Mark Bicknell

Shame all this I just hope that some of the negative comments can be taken on board and be used to improve the next and future 'Souldham' allnighter and other events. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

New titles added. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

List updated with new additions Sunday 9th September. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Do you not feel this thread has run it's course? Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Good point Joe but at least you get it twice...lol - list updated tonight 7th September - New titles added. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

More titles to follow over the weekend. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Check your messages...lol Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Sent you a message as I can help you on this one. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

This thread has raised several concerns and points, the common ground here is that we all seem to care and everyone's opinion matters and should be voiced, I would just like to pick up on the DJ fee thing, now over the years I've worked for pretty much all venues, promotions and promoters sometimes when the night has been shall we say a little down in numbers often the DJ's seem to take the loss and personally I have done this more times than I care to remember often writing it off as one of those things, now I tend to ask for a fee taking into account travel,expences etc. these events range from 'The Attic' in Mansfield where the fee really does not come into it, well looked after, good breakfast and a few quid from the lads no problem, gigs like 'The Attic', 'The Orwell' Wigan,'Silks' Wellingborough are the type of venues where you can go down the free style route which for me personally is far more important than simply being a talking juke box, the bigger gigs if it's packed then I exspect to be paid, no amount of money or DJ fees comes anywhere close to covering the amount spent on records, bugger I've spent about three hundred quid in the past seven days and that's a pretty regular practice and I'm by no means a major player when it comes to buying records anymore, so do the math DJ fee against records bought no contest still it's my choice to collect records and we need then don't we?. Now if I've got to sit on a train for three or four hours, spend my whole weekend often putting my wife and son second, dedicating it to the Northern scene and DJ'ing then I'm sorry but there has to be some kick back in financial terms, now I'm not suited to DJ at all events but I would like to think the venues I do get asked to DJ at book me on merrit, collection, reputation and entertainment value and not because I'm friends with the promoters. Many promoters pay the going rate or agreed DJ fees no matter what be there 6 people there or 600 and I think that is correct, I've worked for one or two people on this thread and have never had any problems from them when it comes to paying the wages, unfair of me to name names here but they know who they are. When someone phones me offering a booking I'm straight up about the fee if it can't be agreed then I simply don't do the gig and this is often respected both ways, I think £100.00 for a 60 or 90 minute spot in this day and age is more than reasonable to ask for at the more established and well attended gigs and more on the distance gigs without being greedy, less for a smaller event is often the case, as for doing it for nothing well perhaps it is better for these events to self DJ and let them run their course. Please these comments are not being flash or ego driven but one or two of us have been doing this DJ thing for many years, I try to do my own thing at the right venues musically but I'm a little fed up sometimes that the DJ's are being blamed for the current state of the scene...do you really think that some of us want to constantly play the same records because quite frankly I'm as pissed off at playing Bobby Kline, Majestics, Cashmeres, George Blackwell, Four Tracks, Elbie Parker, Troy Dodds Jimmy Burns...etc, etc. etc. as some of the lesser hard to find 'bog standers' so it cuts deep both ways.....Bazza talks of balance but is this possible in the present climate? a hard one to call. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Johnnie Mae Matthews, Tommy Neal, Commands now sold, some new additions with more to follow. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Christine Cooper now sold - more titles to follow so watch this space. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

And so say all of us, well some of us, well me totally agree spot on. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Cheers mate, some records now on hold, more titles to follow this week. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Hi Ezzie, just check the scratched number in dead wax should be the same, I have a white demo and the labels are reversed just a case of who was ever feeding the presser put the labels in the wrong way round....lol Regards - Mark Bicknell.

List revised, updated with couple of new additions - more to follow. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Sweet, Sweet Lovin' - The Platters - English Stateside SSL 10245 / Musicor USA. Doesn't Ring A Bell - Track 4 Side 2 recorded 1967 written by Richard 'Popcorn' Wylie and Tony Hester - top tuneage. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Certainly makes you think and question things Phil, funny but the rare end of the collecting market seems to be at a premium right now when you see what's selling on the auctions and what set sale stuff is selling on a regular basis, it's amost like there are two totally seperate sub scenes going on here? I thought it was all one of the same?, it's a shame as there is so much great music and records to source from, rare through to the not so rare yet here we are trying to defend what some of us are about. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

You can't be tht upfront at 'The Attic' as you have had me on twice....lol I'll get me coat! Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Sure Bazza debate and talking about it should help, yet sometimes we seem to be going round in circles and in the cold light of day nothing seems to change or improve the negative aspects of how things currently are on the scene in general. I think it's a case of put in what you can, contribute where you can, attend and support the venues which 'float your boat' and have a good time. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Sorry I thought there was a connection with Ethics/Springers - 'Whales' releases, so I stand corrected. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Sorry you have read this the wrong way or I was not that clear with my comment and point, I meant that with all the clashing, similar venues, similar music on offer that clearly something is wrong and nobody seems and it would appear that no one has the answer or solution, and for your information I don't have an attitude regarding this more an opinion like you and everyone else, perhaps we should do a little more about the problems i.e. contribute where we can rather than constantly talking about it, no offence taken or meant Bazza ok. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Ethics/Springers one of the same group I think Mark. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Sorry state of affairs all this I reckon, the so called bubble has certainly burst big time, the current scene on the whole is a shadow of what it once was, more venues than you can shake a stick at and very few good ones, this constant barrage of we play what the punters and the dance floor wants is a huge kop out and an easy route to constantly flog to death, far too many people who think they know better and judging by this thread they clearly don't, I'm sure many people are getting to the stage that they can't really be bothered with it all anymore, in a lot of cases it's like many of these locally based events have reverted back to the very basics of club/early Northern Soul culture, it's almost like the youth club culture of old musically at least, I would suggest you could pipe the music and feed these gigs from one central location with the same basic playlist and it would surfice, some DJ's are simply not required at these events which makes a total nonsense of the whole ethos of being a forward thinking current scene, it's a joke to be honest. Keep on clashing and you will simply drive it into the ground, trouble is I don't think there will be that many people to salvage the scene as when it popped in the early 80's/90's, sorry but I don't want to hear The Velvets, Vibrations, Sandi Sheldon etc. etc. anymore, is it me or do some people never get bored with these tunes and others and low key, half empty, pretend Northern Soul events? clash all you like, drive the wedge even further, 'Keep The Faith' if there is any left you deserve it....lol Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Nail on head there Simon, I don't think anyone has the answers on this one mate, I suspect more and more people are possibly thinking like me and basically do their own thing or don't really care anymore or go out that much?, all you can try and do is your best when DJ'ing or promoting, quality music should win the day but everything seems to be a little old hat and very cloudy at the present time. Regards - Mark Bicknell.