Where Next "musically"?

[Spacehopper]

we played british beat,soulful garage,popcorn some ska alongside the rnb and northern for a few years,a real mod club without the mods!..as the years went on we got more soulies from the 'scene' joining the youngsters etc as its a big city...they loved the buzz if not all the music...weve now got to a stage where we have only a couple of residents and more guests and the music is still mainly northern and rnb but more funky edged stuff than the earlier beat and ska...still loads of under played and lesser known...before i get accused of it this is not a plug...but our club has evolved and changed..mainly down to the dancers...if in a couple of years the funky edged stuff is clearing floors no doubt we will change again...but i think the 60s northern and rnb will now always be there but who knowsfor sure! but like it or not the 'northern' scene has also always evolved and changed from the wheel,torch,wigan,stafford etc to rnb ,funky and gospel of latter years...and will continue to do so...as they say evolve or die

 

dean

[Sooty]

Tezza sez....."Its a really strange concept to me that people can dance to records they don't know.  You have no idea where and when the breaks will occur or any little nuances that may be written in.  Unless of course the music you are dancing to is that predictable as it follows 'the pattern'."

 

....I can dance 'in sync' to any tune you put on.....'naturally'....any genre any tune. Dunno how or why....but my body moves 'automatic'.....and can 'predict' things in a micro second....when I think about it!!! It's a good job too or my trekking around the Nation hearing new things every time for most of the night would have been 'pointless'....and i'd have looked silly stranded on the floor often........not that' i' have bothered about that bit.....but me mate Fudge woulda took the P all the way home if it had happened........but not once in 7 years was he able to tell me off about me dancing........proud of that......but he's still a tw***************tttt.....hehe!!!x

 

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SOOTY
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Edited June 12, 2013 by SOOTY

[Dekka]

I think as always the 'scene' will find it's own level, smaller clubs playing more specialised variations,

 

big clubs for the masses until the masses have buggered off, then back to finding it's own level again.

 

I for one am optimistic for the future 'scene' and it's ever lasting longevity.

 

Younger generations on the soul and scooter scene which are inextricably linked will keep the music alive

[Geeselad]

Its a really strange concept to me that people can dance to records they don't know.  You have no idea where and when the breaks will occur or any little nuances that may be written in.  Unless of course the music you are dancing to is that predictable as it follows 'the pattern'.

Can you imagine dancing to The Crow - Your Autumn Of Tomorrow having never heard it ?

I am all in favour of hearing new stuff but its the genre of Music that I have a penchant for. New older stuff ( new to me that is ) but not Funk, heavy R&B, Ska and deffo not Latin.

We are approaching Spaghetti Junction and there are numerous roads you could take. Take the brand new Super Highway if you want to, I'm happy with my little B Road into the Old Town.

Christ I'm glad I can still go to places other than northern soul nights, LOL.

[Barry]

....I was going to post but I can't be arsed.

[KevH]

Its a really strange concept to me that people can dance to records they don't know.  You have no idea where and when the breaks will occur or any little nuances that may be written in.  Unless of course the music you are dancing to is that predictable as it follows 'the pattern'.

Can you imagine dancing to The Crow - Your Autumn Of Tomorrow having never heard it ?

I am all in favour of hearing new stuff but its the genre of Music that I have a penchant for. New older stuff ( new to me that is ) but not Funk, heavy R&B, Ska and deffo not Latin.

We are approaching Spaghetti Junction and there are numerous roads you could take. Take the brand new Super Highway if you want to, I'm happy with my little B Road into the Old Town.

 

I've done that Tezza. Just went with the flow.About '76.Top bit of funk so it is.

[Pete S]

I've done that Tezza. Just went with the flow.About '76.Top bit of funk so it is.

 

I'd heard about that record but never heard it until it came out on the Right On label and it just sounded a bit too out there for someone used to Johnny Bragg and The Superlatives.  As the years went by, I grew to really like it.

[Spacehopper]

same here..as a youngster ;-)..first heard it about 84 on the inferno out on the floor album...was the only track i wasnt sure of at the time but also grew to like it

 

dean

[Len]

....I was going to post but I can't be arsed.

 

 

Oooh, go on Barry - I'm all 'Posted Out' now  

 

Len  

Edited June 12, 2013 by LEN

[Barry]

 

Oooh, go on Barry - I'm all 'Posted Out' now  

 

Len  

 

....no Len...this site just sucks it all out of me some days

[Guest in town Mikey]

Tezza sez....."Its a really strange concept to me that people can dance to records they don't know.  You have no idea where and when the breaks will occur or any little nuances that may be written in.  Unless of course the music you are dancing to is that predictable as it follows 'the pattern'."

 

....I can dance 'in sync' to any tune you put on.....'naturally'....any genre any tune. Dunno how or why....but my body moves 'automatic'.....and can 'predict' things in a micro second....when I think about it!!! It's a good job too or my trekking around the Nation hearing new things every time for most of the night would have been 'pointless'....and i'd have looked silly stranded on the floor often........not that' i' have bothered about that bit.....but me mate Fudge woulda took the P all the way home if it had happened........but not once in 7 years was he able to tell me off about me dancing........proud of that......but he's still a tw***************tttt.....hehe!!!x

 

@@

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LUV

SOOTY

X

 

 

I was lucky enough to be at Stafford the night Guy played Suspision out for the first time.

The record before had a decent dance floor crowd, but by half way through the first playing it was packed. (At least one guy obviously knew it as he sang all the way thru   ).

It was new to most of the people there. Maybe it is dull and predictable, but few things soul wise can grab you more, than being out somewhere, hearing a record for the first time, in a group of others doing the same, and feeling that energy.

That was close to 30 years ago, and if I shut my eyes I can still see it. The guy singing was tall and thin and wearing glasses.

 

Conversely. At the recently discussed Yate revivals, and Stafford revivals, I got the same or similar feeleing hearing records that I'd not heard out in the between times. At the Yate do hearing Souling by Willie and the mighty Magnificents knocked me off my feet. Again, not heard that out since Yate closed in the early 80s.

 

So everyone is right. oldies, newies, under played, over played or just plain rotten. We all love em for our own reasons. And if you get it, then maybe in another 30 years you'll be feeling exactly the same about a host of new records   I think we all seem to get it. Just in our own way.

[Russ Vickers]

Northern Soul is my passion & has been since tha late 7ts (77/78 fist Nighter), Im still active on the scene, as a punter, dancer, listener, bollox talker extrordinaire al la 4am & feeling no pain (lol), collector & some time DJ & promoter. My nearest Nighter is usually a 2 hour drive & I still, get oop North quite regularly, I prefer Nighters, but go to some Soul Nights etc too. Within reason, Im still livin the life....

 

When I got into Northern Soul it was a predominantly progressive scene, playing newies with some good oldies & reactivations mixed into sets.  These sets included nearly all of the genres that have been discssed in this thread so far, including RnB, Modern, Disco, what we now call Xover, jazzy, funky, blue eyed, brown eyed, mid tempo, stompers, floaters, beat ballads (as known now) & new releases.  The only criteria was that they had the X Factor which made them Northern Soul..... they were played in the same venue, on one dance floor, by the same DJ, in the same set....

 

I have a question....is that what people are now referring to as traditional Northern Soul ?.....

 

Best Russ

[Guest Bearsy]

Well, it not as simple as that, each to his own etc. Even the least proggresive soulie would still claim, I'm sure, to be a lover of soul or of music at least. But a lover of soul who would be happy to never hear or dance to every record not known by 1980 or whenever seems something of a contradiction.

It is the same principle which offends with the x factor etc. - it would be nice if the highest profile representatives of music of any genre, actually liked music. It is impossible to believe that people who love music dont want to hear anything new.

It is also strangely inconsistant to belong to a scene, be it mod or northern soul, but reject the core principles that inspired it and instead cultivate stagnation, nostalgia, popularism, lack of innovation - all the things mod and northern soul culture challenged in the first place

What a brilliant post.

[Guest Bearsy]

I think you may be surprised there Pete - I started my set last Saturday with 'Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine'......others in the set included - 'Otis Lee - Hard Roe To Hoe', 'The Parisions - Twinkle Little Star'..........and 'Chic - Good Times'.....Work that b*stard out!  (All true, and it worked a treat)

 

Len  

They all had their earphones in listening to their iPods lol

[Len]

Northern Soul is my passion & has been since tha late 7ts (77/78 fist Nighter), Im still active on the scene, as a punter, dancer, listener, bollox talker extrordinaire al la 4am & feeling no pain (lol), collector & some time DJ & promoter. My nearest Nighter is usually a 2 hour drive & I still, get oop North quite regularly, I prefer Nighters, but go to some Soul Nights etc too. Within reason, Im still livin the life....

 

When I got into Northern Soul it was a predominantly progressive scene, playing newies with some good oldies & reactivations mixed into sets.  These sets included nearly all of the genres that have been discssed in this thread so far, including RnB, Modern, Disco, what we now call Xover, jazzy, funky, blue eyed, brown eyed, mid tempo, stompers, floaters, beat ballads (as known now) & new releases.  The only criteria was that they had the X Factor which made them Northern Soul..... they were played in the same venue, on one dance floor, by the same DJ, in the same set....

 

I have a question....is that what people are now referring to as traditional Northern Soul ?.....

 

Best Russ

 

I haven't got a f*ckin' clue Russ.........   

 

All the best,

 

Len  

[Guest Bearsy]

Before the term Northern Soul was used what type of music was played that got the masses interested in the scene we now know as Northern Soul ?

Was all clubs from early 70s to the early 80s playing the same style of tunes that the term Northern Soul is known for ?

Is the term Northern Soul really just used for the music that was played late Wigan ?

Was it purely 60s soul played at Wigan etc with nothing r&b or funky or modern or Latin or whatever ?

After the mass exodus in the early 80s was "traditional" northern soul still going strong if so what venues ?

What did the likes of Stafford use to describe their music policy ?

When did Accross the Board night/nighters begin ?

When did little 2nd rooms become the thing for say, modern, rnb, rare. Etc etc ?

Has the Oldies scene never evolved ?

Has the rare/upfront scene always been the lesser of the 2 if not when did the change happen ?

Not been in the scene long enough to know any the answers above but for the time I have been in the scene I've been lucky enough to hear amazing tunes discovered and played from all decades and unlucky enough to hear some god awful tunes I never wish to hear again lol

Reason I'm asking all this is because I'm interested if history has or will repeat itself then if it has history might tell us what the next style of music the forward thinking djs might be throwing at us next....

Thankfully I like most so thank Gawd for the choice :-)

Ps, heard a tune for the very first time today I found on YouTube and it made the hairs stand up on me neck and played it 5 times in a row..... Don't you just love this music ....

[Len]

They all had their earphones in listening to their iPods lol

 

To perfectly honest, it was an event 'away' from The Northern Soul Scene (Run by a couple of guys in a nice 'Oldie Worldy' venue in Northampton Town) A few Soulies came, and do you know what? Everyone I spoke to commented on how good the event was because there was no 'Northern Soul Pretence' there (Others have described it as 'baggage') It was quiet noticeable, and a breath of fresh air.

 

Sorry - Back to the subject matter folks.

 

All the best,

 

Len  

[Len]

Has the rare/upfront scene always been the lesser of the 2 if not when did the change happen ?

 

 

There wasn't the two in the 90's, it only became separate two Scenes when the returnees arrived, and didn't want to acknowledge what had gone on when they were away.....We all just danced to good music together - Winsford, Keele, Wilton, Ritz (The same people at 'Rarest of the Rare' and the 'Oldies' Allnighters), 100 Club, Cleethorpes (the only weekender a year) and at the less than 10 Soul nights that were going on country wide.....Happy days.......

 

Len  

Edited June 12, 2013 by LEN

[Jez Jones]

Before the term Northern Soul was used what type of music was played that got the masses interested in the scene we now know as Northern Soul ?

Was all clubs from early 70s to the early 80s playing the same style of tunes that the term Northern Soul is known for ?

Is the term Northern Soul really just used for the music that was played late Wigan ?

Was it purely 60s soul played at Wigan etc with nothing r&b or funky or modern or Latin or whatever ?

After the mass exodus in the early 80s was "traditional" northern soul still going strong if so what venues ?

What did the likes of Stafford use to describe their music policy ?

When did Accross the Board night/nighters begin ?

When did little 2nd rooms become the thing for say, modern, rnb, rare. Etc etc ?

Has the Oldies scene never evolved ?

Has the rare/upfront scene always been the lesser of the 2 if not when did the change happen ?

Not been in the scene long enough to know any the answers above but for the time I have been in the scene I've been lucky enough to hear amazing tunes discovered and played from all decades and unlucky enough to hear some god awful tunes I never wish to hear again lol

Reason I'm asking all this is because I'm interested if history has or will repeat itself then if it has history might tell us what the next style of music the forward thinking djs might be throwing at us next....

Thankfully I like most so thank Gawd for the choice :-)

Ps, heard a tune for the very first time today I found on YouTube and it made the hairs stand up on me neck and played it 5 times in a row..... Don't you just love this music ....

 

 

..WOW... those questions are akin to asking the meaning of life..lol..........BUT so very pertinent to the topic. I wouldn't presume to be able to offer any answers on any of them ...except maybe the first one...if I may be allowed to rephrase it slightly and remove the word 'masses'.....it was still underground

 

Q...Before the term Northern Soul was used what type of music was played that got people interested in the scene we now know as Northern Soul......

 

A .Bloody good dancing music..we called em soul sounds

 

Good look with the questions...seriously ,will be interesting to hear people views    .

[Guest Byrney]

There wasn't the two in the 90's, it only became separate two Scenes when the returnees arrived, and didn't want to acknowledge what had gone on when they were away.....We all just danced to good music together - Winsford, Keele, Wilton, Ritz (The same people at 'Rarest of the Rare' and the 'Oldies' Allnighters), 100 Club, Cleethorpes (the only weekender a year) and at the less than 10 Soul nights that were going on country wide.....Happy days.......

Len

Exactly, it was all Northern Soul until the establishment of a nostalgia scene in the late 90s, mainly to cater for returnees with limited time or experience on the scene in the 70s. The nostalgia scene is the departure from Northern Soul concentrating on a tiny number of sounds and in some cases a dress sense from a fraction of Northern Souls history. The 'rare' scene followed the tradition of the casino, Stafford, Mecca, Rotherham, parr hall, Blackburn, Shotts, St Ives, Cleggy, 100 club, Yate, Fleet etc etc.

That is why I don't now and never will consider the Nostalgia Scene as the Northern Soul scene. It's not, it's a poor facsimile which rejects the core values: new, underplayed, biggies, selected oldies; instead opting for a scene looking back to 3 or 4 year period rather than recognising decades of nighters, great music and looking forward to what's next.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Byrney

[Len]

Exactly, it was all Northern Soul until the establishment of a nostalgia scene in the late 90s, mainly to cater for returnees with limited time or experience on the scene in the 70s. The nostalgia scene is the departure from Northern Soul concentrating on a tiny number of sounds and in some cases a dress sense from a fraction of Northern Souls history. The 'rare' scene followed the tradition of the casino, Stafford, Mecca, Rotherham, parr hall, Blackburn, Shotts, St Ives, Cleggy, 100 club, Yate, Fleet etc etc.

That is why I don't now and never will consider the Nostalgia Scene as the Northern Soul scene. It's not, it's a poor facsimile which rejects the core values: new, underplayed, biggies, selected oldies; instead opting for a scene looking back to 3 or 4 year period rather than recognising decades of nighters and music looking forward.

 

'Like' 'Like' 'Like'  

 

Len  

Edited June 12, 2013 by LEN

[Len]

....and 'respect' (for those that are trying their best to 'keep it real').......'Respect', unfortunately now a word not allowed, due to it being on The Shudder List  ....Mmmm, maybe the phrase 'Keepin' it real' should also now be added.........

 

Len  

Edited June 12, 2013 by LEN

[Chalky]

There wasn't the two in the 90's, it only became separate two Scenes when the returnees arrived, and didn't want to acknowledge what had gone on when they were away.....We all just danced to good music together - Winsford, Keele, Wilton, Ritz (The same people at 'Rarest of the Rare' and the 'Oldies' Allnighters), 100 Club, Cleethorpes (the only weekender a year) and at the less than 10 Soul nights that were going on country wide.....Happy days.......

 

Len  

Keele for me was the beginning of the end, a return to mass oldies. Great venue, great record bar and a bloody good laugh but musically a massive step backwards.

[Guest Bearsy]

..WOW... those questions are akin to asking the meaning of life..lol..........BUT so very pertinent to the topic. I wouldn't presume to be able to offer any answers on any of them ...except maybe the first one...if I may be allowed to rephrase it slightly and remove the word 'masses'.....it was still underground

 

Q...Before the term Northern Soul was used what type of music was played that got people interested in the scene we now know as Northern Soul......

 

A .Bloody good dancing music..we called em soul sounds

 

Good look with the questions...seriously ,will be interesting to hear people views    .

Could my questions be a good idea to start a whole new thread it might open up some interesting answers instead of stuck away in here, I'm really interested for people's views as someone who was not there back in the day would be a bloody good read...

[Quinvy]

Exactly, it was all Northern Soul until the establishment of a nostalgia scene in the late 90s, mainly to cater for returnees with limited time or experience on the scene in the 70s. The nostalgia scene is the departure from Northern Soul concentrating on a tiny number of sounds and in some cases a dress sense from a fraction of Northern Souls history. The 'rare' scene followed the tradition of the casino, Stafford, Mecca, Rotherham, parr hall, Blackburn, Shotts, St Ives, Cleggy, 100 club, Yate, Fleet etc etc.

That is why I don't now and never will consider the Nostalgia Scene as the Northern Soul scene. It's not, it's a poor facsimile which rejects the core values: new, underplayed, biggies, selected oldies; instead opting for a scene looking back to 3 or 4 year period rather than recognising decades of nighters, great music and looking forward to what's next.

Shoot me down in flames by all means, but wasn't Mr. M's the beginning of the end?

[Len]

Keele for me was the beginning of the end, a return to mass oldies. Great venue, great record bar and a bloody good laugh but musically a massive step backwards.

 

That may have been a 'turning point', but to me all those venues at that time had a different generation of people that were enjoying tunes that had been played to 'not many' through the 80's , as well as everything else - The 'attitude' was there, and that is the massive difference to todays (so called) Scene.

 

All the best,

 

Len  

[Len]

Shoot me down in flames by all means, but wasn't Mr. M's the beginning of the end?

 

No - I should know......I wasn't there!  

 

Len  

[Jez Jones]

Could my questions be a good idea to start a whole new thread it might open up some interesting answers instead of stuck away in here, I'm really interested for people's views as someone who was not there back in the day would be a bloody good read...

 

 

..well they are interesting questions historically speaking without a doubt....HOWEVER I suspect that each one has been answered in the past on here at some stage...and I reckon some have been done to death!!...and slit wrists as a result lol

 

Possibly streamline it down a bit and focus on one bit..otherwise you could end up with a Johnny Nash (more questions than answers   )

 

..but yer right in a way....didn't some Chinese bloke once say..'Understand your past and you can define your future'.....coulda been David Carradine though 

 

...mmmm... Breakout. , My mans a sweet man, and K-gee by Niteliters  in one set all played under the banner of 'soul sounds'.....radical blighters in them days ..hey

[Len]

 K-gee by Niteliters

 

TUNE! - Played at The Wilton, only last year

 

Len  

Edited June 12, 2013 by LEN

[Pete S]

Shoot me down in flames by all means, but wasn't Mr. M's the beginning of the end?

 

Partly, but it was the friday oldies allnighters, they started to kill off the saturday attendances, I detested oldies for years because of that.

A few of our lot actually used to spend all night in M's on a saturday.  I just didn't get why they'd want to do that.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Pete S

[Len]

 

....didn't some Chinese bloke once say..'Understand your past and you can define your future'.....coulda been David Carradine though 

 

 

 

It would be nice if some at least 'attempted' to understand the present!  

 

Len  

Edited June 12, 2013 by LEN

[Jez Jones]

TUNE! - Played at The Wilton, only last year

 

Len  

 

...there ya go....a TRUE example of reactivation 

[Back Street Blue]

Shoot me down in flames by all means, but wasn't Mr. M's the beginning of the end?

 

Not for me, loved it and the oldies niters.

[Guest Byrney]

Shoot me down in flames by all means, but wasn't Mr. M's the beginning of the end?

I'd agree with that, and as Pete says the Oldies nighters started this decline as the wheezy infected parent of the teary eyed nostalgia scene we have today. However even oldies allnighters didn't come close to the myopia of the current nostalgia scene.

I remember in the 80s going to an oldies nighter as nowt else was on ( think it might have been in Wolverhampton) and distinctly remember hearing all the usual stuff but with Pat Lewis.. Nowhere, Fantastics.. Me and You and the likes of Vince Appolo which had crossed over thrown in. Even small clubs accepted underplayed records back then - primarily oldies soul nights featured a few current biggies with no problems.

Nowdays Imagine a rare oldie, say Kell Osbourne... Law being played at an East Midlands nostalgia circut event (although one nestles quite nicely in a lazer protected box in a Nottingham suburb), never going to happen and if it did disgruntled of Ashfield would have words. Make way for Shirley Ellis.

[Guest Byrney]

Keele for me was the beginning of the end, a return to mass oldies. Great venue, great record bar and a bloody good laugh but musically a massive step backwards.

Another nighter we all went to Chalky because we knew everyone would be there, but only because nothing else was on, for our lot anyway.

[jocko]

Shoot me down in flames by all means, but wasn't Mr. M's the beginning of the end?

 

For some this was just the beginning, as once Wigan closed the M's addicts had nowhere to go and the handcuffs were off as far as the music was concerned, it just took a little more effort.

[jocko]

Keele for me was the beginning of the end, a return to mass oldies. Great venue, great record bar and a bloody good laugh but musically a massive step backwards.

 

I think this is interesting point, I only ever went there to socialise and by then was looking for clubs to go to. At this point something different became actually the same old for me.....

[Sooty]

I went to Keele Xmas '92 as me first ever All Nighter! Danced to Too Many People Bobby Goldsboro....first and last time.....had a wonderful night....and came home deciding to put a gig on. April '93....and we were 'off'....! Every venue deserves to be respected for summink!x Never got to DJ there.....and for a while was dis-appointed......but....becoming a 'resi' 7-8am DJ for a couple of years at Tony's in Blackburn 'Hard Core' nights made up for it and more.....and never thought of playing Too Many People...as there were too many people danicng to hard core....!!!x

@@
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LUV
SOOTY
X

[Russ Vickers]

Shoot me down in flames by all means, but wasn't Mr. M's the beginning of the end?

 

No the, the WC 'oldies' Nighters were, but TBH a lot of the same people attended both, as with Keele, there wasnt any massive influx of 'returnees' at the first carnation of Keele, just pretty much the same people having a laugh n a dance, didnt think the music was very inspiring at times, but it was a great crac & felt like it was still a 'proper' scene thing...

 

Russ

Edited June 13, 2013 by Russ Vickers

[Russ Vickers]

Exactly, it was all Northern Soul until the establishment of a nostalgia scene in the late 90s, mainly to cater for returnees with limited time or experience on the scene in the 70s. The nostalgia scene is the departure from Northern Soul concentrating on a tiny number of sounds and in some cases a dress sense from a fraction of Northern Souls history. The 'rare' scene followed the tradition of the casino, Stafford, Mecca, Rotherham, parr hall, Blackburn, Shotts, St Ives, Cleggy, 100 club, Yate, Fleet etc etc.

That is why I don't now and never will consider the Nostalgia Scene as the Northern Soul scene. It's not, it's a poor facsimile which rejects the core values: new, underplayed, biggies, selected oldies; instead opting for a scene looking back to 3 or 4 year period rather than recognising decades of nighters, great music and looking forward to what's next.

 

 In a nut shell....perfectly put & my opinion to a T.....

 

Russ

[manus]

Ms was a strange mix of music as I remember  - although oldies focused I do remember a lot of current sounds getting played up there too. I think you were more likely to hear Sam Williams LSTMF up there when it was first being spun than in the main room also Frankie Crocker TOD. I remember the O'Jays I Love Music getting spins in there concurrent with it being played at the Mecca and tunes like Don Covay ( Although a 74 release was unknown to many) IBTH first getting spins up in Ms which was surprising but welcome to those of us who had bought it on release. And a lot of the bad tunes that were big downstairs were played in Ms concurrently like Police Story , Esperanto and the Phil Coulter thing. I think Ms had a bit of an anything goes policy and could be a break from downstairs - I spent most of my time downstairs but would try to get up to Ms for an hour or so and on occasions stayed there longer and on other occasions never went up there at all.

 

Cheers

Manus

[Chalky]

That may have been a 'turning point', but to me all those venues at that time had a different generation of people that were enjoying tunes that had been played to 'not many' through the 80's , as well as everything else - The 'attitude' was there, and that is the massive difference to todays (so called) Scene. All the best, Len  

Keele wasn't like what we had been fed throughout the 80's where 60's newies was the mantra and each DJ did his bit to find the next big thing. The attitude of those who went was there in so far as we had a good night out socially, nowhere else to go kinda thing but the attitude of the DJ's of the previous decade definately wasn't there. It was as though they missed out that decade completely bar the biggies and returned to oldies completely. It would only be a year or two and the mass influx of returnees and a lack of diversity even amongs the oldies.

[Guest in town Mikey]

Keele wasn't like what we had been fed throughout the 80's where 60's newies was the mantra and each DJ did his bit to find the next big thing. The attitude of those who went was there in so far as we had a good night out socially, nowhere else to go kinda thing but the attitude of the DJ's of the previous decade definately wasn't there. It was as though they missed out that decade completely bar the biggies and returned to oldies completely. It would only be a year or two and the mass influx of returnees and a lack of diversity even amongs the oldies.

 

I went to a few of the early Keele allnighters and have to agree with Chalky Len. IMO the music there was quite stale and i just grew bored of the whole thing so moved elsewhere for a few years.

 

Post Wigan closing we had venues like Hinckley and Leicester, that had a good balance (IMO) of oldies and new sounds. Although when hinckley first started they defientley were a very oldies orientated niter. Leicester was probably the better balanced with a mixture of oldies, 60s newies and Robin playing modern stuff. then downstairs was the small room where you heard the type of sounds associated with Stafford.

Stafford even had its fair share of oldies played. i remember dancing to the first record of the night, which was the Chandlers - Your love makes me lonely. (Prob Keith??). but also in the doewnstairs room and later the upstairs (Which i loved) there was a healthy dose of oldies.

At the same time as Stafford and the 100 club, which also played a good dose of oldies, Morecombe was more in the Mr M's (I never went either Len). In the small room there the time I went Brian Rae was playing RnB type stuff. most pretty well known I think?

At the time I think I compared Keele to Morecombe. Both good allnighters in their own right, but having been brought up on Yate, then Leicester, Stafford and occasionally the 100 club, i found it less fun, so took my break.

 

As many have said the new and old used to fit together easily in most allnighters in the 80s. It sounds like the main room at Wigan, apart from possibly, a greater acceptance of the modern style sounds.

[Geoff]

TUNE! - Played at The Wilton, only last year

 

Len  

 

I fairly sure it was played by Cliff Steele at Lifeline last year, and at Boomerang to by him. It's a great dancer imo.

[Len]

 However even oldies allnighters didn't come close to the myopia of the current nostalgia scene.

 

 

The Oldies All-nighter at The Ritz in Manchester being a great example - We actually didn't go for a time.....until one day we were in a Pizza Restaurant in London (4 of us, that were at a nighter most weekends during that time).......when someone said "Hey, f*ck it - lets go to The Ritz"....So, off we went hurtling up the Motorway to 'an Oldies All-nighter'!.......and had a fantastic time!  .......Oh, to have no responsibilities

 

All the best,

 

Len  

Edited June 13, 2013 by LEN

[Len]

 but only because nothing else was on.

 

  You can't imagine that situation today - I remember the odd occasion The 100 Club clashed with another nighter, that was a very rare occasion.

 

Len  

[Len]

Keele wasn't like what we had been fed throughout the 80's where 60's newies was the mantra and each DJ did his bit to find the next big thing. The attitude of those who went was there in so far as we had a good night out socially, nowhere else to go kinda thing but the attitude of the DJ's of the previous decade definately wasn't there. It was as though they missed out that decade completely bar the biggies and returned to oldies completely. It would only be a year or two and the mass influx of returnees and a lack of diversity even amongs the oldies.

 

Yeh, that's about right....."different generation of people that were enjoying tunes that had been played to 'not many' through the 80's , 'as well as' everything else"......Enjoying The Wilton, Winsford 100 Club etc, 'as well as' Keele -  As you say, the people were there.

 

All the best,

 

Len  

Edited June 13, 2013 by LEN

[Len]

I fairly sure it was played by Cliff Steele at Lifeline last year, and at Boomerang to by him. It's a great dancer imo.

 

Yes - 'It's' a great Dancer....not so sure about me though - but I have a good 'bash' at it!  

 

Len  

Edited June 13, 2013 by LEN

[Back Street Blue]

Think it depends on your individual taste and perspective and what you are actually looking for from the scene.

 

Some thirst for knowledge and apparently tire of hearing stuff after a relatively short time and are always on the look out for the next big thing.

 

Some don't acquire the same depth of knowledge and are simply there to get lost in the music on the dance floor to tunes that they only hear when they are out and go to the venue or room that plays the sounds that fit their dance style. That lack of knowledge means they don't know all the sounds that come within their category and are hearing things new to them but of the same ilk even if it is old and tired to more knowledgeable folk.

 

The whole business of wallowing in the history of the original clubs also forms part of that enjoyment its the authenticity of it which later stuff just doesn't have nor do the later dl's have the same credibility as the first and biggest names.

 

M's had that draw to me as did the oldies niters at Wigan, right from 'the off. Like you choose your room at a current event for your personal taste, that's what M's offered the chance to dance to those first pioneers records. 

 

So I think that the "nostalgia" aspect was always part of the scene like it or not.

 

We went to local events to continue hearing the M's stuff after Wigan closed and still do.

 

Thought the thread was about where next musically anyway not where's it been. 

[Guest MrC]

Thought the thread was about where next musically anyway not where's it been. 

 

Best sentence in the whole thread!