Well must say some good and relevant posts on this and James good thread .
The main factor and just to reiterate whats been said yes numbers are dropping a tad IMO but for me the real culprit in this "TOO MANY VENUES" its simple mathematics many not all but many now choose to stay local to the detriment of the Scene in general. A few years ago venues dropped numbers picked up at some venues now we currently have shit loads more kicking off and numbers dropping again simple dilution then theres the cost too. However for me always have always will travel to find a venue its part of the night out.
And some venues are better now numbers have dropped a bit....... no tit heads
As for the internet yes it brought a lot of born agains back a good few have had their last flourish of NS and will more than like visit a do now and then when it suits . it as also brought some welcome new blood in some good some just annoying ( The type that pretend they have been on the scene since moses ,you know the type a good few out there must have bumped into them i know i have more than once and still do . They Pretend they were at the wheel, Torch etc.... and they always trip themselves up when they talk about venues , music etc ... why pretend who gives a flying Fu#k... One guy said to me once" i remember you Wicksy from Wheel and Torch no you did not Pal i didnt go i was too fu#king young " you and he couldnt have he was younger than me )
But on the whole i think the net for soul as been good and when a good few are fed up with it . there still will be enough folks doing what they enjoy listening to soul at a venue like we were doing in the late eigthies early nineties when the scene was fairly quiet and very much undergound with no pretenders .
Facebook and that Twitter cant see the point in it ..... well twitter anyway
THERES NO STOPPING IT WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE CYBORG SOULIES !!!!!!!!!!!!!