Scala Kings Cross Mid 80s

[Guest Billy Anorak]

There has been some discussion about who what and when Scala allnighters started,who put them on and who DJ'd..........Ive found some flyers from then and other photos from mid 80s.The flyers are here and both the flyers and pics from around that time are in the gallery.......ENJOY!.....Any comments or memories please add.................................

[Mark Bicknell]

I remember DJ'ing at The Scala a few times way back, i think Danny Everard had something to do with running this event, pretty sure Guy Hennigan, Keb Darge played there, very strange nights i seem to remember with a very mixed crowd students, London in - crowd types and a solid support from the scene of the day, played movies allnight, cans of beer at £2.00 a go i seem to remember...lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Emjaygee]

I agree Mark, very strange set up, the dance floor was actually the lobby of the cinema, complete with huge statues, ans i watched the Thunderbirds movie with Keb and hundreds of other crazed soulies all singing the theme tune!!!!

Only went the once,couldn't stand bumping into a big old Lion all night if memory serves (which it often doesn't)

[Guest Gavin Page]

Have to say I found the Gig very odd !

Went there a couple of times and just could not settle !

I thought Shaun Mclusky (Think thats spelt correct) and some body from the De- Mob Crowd were behind it Ady will Know.

What ever happend to Danny ?

[Guest]

Have to say I found the Gig very odd !

Went there a couple of times and just could not settle !

I thought Shaun Mclusky (Think thats spelt correct) and some body from the De- Mob Crowd were behind it Ady will Know.

D-Mob was run by Sue Brick's brothers i believe she's a member on here maybe she can enlighten us?

Morning Gav

Derek

[Gene-r]

I thought it was a "Sensible Soul Club" project, run by Craig Brick, Paul Guntrip, Sean McClusky etc. DJs were people like Ion (I think), Stuart Cosgrove, maybe even Dave Thorley and Ian Clark.

A couple of nites, from what I can remember, took place here in 1985 (from when the above flyers date back to). Around March that year, I can remember the Scala nites (complete with playlists) being given full-page coverage in Echoes.

Gene

Edited January 16, 2006 by Gene-R

[Guest in town Mikey]

Have to say I found the Gig very odd !

Went there a couple of times and just could not settle !

I thought Shaun Mclusky (Think thats spelt correct) and some body from the De- Mob Crowd were behind it Ady will Know.

What ever happend to Danny ?

Isnt Danny one of the owners of Smersh? I think he may also now co-own Filthy McNasty's?

[Guest]

I remember DJ'ing at The Scala a few times way back, i think Danny Everard had something to do with running this event, pretty sure Guy Hennigan, Keb Darge played there, very strange nights i seem to remember with a very mixed crowd students, London in - crowd types and a solid support from the scene of the day, played movies allnight, cans of beer at £2.00 a go i seem to remember...lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Danny DJ`d,it was one of Saun Mcclusky promo`s,finished cause one of the dj`s made approaches to the Scalla,try`d to pull the carpet,so to speak?,when one of the nice people at the scalla,who helped swing the gig ,found out,that finnished it?,is true i was there,and involved a titchy bit?,Sean i think owns the place now,and there was a couple of nighter`s since,didnt quiet happed,you wanna see the place now,fantastic,the whole place done to the nines,fantastic,i think soulshrews post`s on here very infrequently on here did a set at one of em`?

Isnt Danny one of the owners of Smersh? I think he may also now co-own Filthy McNasty's?

No

Edited January 16, 2006 by ken

[Guest Billy Anorak]

Danny s got an antique shop in Cornwall

Edited January 16, 2006 by Billy Anorak

[Soul Shrews]

Danny DJ`d,it was one of Saun Mcclusky promo`s,finished cause one of the dj`s made approaches to the Scalla,try`d to pull the carpet,so to speak?,when one of the nice people at the scalla,who helped swing the gig

,found out,that finnished it?,is true i was there,and involved a titchy bit?,Sean i think owns the place now,and there was a couple of nighter`s since,didnt quiet happed,you wanna see the place now,fantastic,the whole place done to the nines,fantastic,i think soulshrews post`s on here very infrequently on here

did a set at one of em`?

Nothing wrong with my frequency Kenneth!!! The first three Scala nighter's were organised by Cornishman Tim Coghlan with help (hinderance?) from fellow pastie's Chico Dave and Danny. Film's(soul oriented) all night and music in the foyer.I shared the deck's for an hour or so with the late great Steve Plimmer from Shrewsbury. Other DJ's that first night if my memory

serve's me correctly were Dave Warr and his mate Jaff(?) Ian Clark and Danny Everard may have been more?

The other two nighter's it was a nucleus of Dave Warr Danny Everard and myself + either Ian Clark Ady Crosdell or Mark Bicknell

Mostly 60's northern but I was playing new/recent release soul indie's (Oscar Perry,Tommy Tate,Jessie James,Miss Louistine etc) mixed in with 70's classic's like Four below Zero Bessie Bank's(Don"t you worry...) David Martin Jean Carn.

Cantancerous git that I am.

There were a couple of write up's in Echoe's with photo's(one of Paul Guntrip with the caption 'organiser Tim Coghlan'!!!) I think Stuart Cosgrove wrote one.

Yes a mixture of people which may not have been to the hardcore's taste but good night's out and a good larf.

After the thid one Tim got a bit fed up with it I think and didn't do any more.A few month's later Danny Everard organised one maybe together with Sean McClusky. I didn't DJ but attended as a punter. Another good night if I remember rightly but as I said earlier my memory ain't all that let's hope some other attendee's can enlighten us further and correct all my mishtake's!

Cheer's Paul Woosnam

[Guest Bearsoul]

REMEMBER IT WELL PAUL..WILL CALL YOU SOON..CHEERS ...CHRIS M Edited January 16, 2006 by bearsoul

[Guest]

Well the first flyer,the soul mission one,me and Sean done,and soul mission did its own promotion`s,what inc;mr E`s king x,comedy store leicester square,and umpteen other promotions

[Guest Billy Anorak]

Feck, you have been busy Paco,thats more than I knew when it was all going on

Edited January 16, 2006 by Billy Anorak

[Guest pete salland]

Feck, you have been busy Paco,thats more than I knew when it was all going on

thats cause you spent most of the time in the arcade across the road, Billy.Many thanks to Mr.Woosnams well served memory.Dont try and ask him about anything that happened last week.

[Guest in town Mikey]

No

Like a man in a built up shoe.

I stand corrected.

Edited January 17, 2006 by in town Mikey

[Guest Gavin Page]

Like a man in a built up shoe.

I stand corrected.

Like that !

[Guest in town Mikey]

Like that !

Nicked from Ted Todgers or that Bullseye fella I think.

It made me laugh.

[Guest Bearsoul]

Feck, you have been busy Paco,thats more than I knew when it was all going on

IS THAT YOU CHICO?? ME AND PACO WERE LAUGHING ABOUT YOU BLAGGING YOUR WAY IN WITH AN EMPTY RECORD BOX..THEN PISSING OFF TO THE ARCADE..I SUPPOSE IT WAS JUST FOR THE CHALLENGE??

CHRIS MORGAN

[Guest Billy Anorak]

IS THAT YOU CHICO?? ME AND PACO WERE LAUGHING ABOUT YOU BLAGGING YOUR WAY IN WITH AN EMPTY RECORD BOX..THEN PISSING OFF TO THE ARCADE..I SUPPOSE IT WAS JUST FOR THE CHALLENGE??

CHRIS MORGAN

The record box didn't have any records in it but it wasn't empty!!

[Soul Shrews]

The record box didn't have any records in it but it wasn't empty!!

I suppose it was full of loose change for the arcade

[Guest]

Nothing wrong with your memory Paul...that's pretty much how it happened,if you recall in 1984 or so we were all living within a mile or so of the Scala..Tim Coghlan was ,at the time an employee of Palace Pictures and was friendly with the management at the Scala.. Tim was and still is i should imagine a fan of 60s soul music ( but had never been part of the Northern Scene) and i think his idea was to have an allnighter with music and also archive films from the 60s..really more of a big party than anything,so Tim sorted out the films and we sorted out the music..initially there was Jaf,Paul Woosnam and myself,then closer to the night Chico persuaded Clarkie and Dave Thorley to do a turn as well(if i remember rightly Mr Bicknell wanted £150 to do his thing )and like i said the whole thing was really just a f*** about and none of us really thought it would be as popular as it turned out to be.

Danny Everard was at this time living in Dunstable and if i remember correctly wasnt anything to do with anything..he turned up on the night and we talked Tim into letting him have a spot.So after the success of the first one Tim followed up with 2 more nights spaced out over 18months or so..by which time Danny had moved to London and teamed up with Sean McClusky to promote events around London under the Soul Mission banner.Never one for protocol Danny approached the Scala and managed to arrange an event on his own terms..and without involving Tim.As i said earlier Tim was very friendly with the Scala management at the time so that was the first and last for Danny and the end of the allnighters,and i think there was some bad feeling between the 2 of them afterwards...Like you said Paul the Scala was just a bit of a laugh and a f*** about and somewhere different to get off your tits.

[Guest]

Nothing wrong with your memory Paul...that's pretty much how it happened,if you recall in 1984 or so we were all living within a mile or so of the Scala..Tim Coghlan was ,at the time an employee of Palace Pictures and was friendly with the management at the Scala.. Tim was and still is i should imagine a fan of 60s soul music ( but had never been part of the Northern Scene) and i think his idea was to have an allnighter with music and also archive films from the 60s..really more of a big party than anything,so Tim sorted out the films and we sorted out the music..initially there was Jaf,Paul Woosnam and myself,then closer to the night Chico persuaded Clarkie and Dave Thorley to do a turn as well(if i remember rightly Mr Bicknell wanted £150 to do his thing )and like i said the whole thing was really just a f*** about and none of us really thought it would be as popular as it turned out to be.

Danny Everard was at this time living in Dunstable and if i remember correctly wasnt anything to do with anything..he turned up on the night and we talked Tim into letting him have a spot.So after the success of the first one Tim followed up with 2 more nights spaced out over 18months or so..by which time Danny had moved to London and teamed up with Sean McClusky to promote events around London under the Soul Mission banner.Never one for protocol Danny approached the Scala and managed to arrange an event on his own terms..and without involving Tim.As i said earlier Tim was very friendly with the Scala management at the time so that was the first and last for Danny and the end of the allnighters,and i think there was some bad feeling between the 2 of them afterwards...Like you said Paul the Scala was just a bit of a laugh and a f*** about and somewhere different to get off your tits.

So i was right,or right therabouts.....

[Guest]

So i was right,or right therabouts.....

you dont miss a lot kenny..you were spot on

[Soul Shrews]

you dont miss a lot kenny..you were spot on

He allway's is when he's at home!!!

Edited January 22, 2006 by soul shrews

[Soul Shrews]

Nothing wrong with your memory Paul...that's pretty much how it happened,if you recall in 1984 or so we were all living within a mile or so of the Scala..Tim Coghlan was ,at the time an employee of Palace Pictures and was friendly with the management at the Scala.. Tim was and still is i should imagine a fan of 60s soul music ( but had never been part of the Northern Scene) and i think his idea was to have an allnighter with music and also archive films from the 60s..really more of a big party than anything,so Tim sorted out the films and we sorted out the music..initially there was Jaf,Paul Woosnam and myself,then closer to the night Chico persuaded Clarkie and Dave Thorley to do a turn as well(if i remember rightly Mr Bicknell wanted £150 to do his thing )and like i said the whole thing was really just a f*** about and none of us really thought it would be as popular as it turned out to be.

Danny Everard was at this time living in Dunstable and if i remember correctly wasnt anything to do with anything..he turned up on the night and we talked Tim into letting him have a spot.So after the success of the first one Tim followed up with 2 more nights spaced out over 18months or so..by which time Danny had moved to London and teamed up with Sean McClusky to promote events around London under the Soul Mission banner.Never one for protocol Danny approached the Scala and managed to arrange an event on his own terms..and without involving Tim.As i said earlier Tim was very friendly with the Scala management at the time so that was the first and last for Danny and the end of the allnighters,and i think there was some bad feeling between the 2 of them afterwards...Like you said Paul the Scala was just a bit of a laugh and a f*** about and somewhere different to get off your tits.

Your memory serve's you better than mine Mr Hunt

Don't remember Mr Thorley at the 1st one.

Then again would he?

Remember Ady at the 2nd and Bicknell at the 3rd

Like you say a great place to get off yer breast's, and we alway"s enjoyed the fact that it wasn't a strictly northern crowd

Made it a more interesting night and possibly a few convert's.

Believe there was some bad feeling between Tim and Dannny after the "Soul Mission" nighter

and quite right too!!

It would have been an anniversary night for Tim after all.

Whatever happened to Mr Coghlan? He was a nice geezer

Ditto Jaff

Edited January 30, 2006 by soul shrews

[binsy]

I loved the Scala nights, remember Stuart Cosgrove being there. Also remember a very dishevelled Joe Strummer turning up in the early hours. Enjoyed all the Sensible soul nights and odd allnighters in Kings Cross ( The warehouse in Roseberry Ave, springs to mind, with Rev Tony Clayton kneeling down to DJ because the ceiling was too low

Happy Days

Mark Taylor

[Tony Smith]

I loved the Scala nights, remember Stuart Cosgrove being there. Also remember a very dishevelled Joe Strummer turning up in the early hours. Enjoyed all the Sensible soul nights and odd allnighters in Kings Cross ( The warehouse in Roseberry Ave, springs to mind, with Rev Tony Clayton kneeling down to DJ because the ceiling was too low

Happy Days

Mark Taylor

Hi Mark,

I remember a veeery drunk Ivor Jones(surely not!) falling asleep on my shoulder and pinning me to wall for ages.

[binsy]

Hi Tony,

Yes I was standing next to you laughing my bollocks off

[binsy]

Tony,

Ant what's more if you had moved he would have fallen over and smashed his head on the stairs

[binsy]

Tony,

Do you remember the time that Ivor had what can only be descibed as a coca cola sculpture built on top of him at the 100 club while he was asleep

He evetually woke up and it s*it the life out of him

[jonbuck]

I remember a veeery drunk Ivor Jones(surely not!) falling asleep on my shoulder and pinning me to wall for ages.

....you saying that shows you how people change, Ivor used to be quite a drunkard years back....Now look what a fine Chap he has turned into....

Jon Buck

[soulfulsaint]

Yes Tim Coughlan was an organiser. He was by day a driver for Steve Woolley who was the former manager of Scala and by then a film producer for Palace Pictures. I went regularly and DJ'd a few times. The D-Mob crowd were regulars and so there was a big northern influence.

Tim asked me to do a rare northern tape for Steve Wolley who at the time was working on the Shag, Beach Scene. Crap film, sountrack wasn't that brilliant either. Don't blame me its just the way hollywood works.

Stuart Cosgrove

[Robin S]

Hi Stuart, talking of Beach Music - seem to remember you did a brill article on the Beach scene for Echoes early '80s - or is my mind playing tricks on me?!

[Tony Smith]

Tony,

Do you remember the time that Ivor had what can only be descibed as a coca cola sculpture built on top of him at the 100 club while he was asleep

He evetually woke up and it s*it the life out of him

Yeah, Ivor developed a strange habit of doing that, I remember he woke up behind the bar once as well

[Pete Morgan]

I agree Mark, very strange set up, the dance floor was actually the lobby of the cinema, complete with huge statues, ans i watched the Thunderbirds movie with Keb and hundreds of other crazed soulies all singing the theme tune!!!!

Only went the once,couldn't stand bumping into a big old Lion all night if memory serves (which it often doesn't)

I went a few times around the time( not the soul nites me thinks ), can,t remember much but there was three different floors playing all sorts, one floor fitting to our tastes... and all i remember was leaving the dancefloor for a rest and slightly the worst for wear and sitting in the cinema ( chill out at the time ) and watching nuculear war propaganda adverts about how to survive an atomic attack ( duck and hide etc ) these went on for hours and i sat there off my head and finally left the scala never to return .....still have nightmares ...but what a venue!!

pete m