How Do You See The Future ?

[Guest joecool]

Again if this has been done to death I apologize, but how do you see the future of our scene , my view is that the resurgence of the scene is part due to us older folk who were there first time around being like someone let loose again after the kids had grown up ,and partly due to new slower records being discovered and played ,BUT are any new younger people being introduced to our music to carry on long after we have gone ? .To be honest if i was to take any young kids to a northern night now i think they would be bored to death as they have missed all the top stomping sounds that we all grew up with and kept our feet dancing for years , I mean how can we get a new generation to evolve just like we did or is it to late already ?.

[TOAD]

too late

theres not enough youngsters who will carry it on

its gonna be all over in 15 years

[Guest Trevski]

How do I see the future? Flying cars, no wars, personal robots, flying monkeys in little waistcoats and red fez (Hang on thats a different film) Then the machines go bad. Seriously, this topic has been done to death, and the answer, like the future, is "No one knows"

[Guest spudmurphy]

crystal ball

[Wiggyflat]

CD's are the future........no more crate digging.There is a Charles Darwin type tree.......original vinyl hounds for the hardcore, a bit further down are the bootleg playing vinyl deejays then theres the HMV merchants.CD's (apparantly its called the suburban soul scene) home counties/villages where CD doos are common place and the punters are not fickle or discerning.

[Guest Trevski]

Orange,mate...Bet that one has been hammered!

Ohh you are squeezing the last drops out of that one! (thats called a pithy comment )

Edited May 29, 2010 by Trevski

[Mike Lofthouse]

Again if this has been done to death I apologize, but how do you see the future of our scene , my view is that the resurgence of the scene is part due to us older folk who were there first time around being like someone let loose again after the kids had grown up ,and partly due to new slower records being discovered and played ,BUT are any new younger people being introduced to our music to carry on long after we have gone ? .To be honest if i was to take any young kids to a northern night now i think they would be bored to death as they have missed all the top stomping sounds that we all grew up with and kept our feet dancing for years , I mean how can we get a new generation to evolve just like we did or is it to late already ?.

"Well, the future for me is already a thing of the past."

[Guest Dan the mod]

i am only 20 years old I like the uptempo northern sounds as my dad plays them, i hope it do's carry on becouse i enjoy going to the events

[Guest joecool]

How do I see the future? Flying cars, no wars, personal robots, flying monkeys in little waistcoats and red fez (Hang on thats a different film) Then the machines go bad. Seriously, this topic has been done to death, and the answer, like the future, is "No one knows"

Listen ........did you here it ? It was Me pulling the plug on this one , ain't there some clever twats on this site,just realising i ain't one of them.

[Steve Myers]

i am only 20 years old I like the uptempo northern sounds as my dad plays them, i hope it do's carry on becouse i enjoy going to the events

The future is in your hands young man

[Guest sandi]

The future is in your hands young man:hatsoff2:

I agree, it would be lovely to know the scene will continue long after l'm gone, we need more younger one like you , and with the right attitude, the music is the major focus and hopfully more younger ones will grow to love it like many of us did,and still do.

hats off to the young man .

[ImberBoy]

I just eat Cheesy Wotsits all day and watch porn, mind you my nudger has turned orange?

[Alan Walls]

I believe the children are the future

[John Reed]

This reply comes on the back of a long conversation I had with my Son at the weekend after we went to see the film StreetDance UK and his statement to me "I don't really like Northen Soul"

I think as we move further into the new millennium interest in the standard view of "Northern Soul" in the UK will wane. Soul music as we generally accept it, is no longer a mainstream musical genre and has passed in a similar way as: Rock and Roll, R&B, Swing, Punk, etc... There are still new music releases of these genres and for soul we have: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Kings Go Forth, etc.., but these are classed as retro and are not part of the music mainstream. Soul music IMO has morphed/evolved into what is discussed in the EMS Thread "New Music" (this is not a plug, by the way), but even that can be left field compared to what is played on Radio1, Capital or Kiss. Getting the above artists played on these stations could spark a renewed interest in old music, look what happened with "Rare Groove" with the likes of the Jackson Sisters and Archie Bell & The Drells, although that revival was only 12-15 years after release, whereas for a 65 release it'll be more like 45 years.

Another reason is relevance of this music, to today's young people. Some of the music I play dates from the early 60's and my son has listened to them, but he just can't seem to get connected, although there are a few he likes but maybe the production is so different to what he's used to listening to that it's going to take some time for him to truly appreciate the difference. It's not just a case of listening to music his dad likes, but its music from his granddad's era and I think an appreciation of music with a two generation gap only comes with maturity and an active interest in things out of the norm. You also have to be quite dedicated to go to a club/do when the majority of the patrons are your parents/grandparents age, so it's a bit like the chicken and the egg. So I feel the days of young people falling into the music have gone.

I'm not saying that the past is a bad thing as the majority of my collection is over 30 years old, but there seems to be a lot of harking back to the Wigan/Mecca days. I know this was a significant period in a lot of people's lives and it's nice to hear stories and look at memorabilia from those days. But for those too young to have experienced it and especially for me, they're just clubs from the past (albeit a significant part of Northern Soul's history) and the over-reliance in looking back at club venues rather than focussing on the music is a bad thing. There still seems to be a lot of bad blood going back to those clubs which tarnishes the "scene" going forward. As I said, I was too young to go to any of the significant clubs and don't understand what really went on from a politics side and I've been into soul for 27 years, let alone someone just entering the scene in their late teens/early 20's and seeing all that baggage must be quite daunting.

Sadly, I think that for the majority of young people, music format is secondary. There is still a big hang up on OVO (even though I love and collect it), with sometimes rarity overriding quality, just because something is rare doesn't necessarily mean it's good. People new to the Northern scene haven't necessarily gone through Manships price guide before attending a do, when I was young I danced to what I liked irrespective of value and surely the same goes for everyone else?

I also think that the competence of DJ's is also a factor for young people. When you look at the presence of the big name DJ's on the dance scene, they're sets are slick and professional and they put on "a show". Comparing these "shows" to quite a few collectors cum DJ's sets on the Northern scene with muffled links (I put my hand up to that also, even though I don't DJ), and bad cuing which we generally seem to have put up with it over the years. For young people professionalism/showmanship is a key factor of the entertainment experience. Look at concerts these days (ignoring previous Parliament and EWF spectacles) they are all glitzy with many costume changes, whereas my favourite concert was Curtis Mayfield playing the guitar with 3 other musicians. Young people want more these days and there can be quite a void between what they get from main stream club events compared to Northern do's.

I'm not saying that this doesn't happen in the UK, but from reading the reviews and talking to people who have attended events in Europe, attracting younger people seems to be a different matter. A younger crowd could be due to a more varied mix of what is played/accepted and maybe that's where the UK is falling behind.

It does seem that I have a very jaded view on life, I don't. I just don't expect nights in the UK to start filling up with younger faces. Though at present there seems to be a glut of soul nights. What I do see (I'm waiting for the fortune teller, digs) is that the scene will contract further as the years go on (effectively when people get too old or die) and in 10-20 years those few young faced people now, will take up the gambit of Northern Soul and lead it into a new future devoid of the hang-up's it currently has.

[jocko]

I believe the children are the future

That is so 80's Alan, now the real future is all about the past and for the over 50's, its their time to make it like it used to be, and bore everyone sensless, the kids are meanwhile getting on down laughing at us in some place they won't tell us about!

My avatar shows the enthusiasm of youth, WTF happened to get us here.............

[ImberBoy]

The way we store and carry music today has changed the landscape to how music can be cherished or disposable. Back in the day we could only really have one or two records a week and this lent itself to us attaching or at least perceiving that we had attached part of our lives and we then believed that the music defined who we are.

Now days an iPod can be lost in a back pocket holding 80,000 tunes, this gives such an expanded musical taste and we now see young people not getting hung up over listening to Slip Knott to Show tunes where as we on the other hand would clutch our latest album like a shield portraying our perceived cool or betraying our perceived divines.

With this in mind it is easy to understand how a youngster can hear the music and judge it on musical merits rather than the baggage of image.

Northernsoul has both music and an image, now days we are enjoying both tapping into the nostalgia rush whilst remembering our youthful days and we are all very lucky to have such wonderful music.

I think there are some parallels that can be examined by comparing the traditionalist who can not stomach hearing anything new because there are little to no memory or perceived connections an image, this can also be the same cold experience had by a youngster when hearing a track void of any triggers of cool or dance.

I think the last time a mass of young people got into a scene or into music from the past was when the Mod revival was on and during that hot summer of 79 The Two Tone explosion, Quadrophenia, fashions, and an acknowledged hip to be retro gave a potent heady mix of cool.

Youngsters don't have a "Youth culture" as we did due to the to the bombardment of multi layered influences that shamelessly borrow from one genre to another so much as to smudge the borders, you can only rebel if ya know what your rebelling against? Punk is dead!

Northernsoul music is a jealous child, it doesn't just have to be loved, it has to have all your love!

It is not disposable, if you are one who can throw it away then you wouldn't appreciate it ever, the whole silly thing only works if it gets under your skin and becomes fused within your DNA.

The futre?

I think it will lay dormant for a while as we are gathering dust, I think some one will pull the lid off it when the time is right and have one hell of a party!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv6rwUblqhA

[Gary Brown]

There are people coming into the scene all the time. Here's a text message I was sent only today by a friend in her mid thirties. Its word for word as I received it. Apart from ive re-written it from text talk.

"Morning! Just have to share with you the fun I had on Saturday night. We found ourselves in the Wardrobe Leeds watching the Spanish Harlems amazing live northern soul with guest DJ Snowboy."

My reply - "I heard he was playing, did you dance?"

Friends reply -" errr yeah, badly! I have never seen proper northern soul dancing. Incredible!."

So I'm burning some vinyl to Mp3 for her to dance in the house to.

And I'm certain shell be at a northern do before too long.

I was on the decks at There Was A Time at Kennedy's in York last Friday and there was a mixed age audience of soulies and others who had just dropped in to see what was going on. The atmosphere was cracking and the dance floor was lively all night. Even 'non soulies' were keeping the floor moving. All the DJs kept the tempo high and mixed in original classics with rarer stuff. At the end of the day it was music that made you want to dance. No matter if you'd never heard the tune before.

There's life in the old dog yet.

[Alan Walls]

That is so 80's Alan, now the real future is all about the past and for the over 50's, its their time to make it like it used to be, and bore everyone sensless, the kids are meanwhile getting on down laughing at us in some place they won't tell us about!

My avatar shows the enthusiasm of youth, WTF happened to get us here.............

Future Retro! You've just been and gone and invented a new sub genre! Anyway, WTF do The Kids know? Gormless looking twats in their skinny jeans and crap trainers laughing at me? Get my toe up their arse in rapid order, they would!

Is that me at the back of the photo?

[Guest Ollie Lailey]

When people say young people on this forum what age group are they talking about?

Young people (mostly) are idiots (I was one not long ago) and I would not want to spend time in a nightclub/venue with lots of people under 21. They cant handle their drink/drugs and make the place look untidy.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Ollie Lailey

[Diggin' Dave]

I think by young they mean anyone under 50. And when I look at my local scene I'm estimating the average age of a soulie here is around 30, so I guess there's still some bright times ahead of us

[Paul Shirley]

John, that is the best piece I've read on here for years, thanks for sharing.

Personally, I think kids see the scene as we view the Rock 'n' roll scene or any other historical musical movement. Old farts dressing up in old fart costumes and dancing to old fart music trying to live there old fart teenage years again. The kids have their own undergound scenes and in 20 yrs will be doing exactly the same as we're doing now, wondering about the future of their own little scenes.

People connect their music to a fleeting moment in time, That great time you was having when you first heard it. Thinking that that sound will carry through forever is deluding yourself that everyone who hears it will feel the same.

I really don't care if the scene carries on after I'm gone, Selfishly I'll just enjoy it while I can.

John

exactly. spot on

[Guest Ollie Lailey]

I think by young they mean anyone under 50. And when I look at my local scene I'm estimating the average age of a soulie here is around 30, so I guess there's still some bright times ahead of us

Works for me! I'm 30 and intend to keep going for a good while yet.

The night we run in South London tends to cater for the 25 - 45 old crowd, with a few people under or over them ages, we always have a packer and the "non soul" people all have a great time and lots of them come back. Hopefully a few of them might take it further and investigate the music/scene further, but most people are just out for a good time and some good tunes.

[Dazdakin]

That is so 80's Alan, now the real future is all about the past and for the over 50's, its their time to make it like it used to be, and bore everyone sensless, the kids are meanwhile getting on down laughing at us in some place they won't tell us about!

My avatar shows the enthusiasm of youth, WTF happened to get us here.............

?? Whats Leeds Utd got to do with the future??

I don't get it??

[Guest son of stan]

In my experience, young people are at least as open-minded and music loving as any of us ever were.

But I think they find certain aspects of our scene rather off putting...There's a sense of a hierarchy / time served / elitism which is not welcoming. Also, a feeling that a big night out is about various old lag collectors trying to impress each rather than trying to entertain the crowd. Also, younger people are used to a much higher technical standard of DJing so maybe a bit of practice with that and losing the charming but hopelessly dated microphone skillz, might help...I know decent, open minded music fans who ridicule us for that.

To quote Ian Rush, "its not science rocket".

One of my very best friends was a Twisted Wheel regular from Brazenose Street days til the bitter end. When I ask her why she dropped out after that she just says, " Paul, it just all got too precious ".... Plus ca change.....

Edited June 2, 2010 by son of stan

[viphitman]

[Guest angf]

Listen ........did you here it ? It was Me pulling the plug on this one , ain't there some clever twats on this site,just realising i ain't one of them.

I'm with you there. I rarely post on here as I recall from my first one the smart ass responses I received and thought WTF is that all about......sometimes it seems folks are trying to out smart one another and it ain't nice. I am not for one minute suggesting all posts follow suit, I find some to be informative and constructive and reinstate my faith in human nature. I guess it's the way you perceive the message. Anyhow, I for one found your leading question to be interesting and can only recall from a recent experience of mine; we recently moved venues which is frequented by the "young team". At the end of the nite, a few of us were in the bar and the local drunken hooligans were shouting (after they gave us loads of abuse) "will all of yous old F**kers P**s Off Home to Your Beds" - it put me right in my place, and I am only 44 - LOL! Needless to say we have reverted back to our usual venue!

[TOAD]

quote name='viphitman' date='02 Jun 2010 - 11:04 PM' timestamp='1275516273' post='1344164']

[Guest Jeff1510]

I'm with you there. I rarely post on here as I recall from my first one the smart ass responses I received and thought WTF is that all about......sometimes it seems folks are trying to out smart one another and it ain't nice. I am not for one minute suggesting all posts follow suit, I find some to be informative and constructive and reinstate my faith in human nature. I guess it's the way you perceive the message. Anyhow, I for one found your leading question to be interesting and can only recall from a recent experience of mine; we recently moved venues which is frequented by the "young team". At the end of the nite, a few of us were in the bar and the local drunken hooligans were shouting (after they gave us loads of abuse) "will all of yous old F**kers P**s Off Home to Your Beds" - it put me right in my place, and I am only 44 - LOL! Needless to say we have reverted back to our usual venue!

sorry to hear about that ang going to a soul night in dumfries saturday night run by the younger cowd should be interesting , when i say young 20s 30s i will definately be the oldest there see what they come up with all the jeff

[Guest Jeff1510]

sorry to hear about that ang going to a soul night in dumfries saturday night run by the younger cowd should be interesting , when i say young 20s 30s i will definately be the oldest there see what they come up with all the jeff

[jocko]

?? Whats Leeds Utd got to do with the future??

I don't get it??

I would have thought given their performance last year the answer to that was obvious, the future is bright, the future is yellow (okay maybe not but given last few years a degree of optimism is surely allowed).

I suspect you are looking at my old avatar, current one has a group of young Scottish yoofs looking young and optimistic, hence my comment!

Future Retro! You've just been and gone and invented a new sub genre! Anyway, WTF do The Kids know? Gormless looking twats in their skinny jeans and crap trainers laughing at me? Get my toe up their arse in rapid order, they would!

Is that me at the back of the photo?

Skinny and trainers, is that not Graeme and Byrnie!

Yes it is you, hiding your bushel as always, I suspect that may have been the night of the legendary 2nd Allenton DVD, that never existed, honest guv.

[Toodarnsoulful]

Works for me! I'm 30 and intend to keep going for a good while yet.

The night we run in South London tends to cater for the 25 - 45 old crowd, with a few people under or over them ages, we always have a packer and the "non soul" people all have a great time and lots of them come back. Hopefully a few of them might take it further and investigate the music/scene further, but most people are just out for a good time and some good tunes.

I've Hairy balls not crystal ones, but i do know that the enthusiasm for the music, dancing and the records etc. among loads of young people (including me just about!not 30 just yet Ollie ) is goin strong!...we get 150-400 young people in our club and i know in europe and the US the younger side of the scene is in the majority which is great....

Soul wont die it'll just smell funky!

[Mark S]

We need young DJs that look like they enjoy doing what they are doing remember Martyn Ellis and Dave Evison as young men both different but infectios with thier enthusiasm . Most djs that I see hardly smile and mumble into the mike very off putting especially to younger people .

So c,mon djs entertain us or we will have a bleak future .

[Wiganer1]

the scene will always be here.....theres no music as good as and never will be,,,,regards mark

[DennieFitz]

I might be knackered but I saw somebody at Radcliffe who looked the same age as my 14 year old sonand was a brill dancer. I was around in 76 and my children are not grown up the youngest being 5 years.

[viphitman]

hardly origanal...think jo boxers...just guitar and drum pop noise

Edited June 3, 2010 by viphitman

[Anais nin Carms]

In 15 to 20 years time the future will be in seaside retirement Soul communities.

We shall have soul with breakfast lunch and dinner all our mates will be on site for a chat and nobody will see out their old age alone and lonely.

The return of the "Soul Coach " coach parties to visit other soul rest homes is on the cards - FREE TRAVEL !

If I had a few bob to invest and I was a promoter I would be looking into getting into this area by 2020.