I've said it before and I'll say it again.
TOO MANY DJ'S
Once upon a time there were a handful of DJ's with their fingers on the pulse, you would travel just to hear an exclusive record from one of these dj's.
Nowadays, everyone is a dj, if they haven't got that rare original 45 they can play it from a different format.
Sounds aren't difficult to hear now - you don't have to travel to hear them - which is why there are so many local nights, and so many venues playing exactly the same records.
The scene has to split now. DJ's playing new discoveries and rarities from original vinyl, and the rest, which include club nights, motown do's, nostalgia events, oldies nights. There's nothing wrong with the latter, but it's not what Northern Soul used to be about.
also take into account the age of the average punter, running around the country was great back when we were 18, but now, in our 50's, it's way easier to go 5 miles up the road to an oldies night for a beer and a chat than it is to plan your weekend around a saturday night spent 150 miles away from home.
And then there's the "interest" factor, people have much more to do nowadays than base their lives around music.
So there are lots of things to factor in, one things for certain, it's not going to die but it may need a bit of resuscitation from time to time.