The Torch - How Big?

[Northern Soul Uk]

There is a debate going on on Facebook about how many the Torch had in at it's fullest.
Apparently it has been quoted in Elaine Constantine's book (page 76) "with 2000 in it was brilliant".
 

We are doubting that 2000 ever got into the place, and the most ever was at the Major Lance event.

Has anyone got any idea of the official maximum capacity of the venue? or even better the official figure
for the attendance for the ML gig?
 

I remember it being packed for that event and I would probably put the figure more at 'maybe' a 1000-1200??

Edited October 27, 2013 by Northern Soul UK

[Guest Byrney]

There is a debate going on on Facebook about how many the Torch had in at it's fullest.

Apparently in her book (page 76) Elaine Constantine states "with 2000 in it was brilliant".

We are doubting that 2000 ever got into the place, and the most ever was at the Major Lance event.

Has anyone got any idea of the official maximum capacity of the venue? or even better the official figure

for the attendance for the ML gig?I remember it being packed for that event and I would probably put the figure more at 'maybe' a 1000-1200??

No she doesn't as Elaine was too young to go.. It's quoted as Shelly (Who I think is from Belper).

Always best to get the facts right.

Edited October 27, 2013 by Byrney

[Geeselad]

Sure I can remember the original owner talking about planning the building out by placing toy soldiers in a scale model to check capacity. It was on Evisons show years ago when he did a torch special.

[Northern Soul Uk]

No she doesn't as Elaine was too young to go.. It's quoted as Shelly (Who I think is from Belper).

Always best to get the facts right.

Like saying it held 2000?

[Guest Byrney]

Like saying it held 2000?

You said Elaine said it, she didn't.

Don't know if the Torch held 2000 or not, to be honest I'm not arsed.

Try asking Shelly who is quoted. He's on here..

Edited October 27, 2013 by Byrney

[Garethx]

Hi

 

I wrote the book with Elaine. The figure of 2,000 was a quote from one of the people interviewed for the book who went to practically every Torch allnighter. It was meant to convey the point that the place got really packed: certainly in excess of the fire limit. It wasn't a scientific number based on till receipts. A load of people who went there were really young at the time and caught up in the excitement of it all. They certainly weren't doing a head count.

 

The remark was off the cuff and for effect.

 

Hope this answers the question in some way. Best to read the entire book and quote things in context before making sweeping condemnations of the text.

[Northern Soul Uk]

Original Post edited

[Northern Soul Uk]

Hi

 

I wrote the book with Elaine. The figure of 2,000 was a quote from one of the people interviewed for the book who went to practically every Torch allnighter. It was meant to convey the point that the place got really packed: certainly in excess of the fire limit. It wasn't a scientific number based on till receipts. A load of people who went there were really young at the time and caught up in the excitement of it all. They certainly weren't doing a head count.

 

The remark was off the cuff and for effect.

 

Hope this answers the question in some way. Best to read the entire book and quote things in context before making sweeping condemnations of the text.

I am merely quoting a post from facebook that someone stated. I thought I would open it up to those that may know, hoping that I may be able to get some facts as Opposed to estimations.

[Ady Croasdell]

It's like the 60s, if you went there you had no flummoxing idea how many were there, just that you'd had a hell of a night. Mind you 1200 sounds max.

[Guest gordon russell]

my thoughts about 900ish on a normal night......you gotta remember the gear was so good it made it all a bit sureal...was there when major lance was on deffo broke the attendance record  almost as many outside....a great memory

Edited October 27, 2013 by gordon russell

[Guest gordon russell]

One thing about the Torch was it always felt full and i mean rammed, just trying to move around the place(if you were brave enough)was practically impossible.

 

Numbers hard to estimate who? cares full takes some beating

 

 

Steve

 

and all the top sounds as a bonus!!

Yeah   dead right mate  gear or not...could be a scary place...always best to stick with ya mates   (as they were older lol)

[KevH]

Yeah   dead right mate  gear or not...could be a scary place...always best to stick with ya mates   (as they were older lol)

 

Not sure if the till receipts would have been an indication,bearing in mind the clientele.

[Guest gordon russell]

Not sure if the till receipts would have been an indication,bearing in mind the clientele.

75 new pence to get in...outrageous.........how ya head after saturday night

Edited October 28, 2013 by gordon russell

[Guest gordon russell]

It,s hard to grasp how so many  ner-do-wells  could find their way to one venue

[Northern Soul Uk]

50p on some nights LOL

Edited October 28, 2013 by Northern Soul UK

[SOULCENTRAL]

50p on some nights LOL

torch flyer.jpg

 

HI STEVE,

 

You went so whats your estimation of that magical place. But please remember the fact that you think the Leeds Central holds 400      lol.

 

Based on what i remember of the place, at that time where nearly every one in attendance was about 9 stone wet through, i would put the figure about 800 to 1000.

That would probably give you a personal dance area of about 1metre, sorry yard, square bot you would end up giving out about 30 plus apologies during the night for bumping into fellow dancers      .

 

regards ROY

[Guest BAKUNIN]

Watched it fill up from the balcony watching proper dancers warming up...magical days...anybody remember Howard from Derby or Mick ,coloured guy from Cambridge?

Capacity? Really cannot remember clocking that after 2am...in a different world by then.

Edited October 28, 2013 by BAKUNIN

[dthedrug]

:hatsoff2:HI ALL....Someone once told me it's capacity was 600 as a dance hall, & 450 when it was a cinema however in the all-nighters the attendance reached 1000. with many licencing rules broken and the average age of the goers, it seemed much more, without doubt MAJOR LANCE pulled the biggest attendance, as for being heavy the simple fact is the venue went from a local place to the in place very quickly this bought conflict, as a short lived venue it's the breaking of new sounds that we all love so much which makes it a #1 venue, and it's those records that turned people onto the NORTHERN SOUL SCENE whether you went or did not go does not matter in 2013 as long as you understand the importance of the TORCH :thumbsup:DAVE K  

[Chris L]

For some reason I have an "official" figure of 650 in my head, normal would be + - 800, more when top artists appearing. Was back at the site of the place on Saturday, you just can't believe how small the floorspace dimensions are. It's about 60 odd feet deep and about 120 feet wide.

[Chris L]

50p on some nights LOL

torch flyer.jpg

 

Nice, only weeks away from closure..............

[macca]

HI STEVE,

 

You went so whats your estimation of that magical place. But please remember the fact that you think the Leeds Central holds 400      lol.

 

Based on what i remember of the place, at that time where nearly every one in attendance was about 9 stone wet through, i would put the figure about 800 to 1000.

That would probably give you a personal dance area of about 1metre, sorry yard, square bot you would end up giving out about 30 plus apologies during the night for bumping into fellow dancers      .

 

regards ROY

 

So people were terribly polite only on the dancefloor, right? As soon as you left that particular sanctuary and swam the channel of deep water between the reefs, you'd expose yourself to the white death lurking in the kelp beds...   

[Guest gordon russell]

For some reason I have an "official" figure of 650 in my head, normal would be + - 800, more when top artists appearing. Was back at the site of the place on Saturday, you just can't believe how small the floorspace dimensions are. It's about 60 odd feet deep and about 120 feet wide.

Torch 2.JPG

Agree chris,but don,t forget the balcony area...not huge l grant you...would of held probably 50/60 at both ends  then those funny little balconies by the stage......different times  when packed  mean,t packed and as someone else said skinny little F88kers ..the only big bloke l ever remember was  BUB.....great days

[Guest gordon russell]

So people were terribly polite only on the dancefloor, right? As soon as you left that particular sanctuary and swam the channel of deep water between the reefs, you'd expose yourself to the white death lurking in the kelp beds...   

Paranoia  was a regular attendee  

[Guest in town Mikey]

Paranoia  was a regular attendee  

 Only cos Apathy couldn't be bothered to go. 

[Chris L]

Agree chris,but don,t forget the balcony area...not huge l grant you...would of held probably 50/60 at both ends  then those funny little balconies by the stage......different times  when packed  mean,t packed and as someone else said skinny little F88kers ..the only big bloke l ever remember was  BUB.....great days

 And of course I was forgetting the bogs, that held about 20 - 30 for sure...........

[Guest gordon russell]

 And of course I was forgetting the bogs, that held about 20 - 30 for sure...........

see em stampede out of there when someone opened the fire exit  with those sirens    wey hey

[Guest gordon russell]

 Only cos Apathy couldn't be bothered to go. 

wouldn,t let him in lol

[Julianb]

According to Chris Burton, when he completed his tax return, the maximum attendance was 150          

[Guest gordon russell]

According to Chris Burton, when he completed his tax return, the maximum attendance was 150          

bet he included major lance

[Rick Cooper]

 

Picture on the link shows about a quarter of the interior so a head count may give a rough estimate of the crowd about ten minutes after the doors opened.

Rick.

 

[ZootSuit]

There is a debate going on on Facebook about how many the Torch had in at it's fullest.

Apparently it has been quoted in Elaine Constantine's book (page 76) "with 2000 in it was brilliant".

 

We are doubting that 2000 ever got into the place, and the most ever was at the Major Lance event.

Has anyone got any idea of the official maximum capacity of the venue? or even better the official figure

for the attendance for the ML gig?

 

I remember it being packed for that event and I would probably put the figure more at 'maybe' a 1000-1200??

 

700 souls was a bloody squeeze !!!!!!

[Guest gordon russell]

 

Picture on the link shows about a quarter of the interior so a head count may give a rough estimate of the crowd about ten minutes after the doors opened.

Rick.

looks packed to me lol

[Guest Dave Mortimore]

Agree chris,but don,t forget the balcony area...not huge l grant you...would of held probably 50/60 at both ends  then those funny little balconies by the stage......different times  when packed  mean,t packed and as someone else said skinny little F88kers ..the only big bloke l ever remember was  BUB.....great days

.

. Those funny little balconies, slightly raised above and to either side of the stage, were small caged dancefloors.

.

. 500 to 600 would be capacity, leaving not much room to dance freely. The Major Lance event squeezed them in up to the rafters.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Dave Mortimore

[Guest Chiefy]

I was there for Major Lance. My recollection is attendence was roughly 2,423.

[shelly]

I think the official fire limit was 450, however, on the Major Lance night you couldn't even get to the dance floor, never mind dance, there was even a guy from Wolverhampton hanging from a beam above the stage during the show!

As Gareth mentioned, it was an off the cuff remark, meant to convey the excitement of the place when rammed; as for till receipts , what have you swallowed?

Shelly

[Northern Soul Uk]

HI STEVE,

 

You went so whats your estimation of that magical place. But please remember the fact that you think the Leeds Central holds 400      lol.

 

Based on what i remember of the place, at that time where nearly every one in attendance was about 9 stone wet through, i would put the figure about 800 to 1000.

That would probably give you a personal dance area of about 1metre, sorry yard, square bot you would end up giving out about 30 plus apologies during the night for bumping into fellow dancers      .

 

regards ROY

Hi Roy, hope you're well.

The Central IS a 400 capacity, next time I'm down there I will take a piccy of the legal capacity plate on the inside of the main entrance.

Granted you'd struggle to have 400 in a Northern event there as so much space is needed for dancing. but they regularly hit capacity and more

for other less space demanding events that they hold there.

Also Malc Burton and been in touch with Chris Burton and these are apparently the legit figures:

Quote Malc Burton:

Spoke with Chris Burton yesterday, and he confirmed that the licenced capacity of The Torch was 650, and most weeks at the height of its' success, there was usually 500-600 in. The attendance for Major Lance was 1,262.

 

Edited November 2, 2013 by Northern Soul UK