Rob Wigley

Thanks Pete we are trying to tie several things together if we can, we'll probably be away from UK 4 or 5 weeks as my sister is in Auckland NZ as well so we'll tie the relatives in OZ in with some soul if possible. any other sites you recommend OR anything in N Z as well !! Rob & Karen

Thanks for the info Any useful web links ? (I'm far to lazy to search them out ) and we can start planning something R & K

Hi Oz boys and girls when and where is the next one-we have family in Melbourne anywhere near there ?? rob & Karen

Great venue Great times as a punter in the mid 70s and then later as a DJ under Jon Buck & Danny Everades rule back end of the 80s. A true all-nighter venue Rob

PS to above a steady stream of guest UK spinners have played the Northern Room, Dave Rimmer, Chris Anderton, Ady and this year Richard Searling along with myself and Eddie Pillar, plus DJs from all over Europe Jorg, Henry, Steffano, Ozzie, Martin Crout to name a few So a wide choice of music has been played.

Hi Mr Herman the main room (German commercial/ elcrtric/ disco) also provids the main stage for the major acts with a large crowd, these SOUL acts go down a storm ! (German crowd aged 18 to 28 on average) The 3 other rooms have a smaller intimate feel with 250 to 400 capacity-plus the acts like Anne Sexton appear in the smaller rooms with a blinding atomosphere. Being involved with this weekender since its birth we have watched it grow and evolve into what it is today. We personal only venture into the main hall for the acts and prefare to stick to the smaller rooms for the music. Like most major weekenders the main halls cater for the middle ground, alowing the other rooms financial security to opperate (especially where the live acts are concerned) Have you tried this weekender yet ? If you are coming in April make yourself known to us we'd love t meet up with you and have a chat over a few of those excellent German Pils lagers ! Hope you can make it Rob & Karen

about sums it up -can anyone learn our lass the "I'm a little tea pot move" ? Rob

Its been happening years ! Back in the 80s when we had LaBeat Records (Myself & tats) mailorder we used to have one regular offender. He always got his list early am and was ringing the phone from 7.30 am As many on here know I'd unplug the phone on list days until 8.30 am and then first come first served ! Anyway said customer ways always in the first 5 callers reserving 4 or 5 good or in-demand records that would "Fly out"- then I'd be chasing him for payment for weeks-which would eventually arrive just before the next list-so he did pay but with hassle. However he started to reserve stuff and NOT pay after about 7 lists-despite being asked. So I statred sending the list to him a day late-he'd be on the phone but all the genuine customers had had their pick and money was on its way. Three customers who were DIAMONDS and I got to know well stand out (amoung 100s of others by the way) are Ted Massey, Keith Money and Richard "Dickie" Watts all excellent customers, still doing the business today and all have collections to die for ! ( parts of which were bought from me too cheap !!!!!!) only joking lads funny thing is i can't remember the offenders name !! Rob PS I'd like to add Simon Hunt to the list as well !

Thou shall say to requestee's "Its in me other box.." or "I lent that one to Ted Massey/ Butch"

OOOPS that didn't work !

The full show is on at Hammersmith Apolo this weekend and I think Thelma Houston is also on the bill but I may be wrong-Motown Divas-I'll try and find a link ! Pasted below Its TONIGHT FRIDAY 13th TICKETS AVAILABLE Rob https://venues.meanfiddler.com/apollo/full-listings/featured/391/divas-of-motown-tickets

You'll find if you run large events in council owned venues that it is a requirement to employ their door staff. This is not only to keep order (generally not an issue at soul venues) but for First Aid and for Fire evacuation as well. Although costs are high , should the worst happen its worth every penny

But your missing the point --think how much the owner of the record has cared for this masterpiece-lovingly sticking the centre back in with sellotape so he could still play it AND he's resisted the temptation to colour in the tear on the label with black felt tip--I think this is a tribute to Jacksons other song "Black and white". Obviously going to be difficult to let go of this even for £100, but thats how much a good session in an oxygen chamber is these days or a life size model of Bubbles the chimp ! Bid now with confidence !

Hi Keith will ask melvin directly for you as far as I know his first release was the Jackpot 45 But Melvin has recentlt appeared in Benidorm, Spain (3 weeks ago) at a Garage type festival, where Wedding Bells was MASSIVE, Melvin is currently compiling a CD for release in Spain, all early material he was involved in--way above my head as I always found it too "early" for my taste-but tracks are turning up which may be of interest to those who like RnB stuff. Melvins first group was The Jaywalkers and featured Melin Davis, David Ruffin, Steve Mancha and Lyman Coliins (?) there are at least 3 45s recorded but may be not released from that era (1962 ?) so that could be it. Chris Marriot had a Groovesville Acetate of a unissued Melvin 45-when Melvin heard it he said it wasn't him !! Melvin has written and published over 600 songs and has connections into most Detroit labels so things will keep turning up. Rob

Anyone else seen this ? Just right for your local free night ! Got "The Snake?"= Yes I have the rare one with two heads"

Glad to see you have your "reading between the lines" glasses on Kev ! ted will be opening "The Golden box" then ! we'll see what we can do Rob

Long overdue a visit Paul (and gang) Is it Free ? or can we pay double ? Rob

Interesting Post Dave, I suspect the threat has drifted off topic a little since some ill-informed and factually false comments earlier on in the thread. I also suspect there are not enough people in your neck of the woods Dave for this ever to become a problem for you-Free nights impacting on a regular charging event-that is. The worry for a promoter of a regular local night in the North is keeping his or her crowd there and happy month after month, without someone setting out to wreck the night by opening up "Free Nights " either side of the regular venue and thus diluting the crowd. Around 10 to 12 years ago people started to re-discover the Scene, at that time Working mens clubs would still be doing Bingo, Cabaret and all the usual stuff over the weekend. A Northern soul night would not even get a look in ! To get a decent room with a good dancefloor would cost £250 to hire at least. You could never get them on Saturdays due to weddings etc However, with 2.5 million unemployed, baby boomers spending their time and money abroad and the rise in half pint pensioners in the clubs hitting their 70s, many places are struggling to survive. The club culture has changed for ever in the UK, its gone. Its down to a whole wealth of factors discussed many times on SS. (Smoke bans, cheap supermarket booze,etc) Many great clubs have closed in our area (Mainy Miners welfares, Railway Clubs etc) these will NEVER return, the ones which remain are trawling their nets around for business ideas, Northern Soul seems to fit the bill at the moment. They see a rival club with 200 people in drinking, dancing and spending money and think "we'll have some of that"--get the local Soul fan in (CDs and pressings mainly the order of the day-lets face it they'll never phone Butch up!) and away they go. However this IMPACTS on the original nights where the promoters are generally witnessing a down turn in numbers and where the hire charge still remains in place. The club moans that the bar take is down, puts the hire charge up (greed) and its a slippery slope down to the closure of the original club. This leaves the Free night to plod along, same stuff week after week , month after month until it too disappears up its own Arse leaving the town with No regular night. Soul Nights are like buses, you wait 9 months for one in your area and then 3 turn up all at the same time ! So the point to this thread is--is it happening in your area? are you bothered ? Is it a good or bad thing ? or is some of it a deliberate tactic by certain promoters to scupper established nights so they can muscle in? As earlier in the thread, the next area to be hit is Notts-mark my words ! Hope you're enjoying this as much as we are ! R & K

Try The Horse and Groom in Doncaster Tony-think you'll be surprised and you can even get the train over Rob

[ What a cheap shot from the very two banned from the very weekender they are talking about ! If anybody creates bad politics it's you two!

No John its a lot of both and other stuff already mentioned in this thread. The Free nights are creeping south--aimimg to choke established ones out of business ! Keep a close eye on what I'm saying ! Rob

I totally agree with your logic--but -what happens if your free night isn't playing the music you prefare because they are under pressure from their paymasters at the club to tread a more commercial path ? Remember most "Free night" promoters are being paid by someone for doing it-otherwise they would not bother !!!!

Excellent reply