Yeah, absolutely. They are the pioneers, the originators and the leaders in their fields.
The thing about pioneers is that they don't get the credit they should get for exploring uncharted territory; for opening the doors for everybody else.The culture exists because they created it. Plus, they're still here doing it, having fun and crushing it.
Amnesia has been at the forefront of clubbing on this island since it started. No matter what the trends and challenges are, it will always be that spot that attracts the new nights, the new people, the new DJs, the new crowds, the underground sounds, the heavy hitters."
'Dancing to forget' - Amnesia advocates living in the moment
"It does all that while at the same time respecting and recognising the legends, celebrating the Ibiza people and spirit and embracing the classics, the spectacle, the production and the show. It's not what looks good on social media that counts."
You can really feel that with the direction that club has gone in recent years and the messaging and ethos it's trying to espouse. The people that run the club make a conscious point of reminding you to live in the moment.
"Yeah, it's really all about the energy and the spirit of the party.
It’s about the music, the emotion, the feeling and the sound. Somebody told me that they've upgraded the sound system again. I'm really excited to get my sticky DJ mitts on it, because I haven't played at Amnesia for so long!"
To be continued...
Stay tuned for part two coming soon.
DJ Paulette plays at Amnesia on Saturday 19 September alongside David Morales, Inner City (live), Todd Terry, Graeme Park, Mike Pickering, Alison Limerick and Haçienda Classical (live).
Both general admission and balcony-access tickets for FAC51: The Haçienda are on sale now and available to buy below or via our party calendar.
PHOTOGRAPHY | by La Skimal
