northern soul - the current state...?

[Guest]

2 hours ago, chalky said:

Northern Soul has never died, it has just evolved.  It might not be now how we remember it from our youth but but what is. 

The scene wasn’t the same in 1969 as it was in 1966, it wasn’t the same in 73 as it was in 71 and so on, it grew, it evolved, tastes changed just like fashion, might not be for the better but it didn’t die. 

This was an extremely divisive and contentious subject in 75/76, and remains so to this day. I understand your viewpoint, and will agree that evolution and change has always been with us, but I contend that the events of the mid seventies were far more than a mere evolving of the scene. I have no wish to prolong this debate, (yet again!), but would like to try to explain my thoughts a little further. Many of the contributors to this part of the thread do not understand what I mean by the scene's death. Either that, or they weren't actually there to witness and experience what happened, or perhaps are being deliberately obtuse. (No, that finger is NOT being pointed at yourself). 

I would argue that the scene didn't change very much at all between 66 and 69, nor between 71 and 73. Apart perhaps with regard to the venues and the faces of the punters. Maybe the one single biggest difference occurred in 72, with the enormous influx of new, and important discoveries courtesy mainly of a certain Mr. Levine. We have to try to understand that the Northern scene was NOT the whole soul scene here in the UK. There was a general soul scene running along quite happily at the time, especially in London and the north of the country. Northern soul ran ALONGSIDE this scene, but was hidden from the view of the general public. It was, for want of a better term, a secret society, with only a very few active members. You cannot change the fundamentals of such a scene, by dragging it out from the underground, massively boosting its adherents and members, and expect it to survive. It didnt, because it couldn't. This wasn't just evolution, but something far deeper. Yes, we still had a scene, and it was still called Northern soul, BUT....it was most certainly not, in the most important way, what it had been from the early days of the Flamingo, Mojo, Beachcomber etc. up until that fateful few months at the beginning of 75 at the Casino. I.E, an UNDERGROUND scene. At exactly the same time, the scene had been delivered a near-death blow by its other half, the Mecca. No-one in their right mind can argue that what was happening there was Northern in any way at all, as by now It was starting to go down the disco/modern route, rightly or wrongly. (Another argument for another day, which has already been done to death). Plus, as others may have mentioned, there were other elements to take into account. Age of attendees, the social norms of the day , general societal change, usual lifespan of youth cultures etc. etc. 

I've tried and tried to get across my feelings about this, but am really struggling to explain EXACTLY why I say what I say, and feel how I feel. 95% of the people at the Casino back then felt the same as I did. Many had even stronger views, believe me!  Most of them left the scene at about the same time as I did, and for the very same reasons. We can't all have been wrong, surely? This is not to denigrate or belittle what happened afterwards, and continues to this day. Anyone starting on the scene post 75 will have had every bit as good a time as I did pre 75. Its just a completely different scene, and the largest part of that change happened in 75. 

Again, and as stated so many, many times, you had to be there. If you were, you'll know the whats, ifs, whys etc. Its incredibly difficult to put this into words that all will understand. Its not just facts and figures, but a sort of feeling that was experienced. A sense that something was over, and immediately being replaced with something else. That "something else" has endured to this day. Yes, with changes galore, but endure it has. Can it endure further? It can, but I doubt it will. The OP suggested opinions be given on the current state of NORTHERN soul. If, as many of you contend, Northern didn't die, and what we have now is still that scene, then it must also be seen to be on its last legs. The demographics don't lie. We're all getting older and older, no new blood is coming through, and we're slowly eating ourselves. Its a nostalgia scene, with fewer and fewer nostalgees (is that even a word?) every year. It will be replaced again, this time with a smaller, more general soul scene, and with new people, new venues, and new aficionados. Hopefully so anyway, as the music, in all its forms, deserves it.

In conclusion, I would urge people who disagree with me to return to what I have written previously, and try to understand my meaning. Read it again, and read not what you want to read, but try to read between the lines.

And as far as that sodding OVO policy is concerned.............    

[Chalky]

I posted a quote once from 1969 from one of the old boys of 1966, dismayed at the newies and the change from a mod, motown, chess, R&B and some then brit pop sound  to a type we now know as northern soul.  Same arguments in the late 60 as you got in the late 70s (northern, modern funk etc) to the 90s newies vs oldies and so on, all down to what some perceive as unnecessary change.  

What we got in our burgeoning youth is never as good as we supposedly get wiser.  the sense of the unknown and maybe a bit of fear is replaced by a comfort zone and knowing what to expect. 

We don’t all like change (some relish it) but change doesn’t mean it died.  I do understand where younare coming from but think “died” is the wrong analogy.

i don’t like what we have now.  It should be one of the best times with the very best of everything that went before and more. But what we have in reality is the opposite, an inward, backward looking retro scene, devoid of imagination, flair and characters. 

Edited October 18, 2018 by chalky

[Speedlimit]

Totally agree mate.  Most djs these days seem to be mute so they can spin two more sounds  hence not creating an atmosphere and connecting with the punters  . Like you said no characters either .With the amount of djs these days new spins should be easier than ever before to break if they all pushed new stuff instead of the tried and tested play it safe way

[Colnago]

1 hour ago, chalky said:

I posted a quote once from 1969 from one of the old boys of 1966, dismayed at the newies and the change from a mod, motown, chess, R&B and some then brit pop sound  to a type we now know as northern soul.  Same arguments in the late 60 as you got in tne late 70s (nirthern, modern funk etc) to the 90s newies vs oldies and so on, all down to what some perceive as unnecessary change.  

What we got in our burgeoning youth is never as good as we supposedly get wiser.  the sense of the unknown and maybe a bit of fear is replaced by a comfort zone and knowing what to expect. 

We don’t all like change (some relish it) but change doesn’t mean it died.  I do understand where younare coming from but think “died” is the wrong analogy.

i don’t like what we have now.  It should be one of the best times with the very best of everything that went before and more. But what we have in reality is the opposite, an inward, backward looking retro scene, devoid of imagination, flair and characters. 

Agree there , a couple of dudes who I know and went to the earlier legendary clubs told me how much it had changed from the days of yore , and although it had ( changed ) they accepted it , after all they were original mods who were up for changing and bucking the trend , I never heard them say that their scene died , and one of them used to come to all-nighters with us up until 83/4 . 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, chalky said:

I posted a quote once from 1969 from one of the old boys of 1966, dismayed at the newies and the change from a mod, motown, chess, R&B and some then brit pop sound  to a type we now know as northern soul.  Same arguments in the late 60 as you got in tne late 70s (nirthern, modern funk etc) to the 90s newies vs oldies and so on, all down to what some perceive as unnecessary change.  

What we got in our burgeoning youth is never as good as we supposedly get wiser.  the sense of the unknown and maybe a bit of fear is replaced by a comfort zone and knowing what to expect. 

We don’t all like change (some relish it) but change doesn’t mean it died.  I do understand where younare coming from but think “died” is the wrong analogy.

i don’t like what we have now.  It should be one of the best times with the very best of everything that went before and more. But what we have in reality is the opposite, an inward, backward looking retro scene, devoid of imagination, flair and characters. 

OK Chalky, lets try again!  

I understand all that you say and feel. Believe it or not, I even agree with some of it. Actually quite a bit of it. More than you know.

Evolution, and/or change, is with us in all forms of life. It always has been, otherwise we'd never have dragged our sorry arses out of our caves, would we? It was always there on the scene as well. OK, faces, venues, attitudes, and even the sounds all changed. But, one thing ALWAYS stayed the same. The underground aspect. That was the glue that bound the scene together, and helped us overcome things such as the Wheel and Torch closing, etc. etc. I recall many of my old Wheel mates who said it was all over when the Wheel and Top Twenty closed their doors for the final time. They wouldn't even countenance trying the Junction/Cats/Torch, much less attend on a regular basis. Same happened when the Torch shut down. Half the regular attendees went to Wigan, but then again, half were lost forever.

By the end of 74, you could see the evolutionary process in full swing. The scene had not one, but two regular weekly Niters for the very first time. Wigan and Sams. Both were incredibly well supported, again, for the first ever time, by soulies numbering in the four figures, not threes. Indeed, the scene had never been healthier. Sure, music policy, clothing styles, faces, etc. were changing. As they always had. The northern scene was NOT averse to change or evolving. It never had been. However.....

If a small group of people, for their own reasons, decide to make a change so large, so fundamental, and so altering to the very ethos of the scene as to actually change its very DNA, then you have trouble. And taking the scene public really did change its DNA. The very essence of what we had was gone forever. That, to me and most of the others at the time, killed the scene, and merely replaced it with something the same, but different. If you get what I mean. They even kept the same name for it. Hence, my assertion that "Northern" Soul really did die.

Now, if you do all of the above, perhaps there's a very very slim outside chance that this enormous change can be handled by all. But really, could we? Some could, as evinced by one or two hardy souls still being on the scene after starting out in 71, and with no break in-between. But the overwhelming majority could not. (Bones to Kirk, "Its Northern Jim, but not as we know it"). 

We also have to remember what life in general was like back then. The British working class was incredibly conservative in its outlook, values and principles. (Still is). By the age of twenty, society more or less demanded that if you had a job you were well on the way to making it into a career. It also demanded that you were settled down with a partner, (preferably of the opposite sex and officially sanctioned by a sky pixie), and had your first kid on the way. This kept the age of soulies in that 15-20 age group, as it had always been, but also perversely helped make it all too easy for many to leave the scene when the aforementioned earthquake hit.

What would have happened if the scene had remained where it should have always been, underground? I maintain that it may actually have survived. It would of course have evolved into something smaller, and quite dissimilar to what we have now, but who knows? The faces, venues, and sounds would have changed, as would have values, attitudes, and even, (shock horror) dress styles. There may even have been something for us old farts to return to.

Which brings me away from an age old and unsolvable argument, and to what the OP first asked, the current state of northern soul. Its almost dead. There's no argument that there are still many on the scene, and almost all of them are incredibly passionate about it. But, look at the demographics. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, the age thing is beginning to bite. That new blood hasn't been coming in in anywhere near sufficient strength since the end of the seventies, has it? In the main, its returnees who are boosting attendance figures. These will, inevitably, drop off at a faster rate than before, as we all approach our eighth decade. So, what passes now for a "Northern" scene will soon disappear. A more general soul scene will remain though, populated by a younger more diverse crowd, with a suitably more diverse taste in soul music. Hopefully so anyway.

Wanna talk about OVO again? Lol.  

[Len]

So we're all agreed - We've never had it so good 

Len 

[Guest Soulatthedale]

On 17/10/2018 at 11:19, Joey said:

Comprehensively, succinctly, and perfectly put. This thread could be run alongside the "Death of..." and"oh Dear" threads currently running. They're all connected. But, we have to disconnect the "northern" scene from the general soul scene I think. Northern soul was a short lived youth subculture. It died out in 75, was buried in 76, and then replaced with something entirely different but the same. Sort of! And don't get me started on record collecting or the OVO thing!

When I was first on that scene in the early 70's, the average age of the punters was about 17/18. My age. When I returned in the mid nineties, the average age was late thirties. My age. When I last went to an event three years ago, the average age was, guess what? My age, sixty odd. Can you see the pattern here? Very little "new blood" has joined the "Northern" scene in the last forty odd years. How it ever got this far is nothing short of miraculous, and is down to the determination and enthusiasm of a dwindling number of die-hards. 

Attendees today, in the main, are as mentioned above. Lads and lasses in their late fifties to mid sixties, trying to recreate what they had in their youth. That's why oldies nights are probably the best attended events, and why large scale Niters are seeing attendances drop off. The last time I was at Stoke, the number of people still inside at closing time was in double figures, and none were even trying to dance. Bedtime is more important when you're that age, and the general consumption of illicit stimulants is rarely done by old people like ourselves. Maybe this is why the better attended events are those purely oldies ones, usually local and on a Friday evening, much derided as "handbag nights" by the more enlightened, upfront, cutting edge crowd.

Its now 2018, not 1973, and the youth of today have so much more to be excited about than obscure black American music from the 60's. We, on the other hand, have nothing else left, do we? Its what gave us our excitement back then, and has never left us. Never will. But, slowly but surely, the scene will dwindle more and more as we all die off. The more modern, upfront events will continue to attract younger people, albeit in numbers lower than today, but Northern? No, its dead. We just haven't realised it yet. Those of us of a certain age will recall how we used to take the piss out of the ageing Teds back in the 70's. How they still dressed in their drapes and crepes, and attended events to dance to Bo Diddley, Elvis, and Chuck Berry. Maybe thats where the Northern scene is today? What seventeen year old in his/her right mind wants to spend their leisure time surrounded by old people? Its not f***ing natural!

Ok, this has been something of a disjointed rambling rant, so apologies to all who disagree or who are offended. Its early, I had a bad sleep, and haven't eaten breakfast yet! I'd better go and listen to Moses Smith, and imagine I'm sixteen, not an ancient soulie who, like so many others, still doesn't realise his best days are behind him!

That really rings true, "taking the piss out of ageing Teds". I distinctly rember going in a chippy late one night in 1978 and the place was full of ageing Teds after a roll and roll event across the road and whispering to my girlfriend at the time what a bunch of saddos! Kettle calling the pan black now comes to mind!

[Geeselad]

2 hours ago, soulatthedale said:

That really rings true, "taking the piss out of ageing Teds". I distinctly rember going in a chippy late one night in 1978 and the place was full of ageing Teds after a roll and roll event across the road and whispering to my girlfriend at the time what a bunch of saddos! Kettle calling the pan black now comes to mind!

Another apparently wise man once said 'if it ever becones like the teds thing, its over' .......... 

Somebody on here said you used to get whole families of teds in the 70's. Now we often have mums and dads and there kids into baggies and holy st james. Says it all really. 

 

[Guest BabyBoyAndMyLass]

3 minutes ago, geeselad said:

Another apparently wise man once said 'if it ever becones like the teds thing, its over' .......... 

Somebody on here said you used to get whole families of teds in the 70's. Now we often have mums and dads and there kids into baggies and holy st james. Says it all really. 

 

My lass says you saw many a kid with their parents at Alldayers decades ago.

 

[Steve S 60]

9 hours ago, BabyBoyAndMyLass said:

My lass says you saw many a kid with their parents at Alldayers decades ago.

 

Couldn't afford a babysitter.

[Len]

9 minutes ago, Steve S 60 said:

Couldn't afford a babysitter.

And a Weekender is cheaper than a Care Home, so (sos mum) I have it all planned out 

Len 

[Guest BabyBoyAndMyLass]

3 minutes ago, Steve S 60 said:

Couldn't afford a babysitter.

She says a lot were divorcees having the weekly access so they dragged the kid along to a dayer, apparently a lot of guys did this. A lot of dayers in Workingmens' social clubs where kids were allowed.

[Len]

Many moons ago, I rang Sylvia Croasdell (rip) to ask if The Cleethorpes Weekender was somewhere I could maybe take my kids........"No".....was her short and 'to the point' reply 

Good god she was right!

Len 

[Chalky]

9 hours ago, BabyBoyAndMyLass said:

My lass says you saw many a kid with their parents at Alldayers decades ago.

 

Well they must have been having the kids young back then as most were just kids themselves, it was a youth scene then.  I can’t recall seeing kids until the returnees returned to the scene late 90s early 00s. I remember one regular place I went, Alfreton leisure centre, they banned the kids as they were getting in the way and were annoying.  

Kids at venues where alcohol, drugs and other is rife should be a no no for any parent.  If you are having kids they should come first, not your night out. 

Edited October 19, 2018 by chalky

[Bbrich]

I wont let my kids & their other halves come to a do (they are 25 & 28) as the image they would take away from most dos might scar them for life

[Guest BabyBoyAndMyLass]

Our kids are banned from coming to events, they have shown a desire to, we're like no chance.

Youngest is 25!

[Len]

We had 'No kids' on our wedding invitations (Ahem - That went down well with some) 

Although most of the guests fully understood! 

Len 

[Kenb]

 My children are the age of at least half the posters on here.

[Guest Spain pete]

Any budding entrepreneurs out there listen up   !  Kiddies top 500 afternoon sessions.  could be the next big thing? 

[Eddiefoster]

After reading through the thread I've decided that I'm too young to expose myself to the inherent dangers so my wife has written me a note to excuse me from any NS events henceforth. .

[Leicester Boy]

Influenced my kids to follow our local football club thats a birth rite but loving a choice of music is much more complicated. Wouldn't have a problem if they had chosen n/s though better environment at most events compared to your average city centre pub/club. 

[Robnewbury]

It's about knowing when to let it go.

[Kenb]

1 hour ago, Kenb said:

 My children are the age of at least half the posters on here.

I should probably fill in the blanks.

In the late 80’s to late 90’s, My son ( in particular) and daughter were too busy at The Hasienda, Cream Fields(is that correct ?),and waiting on calls to public phone boxes for venue details(an underground scene: I wonder where they got that from) and wouldn’t have gone anywhere near an N.S night. All of this of course I only learned later.

Both became returnees to Ibiza and such. And guess what, there reaction about ‘the state’ mirrors most of the posts here. Especially ‘the feeling” Joey expressed on more than one occasion. Tribal Knowledge-can’t be taught, isn’t written down, doesn’t have rules, AND is of Time and Place

 

[Guest BabyBoyAndMyLass]

14 minutes ago, Kenb said:

I should probably fill in the blanks.

In the late 80’s to late 90’s, My son ( in particular) and daughter were too busy at The Hasienda, Cream Fields(is that correct ?),and waiting on calls to public phone boxes for venue details(an underground scene: I wonder where they got that from) and wouldn’t have gone anywhere near an N.S night. All of this of course I only learned later.

Both became returnees to Ibiza and such. And guess what, there reaction about ‘the state’ mirrors most of the posts here. Especially ‘the feeling” Joey expressed on more than one occasion. Tribal Knowledge-can’t be taught, isn’t written down, doesn’t have rules, AND is of Time and Place

 

As two great Swedish philosophers once said 'The history book on the shelf, is always repeating itself!'

[Ritchieandrew]

More like "In a State" Mike.......... Capitalism rules, Checkbook Collectors/DJ's paying totally Stupidly high prices for mundane records.  Add to this all this fast Chicago R&B played everywhere, due to the "Wells gone dry" regarding traditional Northern sounds.  There will always be a Hardcore of supporters in any given situation, but age, preference of styles in music, costs to persue your interest, also has a massive effect on attendances. !!

[Bbrich]

4 hours ago, chalky said:

Kids at venues where alcohol, drugs and other is rife should be a no no for any parent

Chalky, excuse my ignorance but I'm quite intrigued by what the 'OTHER' is that you refer to. Could be the answer to improving attendances....

[Local]

[Guest BabyBoyAndMyLass]

10 minutes ago, bbrich said:

Chalky, excuse my ignorance but I'm quite intrigued by what the 'OTHER' is that you refer to. Could be the answer to improving attendances....

Certainly the pursuit of 'the other' was a driving force in my attendance when I was twenty...

A lot of the attendees nowadays are engaged in the same pursuit, having, I'm led to believe, some considerable success in this field, it being the new singles scene. 

[Kenb]

59 minutes ago, ROBNEWBURY said:

It's about knowing when to let it go.

I’ll be dead when I let go

[Guest BabyBoyAndMyLass]

Don't worry too much folks, won't be long now... Before we're all dead and the scene is either dead or we won't be aware what's going on at any rate!

What a bleedin' two and eight! 

[El Corol]

 

The scene has been evolving and fragmenting for a long time now:  modern vs 60's, 60's newies vs oldies etc etc. As someone said in an earlier post you think we'd have the best of it all by now as the scene has usually got past the rifts and absorbed the best of the different strains of soul. 

I think a shift took place in the 90's which in my view started to see less attendee's on the scene - those who still were about were often collectors, the number of "purely" dancers who didn't care about the format of the record was lower than in the 70's and 80s in my opinion. The collectors were the ones (on the whole, but not exclusively) who stuck with the music, form and format were important now; witness events like The Ritz "Rarest of the Rare" it was exciting to be dancing to those records knowing that they were original (someones gonna burst my bubble now and tell e Tim Brown played a boot). In those days I'd argue the majority of attendee's did care about the format being an original far more than the attendees of 20 years previously. Now this informs the debate of OVO because a lot of people who stuck with it through the 90's are going to be a little miffed when people start coming back to the scene and pushing that all aside. Theres bound to be a bit of "but where were you in the dark days when I was in a soul night in the backroom of a pub with 14 blokes and a whippet in attendance". But I don't think that was an obstacle that couldn't be overcome.

I suppose there is no one "truth" for the scene (as it was and as it is) its different things for different people, just that in the past the different "types" of soulie (dancer, collector etc) seemed to rub along just fine as most were all still young and out to enjoy themselves and most importantly people were still developing their opinions and views on the scene. Fast forward 30 + years and opinons are more entrenched, whether they were formed in the 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's, so division, derision and debate are bound to happen.

Dancers on the whole don't care as long as its a good night out so they might not care too much about values that collectors hold dear on the scene, and to me there in lies the rub as "collectors" views are important as they were the lifeblood of the scene during the so called darker years. And should collectors also be more accepting of the attendees who don't care about things like format, originallity, and trouser width? I'm not sure how that circle is squared.

 

[Bbrich]

Good post El Coral, although I would say there are collectors who dance and collectors who dj. I also know/come across quite a few who are relatively new to the scene (same age group as per the average). In the main they have never even thought about the ovo argument, but most are interested when it is discussed.  As already been said promoters should make it clear about ovo, format so punters know what they are getting and can make the decision.

(not sure about trouser width unless the bigger the higher the entrance fee should be due to using more dance floor space...)

[Shinehead]

Ben is at it again , coming to a venue near to everyone -  the garb may look a bit different on the aged and overweight though !

https://www.bensherman.co.uk/clothing/t-shirts

[Bbrich]

1 hour ago, shinehead said:

Ben is at it again , coming to a venue near to everyone -  the garb may look a bit different on the aged and overweight though !

https://www.bensherman.co.uk/clothing/t-shirts

I need to add some items to my 'please dont buy this for xmas list'

[Frankie Crocker]

On 27/09/2018 at 22:21, james naughton said:

Yes what's the crack alatey wen there is 4 soul nites on in 1 town on 1 Saturday night !!!!

This is plain bonkers. Surely the promoters can sit around in a pub to discuss how to organise things. Or is it a case of ego-soul, I was here first,  my vinyls are more original than yours, they’re my decks and I’m going home...

[Len]

2 hours ago, FRANKIE CROCKER said:

This is plain bonkers. Surely the promoters can sit around in a pub to discuss how to organise things. Or is it a case of ego-soul, I was here first,  my vinyls are more original than yours, they’re my decks and I’m going home...

No, that sort of cooperation seemed to have ended around 15 years ago - No sarcasm, it did actually exist back then (In my experience anyway)

Len 

[Hooker1951]

It's sad to say but it is the truth , When I  have promoted together with various friends Soul nights and all nighters, alldayers ect, I have moved my dates on many various occasions when asked to do a favour  for another promoter , I can tell you now that favour was never ever returned', 

ML

31 minutes ago, LEN said:

No, that sort of cooperation seemed to have ended around 15 years ago - No sarcasm, it did actually exist back then (In my experience anyway)

Len 

 

[Chalky]

9 hours ago, bbrich said:

Chalky, excuse my ignorance but I'm quite intrigued by what the 'OTHER' is that you refer to. Could be the answer to improving attendances....

It can be whatever you want it to be

[Eddiefoster]

Just to perhaps add a little light and hope to the thread, check out these reviews:

 

The scene I guess can't be everything to everyone, but there are glimmers of happiness at least for some (myself included)

[Hooker1951]

 In Retrospect in the current state of NS, There are a great many factors what have led to its position today. The Fragmentation of the scene, IE , How deep do the punters visiting venues really love their music , Are they visiting a venue to enjoy the music top of the list or to meet old friends, or for that nostalgic feeling triggering past memories , or a mix of all , some will prioritise one before the other, there is a absence of energy in many venues these days that obviously is a lot to do with people ageing which in a lot of cases brings on cynicism besides losing the physical energy a potent mix at best. The DJ,s in many occasions don't seem to be able to tell the jokes in the right order or the tunes, and so the energy of the music is not hitting the dance floor or the listeners for that matter enough to kick the vibe in, I as a promoter always tried to make my venues exciting and dynamic so people would remember that night and I would like to think that at least some of the time I succeeded, All these pointers add up to a formidable obstacle to overcome to get things right, Can it be done? Yes but only with a great deal of effort and not just living in the past, 

kind Regards

ML

[Colnago]

1 hour ago, Hooker1951 said:

 In Retrospect in the current state of NS, There are a great many factors what have led to its position today. The Fragmentation of the scene, IE , How deep do the punters visiting venues really love their music , Are they visiting a venue to enjoy the music top of the list or to meet old friends, or for that nostalgic feeling triggering past memories , or a mix of all , some will prioritise one before the other, there is a absence of energy in many venues these days that obviously is a lot to do with people ageing which in a lot of cases brings on cynicism besides losing the physical energy a potent mix at best. The DJ,s in many occasions don't seem to be able to tell the jokes in the right order or the tunes, and so the energy of the music is not hitting the dance floor or the listeners for that matter enough to kick the vibe in, I as a promoter always tried to make my venues exciting and dynamic so people would remember that night and I would like to think that at least some of the time I succeeded, All these pointers add up to a formidable obstacle to overcome to get things right, Can it be done? Yes but only with a great deal of effort and not just living in the past, 

kind Regards

ML

And also not forgetting the pub goers who’ve decided since the pub trade died off they’ll go northern soul nights and get pissed there instead ! 

[Len]

Current state

You have two choices of how to view it (Depending what mood you’re in)

1)    A twitching corpse - That ‘leaps up’ every so often giving some hope, but it’s just a gathering of (mainly) old men in a room (with some good music)

Or

2)    A beautiful thing - That still has ‘legs’, and you go out with a positive attitude making the most of still being able to dance, along with mixing with life-long friends, enjoying this fantastic music.

It’s easier to be positive than negative, so best to fight that if you can, and lean towards ‘Option 2’ 

All the bestest,

Len 

Edit - 'Deliberate mistake' pointed out as per below - Strike that, and switch! Yes, I meant it's easier to be negative than to be positive 

[Eddiefoster]

1 hour ago, LEN said:

Current state

You have two choices of how to view it (Depending what mood you’re in)

1)    A twitching corpse - That ‘leaps up’ every so often giving some hope, but it’s just a gathering of (mainly) old men in a room (with some good music)

Or

2)    A beautiful thing - That still has ‘legs’, and you go out with a positive attitude making the most of still being able to dance, along with mixing with life-long friends, enjoying this fantastic music.

It’s easier to be positive than negative, so best to fight that if you can, and lean towards ‘Option 2’ 

All the bestest,

Len 

I suspect Len meant easier to be negative than positive, but then again he could be trying to confuse us all on purpose?

My votes with no.2 - change what you can!

[Guest Soul Hippy]

A beautiful thing, Flaming Embers - Lets have a love-in, its all there

[Lfcjunkie]

18 hours ago, Colnago said:

And also not forgetting the pub goers who’ve decided since the pub trade died off they’ll go northern soul nights and get pissed there instead ! 

Some of them are 'dj's ' now...

[Speedlimit]

1 hour ago, Pete Crampton said:

A beautiful thing, Flaming Embers - Lets have a love-in, its all there

One of my all time favourite oldies Pete you never hear it out probably cause it's not worth a kings ransom was great to see you at skeggy  mate  at Steve

[Guest Shufflin]

contrary to what some have posted my kids and their mates like to come along to events, inc. weekenders, in fact they are plotting caravan hire for next one  - my eldest is building a decent but small vinyl collection (nothing mega rare) and just loves the music - obv. no clue what the old scene is, doesn't care either. Was on a night out in London a few months back, got chatting to a twenty something who was talking passionaltely about their love of  music, I asked 'what you into then?' - 'you wouldn't know it' said young 'un, 'it's northern soul') - so dead it ain't - just different, and the interest is still there I guess - i should add that the young soulie was a bit disparaging about 'the top 500' which I found a bit odd given age etc

people have been predicting the death of the n soul scene since the eighties (seventies?)

Edited October 25, 2018 by Shufflin

[Professorturnups]

On 19/10/2018 at 14:56, shinehead said:

Ben is at it again , coming to a venue near to everyone -  the garb may look a bit different on the aged and overweight though !

https://www.bensherman.co.uk/clothing/t-shirts

That badge chest t shirt would be funny if it wasn't so embarrassing 

[Guest Shufflin]

28 minutes ago, professorturnups said:

That badge chest t shirt would be funny if it wasn't so embarrassing 

£35!! wow, bargain

[Guest BabyBoyAndMyLass]

Have removed the last two posts due to complaints.