Why The Venom

[Guest]

So what was Russ good at?. I'm not having a pop, I've heard him DJ now and the stuff he played at wigan and it comes nowhere near,as a Dj compared to Searling etc he comes nowhere near for me, He wasn't the promotor so he can't take credit for that, so did he just put all the pieces into the jigsaw then?..

Jayne.x

I said earlier in the thread he gets full credit for founding Wigan. An artice I've read describes him as "the driving force" behind Wigan. I think in fairness he lived and breathed the Casino and gave it his all. He never seemed interested in other venues except as potential competition. I think what made him different to the other DJs is his background in that I don't believe he was a Northern Soul fan who became a NS DJ but a DJ who became a NS DJ. His love was I believe for Wigan Casino rather than the music.

[Reg]

All i'm saying is...while you were turning up...getting out of your head and listening to (predominantly) good music...he was the one promoting that night...not just the late 70s early 80s...but right the way through...of course people are going to turn up to listen to the likes of Searling...but like it or not...RW played an integeral part in all of your lives...regardless of what has gone on since Wigan closed it's doors...

Are you sticking up for him cos he's called Russ

or is he your dad? Come to think of it......I thought I knew you from somewhere....

Only kidding

[Modernsoulsucks]

You really need to know your history if you want to debate with those of us who lived it !

Brian Rae had been a DJ at the Wheel, Richard and Pat were both name DJs (in Manchester and Yorkshire respectively) before they were at Wigan, and without the young Kev Roberts in the early weeks Winstanley would have sunk without trace !

I do think you're being a bit hard on Russ as you're judging his part in the Casino with the benefit of hindsight. Yes your list of naff moments is spot on, apart from This England" which IMO is better appreciated today than our initial reaction to it at the time, but they were all 2-3 years down the line from the opening night.

At first, as part of an ensemble, Russ was no different to anyone else. I agree we didn't first go to Wigan to hear Russ, like say we did in the later years to hear Richard, but back in '73, with the exception of Levine's weekly changing playlists, you kinda knew what the big sounds were and as long as you heard them it didn't matter who was playing them.

That changed over the years and a more exclusive/"one-off" ethos crept in and then it became more important who the dj was. That Russ had lost it by then is also true.

As for Richard I remember him getting his break at the Pendulem through Barry Tasker and then Dj-ing at VaVa's in Bolton [did he run it as well?] but he made his name at Wigan and the least we can say that Russ was aware of the importance of getting a decent line-up together.

I thought your summation of Dave Evison was extremely diplomatic in that "groundbreaking" is not the first description that would occur to me either. He is as you say a nice guy and I wonder if Russ's perceived persona is not clouding a fair assessment of the time.

ROD

[Guest]

I do think you're being a bit hard on Russ as you're judging his part in the Casino with the benefit of hindsight. Yes your list of naff moments is spot on, apart from This England" which IMO is better appreciated today than our initial reaction to it at the time, but they were all 2-3 years down the line from the opening night.

At first, as part of an ensemble, Russ was no different to anyone else. I agree we didn't first go to Wigan to hear Russ, like say we did in the later years to hear Richard, but back in '73, with the exception of Levine's weekly changing playlists, you kinda knew what the big sounds were and as long as you heard them it didn't matter who was playing them.

That changed over the years and a more exclusive/"one-off" ethos crept in and then it became more important who the dj was. That Russ had lost it by then is also true.

As for Richard I remember him getting his break at the Pendulem through Barry Tasker and then Dj-ing at VaVa's in Bolton [did he run it as well?] but he made his name at Wigan and the least we can say that Russ was aware of the importance of getting a decent line-up together.

I thought your summation of Dave Evison was extremely diplomatic in that "groundbreaking" is not the first description that would occur to me either. He is as you say a nice guy and I wonder if Russ's perceived persona is not clouding a fair assessment of the time.

ROD

I couldn't agree with your posting more - esp This England - I cringed at the time but it's about the only footage that survives. For the third time today I'll type that I give full credit to Russ for founding the casino. At the end of the day Russ is not well thought of by me and many others for much the same reasons Ian Levine has also never been nominated for Mr Popularity.

[Wiganer1]

I couldn't agree with your posting more - esp This England - I cringed at the time but it's about the only footage that survives. For the third time today I'll type that I give full credit to Russ for founding the casino. At the end of the day Russ is not well thought of by me and many others for much the same reasons Ian Levine has also never been nominated for Mr Popularity.

===

bang on both posts!!

[Steve G]

and I wonder if Russ's perceived persona is not clouding a fair assessment of the time.

ROD

I agree with this. He did contribute in the period 73-77ish when he "lost it". He was influencial at the Casino, "banning" certain records etc. and he did play some good records in the earlier years - we've done all this before. It would be unfair to suggest that he contributed nothing in those years (73-77).

The fact that he keeps trying to breath life into the Wigan corpse and going on any media that will have him is what annoys so many people. He was, as others have said, one DJ that never really migrated beyond WC.

To him NS is WC. But to the rest of us WC was a place that played NS a long time ago. Happy memories yes, but not the be all and end all of the scene.

But now he really should move on - take up golf or something.

[Davetay]

But now he really should move on - take up golf or something.

1st person to swin the Alantic

[Chris L]

I can't really get me head round the way RW is being battered on the other thread.

If anybody has the RIGHT to hold an Anniversery, Re-Union, call it what you will, it's him.

Tony

P.S.(post script, before the paranoia sets in)

I wonder how "One Night in the Padham Pigeon Fanciers Club" would have gone down?

Tony I think you will find that most of the "Venom" comes from people who have never been connected to Wigan, those that were mostly smile, much as they would at Benny Hill. I know a very, very, very famous DJ who played from a laptop and he's still alive so let RW do his doin's and we'll all get on with our lives as you know the marjority of postings come from the same people most of the time

Edited October 18, 2008 by Chris L