Dumb Dumb Dumbing It Down

[Guest Trevski]

i dont know about that.ive got one of them waterlilies jobbies. bought it down the local market,dozens of em.

Wer'e talking OCO - ORIGINAL CANVAS ONLY, not boots!

[Maark]

Funny old world ,when I come on this site and point out this stuff everyone and their mother has a go at me,when MIKE asks the question you all fall over yourselves to basically agree with him oh well!.Good points from Steve G,Russ Vickers and Chalky.This scene started with THE WHEEL an ALLNIGHTER it carried on with other nighters including the TORCH,CASINO,YATEand many more that were all pretty damn good.We now have with the advent of middle age....THE soul nite,as I've said on numourous occasions theses are mainly attended by folk who like a bit of a jig,few pints......they were never on the scene and they're not now,hence you can play any old crap on any old format,boots c'ds ect ect,cause the punters don't give a toss.The region I live in is full of SUCH places.The promoters/dj's are only in it for the cash/ego and they don't have a clue,We should feel lucky that a lot of these folk don't turn up at the allnighters cause there ain't that many copies of ''ghost in my house to go around'' lol . So rather than havin a go at me,ask yourself this question...why does'nt the promoter of my local venue GO TO ANY OTHER VENUE.....ANYWHERE....EVER....they have absolutely no desire to be part of this scene and no desire to hear newer or underplayed tunes..Heres another thought for you if all the local venues shut down do you for one moment think all the people that attend these places would drive a few miles to another venue....of course they would'nt they would'nt bother and thats a fact.....so we should disregard them. A friend of mine told me he uses the members gallery photos to decide where to go or not,If he can't see anyone he vaugely knows at a place....he stays away.My conclusion!!....the ALLNIGHTER scene (what this scene is really all about from day one) is alive and really kicking from THE 100 CLUB in the south to the awesome nighters in LANCASHIRE/YORKSHIRE region. This is where the scene started and this is where the scene IS NOW. You can walk into any nighter and it is just great to see the same...children of the night that you see all the time,wether you know them or not...It's these people that are the stalwarts of the scene,so as others have said give it time and the rest of em will go to whence they came.....

I'm confused here.....

If you leave the Soul scene for say 10 years or so coz you get into, say Jazz Funk, can you still claim the moral high ground when you come charging back onto the scene??

[Steve G]

I'm confused here.....

If you leave the Soul scene for say 10 years or so coz you get into, say Jazz Funk, can you still claim the moral high ground when you come charging back onto the scene??

Did Terry do that? Any pics of him at Caister whooping it up with his whistles, 12" singles and fancy dress? I am truly shocked!!! Always thought Terry was a lifetime died in the wool stalwart of the 60s scene........amazing what you learn on here...

[Epic]

Funny old world ,when I come on this site and point out this stuff everyone and their mother has a go at me,when MIKE asks the question you all fall over yourselves to basically agree with him oh well!.Good points from Steve G,Russ Vickers and Chalky.This scene started with THE WHEEL an ALLNIGHTER it carried on with other nighters including the TORCH,CASINO,YATEand many more that were all pretty damn good.We now have with the advent of middle age....THE soul nite,as I've said on numourous occasions theses are mainly attended by folk who like a bit of a jig,few pints......they were never on the scene and they're not now,hence you can play any old crap on any old format,boots c'ds ect ect,cause the punters don't give a toss.The region I live in is full of SUCH places.The promoters/dj's are only in it for the cash/ego and they don't have a clue,We should feel lucky that a lot of these folk don't turn up at the allnighters cause there ain't that many copies of ''ghost in my house to go around'' lol . So rather than havin a go at me,ask yourself this question...why does'nt the promoter of my local venue GO TO ANY OTHER VENUE.....ANYWHERE....EVER....they have absolutely no desire to be part of this scene and no desire to hear newer or underplayed tunes..Heres another thought for you if all the local venues shut down do you for one moment think all the people that attend these places would drive a few miles to another venue....of course they would'nt they would'nt bother and thats a fact.....so we should disregard them. A friend of mine told me he uses the members gallery photos to decide where to go or not,If he can't see anyone he vaugely knows at a place....he stays away.My conclusion!!....the ALLNIGHTER scene (what this scene is really all about from day one) is alive and really kicking from THE 100 CLUB in the south to the awesome nighters in LANCASHIRE/YORKSHIRE region. This is where the scene started and this is where the scene IS NOW. You can walk into any nighter and it is just great to see the same...children of the night that you see all the time,wether you know them or not...It's these people that are the stalwarts of the scene,so as others have said give it time and the rest of em will go to whence they came.....

By your "rule of thumb" it is only All Nighters that have ever meant anything on this scene. I am sure people who attended The Catacombs - Highland Room - Blue Room Sale - Cats Whiskers Burnley etc etc. certainly don't class themselves as people "who like a bit of a jig,few pints".

The Northern Soul Top 500 is regularly slagged off on this site - can somebody who is a "proper soulie" because he "does niters" furnish me with a list of 500 records played in the last ten years which are as good - if not better - than the original 500.

[Spacehopper]

cant remember the author but im pretty sure one of the top paperbacks the other year was "is it me or is everything today just shit " or something like that.....then theres the kaiser chiefs single from there last album "everything is average nowadays" ...its not just us !!!!

So what are you saying? Nothing to worry about? We shouldn't be pessimistic because the northern scene is OK?

no....in that post i was just saying its not just us !....a lot of people think a lot of things today are shit and average not just the northern scene....

but to be honest i dont think we should "worry" the northern scene will always be around it may not be perfect but nothing is and if the local nights have shit djs playing the same tunes to kids wearing i luv duffy t shirts jump in your car and go to one of the forward thinking nights which then wouldnt have to close lets face it with the internet its never been easier to find them......although its also never been so bloody expensive to get to them !!

[Ian Dewhirst]

I don't normally add to threads like this because I am not a regular attendee of soul nights anymore.

The whole scene appears to be split between the oldies & the newies brigade, i.e. the nostalgia people(like me) and the forward thinkers at the cutting edge of the scene. going back 20, 30, and even 40 years ago, generally, there was one or maybe 2 main allnighters, the lifeblood of the scene. we didn't have the money, means to travel, but travel we did. During the week we attended soulnights. These generally were not the cutting edge nights, although some did play the top sounds either by emidiscs or by having the top DJs being in residence.

BY reading the threads on here, apart from the oldies nights, most promoters & wannabe DJs want to be at the forefront, playing whatever they deem to be the next big sound, or their own personal veiw of what everyone else should love. There are literally hundreds of nights throughout the year clashing dates and having 2 in close proximety on the same night. No wonder these newies(for want of a better term) nights are playing to 30 people on occasion. Potentially there are millions of people of all ages available to suddenly get into the rare soul scene, but realistically very few will. Some co-ordination of the promoters is needed to ensure that the top couple of nights in the country, playing the latests discoveries are packed to the rafters, rather than 200 soul nights and each playing to 20 people.

To some people, it may be a sad fact, but oldies nights are packed and newies nights aren't. The comments about the scene not being underground anymore are crap. make the cutting edge nights the best kept secret in the world. The best part of the scene in the 60's, 70's & 80's was that we knew that we were part of something special. So newies people Breakaway(sorry that is at least 3 oldies) and form your own scene, but you are not allowed to play anything that has been played before 'cause that's an oldie!

OH, and keep the faith!

Paul

Very good points Paul, especially the bit about making the cutting edge nights the best kept secret in the world!

I would have thought with the cutting edge Top DJ's playing sensible spots, a no-oldies policy and the frisson of knowing that you'd be going to somewhere special where you'd REALLY be hearing the top tunes, that would have to be a winner wouldn't it?

The scene needs a rallying point and obviously it needs to be less confusing for the bemused customers out there. Where is that weekly event which has the top guys on? That collective taste and energy that makes a 400 mile round trip attractive if you know the score? That's what fueled the scene in the first place - the anticipation of knowing you'd hear new exclusives and the top records in the world at a guaranteed quality weekly night. That's why ALL the big venues succeeded in the past. They had the right balance and you could trust 'em to deliver the goods, which they did in superb style!

Also, in this age of misty-eyed nostalgia, let's not forget that regular gigs weren't always packed to the rafters, even back then. I can remember many a 'quiet' weekend @ Blackpool Mecca and even Wigan/Cleethorpes on the odd occasion. Sometimes that was even an advantage LOL.

The fact is we KNEW what to expect in terms of music policy and DJ rosters. If it was Blackpool you knew you'd have Levine and Curtis with a couple of hours each playing the best, rarest and most exclusive records in the world week-in, week-out. Which is why hundreds/thousands of us routinely travelled long distances 'cos you couldn't get it anywhere else!

So I guess what I'm saying, is the top DJ's and top promoters should get together and sort it out. Form a collective if you like, 'cos that's pretty much how Cleethorpes started and that was a breath of fresh air in the previously virgin territory of the North East. I'd have thought that there must be enough brains on here to sort that out.

Have we sorted out a line-up for an 8 hour session yet? 4 DJ's, 2 staggered hours each, or maybe 2 resident and 2 guests weekly playing to the maximum of their capabilities?

Y'know make the f%&kers WORK LOL!

Ian D

[Reg]

Why be so precious? Go where you like and why complain about the oldies nights if you don't go? The people that attend most of these handbag type nights are never going to turn up at lifeline or places like that so it's not like they are taking custom away from progressive venues by having their monthly trip down memory lane. Don't buy the badges,cups, embarrasing items of clothing and other tat-nobody is forcing you (and by the way there are a few members on here who I know for a fact have Way of life stickers on their cars and Soul numberplates and I will name and shame if necessary... )

Anyway who says that anybody's got more of a claim on Northern SOul than anybody else? These days anybody can buy into anything, reinvent the past and before you know it they're a die hard soulie even though they visited Wigan once in 1975 and that was to buy a pie.

So yes Mike I think we should live and let live and go to the places we like and (as Steve said earlier) "enjoy it while it lasts"....

[Tim Smithers]

Its not rocket science, you need newies [ remember all records were new to our ears once ] and you need oldies, mix the two together, there are thousands of quality oldies out there. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Steve G]

Its not rocket science, you need newies [ remember all records were new to our ears once ] and you need oldies, mix the two together, there are thousands of quality oldies out there. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well yes, nowehere can just play newies. Not even Lifeline. The trick is in the DJs getting the mix right and the punters having open minds I guess.

[Chalky]

Well yes, nowehere can just play newies. Not even Lifeline. The trick is in the DJs getting the mix right and the punters having open minds I guess.

I agree Steve and you're right not even Lifeline plays just newies. BUT the oldies it does feature tend to be forgotten or the underplayed, of which there are 100's from a fiver/tenner upwards, and not the top 500 you here all the time.

People have got to be a little less selfish IMHO and tolerate the tastes of others.

[Tim Smithers]

What still gets me going, is hearing a track Ive never heard before, and straight away wanting to know what it is, if i didn't hear such records, i wouldn't still be on the scene. It happened last sat at Dave Morris do at the Loft Bar, Bournemouth when Simon Preston put a R&B number on, and i noticed 4 DJs going up to the decks to have a pep, for me that's what its all about.

[Chalky]

So I guess what I'm saying, is the top DJ's and top promoters should get together and sort it out. Form a collective if you like, 'cos that's pretty much how Cleethorpes started and that was a breath of fresh air in the previously virgin territory of the North East. I'd have thought that there must be enough brains on here to sort that out.

Have we sorted out a line-up for an 8 hour session yet? 4 DJ's, 2 staggered hours each, or maybe 2 resident and 2 guests weekly playing to the maximum of their capabilities?

Y'know make the f%&kers WORK LOL!

Ian D

There's the brains Ian but it's the egos that are the problem...too many will get pushed out of the picture and maybe some egos won't like that. As I said elsewhere too many think only about themselves and their self inflated opinion of themselves and care little about the bigger picture

Edited June 27, 2008 by chalky

[Guest KEN-SOUL]

when i was growing up in edinburgh in the 70s, wigan casino was seen to us northern souls as a kind of religious temple. sure we attended mixed discos, youth clubs, and even all-nighters that were kinda mixed (especially during the mod revival in the late 70s). but we always knew our home all-nighter was special, very warm, friendly with familiar faces. our major back-up to this, was the coach/car/train trip to wigan. my sister&friend even hitch hiked it down age 15 once!

what i really mean is that we must re-built the temple! and until such time- the different age groups must find a way to get on/ see eye to eye on things. the socialist revolution is just around the corner, as the capitalist system is in meltdown. we wont have long to wait for the people themselves to reorganise society on a fraternal basis, based on need, not greed.

[Steve G]

There's the brains Ian but it's the egos that are the problem...too many will get pushed out of the picture and maybe some egos won't like that. As I said elsewhere too many think only about themselves and their self inflated opinion of themselves and care little about the bigger picture

Absolutely.....it's just unrealistic to expect all the diverse interests to agree on the day of the week it is let alone anything else. Too many ego's - a recurring theme.

[Little-stevie]

Absolutely.....it's just unrealistic to expect all the diverse interests to agree on the day of the week it is let alone anything else. Too many ego's - a recurring theme.

Hit nail on the head Steve...

Now you have to find a way to make them all smoke the peace pipe ...

"Nobody said it was gonna be easy"

We live in hope....

[Guest]

Hit nail on the head Steve...

Now you have to find a way to make them all smoke the peace pipe ...

"Nobody said it was gonna be easy"

We live in hope....

Now you're having a larf!!..

You would have thought with the number of "promotors" on the scene now that someone would have taken up Ian's idea!..

Jayne.

[Stevie]

What still gets me going, is hearing a track Ive never heard before, and straight away wanting to know what it is, if i didn't hear such records, i wouldn't still be on the scene. It happened last sat at Dave Morris do at the Loft Bar, Bournemouth when Simon Preston put a R&B number on, and i noticed 4 DJs going up to the decks to have a pep, for me that's what its all about.

Couldn't agree more Tim, it's whats kept me on the scene as well. Most enjoyable nights for me are at a couple of soul nights that constantly come up with the goods and the people have passion and a hunger for 'new' sounds. I'm afraid niters just don't do it for me any more - partly because of my liking for RnB and early sixties - but also because the music just seems too 'safe' - nobody willing to go out on a limb possibly due to fear of criticism and/or thinning out the dancefloor whereas in a small club environment I guess this isn't such an issue and allows DJs to experiment more. At the end of the day it's about doing what you enjoy - after all none of it's compulsory

[Maark]

In order to save the Soul scene from it's perilous state, there ought to be a Soul Summit. When everyone has finished arguing about who should be at the negotiating table, a list should be drawn up of what records should be "set aside", what venue's ought to be put out to grass for the greater good and which promoters should be taken out at dawn and summarily shot.

So, that's names of;

The Soul Steering committee.

Tunes to be targeted for "The Vinyl Solution"

Venue's to be vanquished.

Promoters to be punished for crimes against soulmanity

Go on, I dare ya!

[Guest gordon russell]

By your "rule of thumb" it is only All Nighters that have ever meant anything on this scene. I am sure people who attended The Catacombs - Highland Room - Blue Room Sale - Cats Whiskers Burnley etc etc. certainly don't class themselves as people "who like a bit of a jig,few pints".

The Northern Soul Top 500 is regularly slagged off on this site - can somebody who is a "proper soulie" because he "does niters" furnish me with a list of 500 records played in the last ten years which are as good - if not better - than the original 500.

hello epic,

firstly I used to go to all these places you've named except, ironically, burnley lol .I have no problem with any punter,they can go out when they like, where they like,whenever they like. I just take issue with promoters who tell us how much they love the music/scene,expect all and sundry to attend their venue,but show scant interest in attending anyone elses venue thats all,is that to much to ask. adey c,phil k,andy dyson,dave thorley and plenty of others who run large venues are to be seen out all the time ,enjoying and supporting other peoples venues.....just having a good time,both local and farther afield. WHERE THEY GO IS IRRELEVANT,but the point is they go!!!.We are also talking about the present day. The point about nighters I made is that the folk who attend,still have the desire to find these places that are playing something a bit differant,they still want to hear new stuff and they're prepared to go and find it,this is why I think this is where the scene really is.The people who can't be bothered to get off their backsides are generally found at soul nites because it's easier,I'm not saying they're hearts not in the right place in a ktf,souulie kind of way,they just have not much desire imo.Years ago we all sought out the places playing the new stuff,now we seek out places that are not playing the same oldies in the same order week after week,again imo. Don't forget as well they played more than enough pop shite at all the old nighters as well as the classics,nowadays they play a lot less rubbish and a lot more diverse stuff....great sat I.I am not moaning at anyone in particular and of course not all soul nites are handbaggers nites,but you all know which ones are really. cheers soulfulbob

[Ian Dewhirst]

when i was growing up in edinburgh in the 70s, wigan casino was seen to us northern souls as a kind of religious temple. sure we attended mixed discos, youth clubs, and even all-nighters that were kinda mixed (especially during the mod revival in the late 70s). but we always knew our home all-nighter was special, very warm, friendly with familiar faces. our major back-up to this, was the coach/car/train trip to wigan. my sister&friend even hitch hiked it down age 15 once!

what i really mean is that we must re-built the temple! and until such time- the different age groups must find a way to get on/ see eye to eye on things. the socialist revolution is just around the corner, as the capitalist system is in meltdown. we wont have long to wait for the people themselves to reorganise society on a fraternal basis, based on need, not greed.

A FANTASTIC post which hits the nail right on the head for me. Nice one Ken. Couldn't agree more mate.

Plus I may well have a tremendous London solution which I'm pumped about right now! For the first time in months I'm suddenly feeling very optimistic about things.....

And, hey, it makes it a hell of lot easier if I book the jocks LOL......

I have a venue which I believe will be the home of Soul in London. It's perfect.

Plus I've kinda already selected my resident roster. A great combination in my head, of the generally accepted Top 2 DJ's rotated bi-weekly for the rarest of the rare and exclusive tunes, an experienced guaranteed pro who's always been credible and who we all love for idiosyncratic reasons also with exclusive tunes, a youngster with edge, good taste and a younger hipper crowd and a 'held in high-regard' collector and occasional DJ who needs to be in the right company to flower and blossom. 2 hours each. Every week. Residents.

And no oldies. Unless they've underplayed or ignored and they're creatively programmed into a unique set.

It's worth a shot innit?

Also time to put a bit of pzazzz and bang back into the scene.

At a killer venue.

All egos can be left at the door. No time for that these days.

Ian D

[pikeys dog]

Tried and failed at the Rocket....

Whilst a lot of it was down to Ian Levines personality, a large part of the reason was you can't fill a barn in London.

[Quinvy]

THERE AREN'T ENOUGH, NEW! QUALITY! TUNES TO SUSTAIN A WEEKLY ALLNIGHTER.....AND THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PUNTERS WHO WILL TRAVEL TO LONDON EVERY WEEK.....AND NO ONE WILL AGREE WITH YOUR CHOICE OF DJ's...LOL.....I'LL BE THERE, TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE THOUGH....

Edited June 27, 2008 by quinvy

[Dave Rimmer]

I have a venue which I believe will be the home of Soul in London.

Ian D

Is Ady moving the 100 Club then ????

[Dave Moore]

A FANTASTIC post which hits the nail right on the head for me. Nice one Ken. Couldn't agree more mate.

Plus I may well have a tremendous London solution which I'm pumped about right now! For the first time in months I'm suddenly feeling very optimistic about things.....

And, hey, it makes it a hell of lot easier if I book the jocks LOL......

I have a venue which I believe will be the home of Soul in London. It's perfect.

Plus I've kinda already selected my resident roster. A great combination in my head, of the generally accepted Top 2 DJ's rotated bi-weekly for the rarest of the rare and exclusive tunes, an experienced guaranteed pro who's always been credible and who we all love for idiosyncratic reasons also with exclusive tunes, a youngster with edge, good taste and a younger hipper crowd and a 'held in high-regard' collector and occasional DJ who needs to be in the right company to flower and blossom. 2 hours each. Every week. Residents.

And no oldies. Unless they've underplayed or ignored and they're creatively programmed into a unique set.

It's worth a shot innit?

Also time to put a bit of pzazzz and bang back into the scene.

At a killer venue.

All egos can be left at the door. No time for that these days.

Ian D

Mad as a March hare. More holes in that plan than a quality swiss cheese. God loves an optimist though.

[Guest nubes]

I'm confused here.....

If you leave the Soul scene for say 10 years or so coz you get into, say Jazz Funk, can you still claim the moral high ground when you come charging back onto the scene??

: ,.... ..... .....Delxxxx

[Dave Moore]

Is Ady moving the 100 Club then ????

Exactly! God preserve us from the Saviours of Soul! I think some people have got the lines between 'soul scource' and the 'soul scene' a little mixed up. THEY ARE NOT ONE AND THE SAME.

[Dave Rimmer]

Absolutely.....it's just unrealistic to expect all the diverse interests to agree on the day of the week it is let alone anything else. Too many ego's - a recurring theme.

Lock all the niter promoters in a room with a gun each, with one bullet in it. Last one standing gets to open the new temple of northern soul, and call it The Russian Roulette Casino !

[Ian Dewhirst]

Tried and failed at the Rocket....

Whilst a lot of it was down to Ian Levines personality, a large part of the reason was you can't fill a barn in London.

But it was fillled on the first night! I was there.

And a FANTASTIC venue but badly thought out musically in my opinion.

I thought the music policy was completely wrong for that venue at that time. At that point a proper oldies all-nighter would have been just the ticket for the London fashionistas of the time and a fun, buzzy night generally. And certainly that's what the crowd wanted but what the crowd didn't get.

So politics and ego messed up a potentially great venue IMO.

But they definitely filled that barn on that night, as they did at Kent's 25th Anniversary night @ the Forum last year.

So get the event right and the crowds will follow is my mantra.

Ian D

[pikeys dog]

People come to the first one just to see you fail.

Others come to check the venue out.

After that, i'll bet my bottom dollar that attendances spiral downwards at a rate of knotts.

[Ian Dewhirst]

Mad as a March hare. More holes in that plan than a quality swiss cheese. God loves an optimist though.

Hey, I'm an optimist Dave.

That's what an objective viewpoint can do occasionally LOL....

But where are the holes exactly?

With that balance of DJ's, are you saying that there would be no interest? Or is it the location that's wrong (London is TERRIBLE right now for attendances)? Or just crippling inertia generally......?

I dunno mate. If you have a perfect venue with a perfect resident DJ roster, then how much can really go wrong?

If people don't get what a brilliant night that could be, the f%*k 'em - I wouldn't want 'em there anyway to be honest. Wrong profile.

Ian D

[Ian Dewhirst]

People come to the first one just to see you fail.

Others come to check the venue out.

After that, i'll bet my bottom dollar that attendances spiral downwards at a rate of knotts.

But if it's actually good then what's the problem? I don't get it. Why is everyone so cynical?

Maybe an injection of new blood into the scene via a happening venue @ the capital with the best DJ's around on a number of scenes would be a good thing.

Wouldn't it?

Ian D

[Dave Rimmer]

But they definitely filled that barn on that night, as they did at Kent's 25th Anniversary night @ the Forum last year.

So get the event right and the crowds will follow is my mantra.

Ian D

Yes, but Kent records don't have a 25th Anniversary with half a dozen live acts every week do they.

[Guest nubes]

But if it's actually good then what's the problem? I don't get it. Why is everyone so cynical?

This is where the Northern and jazz funk scene differs,...the former seems to worry about credibility and how the scene progresess..the width of the trousers..the length of the skirt...and ooh ..just how outsiders percieve us....the latter says fcuk that ...let's party....life is way too short...I know because i have had experience of both scenes and not ashamed to admit it...

Maybe an injection of new blood into the scene via a happening venue @ the capital with the best DJ's around on a number of scenes would be a good thing.

Wouldn't it?

Nah the fcuckers would still moan

Delxxxx

[Dave Moore]

But if it's actually good then what's the problem? I don't get it. Why is everyone so cynical?

Maybe an injection of new blood into the scene via a happening venue @ the capital with the best DJ's around on a number of scenes would be a good thing.

Wouldn't it?

Ian D

Without raking over old coals Mate, It's been tried before. It's hard not to be cynical when what you're proposing has been proposed before but it never comes off. The Rocket being a prime example. Best of luck with it. I'll certainly turn up at the first one if it's what you're actually planning. But whoe betide you if you don't deliver......I'll come back and tear you a new arsehole on here if you hoodwink me like the last lot did!

The best DJs in the world play on Oxford Road, they've been doing it for over 25 years. If they can't fill a barn sized venue on a monthly basis what makes you think you can do it every week? You'll not be the first to think they have what it takes because they used to play before a large crowd of Northern Soul fans back in the day. Nor I suspect will you be the last. No disrespect intended, but you did ask?

[Guest rachel]

THERE AREN'T ENOUGH, NEW! QUALITY! TUNES TO SUSTAIN A WEEKLY ALLNIGHTER.....AND THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PUNTERS WHO WILL TRAVEL TO LONDON EVERY WEEK.....AND NO ONE WILL AGREE WITH YOUR CHOICE OF DJ's...LOL.....I'LL BE THERE, TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE THOUGH....

[Kevinkent]

If people don't get what a brilliant night that could be, the f%*k 'em - I wouldn't want 'em there anyway to be honest. Wrong profile.

Ian D

Well that could be the biggest hole...........a promoter who is always right, no matter what!

Best of luck though, I'll watch the developments with interest.

Quick edit.....EVERY WEEK? Nah, I prefer to get around a bit for a bit of variation. Every month would be pushing it IMO.

Edited June 27, 2008 by KevinKent

[pikeys dog]

Several reasons why you won't get a mass influx of young people onto the Northern Scene...

In the 1970s, at it's peak - the music was only around ten years old at most - and much of it was newish - now its over thirty years old and alien to young ears.

Youth culture still had tribes - from the mods, through skinheads, suedeheads etc. - Now you've got Chavs, Goths and 'Gatecrasher' ravers - where exactly do they fit in?

There were no Playstations, X-boxes, PCs, Wide Screen Plasma TVS, movies on demand, Sky Sports and online gaming - it's all to easy to sit at home and be entertained.

Pubs used shut at ten thirty - and you had to dress up to get in a nightclub (jacket and tie)... now you can drink for the best part of 24hours without anyone batting an eye.

Allnighters had a bit of mistique and an element of naughtiness to them - now you can go and get off your box and listen to pumping tunes in every town and city across the land.

Basically, the youth of today don't need Northern Soul to get their kicks like they did in the 1970s, and anyone thinking otherwise is sadly deluded.

[Guest KEN-SOUL]

hi again, you can NEVER please everybody where rare soul is concerned. i had a mate late 70s- 1981, who used to storm off the dancefloor, arms waving, expletives etc EVERYTIME a "newy" (a 70s track) was played!!! he stopped attending altogether after the dreadful days of 1981.

keep the faith

[Ian Dewhirst]

Yes, but Kent records don't have a 25th Anniversary with half a dozen live acts every week do they.

Yep. Good point Dave. They don't.

But I think I'd target the event completely differently to be honest. I'd have to find a bigger audience in order to make it work, so I'd be looking for a completely new prototype of event. Something that would pull a wider audience yet not compromise on the music policy. I'd also have a couple of other sympathic rooms going on with other variations of soul music so there would be an alternative choice in the other rooms if the top DJ's weren't enough LOL....

But, y'know, early stages mate. Rome wasn't built in a day and obviously it's a thankless task LOL.....

Ian D

[Kevinkent]

Ian, I hope you're dates are not going to clash with any other events. lol.

[Ian Dewhirst]

Well that could be the biggest hole...........a promoter who is always right, no matter what!

Best of luck though, I'll watch the developments with interest.

Quick edit.....EVERY WEEK? Nah, I prefer to get around a bit for a bit of variation. Every month would be pushing it IMO.

Well, I hear you Kevin. Me too. I prefer to float around a number of different scenes.

But there's a lot to be said for a weekly venue which specializes week in, week out and is musically dependable. It supplies a degree of perminence and consistancy in approach which may be a good thing on the scene right now judging by recent threads.

Also, it doesn't seem like there'd be much to lose, especially in London right now LOL.

To fill a venue like this, you'd need 3 rockin' rooms all in sympathy with each other, a good reputation for musical policy, the right DJ's and some highly-targeted PR to get some of those soul loving 9 million londoners through the doors.

A dependable venue with an eclectic soul music policy can save an awful lot of zig-zagging around looking for variation IMO..........

I'll put you on the guest list for the launch, OK?

Ian D

[Kevinkent]

Well, I hear you Kevin. Me too. I prefer to float around a number of different scenes.

But there's a lot to be said for a weekly venue which specializes week in, week out and is musically dependable. It supplies a degree of perminence and consistancy in approach which may be a good thing on the scene right now judging by recent threads.

Also, it doesn't seem like there'd be much to lose, especially in London right now LOL.

To fill a venue like this, you'd need 3 rockin' rooms all in sympathy with each other, a good reputation for musical policy, the right DJ's and some highly-targeted PR to get some of those soul loving 9 million londoners through the doors.

A dependable venue with an eclectic soul music policy can save an awful lot of zig-zagging around looking for variation IMO..........

I'll put you on the guest list for the launch, OK?

Ian D

I admire your courage if you go ahead with this. And I'll deffo be at the launch.....but only if it doesn't clash with BoogalooSoul in Greenwich.

I wonder how many "practising" soulies there are throughout the UK? I seem to see the same faces wherever I go, and have recently jokingly expressed the view that we should have one purpose built, centrally located, multi-room venue. Is this the one?

[Ian Dewhirst]

Ian, I hope you're dates are not going to clash with any other events. lol.

It'll clash with EVERYTHING LOL, 'cos it's potentially 7 days/nights a week.

But that includes many types of music, live acts and other events, so good scheduling will be key.

I just think it would be great to have a weekly event which people could rely on. Plus, also, it's highly likely that several different areas of the scene will integrate if there's a central focus.

It's really all about bringing the best teams of people together and if you can't draw a crowd in London then forget it. It's probably as much PR as anything else but that creates a buzz and translates people to a scene.......

I'd be looking to do the same thing on the other scenes - 60's RnB, Jazz, Funk, Modern, Disco etc, etc - there's a lot of nights to fill!

But early days. Let's see what happens......

Ian D

[Kevinkent]

It'll clash with EVERYTHING LOL, 'cos it's potentially 7 days/nights a week.

But that includes many types of music, live acts and other events, so good scheduling will be key.

I just think it would be great to have a weekly event which people could rely on. Plus, also, it's highly likely that several different areas of the scene will integrate if there's a central focus.

It's really all about bringing the best teams of people together and if you can't draw a crowd in London then forget it. It's probably as much PR as anything else but that creates a buzz and translates people to a scene.......

I'd be looking to do the same thing on the other scenes - 60's RnB, Jazz, Funk, Modern, Disco etc, etc - there's a lot of nights to fill!

But early days. Let's see what happens......

Ian D

My daughter insists that I impart a few words of (her) wisdom here:

"Tell them that if everyone goes to this they'll all have heart attacks, 'cos they're too old to be mucking about!"

[Ian Dewhirst]

My daughter insists that I impart a few words of (her) wisdom here:

"Tell them that if everyone goes to this they'll all have heart attacks, 'cos they're too old to be mucking about!"

I think I've already sorted that. The oldies can go to the upstairs bar/club with the panoramic views from the penthouse conservatory and lots of seats LOL!

This won't be as frenetic as what will happening downstairs in the basement club which is no doubt where those crazy energy-fueled youngsters will congregate.

Ian D

[Winnie :-)]

But it was fillled on the first night! I was there.

And a FANTASTIC venue but badly thought out musically in my opinion.

I thought the music policy was completely wrong for that venue at that time. At that point a proper oldies all-nighter would have been just the ticket for the London fashionistas of the time and a fun, buzzy night generally. And certainly that's what the crowd wanted but what the crowd didn't get.

So politics and ego messed up a potentially great venue IMO.

But they definitely filled that barn on that night, as they did at Kent's 25th Anniversary night @ the Forum last year.

So get the event right and the crowds will follow is my mantra.

Ian D

===============

Ian,

I was there on the first night as well and only missed one of the subsequent ones. Great venue but musically was left wanting. The first night was very successful, liquid news were there as I recall, but masses of free tickets had been given out, which I'm sure you are aware of. It never reached the heights again, attendance wise. Sure the subject has been covered many times, but the last one I attended there were around 200 and they didn't all stay all night. And what was the idea with the VIP area on the stage, talk about putting oneself on a pedestal

Winnie :-)

[Ian Dewhirst]

===============

Ian,

I was there on the first night as well and only missed one of the subsequent ones. Great venue but musically was left wanting. The first night was very successful, liquid news were there as I recall, but masses of free tickets had been given out, which I'm sure you are aware of. It never reached the heights again, attendance wise. Sure the subject has been covered many times, but the last one I attended there were around 200 and they didn't all stay all night. And what was the idea with the VIP area on the stage, talk about putting oneself on a pedestal

Winnie :-)

Yeah the first one was great attendance wise. Also it was the only gig where I was actually paid to NOT DJ LOL! In retrospect, a big mistake!

So I was out in the crowd that night feeling frustrated and noticing how the atmosphere was winding-down by 4.00am which was a massive shame. There was also quite a lot of antagonism about the situation that night which was a great shame as the venue was superb IMO.

The music policy for that gig at that time was wrong in my view. That was an oldies venue if ever I saw one. The new stuff should have been played in the downstairs room. The London crowd at that time consisted of an awful lot of people who were 'into' Northern Soul without knowing any of the records LOL - 'fashionista pretenders' is what I used to call 'em. But there were hundreds of 'em I seem to remember and they would have preffered the more accessible oldies I would have thought. Plus the atmosphere would have been loads better and the night would have sustained to the end.

And the VIP area on stage kinda summed the night up for me. Had to be somewhere to put the egos I suppose LOL....

Ian D

Edited June 28, 2008 by Ian Dewhirst

[sister dawn]

It'll never work

For starters its in the wrong place.... The 'L' Place

cor blimey guvnor, ya southern softies always had to come opp north to hear real music and attend proper venues

eee bah gum, this ere weekly venue will be havin' a cocktail bar in the corner next

Flack jacket is on and guns locked and loaded for the north- south divide

[Winnie :-)]

Yeah the first one was great attendance wise. Also it was the only gig where I was actually paid to NOT DJ LOL! In retrospect, a big mistake!

So I was out in the crowd that night feeling frustrated and noticing how the atmosphere was winding-down by 4.00am which was a massive shame. There was also quite a lot of antagonism about the situation that night which was a great shame as the venue was superb IMO.

The music policy for that gig at that time was wrong in my view. That was an oldies venue if ever I saw one. The new stuff should have been played in the downstairs room. The London crowd at that time consisted of an awful lot of people who were 'into' Northern Soul without knowing any of the records LOL - 'fashionista pretenders' is what I used to call 'em. But there were hundreds of 'em I seem to remember and they would have preffered the more accessible oldies I would have thought. Plus the atmosphere would have been loads better and the night would have sustained to the end.

And the VIP area on stage kinda summed the night up for me. Had to be somewhere to put the egos I suppose LOL....

Ian D

===============

I used to spend a lot of time downstairs in the modern room, the atmosphere was better and the egos didn't seem as prevalent. I do remember the antagonism at the time and it did put a downer on the night. It was a shame for the punters that some sort of truce couldn't have been called, but in truth that was never really going to happen, given the strong personalities involved

I thought initially it was advertised as basically an oldies venue, maybe not advertised, more promoted as one, which in general it did stick to. Perhaps with hindsight, a monthly night in a venue of that size was hoping/asking for too much even with NS being more in vogue.

Winnie :-)

[Guest]

Edited June 28, 2008 by ken