Russ Vickers

I agree Ken, didnt intend to tar everyone with the same brush....

Jimmie Bo Horne - Sweet Love Power - Dig Nice clean copy wanted please. PM with condition & price. Imediate payment via Paypal for the right copy. Thanks Russ

It started wayyyyyyyyyyy before the films....the returnees started their come back in the late 9ts onwards & its gradually got worst since.....money is the route of all evil & the BIG promoters want to appeal to the lowest common denominator punters, so they can get as many people into their venues as possible, rest assured tho, that as soon as the last pound note has been wrung from the scene, they'll be off.....until the next time, its a pattern, I'm just looking forward to the next Stafford if my theory is correct, when all the Divs have buggered off lol

Thats how you spot the 'Divs' in the 21st Century lol

To me Divs were the 'normals' we were trying to get away from, who were into mainstream pop music, going down the pub n Romeo n Juliets, the ones that might have gone to a couple of Nighters, cos it was the thing to do at the time n the local yoof club, where the latest batch of pressings were played for 10 minutes in a night, amongst the usual normal school disco stuff....roll on 30 or 40 years n they have infiltrated the mainstream NS scene. I know there are some great people who just want to listen to their oldies & have a good dance, I expect they are fed up that they are being tarred with the same brush as some of these people & TBH I dont blame them.

Probably best not to answer that Pete, otherwise it'll end up in a whole new debate lol

So pleased that people still remember those Nights fondly, we were all very naive at the time, but very passionate. I remember vividly the night I realised that we may have something here.....at the bar & one guy on my left says 'Russ there's too much Modern' then guy on my right says 'Russ too much Northern', totally unaware of each other, I just had a rye smile to myself & thought, we must have this about right then & I think we did....just about lol. Best wishes Russ

100 Club still has a fair few clappers, in the right breaks I may add, always tell the divs, they have no idea where to clap or where you spin or drop....dead give away.....in an atmospheric venue, it creates an amazing atmosphere for sure. Russ

Rugby is in the Prem as an All Nighter....

It should be £15 minimum for a Nighter. Compared to normal club nights we charge a pittance, no wonder the sound systems are shite & DJ's get paid nowt. Russ

This will set ya back about 6 bucks & it is maahooosiveeee....

Like both versions Chris, but G C Cameron, absolutely rocks the right room, something happens between needle, mixer n dance floor, that turns it into something magnificent which doesnt happen at home or thru the PC Speakers, been a standard for me for over a year now after hearing Jordi drop it n it never fails mate....

I only ever went to a handful of the Friday night oldies nighters, they wernt really for me TBH,& it was 8 hours to WC for me, so getting there on a Friday was a nightmare, however on the odd occasion I went, it was more as a pre cursor to the main event on Saturday Night. Saturdays after the Oldies Nighters were much quieter towards the end, in my opinion, they should have just tweaked Saturdays, instead of introducing the Friday oldies Nighters. I had no history prior to WC, my oldies education came from Mr M's, in between the newies sets in the main room, IMHO it should have stayed that way. It spread out the available punters, thought they were just a way of cashing in really......sound familiar ?. Russ

I think that it is a whole different topic & we have gone off piste enough here... Russ

Friday Night Oldies Nighter was the begginning of the end really.... Russ

The rogue in the brogues, what a fine gentleman in every way, I have tears in my eyes as I read this, what can you say, about such a genuinely lovely bloke, so many memories from the 100 Club, my own promotions, that Paul supported tirelessly, the Chi Soul events, and more recently Seriously Soulful, with Ben Summers and I imagine many more too. He always, always had a joke and an encouraging word & a nugget of soulful information, he was such a generous person. Although in recent years we didnt see as much of each other as we may have liked, I classed Paul as a proper friend. My sincere condolences go out to Clare & family n friends, RIP Paul, you'll be in fine company on the dance floor in the sky my old friend. 2016 has been a right bitch of year, another wonderful person taken far to early..... Russ

I dont know him or his name, but you do see him out n about....if it is the guy I think it is, he usually wears baggier clothes & a 'smock' style shirt. Ironically, if you look carefully at this years Northern Soul Dance Masters Competition in Blackpool, I'm sure he's there in the heats ???....also, remember the rather large gentleman, who was made infamous vis FB, when they did the NS Flash Mob thing, I reckon he's there too, obviously been on a diet mind, but his whirling Dirvish style looks similar....

Bonnie Miller - What You Trying to Do to me - Astro.....PM price & condition please, money waiting for right copy.

I reckon there is a film there Andy....& thats the script... Russ

I agree with you entirely, but where did that 'boxy' style of dancing originate, most of my contemporaries favour this style & I have always danced this way, albeit with my own style.....Im talking ala Keb....although we all did a similar thing with out own personalised bits thrown in for good measure. I was doing this style of dancing at Wigan Im sure ?...

I have occasionally commented on such things with a 'thats proper' exclamation, I dont think I fit into the typical person who says such things, described in the intial post - what I mean personally when I say that, is that I think the person is a good dancer & that its authentic, i.e a recognised NS style, usually personalised, which many of us do....I do not have any issue with how anyone dances, as long as they are enjoying themselves to the music, but a particularly good dance is a joy to behold. I do have a question tho with regards to NS dancing.....the typical bouncy style you see in many of the older clips, 'This England' for eample (this style seems to have made a big come back with the younger NS dancers), seemed to go out of style for many years, you saw the odd person, but generally after about 1978 (?) you didnt see that many (or i didnt anyway), the more boxy style of dancing became more predominant, not as flamboyant, but still great to watch when you get a great dancer, Tommo for example & Keb.....why did this kinda dancing become more predominant & how did the different styles develop & why ?.....or am I being a bit over sensitive & its just one of those things ???.... Russ

And taking into account the 'other' room at Rugby, pretty much a perfect Nighter mix ish for me...... I would love a penny for every mile I have travelled both up & down the country over the years, the only difference I see really between North & South these days is the proliferance of 'oldies' only events, theyre in virtually every town & city & TBH many arnt up to scratch.... I dont particularly dislike these events, they dont really affect me, generally theyre not the type of event that I really class as being part of the scene, more a nostalgic social.....altho I think there are some better 'oldies' type Nighters popping up that are ft a more 'open' approach to oldies, as opposed to the thrashed to death variety. I have much more of an open mind towards such events, but still prefer an eclectic mix of oldies n newies n rarities. PeteSi....just enjoy what ya doin' & take no notice of grumpy gits like me lol.... Russ

What is Northern Soul ???.......all NS has ever been every where, is a record that a DJ plays & has become popular on the scene, that encompasses & always has, a multitude of genres, tempos & styles, that have covered new releases from each era the scene has been going....your abscence just means that you have 33 years worth of newies to catch up on....

The point is, that the oldies that you listen to were once Rare & Underplayed....on the whole, what happened ???.....anyway, I actually enjoy a mix of Soul Music, which would hopefully include Rare & Underplayed, intelligent oldies, that havnt been smashed to death, so that records you once loved make you groan, Modern, Xover, a touch of funk maybe & up to & including contemporary new releases which have the X factor......mmmmmm pretty much how it it used to be & for me personally, all on the one dance floor, mixed by intelligent DJ's into the same set.......OMG......that sounds a bit like what Richard Searling was doing in 1979, surely not.......... & as others have mentioned, after a 33 year break, what did you expect ???.....

Fantastic stuff Andy, thank you for your hard work as ever.... Best Russ