Soul Nights

[Citizen P]

As I don't get to as many All Nghters as I would like, just wondering........

As the places playing OVO and off the norm seem, largely, undersupported.

Just wondering, what's wrong with 'em????????????

ony

[Kev Moore]

As I don't get to as many All Nghters as I would like, just wondering........

As the places playing OVO and off the norm seem, largely, undersupported.

Just wondering, what's wrong with 'em????????????

ony

Absolutely nothing Tony IMHO.

Kev

[Guest Bearsy]

what makes me go is knowing the music is worth all the effort and friends, locality and affordabilty at the moment,

[Jumpinjoan]

As the places playing OVO and off the norm seem, largely, undersupported.

Just wondering, what's wrong with 'em????????????

It should be these people who don't support places playing OVO and off the norm.

Just wondering, what's wrong with them??????????

[good angel]

As I don't get to as many All Nghters as I would like, just wondering........

As the places playing OVO and off the norm seem, largely, undersupported.

Just wondering, what's wrong with 'em????????????

ony

Simple they are not nighters,just as you start getting into the music its time to go home,and also the people are different from the allnighter crowd.

Kev

[Citizen P]

It should be these people who don't support places playing OVO and off the norm.

Just wondering, what's wrong with them??????????

I'll rephrase it then

But y'know what I mean

Tony

[Citizen P]

Simple they are not nighters,just as you start getting into the music its time to go home,and also the people are different from the allnighter crowd.

Kev

Well, I reckon most run for about 5-6 hours,so, how long do you need to get into the music?

The people?

Well, if I get your drift, I'm not talking about nostalgia nights,

and sometimes it's nice to be able to shut your eyes when you get in bed

Tony

Edited December 24, 2008 by tonyp

[Mak]

Promoters with pedigree --- Been around , know the scene , and know what the punters want

Punters with taste ---- Having a love for the less than norm and will give all genres a chance

And dj's playing quality ----- Not stuff I can listen to at home

Willington is one of the places to be this xmas

[good angel]

Well, I reckon most run for about 5-6 hours,so, how long do you need to get into the music?

The people?

Well, if I get your drift, I'm not talking about nostalgia nights,

and sometimes it's nice to be able to shut your eyes when you get in bed

Tony

A Up Tony,

Tony I dont normally go out until 10 or 11pm,and I find the people are different at a Soul do?

Have a nice Christmas mate

Kev

Edited December 24, 2008 by good angel

[Zed1]

Can I just throw something into the ring here........

As big and as popular as this forum is - it only makes up a very small percentage of the scene in general and most 'average' punters don't contribute here. add to this the fact this forum has a very heavy bias towards DJ's and Collectors - are these 'realy' the people in best position to answer the above question?.

Just a thought.

[Zed1]

As this is the biggest forum on the scene and we're all punters to venues I would suggest it's the only place to ask the question.

I know thats an obvious answer to my very obvious question John - but whenever you/they go to another or new venue as just a 'punter' how hard is it to leave 'your' DJ/collector hat at the door?.......whatever happens it's still going to have 'some' influence on your opinion of the nite.

Edited December 24, 2008 by Teapot

[barney]

Can I just throw something into the ring here........

As big and as popular as this forum is - it only makes up a very small percentage of the scene in general and most 'average' punters don't contribute here. add to this the fact this forum has a very heavy bias towards DJ's and Collectors - are these 'realy' the people in best position to answer the above question?.

Just a thought.

yer spot on teapot mate ,just a civilian but all the people that I know personnally. who come on here are either djs or promoters or both. with the exception of one recently made friend,

[Guest gordon russell]

think most soul nite crowds are made up of folk who generally just want a localish venue,not really bothered about the music (as long as it's kinda familiar),the social side (drink and a laugh) is more important.There is also a lot of folk that go to these evenings who have no real connection to the soul scene.I've been to many a local do for instance and thought to myself,back in the day "where were all you lot then" never saw any of em ANYWHERE they're out now cause it's a good social,friendly thing for middle aged folk and theres nothing at all wrong with that.As the amount of venues shrink due to the credit crunch,it will be these places that disappear and the folk that go to em will not bother to travel further afield,for no other reason than they never did anyway.One of the main reason the nighter scene is thriving (whichever one/ones you like) is these are the people who are prepared to travel wherever to hear the stuff they like as they have always done.Our little crowd don't drive 3 hours to a venue just for the sake of it and there are plenty of others who do the same,in most cases there is a soul nite nearer,but in my experience they are not up to much.....atb tezza

[Guest Bearsy]

think most soul nite crowds are made up of folk who generally just want a localish venue,not really bothered about the music (as long as it's kinda familiar),the social side (drink and a laugh) is more important.There is also a lot of folk that go to these evenings who have no real connection to the soul scene.I've been to many a local do for instance and thought to myself,back in the day "where were all you lot then" never saw any of em ANYWHERE they're out now cause it's a good social,friendly thing for middle aged folk and theres nothing at all wrong with that.As the amount of venues shrink due to the credit crunch,it will be these places that disappear and the folk that go to em will not bother to travel further afield,for no other reason than they never did anyway.One of the main reason the nighter scene is thriving (whichever one/ones you like) is these are the people who are prepared to travel wherever to hear the stuff they like as they have always done.Our little crowd don't drive 3 hours to a venue just for the sake of it and there are plenty of others who do the same,in most cases there is a soul nite nearer,but in my experience they are not up to much.....atb tezza

that pretty much sums it for a lot of my mates really, they will go to a local for the crack and enjoy the music when there but as soon as its a question of going a bit further afield ie- more than 20 miles and they aint driving then a local is just right for them, me i go wherever my fancy takes me and finances allows of course so each to their own and as long as the tunes are being played there will be soulies doing whats best for them

[Zed1]

but the question was, what would influence my attending an "off norm" soul night & why such nights were poorly supported.

But thats my point John.....

You are asking people who are already involved as a DJ/Promoter of an "Off Norm" nite - would you attend an "Off norm nite?" ........ the answer is going to be obvious.

Also I know countless people on the scene who you would describe as 'just' Punters who only EVER browse this forum - yet when I ask them why they don't contribute the answer 'to a man' (or woman) is always "Fook that!, they'll all take the piss out of me"..

Is it not fair to ask the 'Punters' what the Punters want - instead of asking just DJ's/collectors/promoters what the punters want?...

Clearly there is a problem with support for rare/underplayed nites so rather than just doing an Ostrich and just blaming the 'Top 500' crowd all the time - why not try and involve 'everyone' (somehow) in the debate....

Like I said - Just a thought...

Edited December 24, 2008 by Teapot

[Jez Jones]

In general,

We're playing stuff that the current oldies crowd can not relate to. They did the scene in the 70's dropped out and have come back over the last 9 or 10 years missing the crossover & modern years.

Only cherry-picked rare 60's & 70's are played in the oldie venues they go to, and they consider RnB as the new northern.

As I say, This is in general. My opinion formed by asking around.

John

I don't think this is a oldies vs everything else issue---its possibly the same old issue of supply and demand. irespective of the merits of 'upfront and progressive attitudes towards your 'soul', there is a finite number of people to go round. If there are too many venues then attendances are bound to suffer.

But this is not just the venues that 'offer something different' that appear to suffer. I live in the midlands and often the oldies/classics venues I go to . aren't as full as they could be . probably because there are too many venues offering oldies/classics on the same night. No matter how much you like your oldies---even they sound shite when there's only 40plus people in the room . Moreso than the upfront/underplayed stuff with only a small crowd in---at least they can chinstroke

of course , there are exceptions, but generally if we can take as a given that folk like what they like then poor attendances may be down to 'too many and too often'

seems strange that a scene built on rarity and a sense of .'underground' --- now every other town hosts a soul night.

Yes I know this a a well thumbed topic.................

[Pete S]

Topless go go dancers in cages

[KevH]

pure bribery is the way.We give out Ferrero Rocher,,,,,and the buggers still won't come .

Mind you i'm geting to be a fat b*stard on all those chocs,yum yum, ,,,so.............STAY AWAY

[KevH]

With the attraction of big Paul jumping about it must be hard to resist

its the sugar hit,,,no good for him.

[Modernsoulsucks]

Somewhere that when I hear something new to me and ask what it is, it isn't £100+ and usually a lot more.

As a collector I used to go out to buy 45s. Now Im priced out of the market. And before someone says there's lots of good cheap records out there; I know, I have a lot of 'em but at most do's they don't play those. Just a load of expensive rare 45s you heard years ago apart from odd real newie.

ROD

[Guest bazrico]

But thats my point John.....

You are asking people who are already involved as a DJ/Promoter of an "Off Norm" nite - would you attend an "Off norm nite?" ........ the answer is going to be obvious.

Also I know countless people on the scene who you would describe as 'just' Punters who only EVER browse this forum - yet when I ask them why they don't contribute the answer 'to a man' (or woman) is always "Fook that!, they'll all take the piss out of me"..

Is it not fair to ask the 'Punters' what the Punters want - instead of asking just DJ's/collectors/promoters what the punters want?...

Clearly there is a problem with support for rare/underplayed nites so rather than just doing an Ostrich and just blaming the 'Top 500' crowd all the time - why not try and involve 'everyone' (somehow) in the debate....

Like I said - Just a thought...

i am just a punter even when i ran winsford back in the nineties that's when winsford had two rooms one modern and rare soul i would still go to other niters and soul nites and why not at the end of the day we are all soul fans

Edited December 24, 2008 by bazrico

[Guest bazrico]

Never realised it was you Barry, those Winsford nights were spot on, and as just another punter, loved the modern room. Thought Sam did well to keep it running as long as he did but your nights were the benchmark for me. Thanks for the early 90's memories.

John (Nottm)

thanks for the kind comments still think the way forward is two rooms one modern / northern even for soul nites again thanks for your comment and support

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

Well for me when i go i want to hear both songs i know and don't know. I am not asking for every venue to stick to a top 500 list of songs neither do i expect any song to be played at every venue (apart from Sugar dumpling my request).

What i do like is a mix so if i am at one venue and i hear The Girl Across the Street, Love is a Serious Buisness, Happy, Lonely Lonely Girl Am I, Because of You, You've Been Gone to Long then i expect there maybe some songs i don't know i can hear and get to like

the next venue i go to i expect maybe to hear something different other songs weather it's The Snake, Messing With My Mind and other again songs i don't know. So at least i hear songs i know and ones i don't know.

Quite oftern i will be happy if a venue wants to play some of those tracks again but sadly a lot of venues in Peterborough have DJ's who play at so many venues and there set lists sometimes becomes a i know what will be played before i even got in.

lastly i would never go to a nighter that is all rare and underplayed knowing that i won't know anything not that it would be bad but just that i want to hear something i know at least oh and what's wrong with the old songs that have not been played in years since i did once ask about a year or so ago for Isley Brothers - This Old Heart of Mine which a DJ failed to play since then all i hear is one of 2 songs My Love Is Your Love and Why When Love Is Gone they ever done no other tracks of there's is ever played out oh add another one Harvest for the World

[Citizen P]

Topless go go dancers in cages

Any specific cages??????????

[Guest vinylvixen]

Any specific cages??????????

Gilded

[Guest vinylvixen]

Somewhere that when I hear something new to me and ask what it is, it isn't £100+ and usually a lot more.

As a collector I used to go out to buy 45s. Now Im priced out of the market. And before someone says there's lots of good cheap records out there; I know, I have a lot of 'em but at most do's they don't play those. Just a load of expensive rare 45s you heard years ago apart from odd real newie.

ROD

That's why I'd make the extra effort to go to Warren Boogaloo's night 'Cheap As Chips' - it does what it says on the flyer....I'm not sure if Warren sets an upper limit of each 45s value ie £50 but I know it's very well attended and you get to hear plenty of different sounds as the djs have to carefully select their sets Genius idea Jo

[Guest Bicks]

I got into Northern at the age of 14 during the Mod revival (1980) and over the years happily played the same box of records (trusty old faves) and the same few compilation albums (This is Northern Soul etc.) up until buying the first Out on the Floor (Goldmine) compliation. This gave me my second wind and the advent of easy to get hold of compilations and mp3's mean that virtually everything I hear now is new to me which is brilliant. This means that I don't have the 'baggage' of someone who has been on the scene since the 60's and 70's so whatever kind of night it is I can get something out of it.

There are quite a few venues in my area but my favourite is Brighouse, although I get the feeling reading some of the posts on here that it isn't a fave with one or two purists out there. The reason being that it is a great venue with lots of people through the door, good DJ's playing a good range of music with perhaps 20-25% of it I know, it's a friendly crowd and the dance floor is big enough to accomodate evryone.

I would concur with one of the previous posts that if I go out (and that isn't as often as I'd like due to cash flow) I want to hear some stuff that I know but also get a bit of an education, and most of all lots of good dancing tunes (whether I've heard them before or not).

NOVICE QUESTION ALERT....I see all the different terms for different nights like crossover, modern etc.

Would Brighouse be termed as an 'across the board' night? Before you reply please consider another previous post which claimed that people asking naiive questions wouldn't get the piss taken out of them.....oh go on then if you want to, I don't mind.

[Guest bazabod_downunder]

May not be topless (the girls wouldn't approve) but near too...lol

KTF

Baz

Topless go go dancers in cages

[ImberBoy]

I would go to one as a warm up for a nighter if it was on the way.

[ImberBoy]

I know that this will always be an emotive subject to the "Soul night crowd" but the soul night scene has become a pastiche of what was once a real hard corps under ground rare soul scene.

Some people have turned a scene into their version of "Tiffany's" or "Romeo's and Juliet's" it's as if all the naughty bits have been sieved through a silk sock leaving an almost commercially presentable by product that makes you cringe.

Remember how it once felt going out just as "Trev and Sharon" where on their way home with a bag of chips and a half drunk bottle of pale Ale? Remember that buzz you felt the very first time you heard that song that you now know back to front and inside out and available now on every other CD you buy from Ronco or Woolly's?

There is more to Northernsoul than dancing to "The Girl Across The Street - Moses Smith" whilst dodging uncle farty who is about to have a heart attack whilst taking out a table full of Bitter and Baby Sham during a suicidal spin!

Yup you can hear the same stuff heard at a nighter....... Eventually, and you can have a great time in the confines of a safe and secure working men's club but there is a fantastic time machine out there that will transport you back to the time when your spirit was adventurous and your ear was eager for the real soul experience.

Live a little ....................... drive the vauxhall cavalier!

[The Tempest]

Having lived and breathed the nighter route in my teens / early 20's (fri and sat back to back for years !!!!!!!!! )

I cannot praise enough the soul nights in my area, hull / york / scboro and brid for quality of music and friendliness,

I was one of the original Stafford TOTW purists who was GLAD to see the demise of Wigan ( now there's a thread !! )

and the associated sounds , now married , career , kids etc .....

I get out a couple of times a month for a dance and a few beers ,

Quality

[Guest bazrico]

Well for me when i go i want to hear both songs i know and don't know. I am not asking for every venue to stick to a top 500 list of songs neither do i expect any song to be played at every venue (apart from Sugar dumpling my request).

What i do like is a mix so if i am at one venue and i hear The Girl Across the Street, Love is a Serious Buisness, Happy, Lonely Lonely Girl Am I, Because of You, You've Been Gone to Long then i expect there maybe some songs i don't know i can hear and get to like

the next venue i go to i expect maybe to hear something different other songs weather it's The Snake, Messing With My Mind and other again songs i don't know. So at least i hear songs i know and ones i don't know.

Quite oftern i will be happy if a venue wants to play some of those tracks again but sadly a lot of venues in Peterborough have DJ's who play at so many venues and there set lists sometimes becomes a i know what will be played before i even got in.

lastly i would never go to a nighter that is all rare and underplayed knowing that i won't know anything not that it would be bad but just that i want to hear something i know at least oh and what's wrong with the old songs that have not been played in years since i did once ask about a year or so ago for Isley Brothers - This Old Heart of Mine which a DJ failed to play since then all i hear is one of 2 songs My Love Is Your Love and Why When Love Is Gone they ever done no other tracks of there's is ever played out oh add another one Harvest for the World

this where the promoter should be employing the djs for that venue put down a music ploicy for the punters