Anton L

I am starting a custom project based on the Okeh soul years. I would really appreciate any facts, images, relevant addresses (Studios etc) scandals any thing, so I can pick through it all and translate it in paint, fiberglass and bodywork. Main thing needed at the moment is pictures of sixties Chicago. If you can help, thank you very much.

So funny when Andy Rue put on a dance competition and load of lads turned up from up north expecting it be Northern style, Andy ment Mod style. I think Andy Rue has to be the most hated promoter ever!!!

How can I get a copy of this 'cos I'm in it and loads the Orpington crowd?

Spot on Mace!!

Don't change the policy at any of the venues, the beauty of them is their individuality, I love to think one week I can hear progressive, next oldies and next a multi roomed assortment. This is maybe a pointless thread as, by the time 2011 arrives we will be 3 nighters down. Chalkie, By constructive I meant "excuse me, we are sitting on the right, and the sound is muffled, not sure if you are aware of this" I don't imagine it would be constructive or healthy to ask if Butch can play Night Owl!!! might be fun to watch you ask " the table at the back would like a few stomping oldies like footsie!!!"

Unfortunately, some promoters feel they wont be effected or don't care, but if punters vote with their feet or cars, hitting them in the pocket is better than a slap round the face, Also I will do my up-most to support any promoter that listens to CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and many really do so don't sit in the corner moaning speak up, if you are ignored or rudely treated you don't go again. Mace, yes it seems common sense but I speak to so many who are shocked that this is allowed !

Trying to say In a Sunday sort of way! Although others are fine with different styles can clash and I can see this, but I like most styles if there are just 30 people thinking like me and we all choose one if tickets are £10 thats £300 the other promoter looses. Or, two nighters One Friday and one Saturday both good. I am only 46 but have a enough sense ( A wife who talks sense!!) not to push my limits to much. Gone are the days when easter meant starting Thursday night and strait to work on Tuesday with no sleep and aching legs. Back to the main point, Clashing will nearly always take some punters away from either event

No No never, variety has taken me all over this country. Example is the other weekend we had The Wheel, Gloucester, Burley, Radcliffe,Six Hills and all topped with Skegness weekender. From what I every nighter was down in numbers Skegness normal numbers... where is the sense in that if any one wanted to experience the styles of all those, you might need a gadget from Star Trek!!! In fact it is quite irritating seeing events emulating others, they never get it right so you get a diluted version

But Len I pick events for different reasons, Stoke - the social night, Six Hills - Soul Family feel and good tunes, Bidds & Lifeline - New tunes and oldies from my era ! Radcliffe - For me has it all. All these are different styles but if they clashed I have to make a choice and worse our group usualy gets spit between them. Just put it all in one with DJs of different styles. In the past I have settled in the record bar for an hour while a DJ played my soul poison and fly back in to hear a DJ play soul bliss. Would everyone get up and leave if Karl Heard did The King Hall? not if they knew Brian Rae was on next or vice versa, I would stay for both and give up smoking!! You say about clashing personalities... Wow it still blows me away to hear people say " I hate him over there.. he plays *******" take thier wife kill the kids but don't dress, play or go to the wrong venue. this is people around 42 to 57 on average. If I don't gel with some one I smile or nod to them out of cortesey and keep away. In one of the books there is a quote " When people stop debating about the scene, the scene will be dead" something along those lines... Still alive then!!!!!!

Forgot, we did have the Fox Booked for new years eve as there was nothing on, but canceled. After 2, some may expect it to be regular!

I am not promoting. We did a one off Nighter for the Meningitis trust A year or so ago, due to our daughter surviving it, I helped run the Fox due to so many people asking me to, I have done as asked and now go back to the easier, more satisfying task of parent and occasional DJ!!

I am sure the subject has been covered, but not sure if anyone thinks of this. Large venues, in this day and age cost £1000s to put on. You do the maths. Hire of decent venue with good facilities and maybe more than one room averages about £2-3000 give or take ( you may be lucky and get it cheaper)Legal, ticketed security roughly £10 per hour per man/womanPA hire most large rooms £4-800 less on smaller roomsFlyer's and advertising £200plus or minus a bitBill for DJ Varies massively depending who you hire( big names bigger money!)Sometimes a cleaning billextras such as phone bills from ringing DJs promoting and other overlooked bitsThe promoter, will then work his/her/their butt off to promote and push their event, so they at least break even profit is great debt is hell! With all that at risk they make sure they have a good sound system, DJs customers want etc. Out of the blue, the date it's all booked, someone is offered a venue for nothing, as it's run down and past it's best and the manager will do owt for customers, bouncers are two guys that will do it for beers and £20.... you get the picture. ALL EVENTS can be canceled and if a promoter is willing to lay so much out for soul fans (yes profit if possible) then you CAN move your date or cancel. If you stand to loose a few quid for the flyer's you've had printed, then it's not out of the question to ring the promoter and explain, he may prefer to help you out than loose 50 of his punters(no harm asking). I have spoken to every promoter of know nighters, and not yet found one of them to be unaproachable.......yes all very different personalities and some way more helpful than others but none to be totally ignorant.(offend them and it may be different!!) We ran a one off Nighter a while ago and I rang every promoter or spoke to them, to make sure of a clear date, so many were surprised and all were happy to help me avoid their dates, all so easy I AM NOT ALONE IN SAYING, STOP SLICING UP AND DIVIDING OUR SCENE, NIGHTER FANS ARE DRIFTING AWAY DUE TO EVENTS CLASHING WHICH IS EMPTYING VENUES EVERYWHERE If you want to DJ ask and keep asking, don't just put on and event to DJ at I am sure I will get abuse from someone, for this but here goes!!!!

If anyone wants one we can now produce then exactly £10 each:ph34r:........ I know Pete will want one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think the point has been missed, maybe if I had used another film that is depicting an era, cult and feeling. No film will ever really get it right, Northern Soul has and does mean so much to all that have been touched by it, but the joy of it is that we all have such individual views on it, how could you possibly put what we have experienced in to film ( some of those experiences would be banned instantly!!). If it didn't come out, how many people would be saying 'When they gonna bring a film out about the scene?' Let it come, if it has the effect on the Northern scene that Quadrophenea had on the Mod scene, then let it come, our scene will survive, so why worry or mither? I would sooner put my energy in to worrying how I am going to pay for my next vinyl purchase!!

I remember some of the older lads discussing, during the mod revival, whether or not they would go along to Brighton as extras for some film, or whether it would be sacrilege, about 1978 out came Quadrophenia at 14 years old we loved it, we didn't give a toss if it was historically correct or not, it just gave alot of kids all over the country a look to dress towards, not that they cared if they got it completely right, loads of these kids just wanted an excuse to finish with punk and/or get themselves down to various seaside resorts and trash them. As the mod revival continued these kids gained more and more knowledge, their clothes sometimes were 100% more authentic, their scooters more individual, and music tastes turned to the real sounds the mods of the 60ts would listen to. Some of the kids became young men and learned to hate Quadrophenia, meant to be filmed around 64, MMMmmm... how many intercity 125 trains would have gone past Jimmy's shed in the 60ts? How many Vespa P range scooters would have driven to Brighton in 64 when that model didn't come out till the 76/77 My point. Soul Boy is based on, stylized on, an era and a place, At our age we really shouldn't concern ourselves with how wrong or right they've got it, We have our memories of years on a scene that feels so good to us, indelible images of venues, journeys and people and most of all music, no film will change or contaminate that. Go along see the film smile at the mistakes and with adult intelligence you may even work out they could never re-create a building that no longer exists. without a massive budget, and feel flattered they chose your scene to write about.

All the books documenting or accounting our scene are ( like our music ) down to personal taste. I have the pleasure of knowing Reg which helps, when reading the book. Reg is a great fantastic guy with a zest for life, a passion for Soul music ( in all it's forms) and makes anyone who meets him feel at ease and welcome, his constant smile and energy is infectious. If you have Reg with you at a soul do the smile meter measures from mid to red line all night ( hate to make you blush Reg ) No big up just a general picture of him, that may help you understand his book. I found if fun to read even where Reg's and my own tastes in soul music differ, I still found it fun to read about Caister, Goldmine and alike events. this is just my view of the book others may differ. As a foot note: I happened to be at an event where Reg was selling his book, he had run to the lav, leaving me to watch his stock. Two guys walked past, one stopped to have a look, his friend said " Na wey mate it's written by a Southerner, whats he gonna' know about NORTHERN soul" I looked up to see the two guys were in their early to mid thirty's?!?! If you get to read, even the first few pages of the book you will realise what a stupid comment that was!!

I really enjoyed listening to a DJ the other day exclaim " I've just paid £2000 pounds for a record" when asked what it was, his answer was" Oh! I can't remember it's the one everyone is playing" Maybe he shops on E-Bay, putting in the search NORTHERN SOUL EVERYONE IS PLAYING and buys the first thing over a grand!!!

I am in the middle of laying up some fibreglass record boxes and some resine record centres, Were gonna be £40 and £2.00 now £3000 and £90 on e-bay. Just shows how many fools are out there

Time to sell my Wombles collection!!