Northern Soul - The Film - Latest news - March 2012

He/she had a grizzle about the film in another thread, check his/her content, you get the full explanation, I think it's 2 lines, so much more extensive.............

Yes another one liner, along with the same same old in that from the usual suspects. I am off to the Mark Cousins forum and see if anything them are members over there.........

Most interesting is our little Frenchman still has not posted an intro despite many requests, does anyone smell another pesky little rodent....

He/she had a grizzle about the film in another thread, check his/her content, you get the full explanation, I think it's 2 lines, so much more extensive.............

Explications for what....a brief word is enough : BAD IDEA

Explanations give the opportunity to make a reasoned judgement based on facts, ''Bad Idea'', does nothing but make you sound like you have some sort of agenda. Elaine is putting in her own time and efforts to make the film, just to dismiss it on a whim, is unreasonable and lazy IMO when you don't say why.

Well Jocko you might not think it's a doc on Northern Soul but everyone will take it as such, my comments were an observation & an opinion,if it's meant to reflect the times then it should be based around glam rock as that was the big scene at the time Northern was an underground alternative & the reference to p*ssheads & drugs was for the fact that everything written or filmed since skips that part & all was rosey in the garden. I started in 1972 & did Mecca,Wigan,Cleethorpes,Wakefield Unity,St ives & various others & NEVER ever saw a girl do acrobatics,so it's not a true reflection there either, the point about seeing if they have longevity on the scene was from experience of the cameras arriving at Wigan which brought forth all manner of person, mainly as Northern was the new black of the time but they were gone soon after killing it IMHO.

Take care, be safe & remember,"Only time will tell",

Spot.

p.s. Elaine knows my concerns about the film & Mr Dance Motivator, the trailer poster even shows someone taking a record out of the sleeve from the bottom, a small point but a defo NO NO.

pps. If everyones that enamoured with the film & think it's such a fab idea then why not invest in it to show your support?

i thought that slanging matches were an after the event preserve, when everyone who's anyone with an inkling of knowledge of the scene, comes over all judgemental?......right, that would seem to be all of us then?!!....except,....the event hasnt materialised yet.....its a concept thats nearing fruition from what we read,and the question of financing shouldnt broker an issue of "smoke & mirrors",....to all intents & purposes the lady in question, elaine constantine is remaining true to her goal, her credibility is in her life's dedication to the northern soul scene, her ultimate aspiration is for a dramatisation that is as realistic a depiction of what life was like back nearly 4 decades, as is acceptable to the majority. down right bigotry shouldnt be allowed to cloud people's judgement and certainly not in a pre-emptive manner. lets see it commited to celluloid and screened...surely we all must be in agreement with that ethic?. how many people on here are going to stand up and be counted, convinced that they should be chipping in their twopenneth in an advisory capacity?.i believe that elaine knows exactly what she is doing and what she wants, what she can achieve...why shouldn't a film of our heritage be welcomed unanimously, much in the manner that quadrophenia was?, in real life, a lot of what we did, was tongue-in-cheek, the early days...when we look back, exposed us as...at the very least, nieve...how the scene & its music, was shaped and developed was down to us...it has always been a learning curve...even now as most of us frequent middle age, there's still the exhileration to hear or discover something new. the art of cinematography has always been the ultimate expose'...but to some its a stumbling block, sinful & shameful...like our youthful exasperations & inhibitions should have a dark veil drawn over them,....so what if 7 or 8 people appeared on top of the pops dancing to footsee in front of a gaggle of tank top wearing mop heads...they were doing it BECAUSE IT WAS DIFFERENT and it was a statement of HOW different they were.....hasn't that always been what WE were/ are about....the sensible alternative to the boring, mundane world of commercial music?,...who cares if it was footsee?, nobody was outspoken about the choice of music back then,..it just happened to be THE BIGGEST TUNE OF THE TIME!.

this is the new millenium, a vantage point from which to look back on the emergent & most groundbreaking scene the 70's witnessed, with fondness..or are many of you out there, to go to your maker, still bearing a grudge, still in denial of a fitting testament to its enduring popularity?....

RIGHT NOW,...it is up to elaine constantine,...she's stood up and is recieving countenance, bravely and rightly so, she is NOT shirking responsibility...before its too late, she wants a permanent visual edict that will tell it like it was and is as equally relevant to today's youth who are looking for an alternative, thats funny, serious, energetic and factually descriptive as near as damn it. there's nothing to fear from the paperazzi or media as MANY northern soul addicts work within those industries...the tacky, tasteless hypocrisy that was once displayed,that was an attempt to pigeon-hole, has long since been replaced with acceptance....THAT WE AINT GONE AWAY, AND NEVER WILL, AND WE'RE HERE TO STAY, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO OUTLIVE ANY OTHER MUSICAL TREND THAT REARS ITS EMBROINICALLY DEFUNCT HEAD.

and do you know what?....a film about a phenomenon called northern soul has never been a better idea for the socially conscious...a reminder of what real music used to be/IS all about and how it has come to be globally embraced,....a film that says..."WAKE UP AND BE SOMEBODY".

THIS FILM IS COMING....AND "THE BOOK IS GOING TO BE EVERY BIT AS GOOD AS THE COVER"

Explications for what....a brief word is enough : BAD IDEA

Your English is shit hot youth

PMSL - best "last line" i've ever read on SS...nice one !

PMSL - best "last line" i've ever read on SS...nice one !

I agre that was funny.................but his English is a lot better than my French, so I'm saying nowt.

I think this film will at least be the best representation we have had so far, by far - In fact I would bet money on it as it has so many people involved that were / are actually on the scene.

As far as commercial value is concerned, I'm not sure as I don't know the story line. Having people like Steve Cogan in the cast will obviously help but I think the story line will be extremely important if it is to be a success as this needs to connect with people that have never heard of the Northern Soul Scene.

Every time I hear about this film I think of 'Train Spotting' and that did very well didn't it?

Again, good luck Elaine

All the best,

Len.

Your English is shit hot youth

c'mon steve, that's a little churlish. there are lots of non-native speakers on this forum, some of them more articulate than many of us 'natives'. we should be challenging him on his content (or lack of it) rather than the way he expresses himself. british people can hardly cast the first stone either. hardly a polyglot nation, are we?

I do fnd fortune tellers a tad tiresome. How anyone can make such silly assumptions prior to it being made never mind released smacks of drama queen to me . I know i wil enjoy the film based on the clips i have seen and i speak for the number 55 .

16 years old teenagers will maybe appreciate this film...or not .

It will maybe create a buzz in china , IMHO the only way to make a bit of money...or not !

I will watch the film and then comment...........though I would possibly prefer a "warts n all" film......Sex and Drugs and Northern Soul"

Thank you Agent Smith, I read the whole of your passage & I couldn't Agree more especially the following!

RIGHT NOW,...it is up to Elaine Constantine,...she's stood up and is receiving countenance, bravely and rightly so, she is NOT shirking responsibility...before its too late, she wants a permanent visual edict that will tell it like it was and is as equally relevant to today's youth who are looking for an alternative, that's funny, serious, energetic and factually descriptive as near as damn it.

Why do so many want to condemn something prior to viewing?

No matter how good something or someone is, once they put themselves 'out there' they always get criticised.

There is no reason why this film can be criticised before it is actually made. The people that are doing it are immediately presuming that it won't be done correctly and that it is simply a money making thing. Maybe they're not familiar with who's involved in the making so have jumped to these conclusions, if that's the case then in their defence they may well have been correct but it's not the case so all everyone is asking them to do is at least wait and see

I fully understand 'Spots' comments and there's nothing wrong with having concerns, I actually share those concerns as I think it will be extremely hard to captivate this subject correctly. I certainly wouldn't want to do the job but I do feel Elaine is probably the best person to give it a go and that deserves our support.

All the best,

Len.

No matter how good something or someone is, once they put themselves 'out there' they always get criticised.

There is no reason why this film can be criticised before it is actually made. The people that are doing it are immediately presuming that it won't be done correctly and that it is simply a money making thing. Maybe they're not familiar with who's involved in the making so have jumped to these conclusions, if that's the case then in their defence they may well have been correct but it's not the case so all everyone is asking them to do is at least wait and see

I fully understand 'Spots' comments and there's nothing wrong with having concerns, I actually share those concerns as I think it will be extremely hard to captivate this subject correctly. I certainly wouldn't want to do the job but I do feel Elaine is probably the best person to give it a go and that deserves our support.

All the best,

Len.

len, thats an honest and commendable insight, if only this insatiable appetite for negativity could be relinquished by the minority amongst us who, for heaven's sake, aren't getting any younger and accept good and real intentions to provide a platform for the wider world to get a grip of what this musically diverse scene has been been all about for over four decades, thats its all about real everyday people who share a common bond and love for a music that is inspirational, rational and lyrically intuitive, like none other. achieving a cinematic product that conforms to everything within & associated with the scene and the lives of the people within it, in my view, is akin to attaining a michelin star...its so bloody hard to get over that hurdle. we've had the legendary venues, the revered artists, the characters, the books, cds, vinyl, clothes, the dancing....even the drugs and latterly, when the realisation has been almost too late, recognition for the former in the shape and form of commemorative plaques...but the closest thing to real time has always seemed to be a holy grail....but in reality, why should it be?, anyone with a bit of savvy can conspire to make a statement if it rings as true as possible to what their lives have been about, the voyage of odessy they have chosen to take and what they have commited to memory over the years...and if they can pull together the right people to portray it sensibly, sympathetically and get outsiders to nod in agreement and appreciation as well, then they will have a finished item that it will be hard to argue about. we ALL hope that is what we will get, we HAVE to believe its for the best and its MADE with the best of intentions....elaine would stake her heart & soul in her belief....to all i say, dont meet your maker harbouring the regret that we didnt have ANYTHING AT ALL as an epitaph for future generations to enjoy and wonder at.

No matter how good something or someone is, once they put themselves 'out there' they always get criticised.

There is no reason why this film can be criticised before it is actually made. The people that are doing it are immediately presuming that it won't be done correctly and that it is simply a money making thing. Maybe they're not familiar with who's involved in the making so have jumped to these conclusions, if that's the case then in their defence they may well have been correct but it's not the case so all everyone is asking them to do is at least wait and see

I fully understand 'Spots' comments and there's nothing wrong with having concerns, I actually share those concerns as I think it will be extremely hard to captivate this subject correctly. I certainly wouldn't want to do the job but I do feel Elaine is probably the best person to give it a go and that deserves our support.

All the best,

Len.

So true Len.

And....some of these pre-production "critics" don't seem to realise how broad the scene was in the mid 70s. "Won't be done correctly" tosh and all that. The people making it were actually around at the time......and the scene was much more than just Wigan on a Sat night, although that was of course important. NS was going on all over the place at it's height, lots of oddballs, hangers on, footsie fly-by-nights in every town, fights etc. People forget soulies weren't just atacked on their way to the Casino - anyone else get roughed up by 'hairies' on their way to 'The Fleet' for example?.

The way some people talk you would think there were only 2,000 perfectly formed "rare soul" youths that congregated in Wigan every Saturday night and conformed to a single fixed way of life.

This film has all the right credentials, the right people working on it to make it authentic, and I do not think for one minute anyone other than a complete mug will see a film like this purely as "a documentary". So stay optimistic.

I did suggest to Marco (Elaine's Husband) to make it as a carry on film - 'Carry on Northern' ....I don't think he passed my advice on though

Or maybe they could do 'Northern Soul' - The action movie starring Steven Seagal and Chuck Norris (With his lethal Round House Kick!).....

....Ok Elaine, I know - You'll call me!

Len.

I would have liked a film done in the same vein as "The Commitments" which was a triumph of cinematography. If only Elaine could get Dick Clements and Ian Le Frenais to write the dialogue, which was what made this film into a classic.

Having said that, I am confident that Elaine will make a very enjoyable movie, and I wish her good luck in obtaining the financial backing needed to get it "in the can"

So true Len.

And....some of these pre-production "critics" don't seem to realise how broad the scene was in the mid 70s. "Won't be done correctly" tosh and all that. The people making it were actually around at the time......and the scene was much more than just Wigan on a Sat night, although that was of course important. NS was going on all over the place at it's height, lots of oddballs, hangers on, footsie fly-by-nights in every town, fights etc. People forget soulies weren't just atacked on their way to the Casino - anyone else get roughed up by 'hairies' on their way to 'The Fleet' for example?.

The way some people talk you would think there were only 2,000 perfectly formed "rare soul" youths that congregated in Wigan every Saturday night and conformed to a single fixed way of life.

This film has all the right credentials, the right people working on it to make it authentic, and I do not think for one minute anyone other than a complete mug will see a film like this purely as "a documentary". So stay optimistic.

Good post, there's a line between having a general feel for authenticity and adhereing to someone's personal reccognition.

I did suggest to Marco (Elaine's Husband) to make it as a carry on film - 'Carry on Northern' ....I don't think he passed my advice on though

Or maybe they could do 'Northern Soul' - The action movie starring Steven Seagal and Chuck Norris (With his lethal Round House Kick!).....

....Ok Elaine, I know - You'll call me!

Len.

Maybe with a cameo from the 40 year old Lenny Dopson, as a kid getting asked for his ID at the door

Maybe with a cameo from the 40 year old Lenny Dopson, as a kid getting asked for his ID at the door

I'm '41 and a half' I'll have you know!

Len.

Maybe with a cameo from the 40 year old Lenny Dopson, as a kid getting asked for his ID at the door

I asked Elaine about cameos for the older folk (not on my behalf I'll hasten to add) she said there was no room at the inn, so Grampa Dopson will have to wait for his film debut .............. :D

I would like to hope it may contain a great story.be great if it can work in a retrospective sort of way? That way todays scene is seen as being progressive and very different to how it was back then. Handled in a correct way this could be a cannes work of art contender. I love it when a low budget film blows the big boys away. I have to stop train dreaming now as i am approaching piccadilly station and brain cells are still weekender shocked . Lets see some script ideas ? Be positive is my motto . It isnt always about money some of the best works of

art that have been produced for our entertainment have evolved out of low budget productions

Well Jocko you might not think it's a doc on Northern Soul but everyone will take it as such, my comments were an observation & an opinion,if it's meant to reflect the times then it should be based around glam rock as that was the big scene at the time Northern was an underground alternative & the reference to p*ssheads & drugs was for the fact that everything written or filmed since skips that part & all was rosey in the garden. I started in 1972 & did Mecca,Wigan,Cleethorpes,Wakefield Unity,St ives & various others & NEVER ever saw a girl do acrobatics,so it's not a true reflection there either, the point about seeing if they have longevity on the scene was from experience of the cameras arriving at Wigan which brought forth all manner of person, mainly as Northern was the new black of the time but they were gone soon after killing it IMHO.

Take care, be safe & remember,"Only time will tell",

Spot.

p.s. Elaine knows my concerns about the film & Mr Dance Motivator, the trailer poster even shows someone taking a record out of the sleeve from the bottom, a small point but a defo NO NO.

pps. If everyones that enamoured with the film & think it's such a fab idea then why not invest in it to show your support?

find it hard to believe you never saw a girl acrobatics..i was there like you from 72-- onwards..Sue nfrom Notts did splits, backdrops and handstand/flips..once from off the stage...

I asked Elaine about cameos for the older folk (not on my behalf I'll hasten to add) she said there was no room at the inn, so Grampa Dopson will have to wait for his film debut .............. :D

'Pssst' Win, I (along with a hand full of other 'nighter goers') was actually in the 'Teaser' - Only as 'Bubble Wrap' mind and I'm pretty sure you won't even be able to spot us in the background but I'm gonna bore my kids with it forever!

It was really interesting seeing how it was all done and honestly when I first walked in and saw all the actors dressed up it really was like stepping back in time (Packets of fags on the tables etc.) That actually shocked me, so that's a truly positive thing at least

Len.

£í¢"š¬í¢"š¬

Okay you are still losing me,

Well Jocko you might not think it's a doc on Northern Soul but everyone will take it as such,

I don't think anything, I know it is not a "doc", as do you, and if you are saying that people won't be able to tell the difference between a dramatised representation, i.e. a film, and documented observations, i.e a documentary, you don't really rate highly the intelligence of the average film goer or indeed Northern Punter, maybe a bit more understandable on the second one given the bashing we have given our brains over the years, but still very harsh and sounds just a little bit daft. I appreciate there are people who think Gail Platt really does live next door to them, but generally they are in secure buildings.

I assume you are meaning on its authenticity rather than its form and yes I agree that is the difficult bit, and one that concerns most. And the one that will be most harshly judged but they seem to be doing their damndest on all fronts to go for this, the clothes and the dance classes, and ironically they get criticised for that. We are a strange bunch this Northern Soul world aren't we. I think expecting it to be 101% accurate is just daft, very few films are, but the best ones are always close, I agree.

my comments were an observation & an opinion,if it's meant to reflect the times then it should be based around glam rock as that was the big scene at the time Northern was an underground alternative

Surely a film represents the film makers representation of that time, and for me that normally helps turn a good film into a great one. Based on your theory Shane Meadows should have made films on New Romantics, but thankfully he had more taste than that. Why the f**k should a film maker not make a film that represents their view of that time, and what they know, and what they love, which maybe just maybe was the underground. It is feasible that talented people are in our midst and therefore are better equipped than us to do the telling, as much as that hurts our ego. Doesn't the undergorund need even more of a voice in the world than the mainstream which has already been done to death. If not you need to rewrite Mark Cousin's book on film making as I suspect he got it wrong based on your rules.

.

I started in 1972 & did Mecca,Wigan,Cleethorpes,Wakefield Unity,St ives & various others & NEVER ever saw a girl do acrobatics,so it's not a true reflection there either, the point about seeing if they have longevity on the scene was from experience of the cameras arriving at Wigan which brought forth all manner of person, mainly as Northern was the new black of the time but they were gone soon after killing it IMHO.

Since I was still dreaming of turning into David Bowie and Marc Bolan at the time, being too young for nocturnal habits, when you were having your heyday on the Scene, I can't really comment. As far as I know Elaine and the others on the film have taken advise from a whole lot of people around then so probably worth you dropping a note of this. As I say I was also surprised but it has actually been mentioned a couple of times on here. I do think that point would be better made direct to them as it may help them sharpen up their film, if relevant.

As for your longevity comment, again you lose me. Why is this relevant? Personally I don't give a flying F**k if it is good for the scene or not, it is a film, they are training people, hard, to perform in a film to make it as authentic as possible, just like many good film makers before them. The fact that many of them are genuinely interested is surely irrelevant for the film, To be honest it appears to me large chunks of the scene today are far too commercial to worry about a short influx of "tourists", indeed I suspect 95% of current scene relies on Tourists, so suspect your point is largely irrelevant, and just sounds like you looking for another opportunity to have a kick at this project.

That is my opinion I should say re the impact on current scene, and to be fair to Elaine etc they have invested lots of time and energy, and I assume money, in giving their dancers real perspective of the scene to the extent they seem genuinely interested, but given the current numbers on the multitude of scenes, do you really think it will make a massve difference to the quantity or the quality of the multitude of soul nights on every week?

If "they" killed it way back then, how come you are still out and about every weekend? I will buy mortally wounded it for the old school like you, and I get that. But it obviously recovered soon, like many people I was around we went out regularly for over 17 years from 1979 and it was hardly dead for the people around then, may have not been the same scene you recognised but it was a scene, and a far more united one. I always think lots of people, and I don't know you so am not including you in this, use this as an excuse for their 20 odd year break when in reality the commercial period seemed to be a few years and then we all know what happened after that don't we. But now we digress away from the topic..

.

p.s. Elaine knows my concerns about the film & Mr Dance Motivator, the trailer poster even shows someone taking a record out of the sleeve from the bottom, a small point but a defo NO NO.

pps. If everyones that enamoured with the film & think it's such a fab idea then why not invest in it to show your support?

I am glad to hear you are communicating with them, I obviously know Elaine well personally and am completely confident she will take all advice on board that helps, but this is a film, lets get back to that subject and it is Elaines representation of that world, I am fairly sure Marlon Brando's accent in Godfather 1 was not that great but most people seem to get over that and judge it on its merits as a Film.

And I like your closing logic, you can bash the film for free as much as you like, but to defend it and appreciate the effort going in you have to pay? A little childish is it not.

name='macca' timestamp='1337468906' post='1749524']

c'mon steve, that's a little churlish. there are lots of non-native speakers on this forum, some of them more articulate than many of us 'natives'. we should be challenging him on his content (or lack of it) rather than the way he expresses himself. british people can hardly cast the first stone either. hardly a polyglot nation, are we?

How do we know what his native language until he does an intro, sure lots of people think you are Spanish by the way you write your English, bashing the Brits abroad and defending the proper Morcilla. :D

A serious point is he seems to be reluctant to both present an intro and debate further, which has very similar traits to last antagonist who dissapeared on similar pressing!

£í¢"š¬í¢"š¬

I would have liked a film done in the same vein as "The Commitments" which was a triumph of cinematography. If only Elaine could get Dick Clements and Ian Le Frenais to write the dialogue, which was what made this film into a classic.

Having said that, I am confident that Elaine will make a very enjoyable movie, and I wish her good luck in obtaining the financial backing needed to get it "in the can"

Emm Elaine has written it, so to be fair unlikely she wants to surrender the dialogue, and it would sort of then make it not her film!

An interesting comparison however, I didn't like that film at first, being younger and more of a soul snob (no comments) and less interested in films, but have watched it many times since and it is a really credible British film, with as you say some great dialogue.

Good post, there's a line between having a general feel for authenticity and adhereing to someone's personal reccognition.

Probably the line of the thread, and what I was trying to say above with, as usual for me, far too many words.

I asked Elaine about cameos for the older folk (not on my behalf I'll hasten to add) she said there was no room at the inn, so Grampa Dopson will have to wait for his film debut ..............

That was her polite way of saying, beat it ugly, you have a face for radio not film! (To Len, not to you obviously as have not had the pleasure as yet Win!)

Steve Coogan's involved now...

Just read Page 1 of this thread - I see I'm a little late...

As someone else remarked - if it attracts financing it might be useful and I've plenty of time for Mr Coogan as Alan Partridge or Tony Wilson but I'm not sure that he has "serious acting" chops. I've no intention of watching "Northern Soul...On The Buses"...

Steve Coogan's involved now...

He was great in '24 Hour Party People' - Great choice I recon

Len.

Just read Page 1 of this thread - I see I'm a little late...

As someone else remarked - if it attracts financing it might be useful and I've plenty of time for Mr Coogan as Alan Partridge or Tony Wilson but I'm not sure that he has "serious acting" chops. I've no intention of watching "Northern Soul...On The Buses"...

Humour and serious or credible movies dont have to be mutually exclusive.

£í¢"š¬í¢"š¬

Okay you are still losing me,

I don't think anything, I know it is not a "doc", as do you, and if you are saying that people won't be able to tell the difference between a dramatised representation, i.e. a film, and documented observations, i.e a documentary, you don't really rate highly the intelligence of the average film goer or indeed Northern Punter, maybe a bit more understandable on the second one given the bashing we have given our brains over the years, but still very harsh and sounds just a little bit daft. I appreciate there are people who think Gail Platt really does live next door to them, but generally they are in secure buildings.

I assume you are meaning on its authenticity rather than its form and yes I agree that is the difficult bit, and one that concerns most. And the one that will be most harshly judged but they seem to be doing their damndest on all fronts to go for this, the clothes and the dance classes, and ironically they get criticised for that. We are a strange bunch this Northern Soul world aren't we. I think expecting it to be 101% accurate is just daft, very few films are, but the best ones are always close, I agree.

Surely a film represents the film makers representation of that time, and for me that normally helps turn a good film into a great one. Based on your theory Shane Meadows should have made films on New Romantics, but thankfully he had more taste than that. Why the f**k should a film maker not make a film that represents their view of that time, and what they know, and what they love, which maybe just maybe was the underground. It is feasible that talented people are in our midst and therefore are better equipped than us to do the telling, as much as that hurts our ego. Doesn't the undergorund need even more of a voice in the world than the mainstream which has already been done to death. If not you need to rewrite Mark Cousin's book on film making as I suspect he got it wrong based on your rules.

Since I was still dreaming of turning into David Bowie and Marc Bolan at the time, being too young for nocturnal habits, when you were having your heyday on the Scene, I can't really comment. As far as I know Elaine and the others on the film have taken advise from a whole lot of people around then so probably worth you dropping a note of this. As I say I was also surprised but it has actually been mentioned a couple of times on here. I do think that point would be better made direct to them as it may help them sharpen up their film, if relevant.

As for your longevity comment, again you lose me. Why is this relevant? Personally I don't give a flying F**k if it is good for the scene or not, it is a film, they are training people, hard, to perform in a film to make it as authentic as possible, just like many good film makers before them. The fact that many of them are genuinely interested is surely irrelevant for the film, To be honest it appears to me large chunks of the scene today are far too commercial to worry about a short influx of "tourists", indeed I suspect 95% of current scene relies on Tourists, so suspect your point is largely irrelevant, and just sounds like you looking for another opportunity to have a kick at this project.

That is my opinion I should say re the impact on current scene, and to be fair to Elaine etc they have invested lots of time and energy, and I assume money, in giving their dancers real perspective of the scene to the extent they seem genuinely interested, but given the current numbers on the multitude of scenes, do you really think it will make a massve difference to the quantity or the quality of the multitude of soul nights on every week?

If "they" killed it way back then, how come you are still out and about every weekend? I will buy mortally wounded it for the old school like you, and I get that. But it obviously recovered soon, like many people I was around we went out regularly for over 17 years from 1979 and it was hardly dead for the people around then, may have not been the same scene you recognised but it was a scene, and a far more united one. I always think lots of people, and I don't know you so am not including you in this, use this as an excuse for their 20 odd year break when in reality the commercial period seemed to be a few years and then we all know what happened after that don't we. But now we digress away from the topic..

I am glad to hear you are communicating with them, I obviously know Elaine well personally and am completely confident she will take all advice on board that helps, but this is a film, lets get back to that subject and it is Elaines representation of that world, I am fairly sure Marlon Brando's accent in Godfather 1 was not that great but most people seem to get over that and judge it on its merits as a Film.

And I like your closing logic, you can bash the film for free as much as you like, but to defend it and appreciate the effort going in you have to pay? A little childish is it not.

are you real..Marlon Brando's accent..probably the greatest actor of all time..in one of the greatest films of all time...some people...FFS...

How do we know what his native language until he does an intro, sure lots of people think you are Spanish by the way you write your English, bashing the Brits abroad and defending the proper Morcilla. :D

A serious point is he seems to be reluctant to both present an intro and debate further, which has very similar traits to last antagonist who dissapeared on similar pressing!

£í¢"š¬í¢"š¬

I'd defend the proper morcilla with my life, you scoundrel!

Point taken on my written English though. It's fast deteriorating. Or should that be it's deteriorating fast? Dios m­o.

Just read Page 1 of this thread - I see I'm a little late...

As someone else remarked - if it attracts financing it might be useful and I've plenty of time for Mr Coogan as Alan Partridge or Tony Wilson

I reckon Steve Coogan should act his "Paul Carf" role. He can wander into the Nighter f*ing and blinding, lager can in hand, start falling over, and turn it into back-flips and spin out.....

are you real..Marlon Brando's accent..probably the greatest actor of all time..in one of the greatest films of all time...some people...FFS...

Where did I say he wasn't or it isn't??

I was pointing out over years his accent in that film got some criticism as he was representing a first generation Italian American, but no-one thought it that important or indeed that stopped it being the fantastic performance it was! I was trying to add the power of perspective, not something people on our scene are famed for.

Just read Page 1 of this thread - I see I'm a little late...

As someone else remarked - if it attracts financing it might be useful and I've plenty of time for Mr Coogan as Alan Partridge or Tony Wilson but I'm not sure that he has "serious acting" chops. I've no intention of watching "Northern Soul...On The Buses"...

I think his acting chops stretch a bit further than that to be fair, he has done a fair bit of tv and film acting, surprisingly more than I ever thought. And as one half of the Baby Cow production team I would have thought his experience in film world generally was pretty good.

I reckon Steve Coogan should act his "Paul Carf" role. He can wander into the Nighter f*ing and blinding, lager can in hand, start falling over, and turn it into back-flips and spin out.....

Based on my recent outings there are a lot more Pauline Calfs than Paul on the scene ............

Just read Page 1 of this thread - I see I'm a little late...

As someone else remarked - if it attracts financing it might be useful and I've plenty of time for Mr Coogan as Alan Partridge or Tony Wilson but I'm not sure that he has "serious acting" chops. I've no intention of watching "Northern Soul...On The Buses"...

He's appeared in a couple of big budget Hollywood movies including Around The World in 80's Days. Very experienced 'serious' actor.

I'd defend the proper morcilla with my life, you scoundrel!

Point taken on my written English though. It's fast deteriorating. Or should that be it's deteriorating fast? Dios m­o.

I wasn't meaning the style of your English, which I suspect is of academically good standard and far better than the majority of us, more the fact you are always bashing your ex pat ex countryman like a native!

And if your Morcilla is anything like the stuff I had in place called Cazorla 2 years ago, that looked like congealed boiling dirty blood, I will take all you have. It was one of the most wondrous dishes I have ever tasted

Great coverage of the dance class for "Northern Soul" the film, embrace the younglings, they all looked superb! :-) https://www.facebook....v=3330735641637

Hope this works .......the story so far

Shaz

x

I actually have some confidence that the film will be really good, much better than previous offerings, I'm looking forward to it. The problem is that the habitually uninformed mainstream media will treat it as a joke, ridiculing it as that short piece did.

The last comment on it was "just time to dig out your flares then ....."

Up to that point everything was positive and you could see the enthusiasm that Elaine has for the project, the desire to be as authentic as possible, then with one line some dull apprentice journalist's poor attempt at humour turns it into a joke.

I wasn't meaning the style of your English, which I suspect is of academically good standard and far better than the majority of us, more the fact you are always bashing your ex pat ex countryman like a native!

And if your Morcilla is anything like the stuff I had in place called Cazorla 2 years ago, that looked like congealed boiling dirty blood, I will take all you have. It was one of the most wondrous dishes I have ever tasted

You should try the Burgos and Soria area in Castille. Amazing black pud there. Re bashing fellow ex pats. I only bash the ones that set themselves up as willing targets. Having said that, I am mellowing out. The resolutely monolingual mob no longer get my goat as much as they used to. I feel for them. Ghetto life can't be any fun.

The bottom line for me, wait until you've seen the film before you critique it, if you don't like it once you've viddied it, then make your point, same should apply if you do like it, nothing wrong with a bit of praise.

I've seen Quadrophenia held up as an example of a good recreation on this thread a couple of times. As someone who got into this whole thing via watchinig that film many times, I think it's fair to say that although it's a good representation of an era, it is set in a particular year but doesn't accurately reflect that one specific time.The film is full of anarchronisms, from music to clothes to detail on the sets.

At first, yes I accepted it as being an accurate representaion of 1965, but as i learned more and more I understood that the picture was broader than that and really encompassed a period of a few years all in the same shot. Bear in mind that the mod scene of the 60s moved faster in fashion that the soul scene in new records, it was unsurprising to see clothes that would have been out of fashion appear in the film... Not everyone could afford to keep up and so wore the best of their old stuff, similarly the soul scene has always had an element of looking back at the best of the recent discoveries along with the next big tunes rather than trying to pack every night with first plays.

The fears widely expressed on this thread that it won't accurately portray Feb 17th, 1973 (or whatever) mirror those that perhaps mods of the 60s would have muttered aout Quadrophenia, and to an extent quite rightly too. But none of that mattered, it got a whole generation of 14 year olds into mods, scooters and soul music, some of whom are regular posters on here.

As long as the film itself isn't laughable, the detail doesn;t really matter that much.

We could all have a hair pulling debate now on the significance of dates in NS folklore and their relevance to the script. February 17th sounds suspiciously like the last all-nighter to be held at the Torch. What does this 'mean'?

I've seen Quadrophenia held up as an example of a good recreation on this thread a couple of times. As someone who got into this whole thing via watchinig that film many times, I think it's fair to say that although it's a good representation of an era, it is set in a particular year but doesn't accurately reflect that one specific time.The film is full of anarchronisms, from music to clothes to detail on the sets.

At first, yes I accepted it as being an accurate representaion of 1965, but as i learned more and more I understood that the picture was broader than that and really encompassed a period of a few years all in the same shot. Bear in mind that the mod scene of the 60s moved faster in fashion that the soul scene in new records, it was unsurprising to see clothes that would have been out of fashion appear in the film... Not everyone could afford to keep up and so wore the best of their old stuff, similarly the soul scene has always had an element of looking back at the best of the recent discoveries along with the next big tunes rather than trying to pack every night with first plays.

The fears widely expressed on this thread that it won't accurately portray Feb 17th, 1973 (or whatever) mirror those that perhaps mods of the 60s would have muttered aout Quadrophenia, and to an extent quite rightly too. But none of that mattered, it got a whole generation of 14 year olds into mods, scooters and soul music, some of whom are regular posters on here.

As long as the film itself isn't laughable, the detail doesn;t really matter that much.

its all about the detail..

but whos detail is actually right!...people on here have said women didnt do acrobatic dancing back in the wigan days..others said they did......people have said women didnt wear the big skirts back at wigan...others including a vid ive seen with keb on saying they did.....

no one was at every soul night or even probably every wigan and most of our memories (i wasnt there but mine from the 80s) are a little blurred....

im suprised to hear so much negativity considering its a soul fan WHO WAS THERE making it unlike soul boy.....i dont think shes cashing in in fact shes taking a big risk...and maybe shes starting to wonder why bother if the hardcore soul fans on here are ready to knock the smallest of mistakes...

i liked the trailor and the young dancers have really come on since the first sessions i look forward to watching it

dean

£í¢"š¬í¢"š¬

and the dance classes, and ironically they get criticised for that.

I tell you what Jocko, that p*sses me off as well - Yes of course going back to the 'underground' thing, it's not 'cool' to go for lessons as dance is an expression and in our scene it really doesn't matter what you look like as long as you are feeling and enjoying the music.

But - I don't mind admitting that I went to dance lessons for the 'Moloko Familiar Feeling' Video as Elaine specifically asked me to do so, simply to learn how to dance the way they did back in the 70's (Stomping) Obviously it felt a bit odd, there I was standing in line at a dance studio in London with Keb Darge at the front giving us all instructions (Like a Sargent Major!) - It was very surreal I assure you! But this wasn't to learn to dance so I could go out and do it, it was to dance the way Elaine wanted us to for the video - I would call that attention to detail.

When it came to filming we were dancing our *rses off for a solid 12 hours (c/w make up on!) So just for a 3 minute video we had two days training and a really long days filming so Chr*st only knows how much time and effort will have to go into this film.

As I said, it was a very surreal experience - On the first day at the dance studio I sat round with all these young 'actor / model' type people and we had a 'getting to know you' chat before we started. We all had to say what we did so it went round the room - "What do you do?" - "Model" (next one) "Model" (next one) "Model" (Next one) "Model" (Next one) "Welder!" - Doh!

I thanked Elaine after for giving me an insight into what was involved in her work and I can tell you, the film industry is absolutely exhausting and a few shouts of support from our camp wouldn't go amiss

Len.

P.s - I did offer to return the honour and invited Elaine to my workshop to experience some welding but she declined!

P.p.s - Mike Gibbs is the best shuffler you will ever see albeit a very rare sight!

Very insightful and honest post Len.

The bottom line for me, wait until you've seen the film before you critique it, if you don't like it once you've viddied it, then make your point, same should apply if you do like it, nothing wrong with a bit of praise.

Agreed Win

I dont think theres anything more to say .............unless you havent got anything better to do on a Tuesday night

I tell you what Jocko, that p*sses me off as well - Yes of course going back to the 'underground' thing, it's not 'cool' to go for lessons as dance is an expression and in our scene it really doesn't matter what you look like as long as you are feeling and enjoying the music.

But - I don't mind admitting that I went to dance lessons for the 'Moloko Familiar Feeling' Video as Elaine specifically asked me to do so, simply to learn how to dance the way they did back in the 70's (Stomping) Obviously it felt a bit odd, there I was standing in line at a dance studio in London with Keb Darge at the front giving us all instructions (Like a Sargent Major!) - It was very surreal I assure you! But this wasn't to learn to dance so I could go out and do it, it was to dance the way Elaine wanted us to for the video - I would call that attention to detail.

When it came to filming we were dancing our *rses off for a solid 12 hours (c/w make up on!) So just for a 3 minute video we had two days training and a really long days filming so Chr*st only knows how much time and effort will have to go into this film.

As I said, it was a very surreal experience - On the first day at the dance studio I sat round with all these young 'actor / model' type people and we had a 'getting to know you' chat before we started. We all had to say what we did so it went round the room - "What do you do?" - "Model" (next one) "Model" (next one) "Model" (Next one) "Model" (Next one) "Welder!" - Doh!

I thanked Elaine after for giving me an insight into what was involved in her work and I can tell you, the film industry is absolutely exhausting and a few shouts of support from our camp wouldn't go amiss

Len.

P.s - I did offer to return the honour and invited Elaine to my workshop to experience some welding but she declined!

P.p.s - Mike Gibbs is the best shuffler you will ever see albeit a very rare sight!

hats off to you again len, a well documented post,...conjugated to tax the brain slightly less, unlike yours truely who insists on eulogizing in a 605-page-hardback-novel-stylee !!....one can quite easily see the effort that has been infused over a short period of time, and as you expressed, attention to detail is elaine's persona. I REALLY DONT SEE THE MEDIA ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A MOCKERY OF US A SECOND TIME, BECAUSE THEY HAVE LEARNED THAT WE ARE A BREED OF HUMAN WHO DID NOT "CREATE" THIS MUSIC,...unlike every other genre that has come and gone since....WE TOOK A FORM OF MUSIC THAT WAS ALREADY THERE FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS, AND ELEVATED IT TO A LEVEL WHERE IT WAS IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND WE WERE ABLE TO SAY..HERE'S A STYLE OF MUSIC THAT WE THINK IS GREAT,..that has attitude, that is never -say -die, that you can dress, act & dance sensible to and we believe, will be around as long as god's dog...and as time has drifted on the intelligencia frequenting the newsrooms, have little by little, gained appreciation of our mantra...to such an extent that the vast catalogue we have all helped to compile has gained favour with advertising and the likes. posts on here amongst our own breatheren pay testament to that fact...because shrewd intellectuals who, previously had kept their closet under wraps, have gained leeway and expressed their idealogical nous using northern soul music to promote their products in a more orthodox and acceptable manner. i cant honestly say that i have noticed anything inept in press articles in any of the broadsheets or tabloids for at least.....an epoch!...and thats a long long time.