Allnighters - Is There A Future?

[Winsford Soul]

I was wondering how much it cost to run an allnighter?

Simon the cost of running the nighter dont really come into it. I started Co-Promoting Winsford because i,m basically a nighter goer and i had seen the loss of 2 of my favourite nighters within a couple of months of each other. Bretby and Blackburn. And i wasnt prepared to see Winsford go the same way so i put my money where my big mouth was and two years later hopefully we have turned round the fortunes of a nighter that was heading the same way as the other two mentioned earlier in my post. We try and give a couple of not so well known DJ,s a spot everytime we run the nighter along side more well known DJ,s. At the moment that policy seems to be working, judging by numbers of the people coming through the door, which is growing everytime we run the nighter. However if the policy wasnt working we would have to revise it and see what the punters wanted Because at the end of the day they are what matter, they decide wether a venue is good enough to last the distance or not.Sorry if a bit long winded reply.

Steve

[Guest Soultown andy]

A good venue will always attract a good crowd,there are far to many promotions on at the moment in bad venues with crap wannabe djs run on a shoe string,hopefuly these will fold so that the good venues can continue.I do belive the scene is shrinking and there are,nt enough youngsters comeing into the scene but a scene without niters now that would be crap.Over the next couple of years as the crowds thin some of the nites run with no financial backing will fold and hopefuly the diehards of the niter scene will support the quality venues that are left,and before anyone gives it the usual we run it for the love of the scene,bollocks.To run a good nite you need a good venue with good travel access,that costs,you need a good lineup good enough for people to be bothered to travel,that costs, advertiseing equipment door staff and thick skin to listen to every tell you how to run the nite.There is no money in running niters it is done by most for the love of it,so i for one hope niters do continue but they wont, if we continualy dilute the scene.

[Guest Dan]

before anyone gives it the usual we run it for the love of the scene,bollocks.

There is no money in running niters it is done by most for the love of it

why do you do it then, andy?

[Winsford Soul]

why do you do it then, andy?

We do it because of our love of this Music. It costs thousands to put a nighter on. The majority of nighter promoters cant afford to run these events at a loss so you have to get off your arse and promote the venue that your involved with. That means for me personnally going out most weekends fri and sat even if i dont want to . I spend more on travelling / entry to these venues promoting Winsford than i have ever made from the Nighter itself. So why else would i do it other than for the love of this music.So next time you go out think of the people who run the venue, how much time, effort and money they put in to give you in the majority of times a good night out.

Steve

[Guest Dan]

We do it because of our love of this Music. It costs thousands to put a nighter on. The majority of nighter promoters cant afford to run these events at a loss so you have to get off your arse and promote the venue that your involved with. That means for me personnally going out most weekends fri and sat even if i dont want to . I spend more on travelling / entry to these venues promoting Winsford than i have ever made from the Nighter itself. So why else would i do it other than for the love of this music.So next time you go out think of the people who run the venue, how much time, effort and money they put in to give you in the majority of times a good night out.

Steve

hi steve

i was really pointing out that andy seemed to be saying that other people don't run events for the love of the music ('before anyone gives it the usual we run it for the love of the scene,bollocks') while suggesting he and some others do ('There is no money in running niters it is done by most for the love of it'). just found this a bit subjective and mildly contradictory, is all.

i know nighters and other promotions cost a lot of time and effort (i ran cov in the 80s) and have only admiration (and sympathy) for those who put their arses on the line in this way

dan

[Winsford Soul]

hi steve

i was really pointing out that andy seemed to be saying that other people don't run events for the love of the music ('before anyone gives it the usual we run it for the love of the scene,bollocks') while suggesting he and some others do ('There is no money in running niters it is done by most for the love of it'). just found this a bit subjective and mildly contradictory, is all.

i know nighters and other promotions cost a lot of time and effort (i ran cov in the 80s) and have only admiration (and sympathy) for those who put their arses on the line in this way

dan

Dan, Glad you noticed it because i thought i was getting confused in my old age. both for and against in the the same statement unless we are missing a point somewhere

Steve

[Guest Soultown andy]

Your right dan i was saying that some dont run them for the love of it,if its for profit then thats a mistake but thats just my opinion.

[Guest Kevin J]

Seems to me that the idea of allnighters speaks to a certain group of experienced soul fans from an era past, and in the US, to anglophiles that fashion themselves as MODS or SKINS. A soul night seems more easily digestable by your average person on the street who enjoys soul, and if found a venue for it, would love to hear tunes that he has never heard before on a regular basis. both have their function. personally, i hate the idea of having to answer the question "What is Northern Soul?" on a regular basis, so would much rather bill my event as a Soul Night.

God, Im sure you people hate me by now.

Point is, the music speaks for itself. Keep playing it (wherever and whenever) and people will keep coming to hear it.

[Guest tenko]

I personally believe that the allnighters will on a whole go back to being more underground with attendance figures dropping to 150 - 300 max, more likely to be at the lower end of the scale.

One or 2 of the obvious big events may well continue being successful a few times a year, but I really believe the smaller nighters will become the main stay.

The music will have to merge more to accomodate lower numbers so shite R&B will get played alongside wishy washy Northern and disco bunny modern

Seriously though, this should allow more new tunes in all genres to break through.....as it used to do.

Soul nights attendance figures will probably stay healthier for a lot longer due to the reasons outlined in previous posts, but a lot of allnighters have basically become extended soul nights due to the mass attendance expecting the same tunes they hear week in week out at their local soul nights....and the dancefloor dictates on such occasions.

I think there is plenty of young DJs with plenty to offer, they may not be Butch et al by any standard, but they usually have limited exposure to play stuff they truly believe in, so time will tell.

As for their choice of tunes, all said and done, one mans meat, is another mans poison.......

[Guest Soultown andy]

The underground soulscene has always been an allniter scene if that goes something very special will be lost.No soul nite no matter how good can compare to a good allniter imo .

[Guest tenko]

Mace what kind of music will you be playing at the all-niter? I know it says rare but can you give me some kind of idea. My niece live on Saxonfields and I will up there on the 18th and will be coming along, but just wanted an idea of the tunes you will be playing. cheers Theresa

[pikeys dog]

My opinion as well Andy, but it seems that many are now just attending 'big one off' events, leaving monthly allnighters to suffer with lower attendances.

Instead of the monthly niter, more and more seem to prefer the current batch of soul nights.

The consequences for the niter scene have yet to be seen fully, but I'm afraid it ain't looking good for those of us who want it to go beyond the next five - ten years.