Johnny One Trout's Blog from 2005

Middlewich - The 3 Greyhounds - Inaugural Crossover night - Saturday 7th May

We had been looking forward to this one for some time now. There has been a real buzz slowly smouldering and for the last couple of weeks, people have been coming up to us saying they are looking forward to it; Kev the promoter was telling me a couple of weeks ago that he would be happy with 40 through the door but with the feedback we were getting I knew that he easily double that if they all turned out. On the night as it so often happens quite a few who intended to go didn't for whatever reason, but at the peak there was a good 80 people through the door, which is great when you consider that this first time event took place in an annex, an almost Barn Like function room at a country pub a couple of miles outside Holmes Chapel (making it a return to my old Manor for me, being from Congleton less then 12 miles away)

The day started ominously; it looked like the Nightingale shitty stick had struck again after getting my haircut I had noticed water dripping from underneath the car!! Nightmare!! I barely made it the couple of miles back to our house without frying the engine. I, as you can imagine was not a happy bunny when a closer inspection revealed a tiny continuous leak from the water pump a quick sprint to Mike's Auto-parts shelled out just Two of your Eeenglish pounds and with a sprinkling of Mikes Magic Bug Powder Dust and the leak was gone, at last some good luck. All this barely left enough time to sort out the playbox, snack on a nutty pasta thing, bathe and preen and collect our traveling companions for the evening - Budgie and Carol Pountain. Truth be told we were running about half an hour late but if you know us then you will know that is really good time for us

So at 5:30 we hit the road first stop Mummy Nightingale's Buglawton Bungalow, all this with no problems with me water thankfully. We duly dropped Budge and Carol off at the local pub for a snackette, whilst we adjourned to the Mother Ship. When we got there mother had a house full as my sister and her three kids (and no Ali, 15 yr old Ella is not taller than me) and a Husband who looked like an extra from Frankenstein's Surgery for beginners after an altercation with the sharp end of a table after copious amounts of Stella ouch that had to hurt. A cup of tea and a slice of cake later we were back on the road, Middlewich bound.

After a brief discussion on the merits of women's map reading we set of down the A54 following the given directions, I distinctly remember telling Budgie that Ali was right about the unlisted left turn that could have saved us an eight mile U-Turn. We got there just before 9, parked up in the function rooms own car park unloaded the play boxes and ascended the stairs to the main event.

As we entered the room was already buzzing with a good 50 people in and dancers on the floor, which was quite busy for early doors, as the venue is compact and bijou but a great little place to be honest. Straight away we were greeted with familiar faces Dave and Christine Lucas (The Landlord and Landlady of the Folded Arms) Gary, Kev and Susie Etheridge, Alan & Judi Pollard, Angela Lambert, Flanny and Debbie, Steve Connor, Arthur & Maria (sporting a very fetching Betty Blue haircut) John and Dian May, Reg, Richard and loads of other who are hidden in the recess's of my Alzheimer ridden brain. Kev also re-introduced me to the sister of my best mate all through school Mick Kiely, the really weird thing was that even though I'd not seen Annette since I was a spotty 15 year old and she was heading off to Wigan or wherever. We actually found that we had been going to the same venues at the same time all those years ago although she had moved down south, what was even weirder was that she knew and used to frequent venue's with Ali and Budgie's crowd from back then, Small World of Northern Soul eh?

After the first half hour spent meeting and greeting we settled in to enjoy Steve Briscoe & Gary Powell's sets playing really across the boards everything for Christine Cooper "Heartaches" to Sex "It's You" our turn was drawing closer so after the events of last week we were prepared: Ali donned her Kevlar vest, crash helmet and riot shield and I was tasked manning the tennis racket to return incoming tomatoes

With a handful of request's before we even started we headed up to the decks, Gary had finished his set with a couple of Northern numbers Christine Cooper and a Lenis Guess tribute to Martin Luther so we ignored that and started straight in with Odyssey "Battened ships" although I was vigilant throughout the spot we didn't get egged once so we must have done something right and some people even said they really liked it which is always great. Kev had given us and Arthur an hour and a quarter each which really made a valid difference and enabled us to play around a little and fill in most of the requests we were asked for (promoters take note, save yourself money on the DJ roster and give the spinners that little extra edge).

Arthur Fenn followed, he was the main event this night and as always he was absolutely superb from the outset, I really can't express just how good he was, little wonder that he has been one of the very best DJ's in the country for so long. Highlights from his set for me were his new Lovely Ladies (Stang), The Camaros "Lover come back" (Dar-Char), The Stunners (Renfro), Papa Bear and the Cubs (SMS), Earthchild (Marjon) and a feast of other gems to numerous to mention.

All in all a superb inaugural night and one we shall be returning to as paying punters in the near future, the next one is on September 3rd with Soul Sam and Flanny - miss it at your peril

Because I know some of you like this sort of thing here's what we played on the night, thankfully all well recieved and very enjoyable it was too

John & Ali 10:30 - 11:45

Odyssey - Battened Ships - Mowest Lp

John Valenti - Why Don't We Fall In Love - Ariola Lp

Jimmy Beaumont And The Skyliners - Our Day Is Here - Drive

Harvey Averne Dozen - Central Park - Uptight

Lafamilia Inc - Do You Love Me? Bsr

Universal Minds - Reach Out For Me - Red Coach (This Sounded Great To Me )

Towana And The Total Detruction - Wear Your Natural Baby - Romark

Pioneers - My Good Friend James - Ice

Frankie Zhivago Young - Somebody Stole My Love - Ultra

Sy Hightower - I Know Your Leaving Me - Karmen

Sandra Wright - I'll Keep Coming Back - Demon Lp

Essex Iv - My Heart Just Can't Take It - Windmill

Tsu Toronados - Please Heart Don't Break - Rampart St

Moses Smith - Come On And Let Me Love You - Cotillion

Maxine Brown - Let Me Give You My Loving - Wand

The Three Prophets - I Think I Really Love You - Together

Nightchill - Hop, Skip And A Jump - Tra-Sand

Norma Jean - I've Taken Over - Hep'Me

Dee Dee Warwick - Where Is That Rainbow - Mercury

Bobby Wilburn - I'm A Dreamer - Gamble

Summits - Can't Get Over Losing You - Dontee

Spartans - I Don't Need Another Lover - Era

Gene Chandler - Without You Here - Curtom

Ron Henderson & Choice Of Colour - Gemini Lady - Choice Cut

Jackson Sisters - I Believe In Miracles - Prophesy

Wee - Try Me - Owl

Trout Out