Mr M's Wigan

[Back Street Blue]

I've had this conversation before and I think it was left as I was mistaken - but as my memory serves me there was two weeks on the run where the crowd was so low that only M's was opened.

 

The doors to the Main Room were left open and it was very odd to see a silent and empty Main Room.

 

Must have been a bit of a downer......never saw that personally but then again I went to oldies nights mostly.....but don't doubt your photographic memory 

[Pete S]

That Mr. M's podcast I put up on friday has now attracted over 1000 listeners, the average for a podcast is around 250, some have 400, a few have 600, where are all these people finding out about it?

[Mach]

cant remember that one Baz, but can vividly remember an 8pm till 8am 12hr main room niter, circa 1979/80 but no one else can recall that either. the thing that sticks in my mind was that it was on a bonfire night, because my mate Paul Wilkys dad drove us down that night and all the fireworks...etc seemed surreal..

Edited June 25, 2013 by Jarvel

[Barry]

That Mr. M's podcast I put up on friday has now attracted over 1000 listeners, the average for a podcast is around 250, some have 400, a few have 600, where are all these people finding out about it?

 

I posted it on my FB page and Brian Rae's too.

[Mach]

That Mr. M's podcast I put up on friday has now attracted over 1000 listeners, the average for a podcast is around 250, some have 400, a few have 600, where are all these people finding out about it?

probably most peeps on here re ;l iving their youth

[Mark R]

That Mr. M's podcast I put up on friday has now attracted over 1000 listeners, the average for a podcast is around 250, some have 400, a few have 600, where are all these people finding out about it?

 

 

I shared it on some old Wigan attendess Facebook pages local to me, and I know in turn other local folk have spotted it!

 

 

Cheers,

Mark R

[Missing Link]

That Mr. M's podcast I put up on friday has now attracted over 1000 listeners, the average for a podcast is around 250, some have 400, a few have 600, where are all these people finding out about it?

Someone's posted a link to the podcast on the 'Northern Soul' Facebook page which has 51000 'likes' so I guess a lot will have come from there.

The quality is brilliant on the tape but the atmosphere is so much better on the Main Room tapes.

[Pete S]

Someone's posted a link to the podcast on the 'Northern Soul' Facebook page which has 51000 'likes' so I guess a lot will have come from there.

The quality is brilliant on the tape but the atmosphere is so much better on the Main Room tapes.

 

I know, that's why I'm surprised it's got so many hits and become so popular when I've posted a dozen up with proper atmosphere!

[KevH]

Someone's posted a link to the podcast on the 'Northern Soul' Facebook page which has 51000 'likes' so I guess a lot will have come from there.

The quality is brilliant on the tape but the atmosphere is so much better on the Main Room tapes.

 

51,000.? Wow.!! 

[Missing Link]

I know, that's why I'm surprised it's got so many hits and become so popular when I've posted a dozen up with proper atmosphere!

Your main room ones really bring back memories of what it was like. Thanks for posting them.

Sadly the few I made have long gone (and were poor quality anyway as my cassette recorder wasn't very good).

[richo991]

went up on balcony in m's one night very hot & steamy condensation dripping of ceiling  but there again if you where dancing 

and some body did a spin ,it was like standing in a shower!

                                                                                   had some great nights in there

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                  KTF Richo

[Guest manusf3a]

One of my best memories ,walking through the door just as Brian Rae was putting Rubins "You been away",on ,this being my first nighter back after an extended all expenses paid holiday courtesy of H M,good to be out,sure,hearing that record as the first one coming back to M s ,even better.

[Zoomsoulblue]

M's entrance was situated up on the balcony to the left of where you see the stage in the main room - the room actually would have run above and behind the stage area in the Main Room.

 

Walk up the (gents bog) staircase and turn back on yourself the double doors into M's 'foyer', a carpetted area about 30 foot by 15 (which would have been above the Gents bog) were on the left.

 

The foyer walls were covered in faux wood veneer panels - big one, small one, medium one kinda thing - people usually sat about on the floor chatting.

 

On the right hand foyer wall were two sets of doors (one either side of the small stage that housed the dj area on the othe side of the wall) that led to M's dancefloor - and facing you on the back wall to the left was the small staircase to the balcony that ran up and right.

 

On M's ground/dancefloor we used to try and get one of the booths through the left hand door (dj's to your right) and generally facing where Wayne Hackett from Leigh would dance - you could get about four or five in a booth seat.

 

If you managed to get through the generally locked doors at the back of M's it brought you out at ground level, which was a bit of a headf*ck - we nicked in that way on occassion and hid in the bogs til we heard the music come on.

 

The balcony was quite a tight area at the sides (people would crash there making it more difficult to get by), prob five foot from balcony to the wall but there was a fairly decent spacious area at the back which would house carpet dancers.

 

It was a real sweat-box when at it's height.

 

Bang on 100% $hit I thought I was there - normally an older crowd played oldies on oldies and on a Friday night guess what more oldies - turned up at the casino one night about 10 O clock it was freezing we went round the back entrance which was the entrance to Mr M's which I believe was called Jenny's — the bouncers let us in, there were rockers in there playing heavy rock and shacking there heads in the middle of Mr M's dance floor, we quietly sat in the reception area - chewing our nuts off - like you do — till midnight

[Ceejay]

M's entrance was situated up on the balcony to the left of where you see the stage in the main room - the room actually would have run above and behind the stage area in the Main Room.

 

Walk up the (gents bog) staircase and turn back on yourself the double doors into M's 'foyer', a carpetted area about 30 foot by 15 (which would have been above the Gents bog) were on the left.

 

The foyer walls were covered in faux wood veneer panels - big one, small one, medium one kinda thing - people usually sat about on the floor chatting.

 

On the right hand foyer wall were two sets of doors (one either side of the small stage that housed the dj area on the othe side of the wall) that led to M's dancefloor - and facing you on the back wall to the left was the small staircase to the balcony that ran up and right.

 

On M's ground/dancefloor we used to try and get one of the booths through the left hand door (dj's to your right) and generally facing where Wayne Hackett from Leigh would dance - you could get about four or five in a booth seat.

 

If you managed to get through the generally locked doors at the back of M's it brought you out at ground level, which was a bit of a headf*ck - we nicked in that way on occassion and hid in the bogs til we heard the music come on.

 

The balcony was quite a tight area at the sides (people would crash there making it more difficult to get by), prob five foot from balcony to the wall but there was a fairly decent spacious area at the back which would house carpet dancers.

 

It was a real sweat-box when at it's height.

 

 

Great description................I used to love the place!!!

 

There was a table along the back wall on the balcony (see photo)...............I think it was maybe a trolley rather than a table, with a metal top if my memory serves me correctly.

 

Carol 

Edited June 28, 2013 by CeeJay

[spin]

Great thread......still wear my  Mr M s badge with pride......Yate Soulies on tour!!

[harpo1]

I would go in there on Saturday nights, when the quality of stuff played in the big room went through that dire few years, never other than to see mates at the oldies.

In those last 2 years when the 60's and early modern sounds were being played, and the quality of the music was at its amazing zenith, i don't remember even the thought of M's ever entered my head, and i spent my nights either dancing, or in the little room behind the stage.

[Chris Turnbull]

Funny, having been too young to have gone to Wigan it is hard trying to piece it together in your mind - what was the little room behind the stage? Have never heard of that before. Great thread BTW - Nathan Jones a forgotten gem!

[Dennyj]

Downstairs Main Room Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balcony Plan:

 

 

 

My shit editing skills have cut off the Soft Drinks Bar - The Coffee, Tea an Pie Bar and the Leathers & Sheepskins Cloakroom at the back of the balcony.

 

I've missed the 'shop' out near M's too.

 

'tastic stuff !

8-)

[Guest DeeJay]

Downstairs Main Room Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balcony Plan:

 

 

 

My shit editing skills have cut off the Soft Drinks Bar - The Coffee, Tea an Pie Bar and the Leathers & Sheepskins Cloakroom at the back of the balcony.

 

I've missed the 'shop' out near M's too.

You've also missed the telephone boothe out, at the side of the record bar : )

Going back to M's which i didnt go in that much, wasnt there always huge roll of carpet or long length of plywood in that corridor that led to the fire exit at the back?

[Pauldonnelly]

I never ever visited Mr M's

 

why was it called Mr M's?

[Ian Parker]

The owner Gerry 'Marshall' named it after himself I believe.

[Chatty]

Correct, and there was a smaller room off Mr Ms with a small bar and dance floor called Gerrys Inn also named after the afore mentioned.

[andys locker]

So...where was Sterlings shack then,with mini bar and dance floor ?

[Carty]

At some point in early 77 i think ,   the oldies all nighter had gone massive  so fortnightly   allnighters  on a friday were run( with limited success but maybe five or six hundred in )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   they must have been profitable  because at one point  it was decided to open up mister ms  only   for all nighters  when neither the main oldies or the fortnightly ones were running ..... so  i thought i would give it a go,    anyway , it was obvious from the start that it had not been advertised properly and only  9 ( nine ) people turned up !                                                                                     After about an hour everyone present realised this was going to be a dead loss so it was closed at about one a.m.      problem was i had come on the train from manchester , was wide awake( ahem) and had no way of getting home   . another guy from little hulton was in the same boat .                                                                                                            A Guy called Billy Mac  from wigan  and his mate Robbo  heard about this and the four of us went back to Billys for the evening , at his place the night really got going , remember his sister and her boyfriend  coming back from a night out and giving me a bottle of vodka to work through ,    A  forgotten  chapter in the casinos history.

[Otis Smith]

For me at the time, first stop Gerry's inn, a pint, games of pool, then through to m's, early session, Searling, Soul-twins etc. then through m's door, onto top balcony, wait for cleaners (free admission for them, as wages), then into main room, straight into record bar. I went into M's, a few times, on one occasion, I had an invite off the late Chris Savory, to the casino party.

[Paul R]

 

I Meant to quote Cartys post above, but here is Billy Mac with Wacker & my Sister next to Mr Ms door in 1974.

 

Paul

Edited August 3, 2013 by Paul r

[Carty]

Thanks for putting that up Paul .

[Paul Shirley]

'Ere you go Barry some of the St Helens crowd at the top of the staircase down waiting to go into M's 1978. They be waiting to get in first to get a booth. Used to take over the booths on the left as you go in next to DJ area....

yeah and us wiganers took over the ones on the right in 74. 75 76 not sure about later ,nah but i remember folks from  the st helens  warington and surrounding areas all knocked around together and occupied most of the red seat's near the stage  some of the best times of my life in there also the worst due to a big bag of pondrax  

Edited August 5, 2013 by steptoe

[Guest martyn]

You've also missed the telephone boothe out, at the side of the record bar : )

Going back to M's which i didnt go in that much, wasnt there always huge roll of carpet or long length of plywood in that corridor that led to the fire exit at the back?

Remember standing next to the phone booth with Tony Worat one night. Some random girl came up & said to me "can you give me 2p to phone a friend". Before I could answer Tony said "Here, take 4p & phone them all"......

[Paul R]

Although you could not be served alcohol at the allnighters, did anyone else suss out that you could pour yourself a beer in the upstairs bar in Mr Ms. In 1975.  I did!!!!!!!

 

Paul

[Chatty]

Slightly random but......

 

Why whenever there is a thread about Wigan people ALWAYS feel the need to add 'when it went crap' for them?.....

 

Down the years on this forum I've read Wigan went crap in 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80 and 1981......... so that's only 2 years where the fooking place was any good, then!..

 Ha ha, and the best bit is they never went again  after it  turned crap but can still tell you how shite it was from then on!

[Barry]

Have to add that having only attended Wigan 1980/81 I never saw M's as a place that played Oldies - I couldn't due to me age - it was a little learning box for some of us.

 

So for all the stick it gets for playing Oldies it had it's purpose in grounding us youngsters to some great Niter plays that we prob wouldn't have experienced without it.

[Back Street Blue]

Have to add that having only attended Wigan 1980/81 I never saw M's as a place that played Oldies - I couldn't due to me age - it was a little learning box for some of us.

 

So for all the stick it gets for playing Oldies it had it's purpose in grounding us youngsters to some great Niter plays that we prob wouldn't have experienced without it.

 

Only went 4 or 5 times in 1980.......and about the same in 1981......usually oldies nights and anniversaries when there was enough interest

as most of my mates were turning into funkateers by then, started going more to dayers and clubs like Smarties in Manchester.

 

This is some of us in 1980...

 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2013 by back street blue

[Back Street Blue]

                                                                                             ......just dug these out......all I've got left in terms of memorabilia 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2013 by back street blue

[Chris Turnbull]

The main tracks I always remember when I went in Ms where:- Gimme Some Lovin'-Spencer Davis, Get Ready For Love-Paintbox,  Opus 17- Four Seasons, Hey Hey Bunny-John Fred Playboy Band, Nathan Jones-Supremes. Help Me-Spellbinders. This was about 75, 76.  I was mainly a Main room kinda guy.  Shows that there was plenty of "blue eyed" stuff played as well as soulfull stuff.

 

Paul

 

Been re-reading this excellent thread and this post stood out

 

If you went to Mr M's what tunes do you remember always being on?

 

What about the blue eyed stuff like Paintbox or John Fred that seems to be forgotten now? Really interesting to hear what was played

 

Cheers, Chris.

[Back Street Blue]

Been re-reading this excellent thread and this post stood out

If you went to Mr M's what tunes do you remember always being on?

What about the blue eyed stuff like Paintbox or John Fred that seems to be forgotten now? Really interesting to hear what was played

Cheers, Chris.

M's stapels that come to mind;

James Carr- that's all I want to know / Davis & Tyler - hold on help is on the way / Soul Sisters - good time tonight/ Brooks & Jerry - I got what it takes /Mitch Ryder - you get your kicks/ Rex Garvin - sock it to'em JB/ Bill Cosby -Lil ol Man/ blue eyed Shane Martin - I need you/ soul twins - quick change artist/ the velvettes - gotta find/ me somebody/ the Dynatones - the fife piper/ fantastic Johny C - don't depend on me/ spencer davis group - trampoline / Ramsey Lewis - wade in the water

........Then you sat down and lit a players' No.6 to get your breath back!!!

Edited December 12, 2014 by back street blue

[Chris Turnbull]

M's stapels that come to mind;

James Carr- that's all I want to know / Davis & Tyler - hold on help is on the way / Soul Sisters - good time tonight/ Brooks & Jerry - I got what it takes /Mitch Ryder - you get your kicks/ Rex Garvin - sock it to'em JB/ Bill Cosby -Lil ol Man/ blue eyed Shane Martin - I need you/ soul twins - quick change artist/ the velvettes - gotta find/ me somebody/ the Dynatones - the fife piper/ fantastic Johny C - travelling man/ spencer davis group - trampoline / Ramsey Lewis - wade in the water

........Then you sat down and lit a players' No.6 to get your breath back!!!

 

Great stuff, thanks - a lot of Wheel / 6t's type sounds I guess.

 

Presumably the more poppy white stuff like Spencer Davis or Frankie Valli 'Opus' would have been played in some more mainstream clubs as new releases and were revival sounds at Mr M's?

[Back Street Blue]

The stuff played in the mainstream night clubs obviously varied over Wigan's eight year lifespan...

The Wheel and other 60's clubs played contempory releases of the day...SDG and other Mod groups which may be where some of that blue eyed stuff came from

As NS popped up on the main stream radar in the middle 70's it wasn't unusual to hear some sounds played at regular night clubs.."Disco's" but also there was a lot of Motown/Philadelphia stuff plus funk (e.g. War/ fatback band etc) being released and played at them too, in amongst Carl Douglas, Middle of the Road, Lt.Pigeon etc.

Don't think M's was about reviving the Wheel/Torch/Cat's sounds....more like a continuity of the music that just kept on going and didn't die with the earlier clubs or the earlier crowd.

...Just my addled view of things obviously

[maslar]

I could never understand the logic behind Mr Ms. In the time I went 1980 -81 it seemed that the djs who played both rooms on a Saturday  would play most of the same records Fife Piper, Bill Cosby, Don Covay etc I always though Ms would have worked better as a 70s, newies/modern, call it whatever you like,  room.

[Back Street Blue]

I could never understand the logic behind Mr Ms. In the time I went 1980 -81 it seemed that the djs who played both rooms on a Saturday would play most of the same records Fife Piper, Bill Cosby, Don Covay etc I always though Ms would have worked better as a 70s, newies/modern, call it whatever you like, room.

There was a thread with an article about how M's came into being, details of the DJ's etc....using my phone so too hard to look for it....maybe not the case in 80/81 but the 70's and "modern" stuff was getting played downstairs which didn't appeal to everyone. The demand for the stuff played in M's was obviously significant, so much so that the Oldies nights were introduced in '76.

[El Corol]

Two sounds I remember from Mr M's:

Don Covay - It's Better to Have

Lee Dorsey - Ride Your Pony

[Winsford Soul]

Remember coming out of Mr M,s one morning after telling Brian Rae that I would give him a lift with his record boxes back to the infamous white astra van, upon opening the back door we where greeted with about 10" of snow . That made the cobbles like ball bearings on oil. God that was fun, off our heads trying to walk in snow with those massive record boxes that Brian took everywhere at that time then we had the pleasure of digging the van out of the snow.

Steve

[ulyssees]

If the Main room was your benevolent uncle, Mr M's was the nutcase cousin locked up in the attic.

 

K.I.R.

[Triode]

A piece of memorabilia "rescued" from M's entrance at the rear of the Casino...

[SHEFFSOUL]

Taking liberties here with people in pics:

 

I'm sure this is in the foyer between balcony and Ms, between the doors

wigan 002.jpg

 

And this is (as is obvious) by the decks in Ms

wigan 008.jpg

 

Now who can guess the characters (second pic obviously an early Rohypnol fiend!)

 

 

 

hmmn..the guy in the bottom photo..was he from Notts?..if so , i'm sure i was arrested with him..(his fault)  outside Wigan one Sunday morning..around 1977...

[SHEFFSOUL]

Heres my take on it, i attended Wigan early 74 thru to early 78. I think M's opened late 74 around the time of the 1st anniversary.I used it when the main hall DJ was playing stuff i didnt like..usually Minshull..as when your on form and buzzing nicely you want to keep dancing ( generally speaking), i never thought it was a shit hole, but great way to roam around and chill out recharge.Many times M's was so packed you couldn't dance so you'd chill to the sounds..in the early days these were the tunes that were played Wheel,Torch etc then later as Wigan oldies..i heard many tunes that i only knew by name.It did get very hot..many of my pics are fogged cos of the temperature.I sneaked in via the rear street entrance a few times..one of the better things about Wigan was that there was the opportunity to roam about and chill in a small space if you wanted to..there were loads of them..Not only oldies were played in there..i remember hearing Jobell/orch ..The only time i saw things get nasty were in M's..upstairs..on a few occasions i spent most of the night in there..save to say..i always danced in the main room to Searlings spot..maybe JV's..also..on the whole a great place as an extra or add on to the the Main venue..fond memories..

[Steve L]

hmmn..the guy in the bottom photo..was he from Notts?..if so , i'm sure i was arrested with him..(his fault)  outside Wigan one Sunday morning..around 1977...

 

 

Garry Churm from Mansfield (well Warsop really) don't think he's ever been arrested... :ohmy:

[SHEFFSOUL]

Garry Churm from Mansfield (well Warsop really) don't think he's ever been arrested... :ohmy:

thats it Gary..yes he has..with me (Martin 'Elvis' Davis (ex Skegness) Gary Wade, Ray Chapman and a girl who#s name i forget..

[Drewtg]

Can anyone give me a warts and all description of Mr M's room.

 

I can't say I have ever read anything too complementary about the place. What was it's attraction?

 

Facebook was awash with people complaining about the recent film; they said it laid too much influence on the 'drug scene' at Wigan. If you want to know what M's was like just think of a smaller version of the main dance hall and think of people dancing and dancing and dancing to ANYTHING that was popped on the decks. I'm not saying that everyone WAS blocked - it just seemed like it.

M's opened regularly after the 2nd anniversary (Sept 75), at that time the Casino opened at 2:00 am and so M's used to open after the dj's who had been doing The Beachcomber carried all their kit from there to M's.

From it's first opening, M's was for dancers only. I heard many an old Wheel, Torch, even chart sound in there ('Wooly Bully' springs to mind). It was probably about a 1/3rd or a 1/4 the size of the main hall and the floor could get really packed - not much room for floor-work but if you liked to stomp you were guaranteed 1/2 a square yard. As you probably know, the club was a shithole, with the eponymous Mr Marshall refusing to spend anything from his ill-gotten on the punters. There was banquet seating around the sides of the room with some formica topped tables and the carpets around the edge of the dance floor and the upstairs balcony were a disgrace - definite health hazzard even in those days. There was a bar upstairs but I can't remember if it was ever open. There was an ante-room to M's where you could chill and possibly a cloakroom there once upon a time. Years later they opened a hole in the wall just outside M's to flog 'Spencer's' to the wannabe's.

The music policy was whatever Kenny and Steve, etc wanted to play. Downstairs we would rush from the record bar to listen to the latest crime being commited by Minsh or Winstanley, but M's was immune from all that. The sounds were eclectic to say the least. I heard Sack o woe (Cannonball Adderley), Scratchy, Anne Dandrea (Inst) and Only so much oil in the ground (Tower of Power). As the years went by, older Wigan sounds and chart stuff like Don Covey (Better to have) were played, I am told.

If you want to get a mental picture of M's, think of a dancefloor about as big as a penalty area, in a condemned nightclub, add about three hundred sweating, amphetamine soaked dancers. Rack the temperature up to about fifty degrees C, turn up the music. Can you hear it?..............Creation - I Got the fever. Get stomping boy

[Steve L]

thats it Gary..yes he has..with me (Martin 'Elvis' Davis (ex Skegness) Gary Wade, Ray Chapman and a girl who#s name i forget..

 

He's kept that quiet for nearly 40 years