Marc Forrest

Well, for me it was "the most beautiful nightmare" ever...why that I hear you ask ? Well, of course the night down at the 100 Club was great if not awesome (to me anyway). It always has been sth special for me (especially as a guy from the continent who can`t always attend) to be there, but to be given the chance to play some records at this place was a dream come true to say the least. I was so nervous I couldn`t eat whole day...well, I can do with some stone(s) less so that wasn`t doing me any harm. We (my girlfriend and I ) arrived pretty late at about half past 11 pm at Liverpool street and up we went in a taxi to meet up with Keb, Butch, Trickster and Etsu at Madame JoJo`s..after two pints and some dancing moments Trickster reminded me on the time and up again it was this time to head for the 100 Club. We were there right on time (1.30am) just to find the place already being nice packed. Roccia was on as Eduardo wasn`t yet there and the dancefloor was already in swing to some nice NS classics played by Roccia. After that it was over to Stephane from Paris, the place already being crowded. It was so great to meet Jon Buck again and having a pint and talk with him as well as with other friendly and familiar faces (hello Kenny and Mick !). Special thanks go to one Berlin Soul girl who made the effort to travel all the way for that night on her own without letting me know before and of course Polly who came down all the way from Southport Weekender just for that night... At 3.00 the floor was in full action so I had the job to keep it that way after Stephane (thankfully I succeeded). After me it was John from Dublin who just like Stephane and Eduardo and Roccia played a great set. Ady joined in and had the floor busy at the highest level. Then it was all dj´s in the same line up again and after my last set at around half past six (which had a sweating Keb Darge on the floor to some "hot" 7ts ) John and Eduardo again kept the floor busy until Ady finished the night with the last three awesome tunes. At around 9 it was time to leave, tired, hungry and so full of positive energy. I have memories of all great allnighters (of course) I have been to, but I am sure that the memories of this particular night will linger on forever. Again I have to express my thanks for having been given the chance to play some tunes at the 100 Club ! So much for the positive side of things..over to the negative aspects...the hotel I booked a room at seemed to be unreachable...at least from my phone. The situation even became worse as no taxi driver seemed to know the address despite the hotel being "near to Oxford street" ...so it was down to walking in hope to find sth to sleep at until the plane would leave sunday evening at 7. However, after a walk across Trafalgar (what a sight on a sunday at half past nine in the morning!) and a full English we finally managed to find a taxi driver who knew the hotel. To cut it short, the room was NOT reserved Despite the web advert it was not 75 UKP but 185 UKP :r but thankfully the girl at the reception had a heart and obviously was into Soul music...she gave us her last room for 80 UKP So after four hrs sleep it was off again to head for Standsted...we arrived there fairly on time but had to wait half an hour to check in...which wouldn`t have been that bad if the following line/queue at the security check wouldn`t have been the longest I have ever ever witnessed...soon as I realised that it was going thru the whole airport (ever been to Stansted ?) I realised with still one and a half hour to go that we would never ever make it to the plane. The scene we had to witness was unbelievable. Next to us of course were tens if not hundreds of people who were realizing that they wouldn`t get their plane so there was for example one obviously east-european old lady who begged the officers on her knees crying (not joking!) to let her thru as she can`t afford a new ticket, others already came back totally shocked after having had to realize they missed their planes due to having been to long in that security control check line...others before and behind us tried to phone home to inform their relatives. It was a shameful situation, not one I would have expected in Britain or any other civilized European country. Somehow like this things must look like when war breaks out or a catastrophe is at hand and people try to escape... The security people showed no heart to noone and let noone cue in first if they had to get to their plane(s). However, at ten to 7 (exactly our scheduled time for departure) we were (f-i-n-a-l-l-y) at the entrance to that security check...too late to catch the plane as we still had to face and pass the controlls. A useless effort. I can not understand how on earth the security can work so inefficiently and slow in resulting hundreds of people missing their flights. However, for us it was back to Ryan air, getting those pound notes out again ( watch this space for new record sales by yours truly soon..) and organizing a b&b (last pound notes out please....) as the new flight would be at 6 in the morning. the place today morning at four when we came back from the b&b (no words..) was (again) a real nightmare. People sleeping with and without sleep-bags everywhere and nowhere...a real mess all over the place. We finally made it on the plane to face yet another one hour delay sitting in the plane. You think the captain or anyone of the crew would tell you what it is all about ? Dream on, you are in a Ryan Air plane ...Simply unbelievable....the night- mare finally ended after I fell down at Berlin security passport control and luckily managed not fall on my record box. So Stansted and ryan air brought a bad taste into what was one hell of a great weekend. Thanks again My playlist in order first set 3.00 - 3.30 Jokers Soul Sounds Joe Matthews Nothing You Can Do Bobby "Guitar" Wood It`s Mighty Nice to Know Dewey Black Taking Love Where I Find It Little Stanley Outta Sight Loving Hayes Cotton Black Wings Have My Angel Liberation Street Singers Love Is In The Air Joe Jama My Life Tommy Ridgeley My Love Is Getting Stronger Ray & Dave Wrong Wrong Wrong Rocky Gil It`s Not The End Imperial C`s Someone Tell Her Joys Of Life Good Times Are Over second set 6.15 - 6.45 Frankie "The Loveman" Crocker Ton Of Dynamite Rokk Patience Dennis Landry Sing My Song Brothers Gilmore I Feel A Song Freedom Can`t You See Timeless Legend I Was Born To Love You Vanguards Good Times Bad Times Sensations Gonna Step Aside Psychedelic Frankie Puttinng You Out Of My Life Joe Walker This Is My Last Goodbye Delegates Of Soul I`ll Come Running Back Archie Bell & The Drells A 1000 Wonders