New Northern Across The Board Night In Birmingham - Responses

[shuggie61]

Hi all I'm trying to get an atb night going in Birmingham and had received some responses from soul-sourcers that wanted to play but they've all failed to follow up on my request for a cd asking for a set of tunes that they might play. I could moan about how dispiriting this is (and in part I suppose that's what I'm doing!) but I'd rather try again. So ...if you'd like to play at my night then send a cd of an atb set to:

Hugh McGuinness, 33 Station Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7SS.

Or you could post a mix on Soundcloud and send me a link.

I'm paying local travel expenses and a few quid on top. Ta. Shug

[TOAD]

carnt do you a cd at the moment (pc dead) but check my tunes in refosoul if interested ! Then pm.

[shuggie61]

Cheers Toad! Now that's more like it...

[Guest]

Hi all I'm trying to get an atb night going in Birmingham and had received some responses from soul-sourcers that wanted to play but they've all failed to follow up on my request for a cd asking for a set of tunes that they might play.

maybe they are worried you might get some of the tunes..CUT...surely a few playlists would be ok

moldie

[shuggie61]

Hi moldie I've put my name and address on the post. I'm hardly likely to bootleg some tunes off a cd am I?

[Guest]

Hi moldie I've put my name and address on the post. I'm hardly likely to bootleg some tunes off a cd am I?

hi mate

theres plenty that do..i used a rare tune in one of my you tubes and was asked to remove the tune by a well known dj as he was worried it may get used on a carver

atb moldie

sent you a pm

[Geeselad]

can you give us any idea of what your looking for style wise, what the music policy for the night?

[Guest]

can you give us any idea of what your looking for style wise, what the music policy for the night?

i think the title...new across the board night,,,might give it away.....but i know what you mean

moldie

[Ted Massey]

hes aready said across the board

[Guest]

Hi all I'm trying to get an atb night going in Birmingham and had received some responses from soul-sourcers that wanted to play but they've all failed to follow up on my request for a cd asking for a set of tunes that they might play. I could moan about how dispiriting this is (and in part I suppose that's what I'm doing!) but I'd rather try again. So ...if you'd like to play at my night then send a cd of an atb set to:

Hugh McGuinness, 33 Station Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7SS.

Or you could post a mix on Soundcloud and send me a link.

I'm paying local travel expenses and a few quid on top. Ta. Shug

Sorry..... only collect records, not interested !

[shuggie61]

Happy to oblige with a definition of what I'm looking for. Rarer northern - not just the 500 - but that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to hear something really familiar if it fits into a set beautifully, crossover and modern soul and maybe a few great r'n'b tunes sprinkled in or latin soul or boogaloo. Poss even uptempo doo-wop! Just a mixture of great soul music within a set. There is/was a night called "Without Boundaries" - I never went to it but love the idea. Hope that makes it clearer.

Ted - would you like to play? PM me if you could. Ta.

[sir cumference]

Sorry..... only collect records, not interested !

Not asking to play off cd`s-he just wants an idea of what a "DJ" will bring to the night.

Edited October 6, 2011 by sir cumference

[TOAD]

how can you play everything in a hour spot?

[Guest]

hi shuggie

you moaned because ppl hadnt sent you a cd with what they might play yet you cant even answer a pm

atb moldie

[Guest Soultown andy]

Am curious to know why you dont have any djs in mind,if your starting up a new night.Would have thought its up to the promoter to choose the djs that fit the bill for the style of night they are promoteing.But the best of luck with it anyway,loads of great djs in your area.John weston sounds like he might fit the bill in this area,great dj with a vast collection.

[Chalky]

I'm of the opinion that if you are going to promote and take money of people on the door then you should at least go to the trouble of hearing any dj you book. A cd doesn't give a fair reflection of someone's ability behind the decks and in laying down a set.

[Guest Matt Male]

I agree with Andy and Chalky, you're spoilt for choice in the West Mids as regards great DJs, and i'm not sure why you need CDs from people to prove their worth. Maybe get out there and have a listen to some sets this weekend? It sounds like DJs have to pass an exam to get a spot.

Anyone can put together 20+ tracks on a CD, putting a 20+ set together to a live room from a box of 100 is another matter entirely.

Alternatively, as someone has already said, there are always playlists on here.

[Agentsmith]

I agree with Andy and Chalky, you're spoilt for choice in the West Mids as regards great DJs, and i'm not sure why you need CDs from people to prove their worth. Maybe get out there and have a listen to some sets this weekend? It sounds like DJs have to pass an exam to get a spot.

Anyone can put together 20+ tracks on a CD, putting a 20+ set together to a live room from a box of 100 is another matter entirely.

Alternatively, as someone has already said, there are always playlists on here.

absolutely right on the playlists, plenty going up all the time on this sight....you simply have to TRUST the dj's....on soulsource alone, there's a complete a-z of people who can make your night go with a bang...guarenteed...these people KNOW how to work A DANCE FLOOR.....you dont need to be asking for a cv ( or should i say cd ). anybody who is willing to put their neck & cash on the line to launch a new soul night, also has to be willing to get the people in who will make it work...is it any wonder you're making people uneasy/curios/nervous?....you need to take a leaf out of john & jules book at stoke, just ask people if they want/are free to do it...and if you REALLY want to make it vibrant/refreshing/interesting, keep the turnover of dj's UNLIMITED, as every dj has his/her ideas of a playlist and you'll never have a dull & boreing night...e.g. LEA MANOR - PRESTWICH ( these are just my recollections of diversity ) everybody else on here worth their salt will tout other venues that use the same principle.....DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR....FORGET THE CD

[shuggie61]

Hi I'm planning a response to all of your comments - positive and negative. Just bear with me for a few days, please. Ta.

[Sutty]

. There is/was a night called "Without Boundaries" - I never went to it but love the idea. Hope that makes it clearer.

To be honest, that makes it clear you're getting into something you don't know enough about. Without Boundaries was Fish's event and the music policy was nothing like what you're asking for, they played upfront new releases, 90s, Y2K soul and house music, philly, etc, with a small amount of 'crossover' when they had a 2nd room, and I don't think i've ever heard a northern tune played there; and it finished quite a few years ago. Completely different scene to the one you're trying to appeal to.

You need to go out and attend a few events and decide what you want to do, or instead of just booking random DJ's you've never heard, look for a co-promoter who does know the DJ's you're looking for and do it together IMO.

Good luck but you sound like you might come a cropper if you're not careful,

cheers

[Guest]

Hi I'm planning a response to all of your comments - positive and negative. Just bear with me for a few days, please. Ta.

hi mate

are you gonna reply to your pms too?

atb moldie

[mrs soul]

I would have thought that if you are gonna go down the road of promoting, then you would have done your homework , and know who to book ect, Weston,s from Birmingham, and asking Ted goes with out saying, " 2 of the top Dj,s from the midlands..

so I have to ask, and I dont mean to be rude.why do you want to do it?

[shuggie61]

Hi all

Let me come clean - I'm a tourist on the northern amd modern soul scenes. I don't have any connections to any particular scene djs - apart from an acquaintanceship with Keb Darge. Soultown andy asked if I had a list of djs that I would book in mind - I did - Steve Cato, Liam Quinn, Jumping Joan, Ian Dewhirst and Alan Champ are included. I've seen all of the above mentioned play over the last couple of years and they've impressed me. I've had conversations with some and intended to approach them to dj for me at some point in the future. At the same time I thought that I'd like to invite other people to spin some discs so I posted invites on s/s, essentialmodernsoul and northernsoul.com.

As chalky, Matt Male and AGENTSMITH pointed out, asking for a cd or a mix wasn't the right thing to do and probably was the reason for the responses to my post - in fact, it was down to my laziness. Yes, you've got to see djs play to a crowd to gauge their worth. In my heart I know this - I've often slagged off Carl Craig to anyone who'd listen for his lack of enthusiasm at a gig in Brum many years ago. There was also a mention of playlists - as a tourist I really don't have the knowledge to judge whether a playlist represents a "great" set. Maybe it's also a little like a cd mix - you have to be there to decide whether the dj thrilled the crowd.

I wanted to run a local atb soul night so I'd have somewhere to go dancing on a Friday night. Brum's a bit of a soul desert and despite the best efforts of Lin Taylor and Mrs Soul and a couple of mod nights run by the New Untouchables, it probably remains that way. But without promoters willing to take a chance then things will stay the same and I wanted to make a small difference - even if I went about it in the wrong way.

Shuggie

P.S. When I mentioned "Without Boundaries", I didn't make myself clear. I was talking about running a soul night without boundaries, that is, playing a broad spectrum of soul music. I did have some idea of what Fish's night entailed...

Edited October 18, 2011 by shuggie61

[mrs soul]

now I understand.. its very hard in birmingham, however when we did the Disciples of soul, we only ever wanted 30 to 40 attendees, but ours was a rare soul nite, we did have a couple of bum nites, but all in all it was a great success. and the most amazing thing was that the brummie rare soul crowd always attended , there was an across the board nite at Cadburys , that was always a packer. I dont think its going any more, but I might be wrong, Wemay bring it back, we may not, we aint in a rush, as there is overload the moment, which thins everything out somewhat. If you want a good dj, that will play to the crowd, then from the west Midlands, you wont go far wrong with Dave Rimmer all the best with what ever you do.