Wigan Casino

[Guest bazabod_downunder]

I don't know about that but I was there when someone (possibly Russ Winstanley) played The Ozark Mountain Daredevils.....I kid ye not.

KTF

Baz

According to a Keb Darge interview, he had enough when he went one night and they played The Who...when did this happen? Towards the end I imagine.

[Dylan]

Happy to say I never set foot in the place...by the time it opened its doors the scene was already dead...Quadrant Park was the only house club in Liverpool worth going to...and that was circa 89...I liken it to Wigan Casino in the sense I had probably the best times of my life in there...

still plenty of good music right through 90s IMO if you liked that kind of thing.

what clubs you went to is mainly down to what age you were and what music you liked at the time.

I was only 15 in '89 so missed prehaps the very best clubs but still saw some good nights later on.

[Steve G]

I don't know about that but I was there when someone (possibly Russ Winstanley) played The Ozark Mountain Daredevils.....I kid ye not.

KTF

Baz

Yeah WC did become very odd from 77 onwards - some excellent rare soul, and some awful stuff - two extremes. Some would say it was always that way but now looking on the outside back in - it does seem it got more extreme from 77. Not sure what Dustbin Stanley was playing at towards the end - but he certainly played some stonkers.

And in response to the comment that no one stopped going because of the pop - us lot from Kent stopped going exactly for that reason - well documented in old Blackbeats at the time. We preferred the 6Ts thing of Randy and Ady to travelling 200 miles to hear Muriel Day and "Love hustle" five times a night.

Now feel that WC is like an old corse that keeps getting dug up every five minutes, looked at, then reburied.

[Gogger]

Ive noticed on here quite an anti Wigan Casino vibe from no little amount of forum users...

Is this common across the whole scene?

Obviously not being of an age to have been there, from an outsiders view I always thought Wigan was the pinnacle of the Northern movement?!?

Can any of you give me a little background on this hostility?

It's something ive been amazed at to be honest and id like to know more...

from my time on the scene ,i went to both wigan and the mecca sometimes on the same night if we had a driver,both where brilliant,but for me wigan edged it for the atsmosphere.

[Guest]

from my time on the scene ,i went to both wigan and the mecca sometimes on the same night if we had a driver,both where brilliant,but for me wigan edged it for the atsmosphere.

I , along with three other companions one Saturday , went to The Mecca until midnight ( when questioned by Bernie Golding as to why I was going early , he informed me that I was barking mad ) , sped off to the Casino , and after a couple of hours there , went across t'Pennines to The Winter Gardens , arriving at 7 AM ........

When we arrived at Cleethorpes , Mary Chapman laughed , informing me of it being " better late than never " , as she had wondered where I had been .........

Ah , those were t'days of carefree innocence ..........

Malc Burton

Edited August 1, 2008 by Malc Burton

[Guest Trevski]

I went from the beginning to 78 and it was awasome. yes like any venue it went through bad patches, but overall it was simply fantastic and I for one, an glad i was aorund to enjoy it and all the other venues, Torch, Mecca, Central etc.

Wigan will always be loved or hated (mainly loved).

Oh and as some have said, it could be a dangerous place, so long as you were streetwise thought you were OK. But I found that the Beachcomber, where we all waited to go into the Casino, was a very dangerous place!

Your not kidding! The beachcomber was scary! Saw many a bit of trouble kick off in there. Definatly 'stick with your mates' time. (The alley 'round the side was worse, a right place for dodgy dealings. Still have a nice scar on my thigh from there '75! )

Edited August 1, 2008 by Trevski

[NEV]

I had momments at wigan particulary circa 79 and Searling that will never be matched ie playing Eddie Jefferson for the Aycliffe crowd etc,also have many mixed feelings about the place,do agree it was a wonderful momment in time however.One thing i often think about is how sexy some of the young women were back then,they ozzed class when alot of the men just fritted about off heir boxes lol.

I did, will always prefer the intimacy of the smaller places in the eighties and early nineties,more friendly [wigan was full of nutters]and ofcourse the music had moved on.The mass hysteria sorrounding the Casino WILL NEVER BE JUSTIFIED it was after all just a building,and if i could go back now in the olD time machine id give at least 2 of the bouncers a good kicking cos there were bullies and wankers most of them lol.

BAZ A

YOUR DEAD RIGHT THERE BAZ..YOU WERE ONE OF THEM

ONLY KIDDING MATE

THINK THE THING BACK THEN WAS ,WE WERE YOUNG AND THIS SCENE WAS VIBRANT,FRESH AND EXCITING.

YOU CANT REPLACE THE GOOD FEELINGS OF YOUR YOUTH,JUST LIKE KIDS OF TODAY AND THE DANCE SCENE.

IT'S NOT UNTIL YOUR OLDER YOU TEND TO TAKE MORE NOTICE OF THE DETAIL AND APPRECIATE THE MUSIC FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS.JUST WALKING THRU THE DOORS WAS A BUZZ BACK THEN ,WHEREAS NOW HEARING INCREDIBLE RECORDS IS THE BUZZ I GET

[Harry Crosby]

YOUR DEAD RIGHT THERE BAZ..YOU WERE ONE OF THEM

ONLY KIDDING MATE

THINK THE THING BACK THEN WAS ,WE WERE YOUNG AND THIS SCENE WAS VIBRANT,FRESH AND EXCITING.

YOU CANT REPLACE THE GOOD FEELINGS OF YOUR YOUTH,JUST LIKE KIDS OF TODAY AND THE DANCE SCENE.

IT'S NOT UNTIL YOUR OLDER YOU TEND TO TAKE MORE NOTICE OF THE DETAIL AND APPRECIATE THE MUSIC FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS.JUST WALKING THRU THE DOORS WAS A BUZZ BACK THEN ,WHEREAS NOW HEARING INCREDIBLE RECORDS IS THE BUZZ I GET

Well put nev, think the youth thing hit the nail on the head there mate, a lot of people in those days were pigeon holed into different social groups ie MODS, SKINHEADS, PUNKS, BIKERS ETC luckily for one reason or another we were a part of the northern soul scene at its hieght of popularity, socially wise it was a great place for meeting people many of who still to this day are some of my best friends, so really it put the roots down for a life long love of the music & the people, if its in your blood its there for good i say

[Gogger]

I , along with three other companions one Saturday , went to The Mecca until midnight ( when questioned by Bernie Golding as to why I was going early , he informed me that I was barking mad ) , sped off to the Casino , and after a couple of hours there , went across t'Pennines to The Winter Gardens , arriving at 7 AM ........

When we arrived at Cleethorpes , Mary Chapman laughed , informing me of it being " better late than never " , as she had wondered where I had been .........

Ah , those were t'days of carefree innocence ..........

Malc Burton

yes your right about the carefree,it was always wigan and then home for us,then all day in bed and up for the drum at bentley on sunday night, great days

[Wiganer1]

=======

im defo one of the former and slowly but surely all the soounds are coming back

for every naff wigan theyres 10 gr8 ones!

love em all me ..good or bad!

apart from mickey mouse concerto

Surely you cannot be a lover of Ted Cassidy's " The Lurch " Mark ? ............

Malc Burton

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

nope defo dont like the lurch - that was a yate tune 1st ne way so dont count! lol

[Wiganer1]

In the corner of the balcony near the door that lead you through to mr m`s was carved, ELLINGTONS-LONG LONG WAY

=====

love the nightwatch - hated by many ...ANYONE EVER SEEN AN ISSUE???

Edited August 6, 2008 by wiganer1

[Harry Crosby]

=====

love the nightwatch - hated by many ...ANYONE EVER SEEN AN ISSUE???

Me too mark, di said it sounds like summat from heartbeat no now you mention it ive never seen an issue either

[Guest Nik Mak]

[Harry Crosby]

I get the feeling some people want the wigan tunes now and others don't.

========

im defo one of the former and slowly but surely all the soounds are coming back

for every naff wigan theyres 10 gr8 ones!

love em all me ..good or bad!

apart from mickey mouse concerto

All I can say is go to you tube and track down the last three tunes ever played at the casino. That sums up the whole thing for me... Without the Casino I really don't think this website would have ever been created because the scene would have been too fragmented and distilled. The casino created a focal point in time that breathed life into an underground scene that still survives today. For this we should all be grateful. If a few people slag it off then they can go back to their bedrooms and play to the themselves because ultimately without the casino that's probably what would have happened. All the other venues before and after will never compete with the history of that venue nor the memories it created......

Very well put, i remember the week after it had closed because i was so used to going there on saturdays i just didn`t know what to do think i just stayed in and watched telly with my mam

[Guest biggray1]

Fu Kin Awesome place till some twat started playing Footsee and its likes then it was time to go...The Memories are still there for me wich is nice to reminise now and again but let the old place R I P Gray.

[Guest mickeyb]

I didn't start going until 1976 so I can't comment on how good all of the tunes were pre Footsee, but I'm sure there were a few crap ones just like there always are - most DJ's have got to play to the floor, which never really has been populated by the Soul Police. Were any good soul tunes played at Wigan post late 1974/Early 1975?

[jocko]

Very well put, i remember the week after it had closed because i was so used to going there on saturdays i just didn`t know what to do think i just stayed in and watched telly with my mam

Harry surprised at you mate, thought you would have been in the small but beautifully formed group that went to Wigan Tiffanys and watched the rare soul scene being born! No fuzzy faced fakes at that night, from what I know of you Harry you would have loved it.

Thanks to that night there was no need to look back for a long time.

Its gone, surely people are bored talking about it, everyone has different memories, most were in mid teens so obviously it was best time of our lifes in some way, but it was only starting musically for many.

Okay story over, can we close this thread now please, I am off to write a script about it.........................

Edited August 6, 2008 by jocko

[Guest nubes]

Harry surprised at you mate, thought you would have been in the small but beautifully formed group that went to Wigan Tiffanys and watched the rare soul scene being born! No fuzzy faced fakes at that night, from what I know of you Harry you would have loved it.

Thanks to that night there was no need to look back for a long time.

Its gone, surely people are bored talking about it, everyone has different memories, most were in mid teens so obviously it was best time of our lifes in some way, but it was only starting musically for many.

Okay story over, can we close this thread now please, I am off to write a script about it.........................

And just to make it authentic...please make sure that they are wearing flares .... ....Delxxxx

[Steve G]

I didn't start going until 1976 so I can't comment on how good all of the tunes were pre Footsee, but I'm sure there were a few crap ones just like there always are - most DJ's have got to play to the floor, which never really has been populated by the Soul Police. Were any good soul tunes played at Wigan post late 1974/Early 1975?

Yes plenty, as you were going post 76, you would have heard them?

[jocko]

And just to make it authentic...please make sure that they are wearing flares .... ....Delxxxx

No Del, meant I am going to write a script about this thread, much less hassle and should be easier to get the level of authenticity required for a work of fiction that a film normally is ........on second thoughts maybe not, would be getting everyone telling me I had used the wrong fonts, or too much italics...... back to the drawing board

[Guest gordon russell]

theres one thing for sure,Wigan Casino has more people who went there now than went there ,then. There's people on S.S who bang on about the place,who only went ONCE or maybe TWICE.I remember talking to a fella (not for long) at a W,BORO local doo some time ago, who told me in no uncertain terms that he was there on the first night back in 1971 ha ha lol,when l pointed out when it actually opened,he told me ...you don't know what your talking about.I lived in WELLINGBOROUGH at that time and there were probably only about 6 or 8 of us used to go from that town......now it's every man and his sewn on badge that used to go.

[Jerry Hipkiss]

I didn't start going until 1976 so I can't comment on how good all of the tunes were pre Footsee, but I'm sure there were a few crap ones just like there always are - most DJ's have got to play to the floor, which never really has been populated by the Soul Police. Were any good soul tunes played at Wigan post late 1974/Early 1975?

Yes Mick, there were good tunes in all of WC's lifetime, just as there were naff ones (the Tiki's, Tricks etc. played in '74/75 ) but let's be honest, great or naff, most of the crowd were so caught up in the sheer fun of it

[Guest mickeyb]

Yes plenty, as you were going post 76, you would have heard them?

Yeah, I was, perhaps rather clumsily, making a point.

[Jumpinjoan]

No fuzzy faced fakes at that night, from what I know of you Harry you would have loved it.

[Prophonics 2029]

Their was this girl in my town who said she was going and went every few weeks, that she would be getting a lift with a few mates but to meet me at 3 am by the escalators.

I know she was bullshystering me but being the most well developed girl in town it didn't matter a toss.

Edited August 7, 2008 by Prophonics 2029

[Harry Crosby]

Harry surprised at you mate, thought you would have been in the small but beautifully formed group that went to Wigan Tiffanys and watched the rare soul scene being born! No fuzzy faced fakes at that night, from what I know of you Harry you would have loved it.

Thanks to that night there was no need to look back for a long time.

Its gone, surely people are bored talking about it, everyone has different memories, most were in mid teens so obviously it was best time of our lifes in some way, but it was only starting musically for many.

Okay story over, can we close this thread now please, I am off to write a script about it.........................

There was a lot of things going on up yorkshire then so we went to either the clifton hall rotherham, or queens hall bradford, went to one at wigan with a palm tree in the middle of the dancefloor, can`t remember what it was called though

[Guest bazabod_downunder]

Their was this girl in my town who said she was going and went every few weeks, that she would be getting a lift with a few mates but to meet me at 3 am by the escalators.

Similiar thing happened to me in regards to a conversation I had at work years ago with a lad that was from Wales, he was telling me about he used to go to the Casino...lol...he even agreed with me about the big glass doors at the front & the temperamental lift....gotcha!

KTF

Baz

[Davetay]

Their was this girl in my town who said she was going and went every few weeks, that she would be getting a lift with a few mates but to meet me at 3 am by the escalators.

Similiar thing happened to me in regards to a conversation I had at work years ago with a lad that was from Wales, he was telling me about he used to go to the Casino...lol...he even agreed with me about the big glass doors at the front & the temperamental lift....gotcha!

KTF

Baz

F**KING PRICELESS

[Phil_H]

Blimey, I dont think I have heard this since Wigan....Nice One

Steve

How the f did I used to dance to that? and more to the point why did I dance to it?

[Harry Crosby]

F**KING PRICELESS

There was a lass in york dave, a well known face/pomoter on the scene now, who used to have on all of her record sleeves I`VE BEEN TO WIGAN!!!

[Chris L]

Ive noticed on here quite an anti Wigan Casino vibe from no little amount of forum users...

Can any of you give me a little background on this hostility?

I think it has something to do wth those baggy trousers or maybe the whte pop

songs or Russ's quiffy hairdo maybe all three

Frankly my dear I wouldn't worry about it, the majority of those types of criticisms come from chin stroking 30 years olds who never went and who's motto is "more than 3 known copies - can't

be any good then" .

[Modernsoulsucks]

How the f did I used to dance to that? and more to the point why did I dance to it?

Im afraid that was one of mine!! Sold it to Richard along with that Peter Jarrett "Run baby ..." on MGM.

Anything unknown soulful and midtempo probably went in my dustbin.

Those were the days.

ROD

[Baz Atkinson]

I STILL HAVE MY LEATHER PRESSSTUD JACKET LOL AND MY TIN BADGE ON IT WITH RICHARD SEARLINGS HEAD IN IT LOL,I LIKENED RICHARD SEARLING THEN TO THE NEW MESSIAH,FUNNILY ENOUGH I WATCHED THE JOY DIVISION DOCUMENTARY LAST NIGHT AND RICHARD TURNED UP ON IT[HE WORKED FOR RCA] TRYING TO GET JOY DIVISION TO DO A VERSION OF KEEP ON KEEPING ON LOL.OH YES THOSES WERE THE DAYS ARLIGHT!

I CAN STILL SMELL THE BRUT EARLY MORNING AND ALSO NEVER FORGET ROB MARRIOTS HEAD BOBBING UP AND DOWN AS HE SHUFFLED TO GEORGE KIRBY.

[De-to]

Along with 'Music with Soul' The Pallbearers and 'Do What You Wanna Do' Dee Dee Barnes - three of the best 110mph Wigan Tracks.....

also how did we ever dance to the jewells,togetherness!!!

[Zed1]

also how did we ever dance to the jewells,togetherness!!!

.......along with The Triumphs 'Comin to your Rescue', a certain amount of chemical assistance helped I think..

Edited August 9, 2008 by Teapot

[Davetay]

also how did we ever dance to the jewells,togetherness!!!

I remember Pete selling a emi of the Jewells to one of the DJ,s at Wigan.

The only thing was when the record stops and than comes back in the emi just stopped!

Did we laugh, we pissed ourselves

[Davetay]

.......along with The Triumphs 'Comin to your Rescue', a certain amount of chemical assistance helped I think..

I would need alot more than chemical assistance to dance to the Triumphs nowadays (ie younger body)

Not really a Wigan record, unless you count M,s.

[Reg]

I STILL HAVE MY LEATHER PRESSSTUD JACKET LOL AND MY TIN BADGE ON IT WITH RICHARD SEARLINGS HEAD IN IT LOL,I LIKENED RICHARD SEARLING THEN TO THE NEW MESSIAH,FUNNILY ENOUGH I WATCHED THE JOY DIVISION DOCUMENTARY LAST NIGHT AND RICHARD TURNED UP ON IT[HE WORKED FOR RCA] TRYING TO GET JOY DIVISION TO DO A VERSION OF KEEP ON KEEPING ON LOL.OH YES THOSES WERE THE DAYS ARLIGHT!

I CAN STILL SMELL THE BRUT EARLY MORNING AND ALSO NEVER FORGET ROB MARRIOTS HEAD BOBBING UP AND DOWN AS HE SHUFFLED TO GEORGE KIRBY.

I love it when folk talk about sweet memories of WC rather than being dead precious about it. I have similar memories about walking into Warrington Parr hall..the smell of talc, orange ice lollies, the first bar of The Pyramid....it can never be as good as when you're young..I can remember nights in the Hacienda and on Mod rallies that invoke similar memories..let's face it it's never going to be as good as when we were younger is it...but there's nothing wrong with trying is there you're a long time dead!!!

[Zed1]

I would need alot more than chemical assistance to dance to the Triumphs nowadays (ie younger body)

I recall a few years ago at a venue 'trying' to dance to 'Trouble' The Agents - and about halfway through thinking to myself "I'm realy not keeping up here", but you don't want to look a complete tw*t and walk off half way through - so I stuck at it!..

By the end I looked like a baby Giraffe in Diving boots......

[Guest cocopachino]

We will never see the likes of it again, unless you were there it's hard to describe people running from upstairs down to the dance floor when one of the big plays came on, especially if you were going in the other direction, you ended up back downstairs.

The Casino had it all the good, bad and the ugly, but for anybody who attend it mostly has great memories as we were young, foolish and happy, and ruled the world.

Mark

Very, very true......

Young: only 15 when I started going, oh the lies I had to tell my parents.....

Foolish: travelling 4 hours up and 4 hours back.....

Happy: you bet we were.... good memories

[De-to]

Very, very true......

Young: only 15 when I started going, oh the lies I had to tell my parents.....

Foolish: travelling 4 hours up and 4 hours back.....

Happy: you bet we were.... good memories

i also agree with funkfeet very well said mate!!!!!,

[Ted Massey]

Northern Soul legendary venues included (in some kind of chronology):

The Mojo

The Twisted Wheel

The Torch

Blackpool Mecca

Wigan Casino

Samanthas

Cleethorpes (x2)

Clifton Hall (Rotherham)

Bradford Queens Hall

Stafford

Warrington Parr Hall

All of these were historic venues and all were responsible for breaking great records.

The crescendo, though, came at Wigan, eventually attracting huge media interest.

Sean you made one glaring omission what about the CATS

[Sean Hampsey]

Northern Soul legendary venues included (in some kind of chronology):

The Mojo

The Twisted Wheel

The Torch

Blackpool Mecca

Wigan Casino

Samanthas

Cleethorpes (x2)

Clifton Hall (Rotherham)

Bradford Queens Hall

Stafford

Warrington Parr Hall

All of these were historic venues and all were responsible for breaking great records.

The crescendo, though, came at Wigan, eventually attracting huge media interest.

Sean you made one glaring omission what about the CATS

Not a comprehensive list, Ted, and I did say 'included'....

...but seeing as it's you...

Northern Soul legendary venues included (in some kind of chronology):

The Mojo

The Twisted Wheel

The Torch

The CATS!

Blackpool Mecca

Wigan Casino

Samanthas

Cleethorpes (x2)

Clifton Hall (Rotherham)

Bradford Queens Hall

Stafford

Warrington Parr Hall

All of these were historic venues and all were responsible for breaking great records.

[De-to]

Not a comprehensive list, Ted, and I did say 'included'....

...but seeing as it's you...

Northern Soul legendary venues included (in some kind of chronology):

The Mojo

The Twisted Wheel

The Torch

The CATS!

Blackpool Mecca

Wigan Casino

Samanthas

Cleethorpes (x2)

Clifton Hall (Rotherham)

Bradford Queens Hall

Stafford

Warrington Parr Hall

All of these were historic venues and all were responsible for breaking great records.

can i add st ives,cambs to this list,

[Sean Hampsey]

can i add st ives,cambs to this list,

Be my guest!

[Guest]

Not a comprehensive list, Ted, and I did say 'included'....

...but seeing as it's you...

Northern Soul legendary venues included (in some kind of chronology):

The Mojo

The Twisted Wheel

The Torch

The CATS!

Blackpool Mecca

Wigan Casino

Samanthas

Cleethorpes (x2)

Clifton Hall (Rotherham)

Bradford Queens Hall

Stafford

Warrington Parr Hall

Morecombe pier (spelling)

All of these were historic venues and all were responsible for breaking great records.

Morecombe pier added

[Paul R]

can i add st ives,cambs to this list,

And my first VaVas. Not a great venue, but filled a hole, and introduced RS to the public.

Paul

[Ted Massey]

Not a comprehensive list, Ted, and I did say 'included'....

...but seeing as it's you...

Northern Soul legendary venues included (in some kind of chronology):

The Mojo

The Twisted Wheel

The Torch

The CATS!

Blackpool Mecca

Wigan Casino

Samanthas

Cleethorpes (x2)

Clifton Hall (Rotherham)

Bradford Queens Hall

Stafford

Warrington Parr Hall

All of these were historic venues and all were responsible for breaking great records.

Just didnt want my old mate Max to get the vapours

[Guest SteveJohnston]

Very, very true......

Young: only 15 when I started going, oh the lies I had to tell my parents.....

Foolish: travelling 4 hours up and 4 hours back.....

Happy: you bet we were.... good memories

The travelling home from the Casino with a gang of friends was something I really wish I had to do at times back in the day!

I could walk up to Top Lock Newspring across the Fields and be home in just over half a hour or catch the bus to Hindley walk up past the rail station and golf course and be home in 25 minutes max the problem with that was my old man had a milk round and if he spotted me coming home he would drag my round to help I was ok for about the first hour him telling me to slow down then I would hit a brick wall, ....................All fantastic times at the Casino for me including the all Dayers loved the the time spent in that old place!

Steve J

[Reg]

The travelling home from the Casino with a gang of friends was something I really wish I had to do at times back in the day!

I could walk up to Top Lock Newspring across the Fields and be home in just over half a hour or catch the bus to Hindley walk up past the rail station and golf course and be home in 25 minutes max the problem with that was my old man had a milk round and if he spotted me coming home he would drag my round to help I was ok for about the first hour him telling me to slow down then I would hit a brick wall, ....................All fantastic times at the Casino for me including the all Dayers loved the the time spent in that old place!

Steve J

From that description I'm guessing you lived in Aspull?

I used to work in a pub in Whelley and get the last train to Warrington Parr Hall after my shift....too young for Wigan went to Maximes a few times in the 80s when (I think) RS had nights there