Sharon Cooper

ίδιος παλαιός, ίδιος παλαιόςxx

Chris

You know what? It won`t change because this group of people are fixated and blinkered to what is going on around them. They think they are the guardians of Northern Soul and Wigan casino was, is now and will remain for ever. They have not moved on (However in saying this I know that many many of them never actually entered the hallowed doors of the Casino and wouldn`t know a Cleethorpes sound if it fell from the sky and landed on their Polyveldts!) They will continue to put on events, believe the lies that others say, continue in their own ` way of life` because lets face it they obviously haven`t got much of a life outside of this `scene` and from the state of their grammar and spelling abilities are unlikely to move on from what they`ve already got. The honest fact is that if they feel that walking out of their front doors and letting people see them dressed like some throw backs to a bygone era is `normal` then putting on an event that blantantly is set out to rival another is nothing to these people. I am not just speaking about the night in question here but others that have sprung up recently. I treat these people really with the contempt they deserve; They are after their own ` 5 minutes of fame` because, lets face it, they aren`t going to achieve it any other way in this life. Come on then promoters/DJ`s of new venues lets hear the other side of the story...And whilst I`m on a roll; whats this with now changing your night which is on an established night to clash with another in that month because you happen to have something else on the night your do should be on...This to me is a new phenomenon and happening more and more. Despicable IMHO.

Because I don`t go to some of the events does not mean I wouldn`t like the music Chalky...I have an extremely busy life which means my opportunities to go to `different` venues is limited. I support Pilsley because its Chris` `do` and some of the local ones because of the obvious but to be honest this looks to me like there will be fewer and fewer of these due to changes to music policies . Shame but thats the way it is...Perhaps better to go out less and travel further I`m thinking

So here we are expecting said promoter to come on to the thread and show an ounce of gumption and what happens? He posts up on the Events section the details of his night and Lo and behold its on the same night as Pilsley..well surprise surprise..And here it is: (Pasted from the events thread) Come on what is all this about? Numbers spread even thinner..less atmosphere...Come on SoulsceneRob...who has asked for this and who suggested the third Saturday? Of course this is not just Pilsley but loads of others happening on this night. I`ve said enough and think I`ve made my point sufficiently ....Over to you!! "Well, it's finaly happened. YOU have been asking us to put on a Northern Soul & Tamla Motown venue in the LOCAL area. Well here it is... (The Grosveror Rooms) Sutton in Ashfield Church Street, Sutton in Ashfield NG17 1FE Opening night October 18th 7.30pm - 12.30am £4.00 O.T.D Resident DJ: Rob Yates Guest DJs: (Dave) the Night Nurse (East Kirkby) Debbie (Loughborough) Kev Such (Cream Cracker) We are 100% certain you will LOVE this night for ALL the right reasons. Come along and see us and have a FANTASTIC night of PURE Northern Soul & Tamla Motown, we would Love to see you there. K.T.F (Rob) -------------------- Soul Scene Clothing Grosvenor Rooms (Sutton in Ashfield) " THE ABOVE IS PASTED DIRECTLY FROM THE EVENTS SECTION SO THE GRAMMAR AND SPELLING IS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME!!

I`m no quite sure what this comment means; I don`t think you know me so cannot see how you would know this or what my tastes are! Good for him if he will play something truly out of the ordinary; I was asking though when and where so we can look out for it as I do recall a long time ago some comments being made on a thread about it but no more seems to have been said.

I would be interested in this depending what this something different actually will be. I have seen that something was due to start some while ago; North Derbyshire/South Yorkshire area; When and where is this to happen?

The venue has been highlighted correctly earlier on in the thread. My point is to highlight yet again this `try something different` mentality ; Its not something different at all; it is what is played, whatever genre it happens to be, at a venue I suggest in this area on any given weekend. `The public makes a choice`; This is absolutely correct and they do just that; But is this the honest truth? Do the majority of people actually approach any random person who may have a record collection and say `Please start up a new night because we want something different?`Or is it the promoter and his mates deciding this? We will never know and really I don`t really care. I do know though that some local promoters have been approached and have obviously voiced their disquiet about the new event being on `their` night and so we will have to wait and see which other one the new guys chose as I know my fella hasn`t been approached. Anyway, as I`ve said on here many many times; Its NOT a way of life, its NOT a matter of life and death and it IS only a night out when all is said and done and if a night clashes with ours and people decide to go elsewhere thats OK by me as life will go on! Its been nice to be involved in the promotion of a successful soul night for the past 6 years but if it ended tomorrow then I would say that its been good sometimes, bad sometimes, frustrating, aggravating and a laugh but ultimately I won`t lose any sleep over it. I`m happy to know that Chris and I have tried to remain dignified and honest in the time we have been involved with the Pilsley soul nights and if others want to behave in whatever they see fit then thats at their discretion. A comment from the promoters in question would be be useful to get the alternative view and then a proper debate could ensue. S

Having seen a thread stating that a `NEW venue` for a local area is due to `So many people asking for a new venue for the local area` are the `promoters` actually providing a much needed public service or actually just jumping on the band wagon of `any one with any sort of record collection wanting to be a DJ/promoter?!` My opinion in that, as the NEW VENUE is to be 6.3 miles from us, 1.6 miles from Bentinck, 4.3 from Annesley, 4.9 from The Attic, 21.1 from Barrow Hill, 15.4 from Calow if the attendees at these events want something different, then what is that `different` which warrants yet another soul event which undoubtedly will (Yet again) clash with an established night. By the way the events listed are only, obviously, a few of the great many on any Friday/ Saturday in the East Midlands/South Yorkshire vicinity. How many alternatives can be offered I wonder; Northern, Motown, rare, modern, across the board, disco, pop, Ska etc. etc Good luck to the promoters on whatever night they chose (Because it appears this is yet to be decided upon! Was originally down for the 25th Oct. but this is now awaited due to clashes with other local nights?? ) but really whats the point? Sharon

Prior to the salubriuos surroundings of Hurts Yard(!) I had the pleasure in 74 of seeing Robs collection in cardboard boxes filling his mums flat at Balloon Woods (Nottm) it was a sight to behold and had a profound effect on a 16 year old girl S

I can`t supply this unfortunately as I don`t think theres one provided and the tracks are individual its like a live recording if you know what I mean. I think the people involved in the gig should be able to if they see this post. Sharon

I would agree with the general ethos on this thread and with this particular post but I also think there is a lot of people who have this idealised thought of what promoting a soul night is all about. It may be about greed but I do think its more to do with people wanting this ` 5 minutes of fame` thing in that most people are ordinary in their daily lives yet on the soul scene there is this chance to be ` a somebody` (albeit only to a very small percentage of the population) and make some sort of name for themselves. This, I think, is human nature in this celbrity type culture that pervades our society and won`t go away and some feel that, as unscrupulous as it seems to others, there is no problem with slating others, their venues, their music ethos, their integrity and won`t think twice about personally slurring others with falsehoods and what ever underhand tactics they think its OK to sink too. Local feuds will continue while ever people who are ,in reality, very ordinary people strive to be somebody`s in what ever way they can. Sad but thats reality (In my neck of the woods anyway!!) Sharon

We picked a DKOF CD up the last time we were at The Attic and have only just got round to listening to it in the car last week. There is some top notch stuff on it and I just wanted to say that credit is due to you for sticking by your principles and producing quality soul nights with music like that which was on the CD played.Sorry we didn`t make it over before it closed for whatever your reasons were, but thanks very much for the CD! Sharon

In a highly competitive market, when something is commoditized, you have to appeal to the lowest common denominator. That's why there are so many gigs out there playing the same old stuff week in week out. There is the philosophy that they have to play that which is inoffensive enough and close enough to what they are already playing in order to minimize the risk that John and Jane will go somewhere else. I am well aware that musical tastes are varied and that not everyone will like the same stuff that I do. The point is that so many people will immediately tune out or revolt against anything that isn't familiar. There have been studies done on how the human brain likes to be challenged with new sounds and arrangements but only to a point at which you tune it out as too radical or foreign. The problem is that nobody wants to take risks anymore. People don`t want to hear something that doesn't really sound like what's already coming from the speakers. If it doesn`t sound like what is already coming out of the speakers, John and Jane might just go over to the `competitor's` venue or (god forbid) actually like what they hear. The end result is a very homogenized product. DJs are no longer expected to be the music nerds who will introduce you to the great stuff they run across and take the risks to be the first to break the next big thing. Now they are expected to shuffle playlists and rerun the same songs monthly like clockwork until something safe and palatable comes along to add to the list. Call me pessimistic but nothing is going to change this and I think that the increasing diversity will create more division; I for one embrace this as I pay my money like any other punter and I make my choice. I don`t want to go down with the LCD ship! (Thanks to Reddit; sea_wall)

Yep remember Cockney Stu well, often saw him in the trent end during my days down at the City Ground, used to see him in the Fountain as well. Can't remember the Electric Gardens though, exactly where was it? Chris

spot on! How can you forget him?? what happened to him by the way? C & S

Torrevieja, on the Costa Blanca: Is there anything of a soul nature going off early June??

like i said, must be mental cause they can't read the words Golden Oldie. think i'll put mine on ebay

We wore the multi coloured Italian Solatio shoes, bought from Image, Nott'm, in the early 70s. Cost about a couple weeks wages back then, i believe you can still buy them today. Chris

a copy of the reissue S Mitchell 'Get it Baby' on Dynamic 'Golden Oldie' on Ebay is up to $152.00 already Are people mental, or is it me Chris

Chris says it's definately a CLEETHORPES tune, so there, having only been to the Mecca a few times, compared to Cleethorpes, it is where we heard it when we were young. but like others it depends on where you were when you first heard it, what we need to know is who first played it?? chris

I bow to your knowledge: Sounds like it should have been a Cleethorpes toon!!

This time with feeling. Top notch tune; Danced to it at Pilsley about 2 hours ago. Chris doing his Cleethorpes spot!!

A up Bazza....aaahhh the Bali HAI....I was there around 74/75 (A bit younger than you I reckon) I recall being there on Monday nights I think (Memory is fading though) There has been some northern do at the Palais I think in the last 7 or 8 years (again memorys going so I could be wrong) but I`m sure Chris, Barry and I went to some soul do there one Saturday night (Time scale could be wrong though but I`m sure its about 7 years ago... ish!)

I have put this on my blog but due to some technical hitch that Mike is trying to sort I thought it might be of interest to see what others think on the subject: Because its Pilsleys 6th anniversary have been thinking about some of the longer standing soul nights that are still around locally and the ones which have come and gone. What is is, I wondered, that keeps some soul do`s going on from month to month/ year to year? I must be honest and say that there have been months when I would have preferred to have tried some other soul night instead of our own but obviously haven`t done and I know that if I have thought it then some of our regular, loyal supporters will have done and probably have some months. But what keeps me turning up is a sense of commitment and a need to keep supporting the two `owd fellas`in what they have stuck with through thick and thin. There have been some crap times in the past 6 years, unbelievable childishness by some people and pathetic responses to situations that have ocurred by some but then again thats people and in my lifetime I have seen and heard some real corking situations and so nothing much surprises me any more in relation to human behaviour. I recognise that its not easy because sometimes things can be out of a promoters hands; venues closing, or problems with venues, people deliberately trying to close down a night (Through very underhand methods) etc. etc. New nights coming along which `clash`But then I think that if its all kept in perspective ie; its not life or death, its not a way of life, its a night out; A great night out, I think, but the reality is it is a soul night...Good or bad....Life does go on. These were some of my ramblings which are an edited version of what would have been on my blog. Would do you reckon keeps a soul night being popular with the paying clientele month after month/year after year? What formula if it could be encapsulated would be the ideal soul night? I don`t really know having been involved in what could be classed as a `succesful` night which has run for 6 years: I think perhaps keeping to the `right` mix of music, well known, experienced guest DJ`s who know instintively how to keep the dancefloor happy, friendliness, no `trouble`, listening to the paying publics views, decent atmospheric venue.....Any other ideas?