Soul For Heroes (lite) March 2010

The Old Malt Shovel in Newark was the venue for this Soul for Heroes (lite) event (no entrance fee but if one felt like making a small donation to the charity one was welcomed to do so).

I say ‘lite’ because it was far from the usual big two-roomed twenty dee-jay all-day extravaganzas usually associated with the SfH charity events This night it was held in the back room of a pub (the restaurant area with tables cleared) with just four dee-jays, a menu of oldies and very little razzmatazz.

But I must say from the start it was far from ‘lite’ on quality tunes, footfalls through the door (and the dance floor) and atmosphere.

On all the above it scored very well in deed.

Kev Such (one of the guests for the evening) played a set which was extremely balanced in tempo and very well received by those in attendance as did both Gus and organizer Pete Watkins.

The owner/manager Shawn and his wife Kimberly made every effort to accommodate the event and even donated one hundred pounds to the cause, very well done on both scores guys.

I certainly enjoyed the night, the oldies played were a mixture of old friends (but not tiresome) and those tunes one doesn’t ‘hear out’ for donkeys years but hold special places in ones hearts and memories.

Not sure how much was raised but it’s not just the total that counts but also how it was raised.  The sum (what ever it may be) was raised with consummate ease on a night where all seemed to feel at consummate ease and I for one am looking forward to the second of these events at the Old Malt Shovel.

 

 

Metrodome Barnsley charity event:

This event hit the target on so many levels. Two very good causes which should be funded by the Governments of the day but are left to the hard work and dedication of fundraisers.

An almost spiritual feel to the occasion as over nine hundred souls passed through the door to help swell the coffers.

Four rooms covering all the genre of this wonderful movement of ours.

So well organised, even down to the Burger Van Man going to his van for extra supplies at two in the morning.

I would say that I wish I could have split myself into four so that at least one piece of me could inhabit each room but that would be patronizing and truthless.

Not too fussed about the RnB room (although I do like very much some of the mid-tempo RnB I hear and even have in my collection)

Also didn’t feel much like frequenting the more commercial soul room but just because they weren’t my cup of tea it doesn’t mean they weren’t important because they were, they were laid on so people could have a wide choice and the two brief visits to these ‘arena’ showed me that there were many people who didn’t share my lack of enthusiasm and were having a damned good time.

I mainly camped out in the Chill-out zone, Geordie and Mark’s little soulful haven where Mark, Geordie, Sam Evans, Andy Basket, Russ Steele, Shaun Hamsey and Kevin Briscoe all hit the nail on the head with chill-out cross-over and modern the whole evening long. (Missed the Pinchers? I’m afraid because, although the chill-out tunes are my favourite genre I do still have a love and passion for ‘banging’ 60s oldies so kept drifting, on occasions, into the biggest cauldron of soul infused dancers seen this side of the Pennines.)

I have been to the Metrodome twice before and each time taken aback by the dance floor enthusiasm these paying public have towards, as someone described it to me last night “Proper Northern Soul.”

The generosity of the people on this night was almost tangible, and on a personal level, thank you so much Ian (bellychest) and Joy for my black puddings and drippings.  Also to Steve for my Bury (the town not the verb) Black Pudding.  Got in at five a.m. and had a slice of toast and dripping by ten past five, gonna need an Air Ambulance of my own at this rate!

Well done guys, I’m sure that a lot of the reason for the success of this night was fuelled by the esteem that Steven, Joy, Neil, Jean and the friendship boys are held in.

 

 

North Wingfield Welfare Feb 2010

The King is dead, long live the King!

The passing of Annesley hurt many folk, it was the custodian of precious memories for devotees of the Northern Soul scene for the past twelve years and should be respected as so..... but..... in my humble and often controversial opinion it may be could have closed two years ago if this 'new' venue is its' substitute.

North Wingfield Welfare is by no means state-of-the-art in the field of venues but it is, in structure and comfort, head and shoulders above what Annesley was.

Carpeted seating area surrounding two sides of the dance floor, an area within this for record dealers (not getting blasts of cold when winter doors open to the old selling corridor) and a covered and heated area for those Lepers of this days society, the smokers.

Add to this a car park with tarmac and a dance floor which is at least the equal to the old Annesley one and what more could a person wish for, other than the tunes.

I'm not sure of the direction the Annesley Soul Club at North 'Wings' will take musically, that's for the promoters to decide.

I prefer a more varied genre that was on offer this evening, 99.9% oldies but those gathered to bury the old King and crown this new one were seemingly pleased with the diet of 60s Northern Soul and if that's what it takes to satisfy their needs I'm sure that's what they will get.

Some may say there's no more room for another oldies venue in this neck of the woods but I guess it's really up to the paying public to decide this because I'm sure Pete, Val, Steve and Karen will be listening with open ears for guidance.

The first night, exceptional, full of faces dancing, smiling, reminiscing and having a damned good time.

This venue could easily reign as long as the twelve years it's predecessor managed, and as long as we still have life in our souls perhaps even longer. 

Top night, great venue and many, many more to come.

 

 

 

Butlins' Feb 2010

Billy Butlin once saw a legend on a fair-ground ride and it read: “Our true intent is all for your delight”. Billy had no idea that it was lifted from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights’ Dream but he blazoned it in letters three feet high across the frontage of his first holiday camp in Skegness.

Written some four hundred years ago, plagiarized seventy-odd years ago it once again held resonance this cold but not freezing February weekend at Butlins’ in Skegness.

The “True intent” was to hold a Soul Weekend for up to nine thousand people with artistes-a-plenty, but the “Delight” for me was the Northern Soul room, separate and seemingly ostracized from all the other attended events.

It had the characters in place, The dee-jays were set centre stage to play the tunes of the musicians of days gone by.  The ‘Meade’ flowed freely (but not for free) all weekend, the jesters (Hall and Borst) jested the last epilogue hours away late on Sunday.

There were even some villains to roundly boo (those who thought dancing whilst holding a drink was cool). 

Yes if the “Whole world is a stage” then the one at Butlins’ this weekend was a success that was highlighted by it’s box-office success, being sold out weeks in advance.

It was great to meet some old friends (Al Wilson even turned up with his reptilian legend, to the delight of a crowded dance floor), and also make many new ones.

Bill Snow (Snowy) played the best set I have ever heard him play during his afternoon visit to the decks, and although John Poole double-played that awful Ska tune ‘Back Slop’ only an hour or so after Yocky gave it a spun those gathered upon the floor forgave him and showed that forgiveness by dancing in large (and worrying!) numbers.

The dee-jays, like the players in Will Shakespeares’ days were, by definition, centre stage but without the ‘back-room’ boys and the director of this play himself (Dave Raistrick) it would not have been the success it was but……. those who made it a cut above many of the events up and down this scepter’d isle were the hundreds of Northern Soul aficionados who were in attendance, not just for the evening sessions but also, in large numbers, for the afternoon sessions.

As the Bard once wrote: “The Actors are at hand; and by their show, You shall know all, that you are like to know”, maybe his crystal ball stretched as far as the Butlins’ Weekender, stranger things have happened between heaven and earth Horatio!

Right Track, P’boro dec 09

Top night at the Right Track, it was almost as if Christmas had come early.

There was the warmth and family closeness one would expect at Christmas.

Gifts of top class northern soul a-plenty, enough to appease all dished out by the ‘Santas’ of the night, Andy ‘Smudge’ Smith, Tony Clayton, Brian Rae, Martin Caulderbank with Nige Grice carving a path through the fog all the way from the North East to guest.

No party games but an abundance of dance floor action to more than make up for this.

There was cake from Helen in Cambridge, Mince Pies from Paula in Newmarket.

Christmas cheer served up from the very, very reasonable priced bar and…. there was one point when four of the Spalding crew were standing under a light chatting with their shiny shaven heads reflecting said light mirroring those sparkly baubles we have all hung upon our trees at home.

The only thing missing was the snow, it may actually have been snowing but I wouldn’t have seen it driving back to Skegg such was the evil intent of the ferocious fog that hindered our every mile home, but, it was more than worth it, venturing out to yet another excellent night at the Right Track in Peterborough, wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Progressive Soul Allience: Sleaford Dec 09
although we had to leave at 7:00 due to a family committment the seven hours spent there were seven hours full of top tunes, seventh-heaven if you like.

for me, the tunes on top of that pile of most excellent soulful sounding music of the very Angels were:
Wizard of Ooze (spell?) - Trippin (Kev Rodgers)
Bill Wright - a man in love (Cressy)
Jaqueline Jones - the frown on my face (Mick & Mo), but here's the thing, if I thought about it i could have probably have picked almost any three tunes, such was the quality of music.
At first it was a bit like a dee-jays' convention but as the day wore on and others turned up it looked like it was shaping up well.
A big up for Raistrick for putting the event on, in the past he's not made a penny out of Soul Heaven, in fact lost a few on the journey to provide something a little different but he's stuck with it because it's the type of music he wants to hear (and, when the playlists start appearing I'm sure many out there will agree that it is top-draw soul.)

As for me, once again I felt like I was on the shoulders of giants, very humbled and honoure to be asked to play a few of my tunes because, after all, I am first and foremost a punter who is fortunate to be asked, on the odd occassion, to spin a few along side the proper dee-jays of this wonderful scene of ours.
some of my tunes of the day (just to start the playlist bit off):

JEAN KNIGHT - PICK UP THE PIECES - STAX PROMO
JOHNNIE TAYLOR - POOR MAKE BELIEVER - STAX
JOHNNY GILLIAM - TELL YOUR FRIENDS - CANCER
ORIGINALS - OHH YOU PUT A CRUSH ON ME - SOUL PROMO
OTIS LEAVILL - I LOVE YOU - DAKAR
BETTYE SWANN - TODAY I STARTED LOVING YOU AGAIN - ATLANTIC PROMO
BIG MAYBELLE - OH LORD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME - SCEPTER
CHARLES MONTGOMERY - I DON'T THINK - LADERA
COTTONMOUTH - TREAT YOU KINDLY - RCA PROMO
E J & THE ECHOES - PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE - DIAMOND JIM
GEORGE JACKSON - MY DESORES.... - FAME
GLORIA EDWARDS - KEEP UP WITH MY MAN - KING

next!

 

 

 

Just Soul, Nov 2009

Forgot this event was on (something to do with age I feel!!),

but Biz called early Friday evening and asked if we (Janette and myself)

wanted to go along. Hadn’t planned going out,

thought I might as well at least the tunes will be okay so Biz picked us up and off we went.

I was not one bit prepared for what we found there.

The Venue: Posh hotel, toilets one could eat one’s dinner off with little or no ill effect,

a dance floor that matured as the evening progressed.

The ‘Crowd’: As one wag commented “If the Devil were to cast his net”…….. 

Didn’t know over half the faces but felt like I had known them for years. 

The depth of ‘Knowledge’ present in this venue on this evening could have more that written

‘The History of Rare Soul’ four or five times over

but they were the type of people who didn’t need to write about it

as they actually lived it in venues like this one. 

As we got talking Biz and myself came to the conclusion that if all those attending

who were not actually dee-jaying had brought their own vinyl collections in it would probably

be the most sought after pile of plastic in the known (soul) world.

The Tunes:  Bully, Tats, Kev and Sean just played Soul, no more, no less. 

This my sound a simplification of the tunage this night but, with all the bollox stripped out,

all the egos left at the door Just Soul is what there was, no more, no less. 

No more was needed because these guys pulled out tune after tune after tune,

each as good as the last (Not better, not worse but equal)

and there are few venues where one gets this consistently all night.

To pick two tunes that topped the evening for me is hard because they all were of ‘that’ level but….

Kev played a record by Dena called “Bring Your Loving Back Home”

which was one of those records that pull can pull one, almost hypnotically,

on to the dance floor on the first hearing, as this did to me. 

I have often said, there are few finer feelings on this scene of ours than hearing a tune for the first time

dancing to it and feeling like it has been an old friend for many years.

The second one was a Tat’s play “Pusherman” by Curtis Mayfield. 

I had bought the Super Fly L.P. long before I had discovered Northern Soul,

but once I had discovered it and was stomping my amphetamine fueled teenage nights away at Wigan,

St. Ives and Cleethorpes I quickly learned not to profess my adoration for this L.P.

to my co-baggy trouser’d mates because when ever I mentioned it back then

all I got was looks of puzzlement and comments like “But it’s not Northern, it’s funk”! 

Hearing it played this night,

seeing the positive dance floor reaction sort of lifted a

thirty five years old Monkey off my back and confirmed to my puzzled heart that one can enjoy

“Pusherman” and similar soulful tunes alongside more ‘regular’ Northern and Rare soul pieces.

The Atmosphere:  The ‘Knowledge’ didn’t stifle the friendliness of this group of people,

they shared their ‘knowledge’ with newbies like me with no patronisation,

they loved to dance and they did dance with the floor never being empty and often one had to politely

‘fight’ for a little bit of space to step-out in. 

Great night, friendly enthusiastic people, music to define the very word ‘Soul’.

I have been to many good soul nights this year, a few very good ones,

one or two excellent ones but none of them compared to this.

The next one’s in March, Sean & Tats, a quote from the film Jaws – “You’re gonna need a bigger boat”!  
 

 

Annesley Nov 2009 (the final act)

only our fourth trip to Annesley this year but would not have missed it for the world.
Not just because it was the last one but because we think Annesley,

it's music and it's friendlyness and atmosphere.
For me that's the three reasons why this event is gonna be missed. 

It's not just the closure of yet another event but it's the closure of an event that really hit-the-mark for me

and many others.
There was a good sized crowd in attendance but not as many as I was expecting,

none of the Skegness crew who swore-by Annesley in it's earlier days were there

and many other 'noteables' were noted by their absense, but none-the-less a very, very good night indeed.
Cressy (capturing his mince-pie moment as a budding thespian aged seven years)

did a half hour set and set the scene for the other two guests by grabbing those dancers by their

collective short and (sometimes grey) curlies and leading them on to the floor.

(Speidels & Casmeres specially worked for me)

followed by Granthams' Steve Gutteridge who also played a blinder

while slipping in some seventies tunes to break the beat

(Third Time Around, nice one Steve, not played nearly enough).
Bridgey (whom I have never heard play-out) was next and the quality never failed or dipped all night.

(Gene Toones Bridgey, soooo nice to hear out).
Pete Taylor finished the night but we had to set off back to Skegg before hearing Johnny Mae-Matthews

which I am sure he played.
Great night, as Eddie would say, "A Night To Remember"

at a venue to remember surrounded by a feelinf of friendsip and soul appreciation to remember.
Val, Karen, Pete and Steve, you may have lost a venue but remember this

you have created so many fantastic memories for so many people

and surely that is far more than many people manage.
The sooner you guys get the motivation to set up home in another venue

the better for the Northern Soul scene in Notts. 

Nice one Guys and thanks for the memories.

Kingsway Hall: Forest Town: New Years' Eve 2009

don't much know where to start with my thoughts on this event because it's probably one of the finest, friendliest northern soul oldies events on the callendar.
many people describe the group of people who regularly attend this event as a 'family'!
i find this statement a bit stayed, over-used, cheesy even a cliché but here at this 200 capacity venue in Forest Town near Mansfield i find it a truism.
Having not attended Kingsway Hall since the previous New Years Eve because of other commitment i wasn't sure how i would feel 'gate-crashing' their celebrations.
i can put my hand on my heart and honestly say it was as though we hadn't been away.
old friend, new friends and even people we didn't know welcomed us in to this 'family'.
i knew the format of the evening was pure oldies and i was more than pleasantly surprised by the quality of the tunes along with the fact that the dee-jays (Ian 'Gee', Yocky and Pete Eccles) varied the pace and sub-genre of that over-arching label of 'oldies'. (sorry but missed gaz's set).
Pete Eccles event stretched the boundaries by slipping in four or five seventies tunes which filled the floor as much as any of the 60s oldies spun upon the decks.
i didn't manage to catch any of the buffet as i was busy elsewhere but heard that it very nice in deed, did catch the fireworks and the rockets were the best yet.
yep, i guess even the cynical old 'coops' will have to say that this crowd truly are a family.
gelled together by one thing, not their genes or DNA but their love for northern soul music and the people who populate this wonderful scene of ours.
was it worth the 87 mile frosty and snowy trip from skegness...... not arf, we'll be back for our fourth New Years Eve in December and i hope to one or two in the intervening year as well.