Empty Dancefloor - Dj Reactions

[Russ Vickers]

 

Dislike modern, personally think its crap ( Mods  IMHO).

 

Now thats a bit of a sweeping statement lol....thing is I've heard the same statement from people for years one way or another only to see them ripping up the dancefloor to a 'Modern Oldie' during the same night...things is whether people like it or not, like many other genres, 'Modern' has been an integral part of the NS scene for decades....

[Frankie M]

The "warm up" and beginning of the night spots can be difficult as folk are usually meeting and greeting  and getting that first drink or two.i do know that some people  are "fanatical " about filling the dance floor ,but punters have changed  over the years and with the mix of tunes and styles played ,often in one night these days then were will be the odd Exodus and why not ,if the same people attend the venue every time and there is no obvious "wringing of hands " then don't worry, as a warm up man myself I often see tumbleweed moving across the dance floor but am chuffed when someone gets up "early doors "

[Mellorful]

 

i think what is actually meant is the set flows and the records compliment each other. I've heard some Djs with the rarest of the rare but styles, genres and tempos all over the place leading to a disjointed set and the interest of the dancers couldn't be sustained. 

Hi Chalky

You're right and the Eric Morecombe sketch with Andre Previn spings to mind

All the right notes but not necessarily in the right order.

In the case of the DJ "all the right tunes but not necessarily in the right order" Consequently, the punters with a Hokey Cokey DJ, On the floor, off the floor, on the floor, off the floor, they do the hokey cokey and turn around and find another bloody room.......

Atb

Stu

[Mellorful]

I would say that Ady Croasdell, Mick Smith, Arthur Fenn, Terry Jones (Modern Terry not Motown Terry) Cliff Camfield, Gospel Bob, Dave Thorley, Mick H, Carl Fortnum, Irish Greg, Flynny, Ian Wright & many, many others get this right everytime, bar unavoidable circumstances outside DJ ability....

My personal opinions on the playlists have changed in recent years too, I am right on for the newies, I am also up for sets of mixed Soul Music, right across the decades & if the DJ is proffessional enough, it can be done....however, I truly believe the days of filling medium to large venues & dance floors with sets of upfront Soul Music are gone, its only the side rooms & intimate venues that can get away with this kinda policy these days & get enough people in & dancing to create an atmosphere....in the main, I think that venues have got to be playing at leat 80% oldies, hopefully interesting not thrashed to death oldies, but oldies all the same...with the other 20% being newies & a mixture of other genres other than NS, R&B, Latin, Modern, Crossover, Modern, Gospel etc.

Other than the fact that DJ's who are proffessional, will bring a dancefloor back, one way or another, there is a point that IMHO so far, everyone has missed....that is that when the dancers, know, respect & most importantly, trust a DJ, as long as said DJ is programmed on at the right time in the right place, within reason said DJ can play the slip mat & people will dance....I will give you a recent example, John Vincent was playing quite a large venue with a mostly oldies crowd with a handful of more open minded folk, he played a mix set of oldies & more recent discoveries & obscurities, crafted them all beautifully into a great set with a pretty much full dance floor & to my knowledge everyone had a big fat smiley face.....I would add that one of the other masters of acheiving this is of course the Butchmeister....

Food for thought........ when JV first played 'Go on & laugh' at Morecome Pier in the early 8ts it flopped BIG TIME, so much so, that it was one of the things that allegedly prompted John to drop out of DJing for some time, it did of course eventually end up in Butch's Box & with constant plays, has for decades been one of his top sounds, ramming dance floors up & down the country & Europe, it just goes to show, that great records, regardless of dance floor reaction, will eventually rise to the top....one of many examples BTW.....

Just my thoughts for what they are.....trust in the DJ from the dancefloor is the winning ingredient....

 

 

John Vincent played at Bridlington this year and spun several big expensive tunes, but to me his set sounded all over the place, mixing uptempo, slow, modern oldie crosssover etc. Play modern or crossover and I'm looking for the exit and it wouldn't matter if it was Baron Butch, King Richard, Lord Levine, Count Curtis, Prince Pep etc behind the decks; and I wouldn't be on my own because about 10 to 20 of us go out together who all enjoy the oldies (not necessarily top 100 either), some of us tolerate crossover but only one enjoys modern. If there are a few large groups in the audience similar to ours the DJ can lose the dancefloor quickly and if those groups have other room options available they're gone and it may not be possible to recover the floor.   

[Jordirip]

I'm sure I remember many years ago, in the dim and distant past, when we all danced to all aspects of northern all played in one room......maybe it was a dream.

[KevH]

I'm sure I remember many years ago, in the dim and distant past, when we all danced to all aspects of northern all played in one room......maybe it was a dream.

still happens. It's that the goal posts have widened and genres are mixed. Bitd the template may have been a little different fro today.  Basically a 60 minute can be fkd up by the best or worst dj,now or then.

[Russ Vickers]

John Vincent played at Bridlington this year and spun several big expensive tunes, but to me his set sounded all over the place, mixing uptempo, slow, modern oldie crosssover etc. Play modern or crossover and I'm looking for the exit and it wouldn't matter if it was Baron Butch, King Richard, Lord Levine, Count Curtis, Prince Pep etc behind the decks; and I wouldn't be on my own because about 10 to 20 of us go out together who all enjoy the oldies (not necessarily top 100 either), some of us tolerate crossover but only one enjoys modern. If there are a few large groups in the audience similar to ours the DJ can lose the dancefloor quickly and if those groups have other room options available they're gone and it may not be possible to recover the floor.   

Without being rude & this may not neccessarily be true of you or your group, but a lot on the oldies scene, wouldnt know a real Crossoer Record if it jumped up & kicked em in the bollox....BTW I feel the same way about many oldies & so do most of my friends, not only would we ave taken similar action to you n yours, but TBH we wouldnt have even been there in the first place.....such a shame that people have such closed minds over unfamiliar records...that wouldnt have happened at the Wheel, Torch, Mecca, Cats, Casino, Sams, Cleethorpes, Stafford, 100 Club & scores of other legendary clubs.....what happened that closed some peoples minds that they only want to listen to the cliche traditional four to the floor NS sounds...????.....never mind, its probably thier loss... 

Edited October 8, 2015 by Russ Vickers

[Guest johnny hart]

A DJs job description is to fill that floor! guys forget the oldies ,newies.upfront, lifeline,etc,etc. Well remember at the Wheel the DJ was told what to play! end of! now it seems the spotty herberts hold sway, advance 3 years to the Casino the infamous Rusty Winstanley had the audacity to play The Ventures,result empty floor,Even I as a soul purist walked off ,3 weeks later after Mr Ws persistance ,full dance floor!  LOL Johnny Hart.

[Paul Bear]

To me there is a few ways of looking at it.    1, promoter books dj because promoter loves what the dj plays and hopes his punters do too.  DJ plays what he was booked for and the floor empties and poor DJ left looking a twat.  Promoter should take the flack.   Promoter books a DJ and DJ plays completely different set than usual and floor empties.   DJ should take the stick knowing was booked for what normally plays.  Oldies DJ plays an oldies set in a upfront rare venue.  Floor empties so djs fault or promoters fault ?  Our front rare DJ plays upfront rare tunes in an oldies venue, floor empties so who's fault DJ or promoter ? 

Dj plays an across the board set of tunes from rare to known to uptempo to mid tempo put together perfectly to make the set floor and a bit of something for everyone in a Northern Soul venue and empties the floor.  Who's fault ?  I tell you who's fault this last one is its the friggin punters fault because they closed their friggin ears to anything than what they have heard a million times before 

[Quinvy]

Just a couple of points here. Sorry I don't have a clue how to do multi quotes on the new site, and with the iPad.

 

1. It's a fact that Soul Sam used to pack the R&B room at Middleton, when he was in the main room playing his King Mosses and other such horrors.

2. Lifeline was always supposed to be THE upfront venue with THE most discerning punters. So imagine my amusement when James Trouble got behind the decks and absolutely packed the floor with about half a dozen classic oldies.

 

[Guest Byrney]

I'm sure I remember many years ago, in the dim and distant past, when we all danced to all aspects of northern all played in one room......maybe it was a dream.

no, it happened but it has been wiped from the history books by those with big mouths and vested interests 

 

[KevH]

Just a couple of points here. Sorry I don't have a clue how to do multi quotes on the new site, and with the iPad.

 

1. It's a fact that Soul Sam used to pack the R&B room at Middleton, when he was in the main room playing his King Mosses and other such horrors.

2. Lifeline was always supposed to be THE upfront venue with THE most discerning punters. So imagine my amusement when James Trouble got behind the decks and absolutely packed the floor with about half a dozen classic oldies.

 

maybe that was one of those times when a preconceived idea of what someone was going to play didn't happen. Curveball and it worked for him. Right time right place.

[Quinvy]

maybe that was one of those times when a preconceived idea of what someone was going to play didn't happen. Curveball and it worked for him. Right time right place.

Not at all Kev, James was new to the scene and he had just discovered those records. So he was playing tunes that had blown him away. The fact that us old un's had been blown away by those records twenty years earlier wasn't an issue for James.

[Daved]

no, it happened but it has been wiped from the history books by those with big mouths and vested interests 

 

and interesting vests ......... to quote Boris Johnson

[Chalky]

Not at all Kev, James was new to the scene and he had just discovered those records. So he was playing tunes that had blown him away. The fact that us old un's had been blown away by those records twenty years earlier wasn't an issue for James.

his first record wasn't a new record to him, the fact he'd just paid £3k for it was the reason he felt fit to play it, it was the Salvador's, the supposedly St Louis press.  Lifeline has always played quality oldies in the mix. Neither do we tell djs what to play, just use some imagination.

Edited October 9, 2015 by chalky

[KevH]

Not at all Kev, James was new to the scene and he had just discovered those records. So he was playing tunes that had blown him away. The fact that us old un's had been blown away by those records twenty years earlier wasn't an issue for James.

Well my take on it was,he'd took time to listen to what was being played,and felt a few top oldies were needed.How long he'd known them for is another matter.

We are talking about Old Blue Bell aren't we.? 

Edited October 9, 2015 by KevH

[Chalky]

Well my take on it was,he'd took time to listen to what was being played,and felt a few top oldies were needed.We are talking about Old Blue Bell aren't we.? 

yeah ot was at Bell. But you are probably right regarding a few top oldies needed, they always are.

[Quinvy]

The fact remains that no one else would have dared to play those records at Lifeline. My point being that just because people attend a so called up front night doesn't mean they don't love the classics.

I was replying to Bearsy who stated that you can't play oldies to an upfront crowd, and vice versa.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Quinvy

[greenlight]

I've probably done the first hour to hour & a half at "Lifeline" Forty times , right back to when it was at Sheridans . . .  I've only ever had a combined total of Thirteen dancers in my 'career' . . . that's roughly a third of a person per hour per Lifeline . . . to see one third of a person on the dancefloor is VERY odd indeed . . . but I got used to it . .

 my records were either :- 1 - shit ,

                                              2 - in the wrong order ,

                                              3 - incorrectly mixed tempos ,    or

                                              4 - a combination of all the above . . .  it NEVER bothered me , tbh , I go out to listen to GREAT soul music and get a few beers down me ,  NOT watch what's happening on the dancefloor . . . but that's just ME . . .

[Chalky]

The fact remains that no one else would have dared to play those records at Lifeline. My point being that just because people attend a so called up front night doesn't mean they don't love the classics.

I was replying to Bearsy who stated that you can't play oldies to an upfront crowd, and vice versa.

we all love the classics, they are what we grew up with and I don't disagree with you, you need an element of the known alongside the unknown, even more so today.  But the choice is down to the Dj, personally if I wanted to hear the Salvadors I'd go to kings hall, far more known records I would sooner hear at an upfront (whatever that means today) night than that and the likes of Eddie Parker which has also featured at lifeline.  When a Dj is given the licence to be imaginative and adventurous and not worry about the floor as much they should take it.  if ypu can't or are afraid to use some imagination at an upfront nigt then there is littlehope left for the future, it will be a totally retro scene in no time.

I've probably done the first hour to hour & a half at "Lifeline" Forty times , right back to when it was at Sheridans . . .  I've only ever had a combined total of Thirteen dancers in my 'career' . . . that's roughly a third of a person per hour per Lifeline . . . to see one third of a person on the dancefloor is VERY odd indeed . . . but I got used to it . .

 my records were either :- 1 - shit ,

                                              2 - in the wrong order ,

                                              3 - incorrectly mixed tempos ,    or

                                              4 - a combination of all the above . . .  it NEVER bothered me , tbh , I go out to listen to GREAT soul music and get a few beers down me ,  NOT watch what's happening on the dancefloor . . . but that's just ME . . .

well I didn't want to be the one to tell you but.......

you play some great sets mate, probably more upfront than most if not all.

[manus]

I'm sure I remember many years ago, in the dim and distant past, when we all danced to all aspects of northern all played in one room......maybe it was a dream.

Thankfully it still happens at certain smaller venues I was at Soul Session in Sussex last week and there was 60s , Crossover and Modern all in the same room and no one blinked an eye or skipped a beat.

All the best

[Paul Bear]

The fact remains that no one else would have dared to play those records at Lifeline. My point being that just because people attend a so called up front night doesn't mean they don't love the classics.

I was replying to Bearsy who stated that you can't play oldies to an upfront crowd, and vice versa.

I was saying you wouldn't play a set of oldies at an upfront venue and visa versa.   5 oldies in a set don't make a whole set and if you played 5 upfront tunes in an oldies set it don't make it an upfront set.    

[ZootSuit]

Now thats a bit of a sweeping statement lol....thing is I've heard the same statement from people for years one way or another only to see them ripping up the dancefloor to a 'Modern Oldie' during the same night...things is whether people like it or not, like many other genres, 'Modern' has been an integral part of the NS scene for decades....

A very sweeping statment, I would'nt disagree,  perhaps this qualifies it

. I've been at venues where  blinding 'uptempo' tunes, (not out and out NS by a along chalk but certainly a slower  beat), have been mixed into a set and thourghly enjoyed it, BUT a full set of real 'smoochy' modern...no thanks.

But then back in the day things like Fife Piper, Make me yours, Amen and even Ramseys Wade in the water were/are not exactly uptempo compared to alot tunes being played at the time.

 

Edited October 12, 2015 by ZootSuit
grammer

[Sikirby]

I was saying you wouldn't play a set of oldies at an upfront venue and visa versa.   5 oldies in a set don't make a whole set and if you played 5 upfront tunes in an oldies set it don't make it an upfront set.    

Why not? They used to manage to do it at Wigan!

[Paul Bear]

Why not? They used to manage to do it at Wigan!

Wigan was 30 plus years ago it don't work now.  You try playing an oldies set in an rare underplayed room or visa versa the DJ would get lynched.   

[Frankie Crocker]

John Vincent played at Bridlington this year and spun several big expensive tunes, but to me his set sounded all over the place, mixing uptempo, slow, modern oldie crosssover etc. Play modern or crossover and I'm looking for the exit...

Big, big difference between Modern and Crossover. The latter includes late 60's verging into early 70's with a blend of old/new instrumentation and loads of good dance tracks that are floor-fillers and a great wind-down after a string of up-tempo oldies.

[Chalky]

Why not? They used to manage to do it at Wigan!

you had the same argument then as you do now

[Mellorful]

Big, big difference between Modern and Crossover. The latter includes late 60's verging into early 70's with a blend of old/new instrumentation and loads of good dance tracks that are floor-fillers and a great wind-down after a string of up-tempo oldies.

I understand the difference and generally I receive crossover tunes better than modern tunes, there are some crossover tunes I'm okay with, but many still have me looking for the exit. It was the set that JV played didn't do it for me because to me it felt all over the shop, others probably felt it was good, its all subjective.  At Bridlington there are several rooms to choose from so there was an easy option (and from memory) after a period I voted with my feet (as did about about a dozen of our group) and went into another room. 

[Guest turntableterra]

call me old fashioned, but I like people dancing to my record choice.

[Russ Vickers]

call me old fashioned, but I like people dancing to my record choice.

Ermmmmm but at what cost ????

 

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Blimey...read much of this thread. Very informative. I agree with a sequence or sub sets. I dance 95% wherever I go and a thoughtful stream of records with maybe similar nuances or connections is appreciated. Not just about the bpm or the groove. I like to be on the dance floor early, to appreciate the room, acoustics, and the early DJ's efforts along with the quality of the floor...a sort of recky. It's my chance to introduce myself to maybe a DJ I do not know, but to tell him or her that I am a dancer and will dance to old and newer records I do not know. I like surprises, like songs or versions never heard before. It's uplifting, especially when I detect it may be a Philly cut from the 60's, which isn't always easy to do, or a track that has a plucked bass line which leads me over to LA and maybe The Wrecking Crew. I like to be inventive on the dance floor and put my soul into my steps. I rely on the DJ in the first instance to give me the grooves and their experiences selecting the records. It's about their soul too, not just the singers, musicians etc, or even mine. I connect with the music, the bass player, drummers and song writer. I feel their input into the recording and respond. My steps revolve around the hooks, horn stabs, bass, drum beat...any thing that is prolific in the song. I become another instrument. 

I like oldies too, they have credence, quality, and memories that help me lock to the music. Some old songs are now giving me new memories that I can enjoy also. This last few years I have been all over the place and on the dance floor I see passion and respect from many other dancers. I recently wept when 'Oh my darling' by The Mirwood Orchestra was played by DJ Fay Jones recently. I blubbered about and was so moved by the orchestration I became emotional...for my sins. I had never heard the instrumental and it is such a powerful complicated song with key modulations all over the place. Each part of the song has different nuances that stimulate a change in direction, or step to be synchronous with the music. Top dancer..energetic, challenging etc. Then I heard that 'Rat Race'..my god, those horns...fantastic.

I also like a change of 'sound'. Slipping in the odd Philly cut really helps me too. That 'Waiting for the Rain' FJC - unbelievable. The morse code stabs a dancers dream track.

Anyway, I have not been drinking....yet.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Carl Dixon

[soultronic]

Blimey...read much of this thread. Very informative. I agree with a sequence or sub sets. I dance 95% wherever I go and a thoughtful stream of records with maybe similar nuances or connections is appreciated. Not just about the bpm or the groove. I like to be on the dance floor early, to appreciate the room, acoustics, and the early DJ's efforts along with the quality of the floor...a sort of recky. It's my chance to introduce myself to maybe a DJ I do not know, but to tell him or her that I am a dancer and will dance to old and newer records I do not know. I like surprises, like songs or versions never heard before. It's uplifting, especially when I detect it may be a Philly cut from the 60's, which isn't always easy to do, or a track that has a plucked bass line which leads me over to LA and maybe The Wrecking Crew. I like to be inventive on the dance floor and put my soul into my steps. I rely on the DJ in the first instance to give me the grooves and their experiences selecting the records. It's about their soul too, not just the singers, musicians etc, or even mine. I connect with the music, the bass player, drummers and song writer. I feel their input into the recording and respond. My steps revolve around the hooks, horn stabs, bass, drum beat...any thing that is prolific in the song. I become another instrument. 

I like oldies too, they have credence, quality, and memories that help me lock to the music. Some old songs are now giving me new memories that I can enjoy also. This last few years I have been all over the place and on the dance floor I see passion and respect from many other dancers. I recently wept when 'Oh my darling' by The Mirwood Orchestra was played by DJ Fay Jones recently. I blubbered about and was so moved by the orchestration I became emotional...for my sins. I had never heard the instrumental and it is such a powerful complicated song with key modulations all over the place. Each part of the song has different nuances that stimulate a change in direction, or step to be synchronous with the music. Top dancer..energetic, challenging etc. Then I heard that 'Rat Race'..my god, those horns...fantastic.

I also like a change of 'sound'. Slipping in the odd Philly cut really helps me too. That 'Waiting for the Rain' FJC - unbelievable. The morse code stabs a dancers dream track.

Anyway, I have not been drinking....yet.

you sound like a D.Js dream Carl . a punter that gets there early and ready to dance . some nice sentiments expressed there mate. similar myself . like to get there early spend plenty of time on the dance floor . I also like to hear a good variety of sounds from beat ballads right up to present day releases . love to hear a tune re-activated that I've not heard for ages ,or an old tune that's new to me or an album track I've missed. it should be a two way thing . you know the DJs that are gonna play the right selection for you. personally I don't wanna hear a set of just anthems . just a couple in the set is enough for me . and hopefully if the audience are open to new and underplayed tunes this gives the D.J the confidence to go for it and not just resort to the same old tunes.  it is very emotional music , no doubt about it . but I try to keep the weeping down to a minimum Carl !

[Paul Bear]

Blimey...read much of this thread. Very informative. I agree with a sequence or sub sets. I dance 95% wherever I go and a thoughtful stream of records with maybe similar nuances or connections is appreciated. Not just about the bpm or the groove. I like to be on the dance floor early, to appreciate the room, acoustics, and the early DJ's efforts along with the quality of the floor...a sort of recky. It's my chance to introduce myself to maybe a DJ I do not know, but to tell him or her that I am a dancer and will dance to old and newer records I do not know. I like surprises, like songs or versions never heard before. It's uplifting, especially when I detect it may be a Philly cut from the 60's, which isn't always easy to do, or a track that has a plucked bass line which leads me over to LA and maybe The Wrecking Crew. I like to be inventive on the dance floor and put my soul into my steps. I rely on the DJ in the first instance to give me the grooves and their experiences selecting the records. It's about their soul too, not just the singers, musicians etc, or even mine. I connect with the music, the bass player, drummers and song writer. I feel their input into the recording and respond. My steps revolve around the hooks, horn stabs, bass, drum beat...any thing that is prolific in the song. I become another instrument. 

I like oldies too, they have credence, quality, and memories that help me lock to the music. Some old songs are now giving me new memories that I can enjoy also. This last few years I have been all over the place and on the dance floor I see passion and respect from many other dancers. I recently wept when 'Oh my darling' by The Mirwood Orchestra was played by DJ Fay Jones recently. I blubbered about and was so moved by the orchestration I became emotional...for my sins. I had never heard the instrumental and it is such a powerful complicated song with key modulations all over the place. Each part of the song has different nuances that stimulate a change in direction, or step to be synchronous with the music. Top dancer..energetic, challenging etc. Then I heard that 'Rat Race'..my god, those horns...fantastic.

I also like a change of 'sound'. Slipping in the odd Philly cut really helps me too. That 'Waiting for the Rain' FJC - unbelievable. The morse code stabs a dancers dream track.

Anyway, I have not been drinking....yet.

if only everyone had that passion love and open mind, I doff my cap to you ?

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Thank you Paul/Soultronic...

This music is a labour of love with me. Work in progress. The weeping...all part of the emotional journey. The memory for that Mirwood track will be hearing those opening few bars...then the string arrangement that tipped me over. It's as though I was transported straight in to the studio where it was happening. Electric. That's the first time that ever happened to that level. And I agree with your comments too Soultronic about the underplayed.

It's the Dome a week after next. If I am not first on the floor, I'll be second. It's the tonic that nulls the breaking news scenario and a chance to go into my world where the drummer becomes a mate for a few hours and the bass player tries to catch me out. 

[Quinvy]

I too have been moved to tears, but not for the same reasons.