spirit

How about... Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy Sounds like an updating of one of those plaintive 'stigma' soul tracks.

A lot of the early eighties acts mentioned above never made any secret of their huge love for soul, and the influence it had on them. They were often wrongly dismissed en masse as superficial, plastic, or similar. Some of my favourite music comes from that era. I think ABC in particular would describe themselves as a Motown band made up of 4 working-class lads from Sheffield - what a wonderful, soulful record "Lexicon of Love" is. My favourite of the lot though was Dexys.

Get you. I wouldn't know what its like, but I would say there arguably isn't a conflict. Small minded soul police People who consider all eras and styles outside their chosen one 'crap' exist in every genre under the sun. When some life-change causes them to swap music genres they will sometimes retain an emotional attachment to their former life (as say a punk) despite the music they now will cling-till-death-to being completely different to the music they were clinging-till-death-to last week. They can justify this attachment to themselves by noting that within (eg.) Punk you had your 'fakers' and 'pop acts' (the horror!), just as you do in Soul, and that regardless of their evolving musical taste, they have remained true to integrity and no doubt being an individual. The same timidity they had in exploring the former genre carries across with the self-righteousness.

I don't think age should come into it, although I agree that youngsters will be better at the gymnastics. I tend to vacate the premises when the comps come on, as soulful dancing doesn't seem to come into it, and that's what I want to watch in the contenders. (I would love to be able to do the breakdancing stuff, but only to show off). It would be really nice to see a competition won by someone who is not able to jump upside-down with their head up their arse. Most of my favourite dancers on the scene are well past 40.

Although I prefer earlier music, I spend quite a lot of time in there when I'm at Prestwich - at times it outdoes the main room for dynamism and atmosphere; it can really swing on a good night.

More votes for current (why 'was'?) 2nd rooms: DDA Carl & Maria @ Middleton/Prestatyn Rugby Freestyle I prefer second rooms without a fixed policy, and with room to dance.

I did, and enjoyed it. Interesting stories and several familiar names, as well as some obscure ones. I particularly liked the moment when the way-too-patient-and-diplomatic interviewer politely asked Darge to take the fag out of his mouth, so we could actually hear what he was saying. Programme available here.

Opera fine.

+1 God's Jukebox (web page here), though I find the live acts tedious and the interviews awkward. He often drops some Northern in. I regularly listen to him on the way to/from events, and its nice to hear someone with such a discerning, catholic taste on the radio. Kind of like much-missed John Peel, but with more of an ear for black music.

Apart from some of the very young looking older extras (Hi Casper), who I believe were very much to the foreground in some of the scenes.

The older extras were used to make up the crowd at the back in the big dance scenes (the idea I think being individual faces and bodies will be indiscernable - I predict lots of pause/slow-mo buttons being pressed on DVD players regardless), and a few of them had tertiary parts, eg. bouncers, etc. They were also asked in to help the younger dancers get an idea what it was about, and what worked as a dance and what didn't, and for some sort of 'community outreach' type of thing.

To be fair, it works both ways. There is suspicion and dismissal on both sides - your own term (I use 'Nostalgia Mob'; cf. also 'chinstrokers', 'elitists', 'sheep', 'handbaggers', etc. etc.) is evidence of that. My Nostalgia Mob mates disapprove of Bidds, and I'm sneered at by my Prog Rock pals when I mix it with the handbaggers at WestGate. Doesn't phase me. Different events have different atmospheres; it's not purely about the music. Back on topic, is there any evidence that there are a lot shutting down (and not being succeeded by another event nearby)?

Yeah, despite my own facetious effort, I was hoping for some serious attempts. I hope its a good film. There's been a few - notably Russ Vickers - but my own knowledge of this music is too new and pathetic to come up with any good ones.

Another vote for the Kestrel nighter. My first time at the last one, and it was terrific.

Wigan With Latitude.

You are right, though they haven't changed the name on IMDB. "Souled-Out" always struck me as a tacky, cheap pun, and not exactly a title to inspire confidence in the film itself. Perhaps it was a working title; or there's a change in plan; or an admin error when updating the website and the name is not changed; or they just want to maintain interest. Who knows? So, what should the film be called?

Rugby. Easy peasy.

I'll be in the rnb room wearing the floor out.

Cool. I will be interested to know, as I'm often passing by that way. Be good to say hello as well if you are there. You too, Tony.

Just to clarify on Vertigo - I wasn't recommending it (I haven't been; my understanding  - which may be misinformed - is its a small studenty club night that plays some Northern Soul with all the upsides and downsides that might imply). I was confused by the reference to The Attic; but I reckon that's the venue for Vertigo, as well as being the excellent club in Mansfield. Anyway, you may be tired by Stormin' Soul, but I don't think you'll regret it. It's an excellent night. I'll be driving a similar length myself that night (from another direction) with nothing but caffeine to help me along.

Take it you're not referring to the Mansfield Attic (which is more than an hour away, and next Saturday, and underplayed policy)? Vertigo? Anyway, Stormin' Soul (Barnsley) is a good night, and about an hour away. All night long, so there should be some underplayeds in there, and there's an r&b room too. Â

I mean, covering several strands just on that specific 100 club weekend on the Friday in the Manchester/Leeds area - and these are just the ones I've visited; I can't comment on the others: Burnley is the best event (IMNSHO), intimate and atmospheric with more adventurous music. Brighouse is a great representative of the popular oldies scene. Good atmosphere, normally very busy. Beat Boutique in Manchester - young and vibrant crowd, but more of a nightclub thing with some good young dancers and a fresh NS-centred sound, but lacking the dancefloor discipline that's an important part of the NS culture. But good copy. The biggest nights in the country that weekend (I think) will be Stoke Kings Hall on Saturday (is that the North of England, though?); Brighouse on the Friday. I haven't yet been to the 100 Club, but I would have thought Stoke/Burnley would be more representative of what its all about from a journalistic perspective, and a better combination for a visit if restricted to that weekend.

Sorry to make things more complicated, but: What's his agenda as a journalist? To represent the scene truthfully, or how we might like him to see it? There are several strands within the (Northern) soul scene and it depends really what he's looking for as a journalist - the best/coolest nights (which is kind of subjective)? Or the most popular or culturally representative nights? If he wants a good view of what the scene is about, he's going to have to visit more than 2 clubs. For instance, the one problem with just doing (say) Burnley and 100 Club is that they are not representative of just how big and popular the more MOR events are. And what about the endless small 'local soul for local people' clubs running all over the Midlands and the North - they are arguably the lifeblood of the scene, and though perhaps a little conservative and unglamorous he may want to mention them.

I would dispute it's the truth. I'm considerably younger than most people I see at allnighters, and think that their active allegiance to the dancefloor is rather cooler than a nostalgic dismissal of them.

*Demanding to see a repeat of the Paul O'Grady show marks a new low in my cultural life.