spirit

Perhaps a bit OT, but I like the clever dubbing (which doesn't normally work) of a Northern track to the utterly awesome Nicholas Brothers. Shows where an awful lot of the soul dancing comes from. Even got some breakdancing.

Sorry to disappoint, but I'd already reserved the millionth post earlier. I'd bagsied it, bearsy.

Well, I'm leaving the office, so that's my chance of fame and fortune scuppered. I predict a flurry of activity in the next half an hour.

Cheers.

Ok, seen it.Â

Where is the overall number of posts listed?What's the prize? If it's a car, I think it should be small and economical to reflect the difficult times we live in.

I think its an interesting idea, though an alternative could have similarly-minded but differently-scheduled events group together with some sort of group card. I also like the idea that after attending (say) Rugby 3 times in a row I get a free hamper or a weekend trip to Paris.

Accept it, and if he's happy, be glad for it.

In Town Mikey, Very good points, most of which I would agree with, but I think there is a classic internet debate misperception here - which no doubt I have contributed to and am guilty of - about what the 'other' side is saying in both cases, and for fear of repetition, I'll concede the point about longevity to Miff.

It does look great. I know from experience in a service department that sometimes you only get feedback when things go wrong, so: Great job Mike (and team), thanks for all the hard work on a free service.

Very useful, expert analysis of the millions of different young people living in this country. Thank you.

Click the little 'report' button in the other thread.

Yeah, right. I'm sure you are a nice bloke, just passionate about the scene, but you are in danger here of sounding like a ruddy teenage goth. There are at least a couple of Northern dance classes I know of, and there have been dance competitions since...? OK. Go to Westgate in Long Eaton, or Rolls Royce in Derby, or Stoke Kings Hall, or Brighouse, or Riley Smith, or Blackburn King George, or any number of other extremely mainstream, and often downright (close your eyes) enjoyable nights. It's about as underground as a jumbo jet.

There is obviously nothing inherently wrong in putting out a Northern Soul compilation, but the quality of it will determine whether is is a useful introduction or an offputting hodge-podge. As to the 'keep it secret' club: on the negative side, there are the self-deluding, insecure snobs - the teary-eyed keepers of the faith you get in every subculture - who have no other way of differentiating themselves from Joe and Joanne Bloggs and have nothing more than an emotional need for the 'exclusivity'. Hopefully, these are a minority. Then there are people who have genuine concerns that mainstream absorption will dilute and pollute the music and scene with the lowest-comon-denominator values that follow. Personally, I don't see why that should be a major worry - cultures wax and wane, and they will survive a temporary faddishness if they have any worth, and the newcomers who stay after it is no longer the in thing will be genuine.Â

You're a good sport, Scarborosoul.

 And lest anyone who wasn't there (you poor, sad wretches) suspect that Scarborosoul is prone to nostalgic wallowing and ludicrous exaggeration, I can assure you - as a dancefloor-scarred Wigan vet - that if anything he is understating what it was like. I would say it was like being Jesus Christ and Elvis Presley (when he was the Hillbilly Cat, not Cheeseburger Elvis) rolled into one, in The Beatles while riding Red Rum to victory on the first moon landing (but with more atmosphere). All young people, top yourself now. Mind you, suicide isn't anywhere near as good as it was in my day, so I wouldn't bother.

Not a single (AFAIK), but... You'll Lose a Precious Love

Me too.

Yeah sure, its not a question of surviving, just adapting. You've got to be pretty one-dimensional for it to be the core of your being, though I can't imagine what could give me the same healthy buzz for so long at the weekends.

No more Northern Sole jokes, please.

To be fair, I think it actually is a place as well.

Great post, ImberBoy.

Not that the BBC axing one of its few remaining genuinely public service pop music shows would surprise me in the slightest, and I gather you're more likely than most here to be in the know on a subject like this, but... Have you got a link to a source for this news, or will you let us know how you know?

Yes, I think so, and individually, events which have strong identities distinguishing them from the crowd will have the best chance of flowering, at least for a while - assuming they make it through the initial period. Punters who can adapt and are open to different experiences will probably be the happiest, as they won't be tied to the success or failure of one club or type of event. Not sure some of us will stop moaning though...