Why Allnighters - Back In The Day?

[Orotava]

I`m still a relative newbie on here, rekindling my love of the music and record collecting after a 30+ year break so apologies if this has been done before.

 

My wife asked me why the scene had/ has Allnighters (presumably Alldayers came later) and I couldn`t answer her.  Anyone enlighten me please??

 

Thanks & regards,

 

Pete

[Citizen P]

Kept the speed freaks off the street...

[Back Street Blue]

Could be licensing issues concerning restrictions on music and dancing...........

or simply that they emerged to meet the demands of a customer base populated mainly by self imposed insomniacs?

[Harry Crosby]

Kept the speed freaks off the street...

That's about it. Nobody wanted to go home, cos they were all off there heads.

[Ian Dewhirst]

It just made all the sense in the world. Because there were not that many venues spread around the North, it meant long travels for many people so I guess it made sense that you could get a good 8 hours in before the trek home.

 

I wonder when the first verifiable Northern Soul all-nighter happened then? The Wheel?

 

Ian D 

[Stevie T]

the only music i know to grab you in such away , that no time is ever long enough to savor and dance , or is that just me . 

[sonnyboy]

Allnighters started in the London mod clubs such as the Flamingo and then spread northwards to the Twisted Wheel  which was a mod allnight RnB club long before Dave Godin even termed the phrase "Northern Soul"

[Daved]

It just made all the sense in the world. Because there were not that many venues spread around the North, it meant long travels for many people so I guess it made sense that you could get a good 8 hours in before the trek home.

 

I wonder when the first verifiable Northern Soul all-nighter happened then? The Wheel?

 

Ian D 

Didn't the mod clubs in London have allnighters in the mid 60s?

[Ted Massey]

Birmingham did it was called the Midnight ? im having a senior moment cant remember  the other part might have been City

[Winnie :-)]

All nighters would be seen as rebellious by the older generation, so I'm imagining that would have been a major factor in how and why they started, basically to get away from the norm. Just an opinion by the way, not a fact. 

[Roburt]

The King Mojo (Sheffield) had niters from around 1964/65 thru till the council ensured it was closed down (by not granting it a license when club licenses were brought in) in 1967.

........ the main reasons for this were ................

1/ Every niter at the club featured live acts (mostly visiting US soul acts). Those acts would play a normal Saturday nite gig (8 pm to midnight -- going on stage about 11pm). So they had already been paid for one show but only having a limited time in the UK were willing to go on to another club (Mojo, Wheel, Nite Owl, etc) and do a 2nd show of the night. ADVANTAGE of this for act was two pay cheques in one nite, for the club it was (usually) a discounted fee from the group for the early hours show.

2/  Getting to & from the club. The Mojo / Wheel /Nite Owl live show niters attracted soul fans / mods from a wide geographic area. So someone could get from Hull to Sheffield (say) after work and still meet up with mates (in cafe, pub) before heading off for the niter session starting at 11pm / midnight (or whatever). Night spent dancing and watching the live act. Club throw-out time around 8am. Catch 1st bus back into city centre (if you'd been at the Mojo, didn't apply at Wheel, Nite Owl) and then hang around with friends for hour or so for 1st train of the day to get back home.

 

So niters suited the club, the acts & the audiences. When dayers were introduced, getting home late on a Sunday evening was a bit more problematical. HOWEVER the act could perform at the dayer around 5pm and then move onto another club for a normal Sunday nite session (going on stage around 10pm). Again 2 fees in 1 day. 

Edited November 14, 2013 by Roburt

[bri phill]

The original allniters at The Wheel were more suited to the Bob Dylan duffle coat  brigade and dossers not The amphetamine crowd, like in London.

Many allniters  had people sitting about on the floor.

The mods seen the amphetamines as a clean drug unlike the older generation boozing and getting pissed and the coolest clubs being coffee bars.

[kevinsoulman]

I REMEMBER SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN ADY CROASDELL ON STUART McCONIES RADIO 2 SHOW SAYING HE WENT TO ONE AT AN OLD RAILWAY STATION IN DEEPEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE  IN THE 60'S THINK MODS AND SKINHEADS WERE MENTIONED.

I STAND TO BE CORRECTED ADY

KEV

[Guest Byrney]

I always had it down as a result of many of our ilk liking Phet, influenced from the mod days - but some interesting alternate views here, good thread

[Liamgp]

I seem to recall someone (Keb Darge?) talking about kidding venues that they were actually holding 'charity dance marathons' as saying 'it's an all-night soul music event' might have given people the wrong impression...

[Kevinkent]

Cos it beat spending all night in the motorway services, slotting your vinyl into a portable player and talking bollox to your mates. Let's face it - sleep wasn't an option.

- Kev

[ZootSuit]

I`m still a relative newbie on here, rekindling my love of the music and record collecting after a 30+ year break so apologies if this has been done before.

 

My wife asked me why the scene had/ has Allnighters (presumably Alldayers came later) and I couldn`t answer her.  Anyone enlighten me please??

 

Thanks & regards,

 

Pete

Bloody hell, you andme both, BUT my break started July 1974, came back for the 40th Wilby reunion, been wondering WHY I ever stopped,

loads of reasons, however to answer your question........gear AND music go together, U need some where to go when you're up and  cant sleep.....ERGO Northern Soul, gear AND Allnighters go hand in glove   :hatsoff2:           (PS NOT read any of the other replys) 

[Kevinkent]

 

I REMEMBER SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN ADY CROASDELL ON STUART McCONIES RADIO 2 SHOW SAYING HE WENT TO ONE AT AN OLD RAILWAY STATION IN DEEPEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE  IN THE 60'S THINK MODS AND SKINHEADS WERE MENTIONED.

I STAND TO BE CORRECTED ADY

KEV

I think that would have been Kelmarsh, which Ady is on record as stating as his introduction to the scene. There were a few others around that area and always tucked well away - the greyhound track at Earls Barton (near to the George at Wilby, already mentioned),the Red House (Halfway House?) between Northampton and Kettering,and Bletsoe at a pig farm over the border in bedfordshire. Happy days, err ..nights.

- Kev

[Quinvy]

I seem to remember my older sister and her mates being very pissed off that every time they found a great allnighter the police raided it and closed it down because of the drug takers/sellers.

Consequently rather than saying that it was drugs that made allnighters, they were the main reason that most were shut down.

[Guest gordon russell]

I seem to remember my older sister and her mates being very pissed off that every time they found a great allnighter the police raided it and closed it down because of the drug takers/sellers.

Consequently rather than saying that it was drugs that made allnighters, they were the main reason that most were shut down.

IT WAS THE DRUG TAKERS THAT MADE IT GOOD THOUGH PHIL..........SO CHICKEN & EGG  METHINKS LOL

[Guest]

Kept the speed freaks off the street...

Nothing freaky about feeling great all night and dancing to all your favorite records till 8.00am! Best times ever!!

Edited November 16, 2013 by Guest

[pogo paul]

It comes down to "work hard-play hard" cramming as much as you can before work on monday morning.

[spike1]

It comes down to "work hard-play hard" cramming as much as you can before work on monday morning.

We worked all week danced all weekend

Smashed. From Friday night till about Wednesday then did it all again

Nighters why ? WHY FUKIN NOT?

40 years later still at it

[ZootSuit]

I REMEMBER SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN ADY CROASDELL ON STUART McCONIES RADIO 2 SHOW SAYING HE WENT TO ONE AT AN OLD RAILWAY STATION IN DEEPEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE  IN THE 60'S THINK MODS AND SKINHEADS WERE MENTIONED.

I STAND TO BE CORRECTED ADY

KEV

Yep, run by Gibby, two off in fact Kelmarsh and Wilby, were talking 1968-9, a lot of us from luton used to go the George at Wilby, had a 40th Reunion couple of years ago, and then we'd be int back of a transit and off to an Allnighter, where ever, as mentioned....Bletsoe, Market Harborough, Torch etc came later.

 

 

Sorry Kevin, just seen your reply

Edited November 17, 2013 by ZootSuit

[Sjclement]

All night dancing not a new thing, being a bit anorakish over it I wonder if it had anything to do with the dance marathons they had in the states in the 30s  and 40s bought over by the GIs (obviously not during the war, blackouts etc) but afterwards?

[paultp]

They were a way for venue owners to hire out their venue outside normal licensing hours. It was a case of a demand matching a need, most groups/scenes would want a bar at the venue, the soul scene didn't. Most venues couldn't serve alcohol legally after 2 am so shut when their license finished. A crowd that didn't want a bar and were happy to wait unti 1 am to start enabled venue owners to get a second set of takings on the night. Wigan is a classic example.

[Jez Jones]

Cos it beat spending all night in the motorway services, slotting your vinyl into a portable player and talking bollox to your mates. Let's face it - sleep wasn't an option.

- Kev

haha...You not wrong there Kev....,,,,,,wonder what the Motorway services staff thought of us....people from far and wide gravitating towards a service station coz it was the only place open all night!!

[Steve S 60]

All night dancing not a new thing, being a bit anorakish over it I wonder if it had anything to do with the dance marathons they had in the states in the 30s  and 40s bought over by the GIs (obviously not during the war, blackouts etc) but afterwards?

 

My mother and aunty took part in jive marathons in their late teens / early twenties.  Took place at the Drill Hall in town.  On one occasion they set a world record (made it into the Guinness Book of Records) of forty hours.  They danced to a live band, and once they made it into Sunday morning, they had to carry on dancing to a drumbeat only because of the music licencing laws.  When I looked it up on the internet I was amazed to discover the date (April 1960), which meant my mother would have been two and a half months pregnant with me.

[Blueten]

Hi All.Have attached membership card of Kelmarsh if anyone interested.  

[Guest Chiefy]

Will never forget first time blocked ,journey in back of Van from Cali to Kelmarsh and arriving middle of nowhere by side of railway bridge with skinheads standing in groups verballing and getting into a sort of shed where every sound played was new to me almost .Place was unique. I only caught it in its last year. Kelmarsh M. Harborough, S+Sinners, Bletsoe (some nights) and the black horse was the best pre all nigher (or granada ) since the George. We was privelleged!

[Sweeney]

Allnighters started in the London mod clubs such as the Flamingo and then spread northwards to the Twisted Wheel  which was a mod allnight RnB club long before Dave Godin even termed the phrase "Northern Soul"

 

My parents-in-law used to frequent All Night Jazz Sessions in the mid fifties in Soho.

[Northernjordan]

I am pretty sure it's simple as young people want to party, and party all night. Not party for a few hours then be told to bugger off home and be tucked up in bed by 9pm on a friday evening... Thats one thing thats never going to change

[Dave Rimmer]

My parents-in-law used to frequent All Night Jazz Sessions in the mid fifties in Soho.

 

My parents did their courting at an establishment known locally as 'Wigan Emp'. Before the allnighters started of course

[Sweeney]

My parents did their courting at an establishment known locally as 'Wigan Emp'. Before the allnighters started of course

 

Dave - merely pointing out that the Mods weren't the first young reprobates staying up all night to listen to obscure Black American music. 

[ZootSuit]

Will never forget first time blocked ,journey in back of Van from Cali to Kelmarsh and arriving middle of nowhere by side of railway bridge with skinheads standing in groups verballing and getting into a sort of shed where every sound played was new to me almost .Place was unique. I only caught it in its last year. Kelmarsh M. Harborough, S+Sinners, Bletsoe (some nights) and the black horse was the best pre all nigher (or granada ) since the George. We was privelleged!

 

H, Absolutley spot on !!!!

Edited November 21, 2013 by ZootSuit

[ZootSuit]

Hi All.Have attached membership card of Kelmarsh if anyone interested.  Kelmarsh.jpgKelmarsh.jpgKelmarsh.jpg

  Mark, WHAT haven't you got membership cards for ?