Only Dancing To What You Know

[Guest dancedancedance]

its not just about dancing to a tune you know or dont, for me wether it be an oldie night or a rare soul night it all depends on how the flow of tunes is going, if a dj is playing a mixed and fucked up tempo and all over the place then its hard to get a rythum going but if a dj is playing a set that just grabs me cos it flows and is just right for that venue at that time of night etc etc then i will dance to a tune if i know it or not cos the dj has built a vibe and when im in that groove i just love to dance, unfortunately there are too many djs that aint that good or just too predictable and even passionless so for me please mr/mrs dj play with a bit of passion and play what you love from the heart

I agree 100%. The way a set is put together is far more important than whether the track is known. When I get on the dance floor I generally expect to be there for at least a good hour before having my nicotine fix.

But if the set is disjointed then I may be taking breaks sooner than expected.

I'm not sure that anybody has an absolute policy as such not to dance to tracks they don't know and even if they do, there also many that have a policy not to dance to well known tracks that have been played to death.

Reading through some of the responses, it seems that one of the reasons people may not dance to tracks they don't know is lack of confidence or fear of making mistakes. If so I think this is a real shame. Dance should be about a feeling from inside not thinking of how you look. I wasn't there at Wigan, but I'm sure the dancers weren't all step perfect and the rawness of the dancing was part of the passion and attraction. To me there is a need to be experimental in both the music and dancing. Experimenting is the only way to move forwards even if it means making a tit of yourself occassionally. Besides most of the time people are too busy concentrating on their own dancing to notice .

[Guest dancedancedance]

What do you know you studied Law...

Now when it comes to dancing that's when my Sociology kicks in....

Shut up you! At least law's a proper subject

[Quinvy]

Only Dancing To What You Know when did this start

Mr. M's

[Guest isis]

Now when it comes to dancing that's when my Sociology kicks in....

In a "Feet Don't F¡ilte Me Now" kinda way

[Ian Parker]

Reading through some of the responses, it seems that one of the reasons people may not dance to tracks they don't know is lack of confidence or fear of making mistakes. If so I think this is a real shame. Dance should be about a feeling from inside not thinking of how you look. I wasn't there at Wigan, but I'm sure the dancers weren't all step perfect and the rawness of the dancing was part of the passion and attraction. To me there is a need to be experimental in both the music and dancing. Experimenting is the only way to move forwards even if it means making a tit of yourself occassionally. Besides most of the time people are too busy concentrating on their own dancing to notice .

Well said!

We go to a venue to enjoy the music & if you don't know a tune, but really like the sound of it....................why not get on that floor & enjoy dancing to it

It's not a competition on how good a dancer you are!

Debbie x

[Rob Wigley]

I aint got a clue what im dancing to, so i just make it up as i go along anyrode

Never noticed Paul

Things have changed

a) if you left the floor at the Casino when it was rammed you'd never get your spot back

b) take enough speed and you'll dance to owt

c) If you are talking or socialising you may break for the odd dance-to me generally its to records I dont hear out that often

d) re above-my knees are f**king shot these days i can barely walk-never mind dance!

e) "un knowns" re-activated oldies always take time to break on a dance floor

Rob

[KevH]

To dance to something you don't know,must indicate to me that you have probably gone to a venue that would provide you with "unknowns".You're not likely to hear something you dont know at your average bog standard oldies night are you?.Comfort zones.

[Guest]

I can't understand anyone that only dances to what they know. At the last Radcliffe i danced to five funk tracks straight played by Big George, i didn't know a single one, but i loved ever minute of dancing. I regularly dance to things i don't know at Move On. If i don't like it i'll get off the floor, if it grabs me i'll stay on.

In my opinion people who only dance to what they know are f**king idiots. Imagine sitting there thinking, 'oooh this is good but i'll wait until i hear it out next time before i dance'.

Matt, for once could you stop being so nice and diplomatic and just tell us what you really think

Danced to couple of Big Georges funk tracks myself and I didn't have a clue what they were!

Personally if something I don't know grabs me then I'll do an impersonation of dancing on first hearing it, sometimes it's the second or third time I hear it before I'll dance. Some sounds are to me instant dancers whilst others tend to grow on you. When I DJed on Saturday the floor was rammed to Lanny Hunt and Winfields 'Mr Clean' and not many knew them beforehand. The one record that most people were interested in asking about after my set was Little Bob - We're In Love and as I said to Killa on the night 'everyone seems to have loved that Little Bob, but hardly anyone danced, it pretty much cleared the floor' and his reply was 'everyone will dance if you got up and played it again'.

It helps if you've got a core of dancers on the floor who are happy to dance to pretty much everything, then when you drop the needle on an unknown it encourages the other dancers to stay on the floor or get on the floor as they can see it won't be just them dancing on their lonesome.

My feeling on this is there aint no new northern soul now just dirges that sound the same as the one that was played before , what ever hapened to the stompers uptempo sounds that defined NORTHERN SOUL ?.

Joe, that's just complete and utter bollox and I can only assume you never actually go out and hear the newer sounds.

[viphitman]

I even once convinced myself that I knew the track which was played while I was dancing but after a quick check with the Dj I found out it was unreleased and never played out before. Thank god I wasn't thinking I've got it in my collection.

Anyway, I like to dance me nuts off and prever a good mix of known and unknown stuff!!!!

[Steve Myers]

I have always danced to pretty much anything and everything regardless of wether I have heard it before, when the beat grabs you, you just go, you cant help it.

Only thing that stops me these days is the dodgy knees, so I choose the tempo wisely

[Guest Phil Armstrong]

I'm such a lousy dancer that it hardly matters whether I know the sound or not

[Steve Myers]

I'm such a lousy dancer that it hardly matters whether I know the sound or not

Ha Ha me too

[Guest Matt Male]

I could say that people who dance to records they don't know are f**king idiots but who am I to say what people should or should not do.

Or that they are f**king idiots because they do or do not do it.

I agree Joan do what you like.

Bit strong of me maybe, but i suppose my real problem isn't with the people who listen once and then dance like yourself, but some of the people who have posted on here in the past who say they never dance to anything they haven't heard a thousand times before. That's just plain daft. In my opinion of course.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Matt Male

[Jumpinjoan]

I agree Joan do what you like.

Bit strong of me maybe, but i suppose my real problem isn't with the people who listen once and then dance like yourself, but some of the people who have posted on here in the past who say they never dance to anything they haven't heard a thousand times before.

They were the ones i was trying to provoke

I do my fair share of dancing though Matt so an unknown every now and then is very welcome. Especially at my age

[Guest Matt Male]

I do my fair share of dancing though Matt so an unknown every now and then is very welcome. Especially at my age

Don't worry Joan, i've seen you on the floor and you're fantastic.

[Guest john s]

Having DJ'd funk for years I know to keep the dancefloor full you need pepper your set with some tracks the dancers know but for the most part, when you have established the floor, people will dance all night.

Not so in the northern scene, I can't think of any other scene where dancers choose what they dance to on a track by track basis.

It can't have always been like this because all the records were unknown at some point, so when did this start happening and why?

Hi Sam!

Used to be similar at 'indie' gigs over here many years ago, half the people would all be 'Oooh, it's the Smiths' and rush to the dancefloor, just as the other half went 'Bollocks, it's the Smiths', and sit down.

Never understood it - but as you said, never found it Dj'ing funk, or hip hop, breaks, or any kind of 'dance' music.

But those are all about keeping the flow, rather than playing tracks everyone knows.

In fact, playing tracks everyone knows would be seen as a pretty bad thing on any of those 'scenes', as they're often about the cutting edge (new records or new discoveries) rather than nostalgia. I'd always rather play the minimum of 'well-known' stuff, gets boring otherwise!

But then we were both there when the 'funk' scene (as it was) started, I'm sure it was different on the Northern scene a few years back...

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

i believe we dance to know what we know.

if we hear new things and like it then we will dance and how can one say they will dance to a record that they don't know. Do we all know a record is great on a first play. Ok sometimes the first time we hear something new we think it's good but if we thought it was crap it might grow on us,

[Guest Phil Armstrong]

Dont you also think you can get carried away with the DJ's enthusiasm for a record and even though it may be a 1st play for a tune if not 1st ever 1st at that particular venue for the likes of Andy Dyson, Butch Soul Sam etc, I find myself dancing to tunes these guys play because you can see the excitment they have in playing these and this carries onto the dance floor.

Always been the same with Soul Sam 30 years ago his enthiusiasm for a record made me want to dance even though never heard it before, was the same also with Searling remember the 1st time he played Broken Heart Attack, danced to that and that tune was a little unusual.

Phil

[Paul-s]

Having DJ'd funk for years I know to keep the dancefloor full you need pepper your set with some tracks the dancers know but for the most part, when you have established the floor, people will dance all night.

Not so in the northern scene, I can't think of any other scene where dancers choose what they dance to on a track by track basis.

It can't have always been like this because all the records were unknown at some point, so when did this start happening and why?

NO, it never used to be like that in the 70's/80s. Dont know when the fear of dancing to tunes for the first time crept in. But it certainly dominates the floors here. More in the big venues than the small rooms.

[Quinvy]

NO, it never used to be like that in the 70's/80s. Dont know when the fear of dancing to tunes for the first time crept in. But it certainly dominates the floors here. More in the big venues than the small rooms.

Paul, what about Mr M's?.....surely even then people wanted to go backwards and listen to what they knew, rather than stay in the main room.

[Pomonkey]

If you ever make it to our club Joan we focus on unknowns, so we'll play every side twice in a row just so you can dance the second time around, ok!

[Guest Matt Male]

i believe we dance to know what we know.

how can one say they will dance to a record that they don't know.

I give up.

[Guest Bearsy]

I give up.

[Guest JamesP]

Love to dance to stuff that I dont know, great buzz trying to work out the beat and then when you have cracked it, awesome. I find that with exception of some tunes, i get a bit bored with the ones that I know from time to time. Also helps if there is good atmosphere on the floor, with loads of puzzled faces thinking, whats this, how the f...k can i dance to it. Always a danger of getting stuck in your comfort zone but if thats what you are happy with great. One thing i have noticed over the years tho is quite a bit of piss taking. If someone is prepared to get on the floor and give it a go, should it really matter what they look like or how they are dancing? If they are on the floor they are having a good time then thats what its all about. We have all looked a bit nuts at some stage or other on the floor, drunk, wasted, exhausted (although I havent fallen over ...yet!), but so many times i have seen little groups taking the pee out of people. If they are new to the scene or trying a new club for the first time then its really gona put them off from going again. Personally i will dance to anything, sometimes if Im just not getting it I will stop, but mostly muddle on through. Think you can adapt to most tunes be it slow, up tempo, great to also anticipate what beat may be coming next. Luv it!

[Paul-s]

fact is you gotta play to the floor!

your punters pay to hear and will dance to what's on the flyer

easy........

oldies night....play oldies (don't drop anything different in if you don't want an empty floor)

rare night........play rare (don't play mitch ryder )

nighter..........big nighter spins (lovely jubbly)

Think Sam is asking WHEN did that become the case in UK. It was NEVER like that in 70s & 80s? I think a whole bunch of people stopped going for years (raising kids) missed a whole bunch of great music and when they returned to the scene felt a bit left out and wanted PURE nostalgia. The scene was never originally a nastalgic nostalgia scene! The returnees seemed to have only listened to a couple of oldies cds for 20 yeras and came back thinking that nothing might have moved on or other great tunes have been discovered. Meanwhile there was also a big market control element happening with regards to selling records and top 500s and price guides and blah, blah! Basically everyone seems to have (with age) lost ALL spirit of adventure and developed a fairly dogmatic view of music and soul...They need , as above post says, a system and ALL music must be categorised rather than listened and danced to. If its put in the wrong category box, then its not even worth a listen...No way can it be mixed up because this would cause discomfort and fear and loathing to the expectant punters (expecting tunes they have heard a million times already) and DJs are too scared (generally) to, as they did originally, play great new discoveries and stick with a couple of empty or sparser dance floors whilst breaking new tunes....

Its not like in OZ Sam, where punters are into hearing what the (intelligent and soulful) Dj wants to share with them and have a cracking good dance and good time in the process. They ACTUALLY like to hear the same tune over and over again here (like groundhog day, which is a good name for a lot of the nighters!) and generally try to dictate that via moaning a lot! See you soon Miss Goldie!

[Russ Vickers]

My feeling on this is there aint no new northern soul now just dirges that sound the same as the one that was played before , what ever hapened to the stompers uptempo sounds that defined NORTHERN SOUL ?.

Your obviously attending the wrong venues my friend, cos non of the lesser played & newies I hear could be described as dirges, in fact Georges spots at the last Lifeline were pretty much stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp...........slightly unfair in as far as they were incredibly soulful interesting records aswell, but a dancers delight...........I'll dance to oldies, newies & anything inbetween if it has the X factor...........& I will run to the dance floor for a newie I have never heard before if it has the certain vibe..............I'm no spring chicken, but my priorities are to champion good unknowns & lesser played tunes, to do this, you dance to em !!!........

Best Russ

[Russ Vickers]

Paul, what about Mr M's?.....surely even then people wanted to go backwards and listen to what they knew, rather than stay in the main room.

Phil, Mr M's for me personally was my education of what had been played before my time, but were new to me, I think it was the same for many people at the time, they wernt just listening to the same old same old, cos to them they had never heard em before.

Russ

[Jumpinjoan]

Its not like in OZ Sam, where punters are into hearing what the (intelligent and soulful) Dj wants to share with them and have a cracking good dance and good time in the process. They ACTUALLY like to hear the same tune over and over again here (like groundhog day, which is a good name for a lot of the nighters!) and generally try to dictate that via moaning a lot!

I remember you telling me about a time when you DJ'd over in OZ Paul - you said the punters certainly did not want to hear or dance to what you were playing.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Edited July 11, 2010 by jumpinjoan

[Jumpinjoan]

If you ever make it to our club Joan we focus on unknowns, so we'll play every side twice in a row just so you can dance the second time around, ok!

How sweet.

I have to like it as well as know it though

[Quinvy]

Phil, Mr M's for me personally was my education of what had been played before my time, but were new to me, I think it was the same for many people at the time, they wernt just listening to the same old same old, cos to them they had never heard em before.

Russ

I can't comment really Russ, because I never went. But I was told by people that did go, that as soon as Mr. M's opened most people rushed in there, rather than listen to the new stuff being played in the main room.

Phil.

[KevH]

I can't comment really Russ, because I never went. But I was told by people that did go, that as soon as Mr. M's opened most people rushed in there, rather than listen to the new stuff being played in the main room.

Phil.

Not how i remember it Phil.Mr.M's had its faithful crowd,but lots of folk hardly ventured out of the main room.

[Suzannek]

If I hear a song where the first few bars I like I will dance to it whether I know it or not. I have sometimes been the only person on the floor

Suz

x

[Ceejay]

Phil, Mr M's for me personally was my education of what had been played before my time, but were new to me, I think it was the same for many people at the time, they wernt just listening to the same old same old, cos to them they had never heard em before.

Russ

Well said, my thoughts exactly............

[Godzilla]

Phil, Mr M's for me personally was my education of what had been played before my time, but were new to me, I think it was the same for many people at the time, they wernt just listening to the same old same old, cos to them they had never heard em before.

Russ

Wasn't the only source for that though was it? We also had older kids at school, our own/mates older older siblings, youth clubs, other midweek soul clubs and then at the allnighter, Dave Evison's spot and a smattering of oldies played as part of other DJ's sets. You could also lean a hell of a lot in the back bar too.

After a dabble I got bored with M's after a month or two and this coincided with getting my head around what made the main room unique in atmosphere and opportunity to hear exciting new sounds. I could hear Trampoline, Time is Tight and countless Bob Brady records at home. M's also recycled tunes that had previously been big in the main hall which seemed really pointless to me. Meanwhile I'd be dancing to stuff that I didn't know almost every week as jocks introduced their new stuff so frequently.

[Russ Vickers]

Wasn't the only source for that though was it? We also had older kids at school, our own/mates older older siblings, youth clubs, other midweek soul clubs and then at the allnighter, Dave Evison's spot and a smattering of oldies played as part of other DJ's sets. You could also lean a hell of a lot in the back bar too.

After a dabble I got bored with M's after a month or two and this coincided with getting my head around what made the main room unique in atmosphere and opportunity to hear exciting new sounds. I could hear Trampoline, Time is Tight and countless Bob Brady records at home. M's also recycled tunes that had previously been big in the main hall which seemed really pointless to me. Meanwhile I'd be dancing to stuff that I didn't know almost every week as jocks introduced their new stuff so frequently.

This was my experience pretty much really.

Russ

[manus]

I always dance to a new tunes that I don't know as long as they sound right - occasionally I'll stop if after the intro the vocals don't work for me - but mostly I really like getting into new sounds - I'm constantly tracking down stuff that I hear for the first time on the Audio section of this site. New discoveries or just new to these big ears bring them on - can't wait to hear them and not just dance tunes have a look out for Dwight Chappell's CD release from a few years ago absolutely brilliant Soul music.

Cheers

Manus

[Jumpinjoan]

What does it matter if you dance to a record the first time or second time you hear it?

There are people that never dance to anything so how about a 'not dancing to what you know' thread

[manus]

What does it matter if you dance to a record the first time or second time you hear it?

There are people that never dance to anything so how about a 'not dancing to what you know' thread

Maybe we should start a "people who are not watching the World Cup final" thread Joan or in my case half watching it with laptop and a glass of the red stuff

ATB

Manus

[Jumpinjoan]

Maybe we should start a "people who are not watching the World Cup final" thread Joan or in my case half watching it with laptop and a glass of the red stuff

ATB

Manus

I did watch the beginning so I could technically dance to either national anthem the next time I hear them

[manus]

I did watch the beginning so I could technically dance to either national anthem the next time I hear them

Apparently the Spanish national anthem has no official lyrics so it's a bit like Footsee Yeah with vuvuzela's instead of car horns

Edited July 11, 2010 by manus

[Quinvy]

Wasn't the only source for that though was it? We also had older kids at school, our own/mates older older siblings, youth clubs, other midweek soul clubs and then at the allnighter, Dave Evison's spot and a smattering of oldies played as part of other DJ's sets. You could also lean a hell of a lot in the back bar too.

After a dabble I got bored with M's after a month or two and this coincided with getting my head around what made the main room unique in atmosphere and opportunity to hear exciting new sounds. I could hear Trampoline, Time is Tight and countless Bob Brady records at home. M's also recycled tunes that had previously been big in the main hall which seemed really pointless to me. Meanwhile I'd be dancing to stuff that I didn't know almost every week as jocks introduced their new stuff so frequently.

So they were playing oldies in M's then. It was just that you didn't know they were oldies.......

[Paul-s]

Paul, what about Mr M's?.....surely even then people wanted to go backwards and listen to what they knew, rather than stay in the main room.

YES, BUT now the main rooms are all Mr m's...thats the problem. The explorer spirit has been lost..

[harpo1]

For me its always been the case....never understood people dancing to tunes never played before, at times i've seen the floor begin to empty as the tunes been revealed, and then the old classic, with those records with unusual breaks or endings that leave people either carrying on past the end or not getting there.

That does not however detract from the fact that in many cases first hearing will be enough to know if you like it or not, rare occasions find you changing your opinion, but it is rare, Narbay and Daybreak are the only two that immediatley spring to mind for me. Also no mater how many hearings and other peoples love of tunes, i still find things such as Rita and the Tiaras, Arabia Guitar Ray etc....as bad as i first thought they sounded...but as i always say "we can't like 'em all.

[Guest]

YES, BUT now the main rooms are all Mr m's...thats the problem. The explorer spirit has been lost..

I like the whole lot

I really do !

I love to hear 60s stuff that is new to me and I also love the classic 60s soul oldies, I also love the new bits n bobs and the 70s crossover things.

But I love to hear everything mixed up.

I don't want to go to an oldies night !

I don't want to go to a 70s / crossover night !

I don't want to go to a RnB night !

I don't want to go to a underplayed / overlooked / cheapie 45s under a quid night either !

I would love a Soul Night that employed DJs with no ego's and added shit , People that could just mix all of the different bits together with love, passion and honesty !

that would just be perfect !!!!!!

then I might start going out again !

[Missgoldie]

I remember you telling me about a time when you DJ'd over in OZ Paul - you said the punters certainly did not want to hear or dance to what you were playing.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Joan, that was playing to the "educated" ex-pat NS scene, truth is if we all lived in the UK most of the punters would be going to oldies nights....

The gig's where it is Australian's out to dance to some soul is a different story, they are more than happy to dance to what they don't know and Paul went down a treat.

[JOHNNYBETCHA]

Agree. It's not like you're dancing to a Beethoven symphony.

If you have a good ear you can know where the breaks are coming or ending. The structure is pretty much the same in most tracks.

And, on the other subject, I think there's few things more enjoyable and passionate than hearing a tune for the first time that grabs you by the boll^cks and drags straight into the dance floor

I tried dancing to a Beethoven symphony once - i was on the dancefloor for six f***ing hours!

[ImberBoy]

I tried dancing to a Beethoven symphony once - i was on the dancefloor for six f***ing hours!

Could you dance to Bach's "Minuet in G major"?

[Paul-s]

Joe, that's just complete and utter bollox and I can only assume you never actually go out and hear the newer sounds.

Yep, Joe definitely hasn't been out much or just gone to Big nighters or oldies nights, where they play the odd dodgy new discovery ,to make such a, quite frankly, wank, statement as that. Very sad and unfortunately, indicitive of a large part of todays stationary and Morbidly obese (in terms of consumption of the same tunes!) scene.

Change of diet might perk you up, slim you down and get you moving.

[Paul-s]

Joan, that was playing to the "educated" ex-pat NS scene, truth is if we all lived in the UK most of the punters would be going to oldies nights....

The gig's where it is Australian's out to dance to some soul is a different story, they are more than happy to dance to what they don't know and Paul went down a treat.

[Guest miss nancy]

For me it is a passion thing. I only dance to tunes that 'move' me.

Tunes that I have never heard before can't do that because I don't know them.

Simple really. Well for me anyway

Thats exactly it for me too!