Where there are links available, if you click on the date, you will be able to see online photos from the venue, clicking on the venue name will bring up a venue write-up where one exists.

Please note, unless stated otherwise, the views expressed here are those of the site owner and are purely personal. Do not rely on the comments here when deciding whether or not to go to an event. Visitors are recommended to make up their own minds for themselves. If you would like to submit your own review of an event you have attended, I'd be delighted to include it on the site - just e-mail me at alan@soulman1949.com

11 Aug 2007	The Real Deal - R&B, Soul, Ska at Hare and Hounds, 46 Shudehill, Manchester, M4 4AA First time around for me at Stan Evans and Ian "Nai" Dunning's R&B venue in the centre of Manchester. This is the third event held at the Hare and Hounds, a friendly old pub opposite the Shudehill Transport Interchange/NCP Car Park on Shudehill, very much a genuine traditional pub. The event was billed to run from 8.30 pm till 1 am. I got there around 9, got served at the bar downstairs (cheap drinks, by the way) and made my way up the stairs to the function room, meeting Barry and Jane Tasker, plus a few other friends from the Wheel. Billed as the "Real Deal" it was promising "Real R&B, Real Soul and Real Ska". Free entrance, by the way! I had seen it advertised in previous months but what swung it for me this month was that Carole Fortey was set to guest here. After her brilliant set at the Hideaway about six weeks earlier, I was really looking forward to hearing what else she would be playing. Carole was already there with her husband, Alan and their friend, Dennis, so I said my hellos. Stan and Ian were getting proceedings under way, the tone was very much underplayed R&B, the sort of material that is par for the course at the Hideaway, some of it familiar to me, some not, but that was fine too! Then it was time for the guest DJs, Carole Fortey and John Kelly, to have their say. They each did a couple of sets and the night was rounded off by Stan and Ian double-decking. The function room isn't that big and although there is a small dance floor, not that many people were dancing at the outset. For some strange reason I felt inhibited going onto the floor - must be out of practice! Anyway, as the evening progressed a few people ventured for a dance including myself. I've forgotten who played what, but neither of the guests, nor the promoters disappointed. Probably my fave record of the moment and thanks to Carole for playing it, is Azie Mortimer "Lips" - big voice, big sound, that's how I love 'em! Here's a selection of else what was played that grabbed me: James Bay "It's a miracle", McKinley Mitchell "She called me daddy", Shayne Hunter "Luck to you dear", Prince Conley "I'm going home", Jeannie Barnes "Can't get you off of my mind", Chuck Carbo "Out on a limb", Clydie King and Mel Carter "Who do you love", Norma Jean "Call me a fox", Beverley Ann Gibson "Give me a chance", Ray Fournia "Settle down", Betty O'Brien "She'll be gone", Sugar "Boy" Williams "Little boy", Jimmy McCracklin "What's that (part 1)", Malcolm Dodds "Laugh my heart", Billie Davis "What you gonna do", The Duke of earl "You left me", Lamont Anthony "I don't know", Tams "Blue Shadow", Now that's what I call a result of an evening! if you're thinking of going in the future, the evening is very much in the style of the Hideaway - the venue is held on the second Saturday of the month every other month, the next one being Saturday 13th October. I had a great evening - as you will have gathered there was a lot of material I wasn't familiar with, but, that was no problem going there with an open mind. Thanks again to Carole for another belter of an evening - if you're into R&B she's the gal for you, do seek her out - and to the other guest, John, not forgetting Stan and Ian. I'll most certainly be back!
16 Feb 2007	Ritz Ballroom, Brighouse Third Friday of the month again, where else but the Ritz at Brighouse? Full complement of Al's Gals (tm) in the car, Julie, Karen and Sue, plus Charlie making our way over the Pennines - the journey didn't seem to take any time at all and there we were arriving at the Ritz, just before 8.10. There was already a queue filling the space under the canopy. Cookey and the rest of the gang had arrived before us and within a few minutes, Doddy turned up to join us. It was especially lovely to see Tommy, back after a period of illness. Looking at the queue developing, this already had the makings of a very busy night. The place seemed to fill up very quickly indeed, there was a tremendous buzz from the outset and within minutes, folks were on the floor dancing. And that's how it was for most of the night, with a busy floor throughout. Alongside the resident DJs, there were two guests, Roccia (from Pisa in Italy) and Sean Chapman (from Swansea). It's always interesting to see what guests bring to an occasion and we weren't disappointed. Superb music back to back, with a full floor as a result. I must make a special mention of Sean, whose enthusiasm for the music is legendary - first and foremost he is a dancer, so he understands pacing and sequencing, his was pretty much a faultless set. The usual crowd was there in attendance, too numerous to mention - it was lovely also to see Gail and Jez from Stoke, whom I'd originally met at Whitby. This was an awesome night, one of the best in a while and it was busy, busy, busy. I don't think I've seen such queues at the bar in the two years I've been coming here. Nothing official regarding the fate of the venue, other than rumours we may have a reprieve until September, but we can't bank on that. It's a matter of making the most of it while it's here. I suspect the busy numbers indicated the punters doing just that. Next month, unfortunately, we're having to give it a miss as we're at Prestatyn, but we're back in April. Roll on!!!
10 Feb 2007	For Dancers Only, St James Social Centre, Orrell, near Wigan Last month had been totally ridiculous, with me trying to do 3 venues in the one night! Never again! This time around, I was determined to concentrate on just the one venue, "For dancers only" at Orrell. Charlie decided to give it a try so we zoomed up the motorway together. Do you ever get the feeling in life that you've lost the plot? Well, that's what hit me when I suddenly realised I was on autopilot and on my way to the Monaco!!!! Oooops! So we ended up going the scenic route passing through the centre of Wigan, eventually finding ourselves at St James' Club close up to 8:40pm. In the car park, we bumped into Pete and Suzie on their way in, then once we got served at the bar, sat with my pals Tony and Ann, whom I'd not seen for a while. Although the place wasn't heaving it was buzzing nicely and there was a steady flow of people at the door coming in. Pete was doing his opening slot and was followed by Liz. Must admit I was very impressed by her material, notably Donnie Elbert's "Little Piece of Leather" and my favourite record of 1966 Spencer Davis "Gimme Some Lovin'", although we were still in catch-up mode and chatting, rather than dancing. Tony Brookes from Ormskirk Civic was the guest starting off with some blistering tracks from the earlier part of the soul era - his opener was Motown's Eddie Holland "Leaving here" from 1963 followed by another Motown track, LaBrenda Ben & The Beljeans' "Chaperone" from 1962 and Etta James' "Mellow Fellow" from 1964 (the last two being tracks I've never heard played before at a Northern event). This was an awesome start and at one stage I remarked to his wife that I wished he'd play some crap, so I could have a rest! In the end, I just had to give up and take a break. I was somewhat stunned later on to hear that a number of people had complained that the tracks were too obscure. Well, sorry, they can't be THAT obscure, as there wasn't a single track in his set that I didn't know! Underplayed, maybe, but surely that's what Orrell is all about. I was more than disappointed by this reaction and, as far as I'm concerned, Tony's slot was one of the best I'd ever heard at Orrell. Certainly, the people I spoke with were of the same opinion. I've no wish to get into politics but maybe some of the children around need to remember that there was life before Wigan and some of us were listening/dancing to Soul while they were still in their nappies! In any case, over his hour Tony did a mix across the board from different eras and I felt he attempted to present something for everybody - I wondered whether him closing his set with Dean Barlow's "Third Window From The Right" was a (not so subtle) two-fingered riposte to the critics!;-) Watch out for Tony's new Northern venue in Ormskirk, if the music he played tonight is anything to go by, this has the makings of a superb place to be. I was pleased to see lots of my pals on the night and catch up with them, including Paul and Jean Wilkie, Chris (I'm in training for the Olympics, luvvee!), Charlie and Dave Truscott from the Birchfield, among others. With Ian Gee and Tony Clark, as regulars on the DJ roster, the place rocked and by the end of the night there were a number of tracks added to my wants list, among them, Barbara Lindsay "I'm prepared to love you", Fred Hughes "I keep trying" and Aretha Franklin "Tighten up your tie". A great night with loads of buzz and a brilliant slot from Tony Brookes. Yay!
9 Feb 2007	Ramsbottom Cricket Club, Ramsbottom The last time I attended this venue was way back in September, a combination of weekenders and other circumstances standing in the way. I was really looking forward to seeing my pals again and made my way up the M66 on my own, Doddy having cried off due to the bad weather. First through the door, I caught the promoters unawares by making my entrance through the kitchen as they hadn't yet opened up the main door. I was greeted warmly by Des and Bev and we spent a bit of time catching up on what we'd been doing in the past few months. By this time, my pals, Sue and Ged from Romiley had arrived so I joined them, spending more time catching up on events, later joined by my pal Helen, who was also on her own. I very quickly remembered just why this is a favourite venue of mine and why I love coming here so much. It's a mix of the friendliness of all, promoters and punters alike, the choice of DJs and the music played. I know I'll hear my favourites here plus some "new" tracks for my wants list. We had regulars, Des Wilson and Dave Lowe doing their spots, high quality as always, plus guest DJ, Andy Childs. Andy did two sessions as the other guest, Pete Eccles, hadn't arrived and they were both superb slots with a great mix of across the board material, including a good dose of R&B. I was delighted that Andy remembered I loved Sammy Turner's "Raincoat in the River" which he duly played, alongside a great Jackie Wilson track from 1959 called "That's Why (I Love You So)", this one verging on Rock'n'Roll/R&B - interesting that Keith Ridge was responsible for alerting me to those two tracks. Other tracks added to my wants list included Germany's Frank Popp Ensemble "Leave me alone" (this sounded just like yer typical 60s soul belter, even though it's only a few years old - I've managed to track down a copy in Italy which is wending its way to me as I type this). Another couple of tracks worthy of mention, the Chocolate Boys (sounding like Ramsey Lewis) instrumental "Voltair Pier" and Brenda Holloway's version of the Prince Philip Mitchell track "I'm so happy" - never heard that one before. This was a superb night, despite the grotty weather. The numbers attending were pretty respectable too, meaning that there was a nice atmosphere in the place and a busy floor for most of the evening.
3 Feb 2007	Soul in the Cellar at the Greatstone - The Greatstone, Chester Road, Stretford, nr Manchester For a few months now, I've been rotating this venue with the Monaco and, even though I'd been to the Greatstone in January, I'd also been to the Monaco mid-month for a birthday bash, so it was the Greatstone again for me. My pals from Yorkshire, Jane and Dave, were going and I picked them and their friend Margaret up from Piccadilly Station. It was another bitterly cold night and we were glad to get into the warmth and go down the stairs to the cellar. This is a real fave venue of mine these days as I know I will hear some sounds I've never heard before, intermingled with the classics from the 60s and 70s. The night in question did not disappoint and I picked up nearly a dozen tracks for my wants list. Barry Tasker and Brian Walker have superb collections and a wealth of knowledge and the night was full of great music. My pals were delightful company, as always and there were many laughs on the night. Turnout was a bit disappointing - although the venue doesn't have a large dance floor, it is adequate for those who are prepared to adopt a less expansive style of dancing. Plus it has the intimacy you expect from cellar venues. After dropping off my friends at Piccadilly, I doubled back for the last 20 minutes or so. I got back just in time to hear a bombshell being dropped, Brian had secured a new venue. Unfortunately it clashed with the Greatstone and reluctantly he was announcing his departure from the Greatstone gig with Barry. While wishing him well, I am saddened by this news as Barry and Brian have made a great team, complementing each other very well. The news took the edge of what had been a really good night at the venue - in fact, since I started attending in the middle of last year, I've never had a duff night. Nothing lasts for ever and I hope that Barry can find a replacement co-promoter to continue the venue.
2 Feb 2007	Soul at Joe's, St Joe's Catholic Club, Peasley Cross, St Helens, WA9 3BN The gang were going to Bolton on the night as Cookey was DJing there, but I decided to give Soul at Joe's a go. We'd been there in December and had a really good night. I made my way down the M62 and, this time, I found the correct turning off the St Helens Expressway, getting to the venue around 8.45ish. I was a little surprised that there weren't as many people in as I'd expected, but it was a bitterly cold night. Quite a few familiar faces were there and I sat down with "Biff" and the crowd from the Birchfield, spending the first hour or so nattering. The music was good, but there was no action on the floor and I felt a bit reticent to be the first to get out there. Others must have felt the same way because it was slow getting started, even Biff, who did a slot from 10.30-11.30, commented that it was hard work. The slow nature of the night was nothing to do with the music that was being played which was across the board oldies. When I did get onto the floor, it was decidedly sticky and needed a load of talc to get it moving. Unfortunately, I ran out of talc partway through the process and that inhibited me from dancing as much as I would have liked. Despite this, I did enjoy myself and although it was a slightly disappointing night compared to December, all venues have them from time to time and it certainly wouldn't stop me going again.
27 Jan 2007	Hideaway, Manchester I'd had a great night last month and couldn't wait to visit the Hideaway. When I got there about 9, the place was a bit quiet but it soon started to fill up, although as the evening went on the place got a bit too smokey for my liking. It was nice to see my friend Helen paying a visit there, we had a natter about various events she had been to and it was pretty clear that both of us are going down the R&B line, so it was interesting swapping experiences. It was also lovely to get to know Kev Kus and discover that both of us shared Polish heritage, also to have a natter with another Kev, this time the one who runs "No More Doggin'". Then my pals from Yorkshire, Jane and Dave arrived and we did the usual round of catching up in things. The evening opened with residents, Mike, Paul and Neil doing their slots, followed by guests Ted and Nashee doing the first of their spots. I have to say that for the first half or so of the evening, the whole tone of the place was a bit too heavy on the R&B/bluesy side for me. So much so that Dave and Jane left early. It was a pity that they did because the music changed much more to my liking as the night went on. Again some belters made it to my notebook to chase up, including Tyree Glenn "Yesterday", Invitations "Watch out little girl", Jo Ann Campbell "I changed my mind Jack", Chuck Reed "Females", The Arter Set's rousing "Sermon", Madam McCoy "Running for my life", Connie Questell "World of Confusion" and the Drivers "Dangerous lips". The track that had most people rushing to the DJs booth was the most unlikely: Gene Pitney's "Quando vedrai a la mia ragazza", a finalist song in the 1964 San Remo Song Festival, a real stormer of a track and one which was a big hit on the night. With the Hideaway you have to approach it like panning for gold, sifting through the mud, but the nuggets are there. That last hour or so was just brilliant and it reminded me of the need to be patient when I go to the venue. A mixed night but more than enough gems for me! Bravo!
26 Jan 2007	Twisted Wheel, Manchester The last visit to the Wheel had been a bit of a bitter-sweet experience for me, nevertheless I was looking forward to another outing to my spiritual home. I got to the venue about 15 minutes late but I hadn't missed anything as the punters were only just being let in. Quite a few of the regulars were there, including Pete and Suzie and Doddy, although missing in action was Tommy, still suffering the after-effects of a bad cold. There was a change in that a new floor surface had been laid on top of the concrete John and Pete opened up with their one hour slots as usual. By the time 11 had come around, the place was already pretty full and it was evident this was going to be a busy night. Little did I know what a treat lay in store for us. Mickey Rooney was guest DJ and he started his spot playing some absolute gems, lesser known tracks but crackers nonetheless and sounds which had the floor to capacity for most of his session. In particular it was sheer joy to hear the Ben E King Drifter's soundalike Harry and the Keyavas "If this is goodbye", one I've hardly ever heard on the scene but a sure classic. We had some real fun with the likes of P.J. Proby's "Nikki Hoeky", another one which had the place bouncing. For my money this was one of the best guest slots I've heard since I started coming to the Wheel, Mickey not being afraid to mix in the lesser known tracks with the more familiar favourites. I do hope we get to hear him again soon. As always, the evening ended with residents John and Pete playing Wheel classics. I was delighted to see my friends from the Greatstone, Rob and Elaine making their first visit to the Wheel, all the way from Newbury in Berkshire. Elaine is one of the best and most energetic dancers on the scene and even she got pooped by the music! This was a belter of a night, more than making up for the problems of the previous month.
20 Jan 2007	Lancashire Soul Club, Polish Catholic Social Club, Chamber Road, Hollins, Oldham, OL8 4NZ This is a venue that's become adopted by us as one of our regular haunts. The wide range of DJs means a very varied diet of Northern. Julie and Karen were coming later on, so I made my way alone to the Polish Club, meeting up with Doddy inside. The place was pretty empty initially, but the numbers started to build up after 9 and although it wasn't heaving, it was busy enough to create a good atmosphere. My matey Cookey was on during the first hour or so, but it was a case of catching up on things with Doddy, so we nattered for a fair bit, largely oblivious to the music. Sorry Cookey! Senile decay means that I don't retain names as easily as I used to do, so, apart from Keith Ridge, whose name I look out for these days, I can't now recall who else was on on the night! Having heard Keith before, I know what to expect and he didn't disappoint, doing an absolutely blinding slot, very much hitting the head on the nail for me, with a good across the board mix, and some R&B gems thrown in. It was lovely seeing Fay (aka the Soul Witch) again, as I'd missed her at the Soul'dham Alldayer do. With her was Lala Brooks, one-time lead singer of the Crystals - she had done a spot on stage at the alldayer the previous week, which I was unfortunate to miss. Those of you who know my tastes in music well will know how big a fan I am of the "Girl Group" scene, none more so than Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" so it was nice spending a few minutes talking with the lady. She said how much she enjoys it over here and was looking forward to coming back soon. She did the honours when it was raffle time announcing how she was appreciative of the Northern soul scene - apparently the artists of the 60s are largely forgotten about in their native America. She also told us that she was 59 years of age - don't you mean 59 years young? It was another lovely evening with good company, great music and I managed to get my share of dancing in. Oh and it was also an opportunity to replenish my bar stocks with a selection of bottled Polish lager. Nazdrowie! (Cheers!)
19 Jan 2007	Ritz Ballroom, Brighouse It's always a great joy to go to this venue and on the night in question, it was a full car load with Al's Gals (tm) Julie, Karen and Sue, not forgetting Charlie. The previous day, the north had suffered some torrential weather with hurricane winds causing lots of damage, but, thankfully, it wasn't quite as wild going across the Pennines. We got there at 8:15 and there was already a queue, but we just about got in under the canopy. Pretty soon, it was time to go and hit the floor. I still had my old pair of glasses so it was a case of taking them off when I danced and putting them back on again as I sat down, on-off, all night! It wasn't just the glasses that were on-off all night - yes, I enjoyed myself, but balance of music seemed to be a problem with fast numbers being followed by slowies, then back to fast again, so you never really built up a rhythm. Although I danced a fair bit, certainly for the first half of the night, I felt that the music wasn't as adventurous as it could have been - maybe this is a sign of my tastes changing! It was good to see my Yorkshire pal, Den, after a gap of many months, this time with some of her pals making their first visit to the Ritz. Make the most of it, gals, the way things are going there ain't going to be a Ritz to dance in, in six months time.
13 Jan 2007 Part 1	Oldham - Soul'dham All-dayer, Queen Elizabeth Halls, Oldham. They say you wait ages for a bus then three come all at the same time. That's how it was on this night. I'd originally planned to go to Orrell, as I'd not been there since September due to a combination of weekenders and illness. Then along came the Soul'dham event, a charity alldayer, so I thought "I'll do that in the afternoon, then go on to Orrell at night". Then Jane and Dave badgered me to go to Nicola's 40th birthday bash at the Monaco - in the end, I had my arm twisted and, mad fool that I am, decided to do all three!! Having been away overnight, I didn't get home till late in the afternoon, then an hour or two later I was off out again, to Oldham. I reckon I've not been in the centre of Oldham for about 10 years and it took me a while to work out how to get to the Civic Centre car park, driving around in torrential rain, finally getting there about 6pm, somewhat later than originally planned, but hey! what's new?;-) I'd not been to the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 30 years, last time was way back in the 70s to hear hilarious explosives expert and raconteur, Blaster Bates. I'd quite forgotten just how huge the place was, apparently 1200 capacity, or thereabouts. The room was gigantic with a very high ceiling and a really large dance floor, comparable in size to the King Georges Hall in Blackburn, with seating around 3 sides of the room. The gang were already there - Doddy, Charlie, Cooky, Julie, Karen and Sue. I got myself a drink and joined them, not that I was going to be staying long! First impressions were pretty favourable, the floor being absolutely superb but lethally slippery, even for me wearing rubber souled shoes - heaven knows how folks with leather soles made out! I got a few dances in, but had to temper my movement because of the surface. The DJs on stage were having problems with the sound system - I later found out that it was a temperamental turntable. I have to say that during the time I was there (from about 6 till 7:45pm), there didn't seem to be any great pattern to the music, oldies being followed by modern of a totally different pace and rhythm, so you were constantly on and off the floor - I suspect the DJs in question were not dancers. Also, the volume of the sound system could have been cranked up a few notches and the lighting could have been turned down. Still, this is the first time to my knowledge that a Northern Soul event has been held here,so those lessons could be heeded in the future. I did hear whispers of this venue possibly being used again. Even though some live acts were billed, I'd committed to go on and so around 7:45 I had to leave prematurely. Listening to the gang after the event, I got the impression that it had been a successful and enjoyable night, although one or two folks said the place was a bit lacking in atmosphere. Anyway, for me, it was back outside into the elements - mercifully the rain had stopped!
13 Jan 2007 Part 2	For Dancers Only, St James Social Centre, Orrell, near Wigan Continuing on my mad night out, I made it to Orrell around 8:45pm. I hadn't been here since September so it was lovely seeing Pete and Liz on their "first anniversary at Orrell" do. Initially there weren't that many people in, although numbers crept up gradually. It was a tough night regarding competition with the regular venue on at Bernadette's, alongside specials at Oldham and the Monaco, not to mention a do somewhere in Stockport. I must admit being somewhat surprised to hear pretty mainstream sounds in the hour going up to 10pm, no disrespect, but I can hear that anywhere! Things changed at 10pm when Pete Everett came on and, as you'd expect, he dug deep and presented some pretty rare stuff. Unfortunately, I think tiredness had caught up with me during my stay here, as I didn't dance a lot. After covering over 200 miles in the day so far, I needed to chill out! In fairness, I'd done so much mileage and just wasn't in the right frame of mind to do justice to the venue. Also, earlier in the day, I'd broken my glasses, so I had to make do with an old clunky pair, too heavy around the head for dancing!! Anyway, the numbers were creeping up quite healthily by the time I left around 10:30 for the Monaco! Never mind, next month, I'll have a better stab at things!
13 Jan 2007 Part 3	Monaco Ballroom, Hindley, Wigan I got to the Monaco around 11pm and was stunned by what greeted me on my way in. Quite simply, the place was just heaving! I've been to the Monaco when it's been busy, but I'd never seen it this busy! As it was a birthday bash, there were lots of youngsters around, but, rather than detracting from things, it just added to the party atmosphere. Apart from service at the bar suffering, it was pretty much business as usual with a packed floor, but not annoyingly so. After saying my hellos, I needed to let off steam and unwind and what better way than on the dance floor! To be honest, I didn't pay that much attention to the music played, the atmosphere was top-notch, the place just buzzed. This was very much the Monaco at its best. Although I rationed my dancing, it was hard to stay off the floor, so I can only guess the music was brill!!;-) The numbers stayed more or less until the end, by which time I was truly exhausted and ready to make my weary way home. I've said this loads of times but the Monaco has to be one of the best oldies venues around - it does what it says on the tin and does it extremely well. There can't be many places that can beat it.
12 Jan 2007	Crown Inn, Nottingham Road, Spondon, Derby This last few months since I've been going to the Hideaway and Greatstone, I've got to know some folks really into the R&B/mod scene, including Kev and Hillary Kus from Bolsolver in Derbyshire. At the last Hideaway, I was invited to Kev's 50th birthday party - this was to be held at the Crown pub in Spondon, on the outskirts of Derby, a regular venue for monthly R&B sessions - so I thought I'd give it a bash. I must admit it was a longer thrash driving down than I'd anticipated, going across Woodhead then down the M1, but as I needed to go to Lincoln the following day, I had decided to stay in the area overnight, which, at least made the end of night drive relatively painless. Checking in at my billet, I set out to find somewhere to eat, but took a wrong turn near to Spondon and got hopelessly lost - it took me 15 or 20 minutes before I finally stumbled on the right road. I found the pub and a few hundred yards down the road there was a newly opened Indian restaurant, the Cinnamon, where I had a lovely meal. I finally got to the Crown about 10pm, rather later than originally planned, but there you go! The birthday bash was held in the function room at the rear of the pub. There weren't that many faces I recognised but this was hardly surprising as I was some 70-80 miles from my home turf. I sought out Hillary and Kev and was made to feel very welcome by them - the birthday boy was having a great time. I didn't find it that easy to socialise as most of the guests were esconced in their groups. The music being played was in the style of the Hideaway, very much up my street. There was a small dancefloor which was certainly receiving some regular action - hardly surprising, given the quality of the music and I didn't need much presuading! There were a couple of record dealers, so I spent a bit of time seeing what was on offer in their boxes. About 11-ish I was delighted to see my pals from Yorkshire, Jane and Dave, making their entrance. It was a really lovely evening with quite a few DJs doing the honours for Kev, including well-known R&B afficionado Roger Banks. I was delighted to meet again DJ Steve from Melton Mowbray, whom I'd last heard doing an awesome spot in the Redemption Room at last March's Prestatyn. I was more than a happy bunny with over a dozen tracks added to my wants list, such as the Fabulous Four's "I'm coming home", Sammy Turner's "Love keeps calling" and Harry and the Keyavas' Drifters inspired "If this is goodbye". The two hour drive down was made easier by my not having to return home as I'd booked a hotel a few miles up the road. A brill night.
6 Jan 2007	Soul in the Cellar at the Greatstone - The Greatstone, Chester Road, Stretford, nr Manchester October was the last time I'd been here and, appetite whetted by my visit to the Hideaway the previous week, I was looking forward to going again. I picked up my Yorkshire pals, Bridget and Dave from Piccadilly Station and we made our way over to Stretford. Again, a quiet night, with not too many punters in when we arrived. I do love the music here, as Barry and Brian are very much "my era" and their record collection is brilliant, to say the least. Although the dance floor is miniscule, it doesn't stop the dedicated getting in some dancing, the cellar location adding to the atmosphere of the place. This venue is also one to have a natter and a laugh or two and that was the case here, in delightful fun company. Partway through the evening, some folks from the Monaco came in - they'd not realised that event was cancelled on the night in question. Presumably, arriving at the Monaco to find it closed, they were geared up for a night of Northern, so hunted down this venue as a replacement night. Anyway, their presence was welcome, adding to the numbers. Having said that, the venue does deserve more support, as it is not the usual run of the mill evening. Around 1am, I donned my taxi-driver's hat and nipped out to ferry the Yorkshire duo to the station, and came back 20 minutes or so later to continue the night. During the evening I added half a dozen or so tracks to my list, so I was a happy bunny. It had been a lovely night and one I'm looking forward to repeating soon.
5 Jan 2007	Bolton - Bolton Soul Club, Derby Ward Labour Club, Deane Road, Bolton, BL3 5AH Second time around at this venue for me, this time with Al's Gal's, Julie and Sue (Karen being absent due to illness) together with Cooky and Charlie. Numbers were a bit on the low side, but then this time of year is always tricky, with folks spent up and partied out after the festive season. As previously, the music was really good, pretty much across the board Northern and although initially there wasn't much action on the floor, that certainly wasn't the fault of the DJs. Gradually, the numbers crept up but nowhere near the levels of October, which was the last time we were here. In fact, this venue wasn't the only one suffering with low attendance - we got a call from some friends that Heywood only had 8 people in, so they drove over and joined us!!! Anyway, it didn't stop us dancing, although the solid floor needed a bit of talc to get it going. The music really was top notch for me, apart from one set. A pet hate I have is DJs speaking/singing over records - yes I *KNOW* Little Anthony and the Imperials' "Going out of my head" is an awesome track, that's why we wanted it playing, not to hear him doing karaoke over it! We had a brill night and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, nice atmosphere, nice people, good music. Top night!
31 Dec 2006	Monaco Ballroom, Hindley, Wigan Looking back in my diary it's over 3 months since I was here last. This time, accompanied by Charlie and Al's Gals (tm), Julie and Karen, we got to the venue bang on start time at 8pm to find most of the tables already taken. I knew it was going to be busy, but hadn't quite bargained on this busy! There was a real party atmosphere in the air, although there didn't seem to be much dancing going on, not at the beginning, anyway. That didn't stop me making an early start on the floor and reminding myself of what a lovely floor we have at the Monaco. The Monaco just has to be the epitome of how to run a successful oldies night, with classic after classic on the decks and the floor busy for most of the evening. To break things up, I did the rounds saying hello to folks, some of whom I hadn't seen in ages, such as Tony and Ann from Garswood and Dave and Lyn Sharples. That's the thing about the Monaco, it's such a friendly place, or should I say, the people are so friendly here. Before we knew it, we were bidding farewell to 2006 and toasting in 2007 (thanks for the champers, Doddy!), then again doing the rounds, this time wishing everyone a "Happy New Year". I enjoyed last New Year's Eve at Stoke, but this one seemed better, probably because many of the people local to the Manchester scene were there and let's face it, it's the people who make the difference. We originally came to these venues for the music, we come back for the tremendous friendships we make with like-minded souls (pun intended!)! Normally, the Monaco quietens down after around 12:30/1am - this time the floor was pretty full right to the very end. That's how parties should be! Just reflecting on the past year, it's been a great one for me on the scene, meeting so many people through the website and the photos. I hope to be back with a vengeance early in the New Year, trying to get my piccies up to date. To everyone who has made it a special year for me, heartfelt thanks and lots of love from the Pole with Soul!;-)
30 Dec 2006	Hideaway, Manchester The Hideaway is one of those slow burners that's really grown on me as my tastes in music have developed and veered more towards the earlier days of R&B and soul. I hadn't been in 3 months so was well overdue for another visit. I got there not long after the 9pm official start to find the place pretty empty compared to previous months. My Yorkshire pals, Bridget and Dave were already there, so I joined them in the corner. Gradually, though, it started to fill up, although numbers were down on what I'd seen when I'd previously been there. Alongside residents Paul Welsby, Mike Warburton and Neil Henderson were guest DJs Damian Hewitt and Mick Parry. As I may have said before, the Hideaway is one of those places where you are unlikely to love everything you hear, as the musical range is pretty wide. While I don't mind a bit of the heavy R&B/bluesy stuff, it isn't my favourite. My stuff is the late 50s/early 60s R&B that was morphing into soul, Drifters from the Ben E King era, solo female vocalists, girl group sounds, that sort of material. It's a bit like panning for gold, you go sifting through a lot of material to hear the gems that grab you. And grab me they did, from the Del Vikings (best known to me for their American hits "Come go with me" and "Whispering bells") on a lovely real Drifters-soundalike track "Bring back your heart", to Patience Valentine 's "If you don't come", to Teddy Randazzo "Let the sun shine in" (I'd only ever heard the Peddlers version of this some 40 years back). In all there were about a dozen tracks I ended up jotting down in my little notebook. Mercifully, it wasn't as sweltering as on previous nights, which made dancing much easier. I spent a bit of time getting to know co-promoter Neil Henderson and finding out what had brought him to this scene and learning a bit more of the background to the Hideaway. Close time at 2am came far too early. A lovely night, some great new tracks, nice company. Yeah, a good 'un!
29 Dec 2006	Twisted Wheel, Manchester Another All-nighter at the Wheel - these start at 10pm, an hour later than the normal monthly events and boast 3 guest DJs compared to just one on the normal monthly sessions. This month, guests billed were Ian (Nai) Dunning, Clarence and Pete Everett, so an opportunity to hear some slightly different fayre musically. I got there just about bang on kick-off time and what was noticeable this time around was how quickly the place filled up. Having said that, quite a few of the regulars were absent - for example Barry and Jane Tasker, but then Christmas is a time of family commitments and folks going away - that was certainly the case for both Doddy and Tommy who were warming themselves in sunnier climes. Great, though, to see old friends Paul from Newquay and Goldie from Liverpool. Promoters Pete and John each did a couple of excellent one-hour slots to kick the evening off and, as you'd expect, the floor was heaving more or less from the outset with track after track, all top notch, tempting dancers onto the floor, but that's hardly suprising as the guys were playing music requested by the audience. This is where the positives end - on the night in question, there were a few new faces in the place, but their attitude wasn't exactly respectful. One young lass was dancing with a drink in her hand and when told by a regular that we didn't do this at the Wheel, she just ignored him, continuing dancing. A little while later another older lady in the same group dropped her drink on the floor, the glass smashing into tiny smithereens. We all have accidents from time to time but this visitor made only a cursory (and totally inadequate) effort to remove the broken glass using her feet and then carried on dancing. If that had happened to me, I'd have been off to the bar staff immediately to get them to clean the floor thoroughly of the debris, but this wasn't me. In the end it was down to me to approach the bar staff myself to do the honours. I'm sorry, but the safety of my fellow dancers is of paramount importance to me, but, sadly, that view doesn't appear to be shared by all. Sigh.... If that's the sort of newcomer that gets attracted to the place, then I want no part of it. By the time Ian came on to do his slot, I was distracted by events and struggled to concentrate on the music and the dancing. I stayed until the end of his spot at 3am but by then I'd had enough - I was shattered and needed to hit the sack. The events of the previous hour had upset and angered me - I know I'm no good at letting go of things like this, but that's just me. It was a sour end to what had started off as a good evening.
26 Dec 2006	Drax Social Club, Drax, near Selby, Yorkshire Drax is the site of a large coal-fired power station, not far from Selby in Yorkshire, the venue being the Power station's Social Club. My Yorkshire friends have raved about this venue for a while, but as it's normally held on the last Friday of the month, clashing with the Twisted Wheel, it's a case of "no chance"! However, this time the venue was advertising its Boxing Day party, so I thought I'd give it a go. I faffed around getting ready, leaving it a bit late to leave and finally arrived at the venue, just off Junction 34 on the M62 at around 9pm - it had taken me about 70 minutes and that was thrashing it down the motorway. A lot longer than I'd thought! I came close to disappointment going in through the door - I hadn't bargained on how popular the Boxing Day event would be and hadn't got a ticket, only to be told at the door that the event was a sell-out! :-( Fortunately, some returns saved my bacon. The place was heaving, but service at the bar was swift - and at £1.60 for a pint of Diet coke (typically £2) the prices were good too. Even though it was busy, there was some seating still available, so I parked myself at a table on the edge of the floor. Virtually immediately I was greeted by a number of people whom I'd either met previously or who had seen my website, including Graham from York who was there with his son and friends. I was quite taken by the friendliness of the folks there, a lovely feeling. First impressions were of a quality floor (with seating on three sides) and the place was nice and cool - the air-conditioning made it very comfortable indeed, despite the place being busy! The music in the remaining hour until 10pm was pretty good, although the floor didn't seem as busy as it could have been. Unfortunately, the next hour proved to be a bit tricky as guest DJ, Neil Jones, seemed to struggle to find the pulse of the place. That all changed at 11 when the residents got back on track with some floorfillers that did what it said on the tin - the floor was just heaving! Going onto the floor itself was a real revelation - it was simply superb, wonderful to dance on, so silky smooth, a truly top notch surface. Congratulations to the staff at the Social Club for knowing how to maintain a surface of this quality. Musically, the venue was pretty much across the board, although there was a tendency for a tad too much modern/crossover for my liking. But clearly the punters needed no pressing to get dancing - the floor was pretty full for most of the evening from 11pm onwards right through to closedown at 1am, so the jocks were clearly doing their job well. Having visited the venue, I can well understand why my Yorkshire friends rave over it so much. It has to be one of the best dance floors I've danced on and the air-conditioning and cheap bar prices are an added bonus. I had a great time and would just like to thank all the people who made me feel welcome. Incidentally, for those who prefer their music more strictly "Northern oldies", there is a virtually identical venue at Eggborough (another power station social club), which is a couple of junctions nearer Manchester on the M62 and run by the same promoters. I'll be listing that in the events calendar in the future, along with Drax.
23 Dec 2006	St Bernadette's Soul Club, Whitefield I hadn't been to Bernadette's in around six months, as it's one of those events that unfortunately clashes with other venues I attend, which is a shame as I rate Has Grundy (one of the promoters) very highly. This time, however, it was on a free night and the Christmas party, to boot. Full complement of Al's Gals (tm) on the night - we got there just around start time, meeting Doddy who had also just arrived. We got ourselves a table, meeting up unexpectedly with Ged and Debbie who were already there. There were a fair number of DJs lined up, all doing a 30 minute or so slot. The music here is across the board, a lovely mix, mainly oldies and favourites on the night. The only downside for me was the guest DJ who was doing a "Mike Sweeney" - I wasn't the only one who found the rah-rah "are you enjoying yourselves" style pretty irritating and tiresome, a shame because it got in the way of some excellent music. We hadn't realised that there was going to be buffet, with food kindly brought along by fellow attendees - I find some food always goes down well partway through the night to replenish the dwindling energy levels. It was a lovely party night with a great atmosphere about the place. The music was good, as was the company - a brill night.
22 Dec 2006	Soul at the Birchfield, Birchfield Park Sports and Social Club, Widnes Birchfield is always a favourite place of mine, what with the welcome always extended to me and the mix of music provided by residents Biff, Dave and Chris which hits the spot for me. This time I was collecting Julie and Karen, who hadn't been to the venue in a while. We met up with Doddy outside, not long after the 8pm kickoff. The pattern here, the last few times I've attended, has been for the place to fill up slowly, hitting its peak around 10pm. This time around it was a tad faster, although I still think the venue deserved to have a fuller attendance. The first couple of hours or so, it's down to the regulars doing what they do best - providing a mix of material, some familiar, some less so, some virtually unknown. I totally trust their judgement - I know they're going to play tracks which will appeal and have me rushing onstage, notebook in hand, to get details. So it was on this night with half a dozen tracks added to my collecting list. But this isn't mere anoraky stuff, the material played was all eminently danceable and I got my fair share of dancing in. The guests were from the Viaduct in Earlestown and they, too, acquitted themselves very well. Meeting friends such as Brian and Jane is always a pleasure, not forgetting Dave from Widnes who always greets me like a long-lost brother. It was a lovely night, reinforcing all my positive vibes about the place. If you haven't been before, do give it a try - here you will find good music played without massive egos dominating. The residents promise to play all requests if they have them on the night and I have never found them wanting. Well done guys, a top night!
16 Dec 2006	Lancashire Soul Club, Polish Catholic Social Club, Chamber Road, Hollins, Oldham, OL8 4NZ This venue is rapidly gaining the well-deserved reputation for providing a top-notch Northern Soul night out. Karen had offered to do the driving on the night, so with Julie, we were Oldham bound. We got to the club about 9-ish, meeting up with Doddy, to find most of the tables had been taken. Still, we found some seating on the edge of the dancefloor. It was a Twisted Wheel-type night, with guest DJs, Pete Roberts and John Green, together with the Sink's Stan Evans, not forgetting Albert "Jock" Heron. Doddy was delighted as he could have his Wheel fix for the month (as he would be away for the Allnighter). The night seemed a little slow in getting started, not that the music was at fault with Pete and John providing the usual Wheel fayre we all know and love. Stan's spot, however, was less well received with the floor deserted for a fair chunk of the hour. Unfortunately this sort of dose of hardcore R&B is too heavy for the majority of Northern Soul audiences, the same problem even existing at the Wheel. For those not aware of the history, Stan's heritage comes from the Brazennose Street days of the Twisted Wheel when heavy R&B/electric blues was de rigeur - during the mid-60s as R&B morphed into Soul, the character of the Wheel changed, with many of the youngsters of the day demanding faster more up-tempo dancing tunes, so much so that the leading light behind the early days, Roger Eagle, left the Twisted Wheel largely taking his entourage with him. That schism remains to this very day, even at the Wheel, where the Brazennose Street style is not applauded as much as the later, post-1966, days. Personally, I don't have a problem with the music, per se, although when concentrated, it is heavier to take than the later style. "Jock" Heron had the unenviable job of picking up the floor for the final slot of the evening, which he did admirably, but by then, the damage was done and a lot of people had started to make their way home. So for the reasons outlined, it was a mixed evening, unfortunately many of the audience let one slot cloud their perception of the night. I think, on balance, we all have personal favourites and one of the strengths of this venue is the large number of regular DJs (over 20) on which the Lancashire Soul Club can draw, which gives it a tremendous variety of styles. To each their own!
15 Dec 2006	Ritz Ballroom, Brighouse This was my first time out for two weeks after doing my back in the previous week, so I was anxious about how it would hold up, but, having said that, I was desperate for my fix of Northern and this one of my favourite venues. Sue had kindly offered to drive, so after picking me up, we took on board the rest of Al's Gals (tm), Julie and Karen, plus Charlie. We made our way across the Pennines to join the queue, where Doddy and Tommy were waiting under the front canopy, sheltering from the rain. By opening time, there was quite a crowd outside waiting to be let in, so the omens looked positive for a good night. Pretty soon, it was time to go in and, as is quite usual here, it wasn't long before people starting dancing on one of the best sprung dance floors for miles around. I, too, got down to some serious dancing more or less right away - apart from the odd twinge or two, the back was holding up well, so I relaxed and proceeded to enjoy myself. Unlike some venues I've attended recently, the Ritz filled up very quickly and there was a great buzz about the place, with numbers attending being pretty near capacity. I love the atmosphere of the place at the best of times and I thought it looked even nicer on the night, all decked out with festive streamers and balloons. The music was as good as ever, so much so that pacing went to the wind - that resulted in me having to sit out a chunk of the night while I recovered! During the night, Ginger announced that the venue is booked until June, and, after that, it's all in the lap of the gods. It's a tragedy that the place is set to close - what we need is some sort of consortium to buy this as a going concern and keep it going as one of the prime soul venues in the North. Anyway, we have six months left, so we need to make the most of things while they last. It was a great night and as things closed at 1am, we all made our Christmas greetings and departed, homeward bound, blissfully happy!
2 Dec 2006	TSOP (The Sounds of Prestwich), Longfield Suite, Prestwich Al's Gals (tm) had other things lined up, so it was Charlie and I who made our way to the Longfield Suite on this blustery evening for the customary December half-nighter. The last time I'd been here was in September and the previous few sessions at this venue had left me feeling something was missing. I felt that if anything was going to have that spark, then it would be this Christmas party. I was among the first there and palled up with Ged and Sue from Romiley. I was expecting the crowds to come piling through the door, but that wasn't happening - not at the start anyway. Even by 11pm, there were still quite a few tables going spare - now that is quite a turnaround from last year's equivalent event when it had been a lockout an hour earlier! The evening started with Terry Davies doing his opening hour, followed by Pete Eccles, who got the floor moving. Carole McCarthy was on next - I think my expectations of her have risen significantly in the last few months, having attended some scorching sessions, but it seemed to take her about 20 minutes to find the pulse of the room. Once she did the floor really moved - I was nattering to my pal, Denise from Yorkshire for part of that slot but looking at the floor it was buzzing. She was followed by Ally Mayer, who continued with a well-constructed set, then at midnight, Ginger Taylor - personally I thought he was a bit off the boil from what I'd normally expect. By then, the numbers had crept up, although they still seemed a tad down on the norm. At 1am, it was the turn of Nige Brown - I must admit that, unusually, I struggled with large chunks of his set, but that was all to change when Robbo came on for the 2-3 slot. I don't recall ever hearing him before but was absolutely knocked out by his spot - he played a whole raft of largely unfamiliar stuff but all eminently danceable and I was forever rushing up onto the stage to get details of the latest track he'd played. I was really taken by his passion for the music, particularly the less familiar tracks. Talking with him later, I discovered he is a Manchester lad who mainly does nighters - I'll certainly be looking out for him in the future. The night was closed off by Pete Eccles and Terry Davies doing a double-header - I don't know whether they had planned this or had taken a leaf out of Robbo's book but they largely continued with the less familiar theme, mixing in some classics and it worked very well, right up to close of business at 4am. A few comments looking back on the night. Firstly, I thought the floor was in about the best shape I have ever known it - even in my rubber-soled shoes I could just glide along on it. As an aside I was most surprised to see some talc on the floor near to where I was sitting - the stuff is banned at Prestwich and the floor didn't need it anyway. Secondly, I thought the sparkle was back in the place, although I don't know whether it had been a case of absence making my heart grow fonder. It just goes to show that the place is still capable of producing a top-notch night. It's a shame the numbers attending weren't as high as I'd have expected, although that was just my subjective perception. Finally, for me, the booking of Robbo was just inspired - here's a guy who is prepared to go with his gut instincts and do something different and his faith was reciprocated by the floor. Nice to see the final hour following in that style and not "playing safe" - taking risks is bold but it can, and did, pay off. An absolutely brill night!
1 Dec 2006	Soul at Joe's, St Joe's Catholic Club, Peasley Cross, St Helens, WA9 3BN We decided to give this venue a try after hearing some positive comments from a number of respected sources. Al's Gals (tm) Julie, Karen and Sue accompanied me on this Friday night - we made pretty good time bombing down the M62 and getting onto the St Helens Linksway. Unfortunately the plethora of roundabouts getting close to the venue threw me and I got lost after missing the correct exit. A few roundabouts later I realised I was lost when I saw a road sign which I recognised from looking at the map the night before, if you know what I mean. So, a quick stop to work out where we were (not really sure I did that successfully), double back and try another turn - fortunately, we stumbled across the venue just as we were beginning to worry if we would find the place! We parked around the side of the club and made our way in - by this stage it was around 8:30, so we'd been travelling for about 45 minutes. We were told that the entrance had increased from £3 to £4 despite the price advertised in "On the Scene", still a fair price though, for a Northern venue. This is a medium sized venue with a large bar on the left as you go into the function room and a reasonably sized floor - a fair amount of seating on two sides of the room and some just beyond the bar. There were quite a few people there and the place started to fill up fairly quickly. I recognised a fair number of familiar faces from venues such as Birchfields (on the other side of the motorway) and from the Monaco. The music was excellent, an across-the-board range of traditional Northern. People seemed to be a bit slow to get onto the floor despite the good music - would this be one of those places that would take a while to get started? First impressions of the dance floor were mixed - a nice wooden floor but it seemed decidedly sticky and very hard work. We sprinkled some talc onto the edge of the floor (long before noticing the sign that talc was not allowed - oops)! The talc worked for a few steps but then the benefits seemd to get eroded very quickly as it again became hard work. Gradually, though, the floor became easier to dance on as more talc got worked into the surface. Havin said that, I wouldn't labour the point any more, as it was evident from the start that there was a nice atmosphere in the place - that "buzz" being there from the outset. It was friendly too, I was really heartened by the number of people who came over to say "hi" - very much appreciated one and all. Not long after 9, the first dancers made their way onto the floor and from that point on, it never stopped with the floor being busy (although never uncomfortably so) for the rest of the night. The crowd themselves were a nice bunch, all pretty much Northern soulies, this ain't yer Friday night handbaggy venue, thank heavens. The DJs played extremely well to the floor and were very responsive to requests - in our group a number of us made requests and all (apart from one which the DJs did not have in their box) was honoured within minutes - most impressive. Only one minor niggle - I have a thing against DJs speaking over records, no problem across the intro (a la 60s radio) as that keeps the momentum going but please not across the main part of a record as one DJ kept doing. But that is a minor niggle (it was nowhere near as irritating as at Preston Grasshoppers) - this is a quality venue which is deservedly successful and has a loyal local following. We all really enjoyed ourselves and based on this showing, it won't be long before we are back. If you get a chance to go, don't even think twice, you'll have a ball! Thanks to all concerned!
25 Nov 2006	King George’s Hall, Blackburn The evening marked my third anniversary on the scene and the event had been a sellout for the best part of a week. Charlie hadn't been well so was unable to join me on my journey into deepest Lancashire. I got there in bags of time and was among the first in the queue. The lack of organisation at the KGH always bemuses me when I watch the DJs at the front door begging the heavies to be let in! When I got upstairs the DJs hadn't completed their sound checks but it wasn't long before proceedings got under way. It seemed to take a bit to get folks onto the floor, but once they did, the place just buzzed with classic Northern soul. Pretty soon after I was joined by Dave and Stu from Leyland and Sue from Grantham. There was a tricky hour or two around 11pm till 1am, when it all got very handbaggy on the dance floor. Having said that, the floor was packed, unfortunately though with dancers who had little idea of etiquette - cue for me to take a break from it all. I think this is what gets me so frustrated about the KGH - it's a great venue with a superb dance floor, but the handbaggers do my head in at times! The music was good solid Northern, although, as at Blackpool, the DJs did seem to play safe and quite a few tracks were repeated during the evening. I noticed Ginger Taylor wasn't on the DJ roster, but in his place, Bob Hinsley and Richard Searling joined the regular team in the Northern room. By around 2am, I was flagging quite a bit and spent most of the last hour, sitting and chatting. I'd enjoyed the evening, although I'd probably benefit from a break from the place.
24 Nov 2006 (part 1)	Soul at the Birchfield, Birchfield Park Sports and Social Club, Widnes I decided to throw caution to the winds and attend two venues on the night. It was Birchfield's anniversary and I just had to be there to pass on my best wishes to the friendly trio of Biff, Dave and Chris. I adore this venue, not just because of the music which has an early 60s slant for some of the night, including tracks you just aren't likely to hear anywhere else (which suits me down to the ground) but also the sheer friendliness of the 3 co-promoters and the regulars. As sometimes happens here, it was a tad slow to get moving and it wasn't until around 9:45/10 that the numbers gradually crept up. Not that it stopped folks dancing, nor the quality of the music, excellent, as ever. I got into conversation with Brian and Jane, another couple with whom I've previously just exchanged cursory greetings - it was delightful on this occasion to get to know them both better. But bearing in mind, I'd only set myself a couple of hours at the venue before moving on to the Wheel, I was itching to get dancing and managed to get a few good dances in before 10:30 when I had to leave. There are 5 Fridays in the month of December and I look forward to spending a full evening here next month. If I hadn't had the Wheel to go on to, I would certainly have stayed for what was shaping up to be a great evening.
24 Nov 2006 (part 2)	Twisted Wheel, Manchester I got to the Wheel not long after 11pm and the place was just buzzing having already been going for a couple of hours. My delayed arrival had caused some consternation among the regulars who were close to arranging a search party! I'm obviously part of the furniture and it's always nice to see my pals! I got there just in time for the guest spot from my mate, Goldie, assisted on the decks by Stan Evans. John was away on holiday, so it was left to Pete Roberts to hold the fort for the rest of the evening. I was asked to step into the breach on the photography stakes, so I spent part of the evening doing the honours, in between dancing my little wotsits off! Another great night, see you folks next month for the All-nighter!
18 Nov 2006	Lancashire Soul Club, Polish Catholic Social Club, Chamber Road, Hollins, Oldham, OL8 4NZ The girls had decided to come along a bit later so I made my way to Oldham on my own, getting there not long after the 8pm start, being one of the first to arrive. A tad later, we were joined by Doddy and Eilish, then Karen and Julie, and finally Pete and Wendy and Debbie and Ged. I have to say that for the first 90 minutes, I thought the music was diabolical, with the DJs clearly playing for their own benefit - certainly no-one was dancing. But once that barren period was over, we had a brilliant mix of music for the rest of the night. The "Mod" Mayor of Oldham was in attendance for part of the night, as "Big Shed" Wayne made a presentation of funds raised at a previous event, the beneficiary being a Spinal injuries charity. Apart from some piccies I'd taken of the presentation, I'd given the camera a rest for the night, but just had to take some shots of some stunning dancing from young Chloe - she was a joy to watch and I look forward to sorting out the piccies in due course. As always, a superb night here. Watch out for the Charity All-dayer at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham town centre in January - this promises to be a mega-event with a star-studded cast of DJs.
17 Nov 2006	Ritz Ballroom, Brighouse Here we are, half way through the month and it's time for Brighouse again! Yay! A full carload as usual for this venue, with Al's Gals (tm), Julie, Karen and Sue, plus Charlie. We were a tad earlier getting there than in previous months, joining the queue around 8.15pm - a few minutes earlier and we'll hit the front of the queue one of these days - mind you, I'm sure Tommy camps out overnight to be first in line!;-) The usual chitchat with pals while waiting for the doors to open and before we know it, it's 8:30 and in we go!! The place seemed a tad busier than in previous months, which all adds to the buzz. It didn't take long for me to hit the floor and that's how it was for the first 90 minutes or couple of hours. I must admit, I'd over-done it for that initial spot or two, but things quietened down for me after that. I have to say that the guests generally didn't really the mark for me, although to be fair, the floor was busy for most of the night. I was grateful for the rest, hahahahah!;-) There was a group of young lasses present, quite obviously not "soulies" - at one stage I felt as though we were some sort of freak show, going by the looks they gave the regular dancers. They'd obviously not seen anything like it before, as was evidenced by them gesticulating and sniggering at us. At one stage I felt like asking them whether they were too young to come unattended by their parents, but hey! it's their loss. Us oldies certainly knew how to enjoy ourselves. A few new tracks for my notebook and lots of good dancing left me a happy camper by the time the evening came to an end, far too early at 1am. Roll on next month!
12 Nov 2006	Twisted Wheel, Manchester Charity Dayer I got back from Blackpool late morning and the plan was to get a few hours kip in before the Charity Dayer at the Wheel. It was badly needed as I'd only had about 4 hours sleep the previous night, but with various domestic chores it just wasn't to be. I finally got to the venue just after 4:30, a tad later than the 3pm start I'd planned on making!;-) Pete had spoken to me a couple of weeks earlier to sound out comments on the Charity all-days which had been instigated following publicity on Mary Fox's Northern Soul show on BBC Radio Stoke - the beneficiary being John O'Brien who had been refused a life-saving cancer drug by the NHS. Sundays are always tricky dates, but no-one need have worried, as the place was very busy when I finally made it there! It was also surprisingly warm - the last time I'd attended a dayer, well, the word "evil" just about described the cold! The venue was just jumping, which is how I like it. As someone who is usually through the doors right at the start, it's quite strange making your entrance when the place has well and truly warmed up. I witnessed Pete and John playing some great music, including a superb guest slot from one of the most under-rated DJs on the scene, Has Grundy. He knew how to pick 'em and certainly had us moving. I'm not sure if there were any other guests as I'd been late arriving I was in "chilling out" mode, spending some time talking to Fred Fielder and his lovely fiancee Joan - much to my surprise, I found she is also a Salford Council employee and it was clear we shared a common ethos, as regards the things that matter in life. A lovely couple and a sheer joy to spend some time with them. I was slowly grindling to a halt after a very hectic weekend and finally bid my farewells around 7:15pm, after the raffle had been held. I later heard that £800 had been raised on the day, a magnificent effort on the part of all concerned.
10 Nov 2006 to 11 Nov 2006	Blackpool Soul Togetherness Weekender 2006, Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Blackpool It was two weeks since my last Northern soul night out, after a break the previous week for an Offshore radio get-together in Amsterdam (my first complete weekend away from things Northern for nearly 15 months), so I was itching to get dancing. The previous year, the Togetherness weekend had been held at the Cala Gran holiday camp just outside Morecambe and, apart from the live acts, that event had left me distinctly underwhelmed - quite honestly the venue was a dump. This new (for Northern soul) venue, however, held plenty of promise. The Tower Ballroom has been home to professional ballroom dancing at the highest level for more years than I care to remember. There is no way that it would be able to host such prestigious events unless it was able to come up with the goods - basically, a quality dance floor. So, I was understandably doubly excited. I left home late on a miserable Friday afternoon, with rain throughout the journey, hitting all the Friday night traffic on the motorway. Thank heavens that the Blackpool Illuminations had ended the previous week, otherwise the traffic would have been even heavier. I found my hotel easily enough on one of the main hotel thoroughfares, Albert Road - dumping the car on double yellow lines outside, I unloaded my luggage, getting drenched in the process and was then directed to the free car parking at the rear of the hotel. Unfortunately, no access to the hotel from the rear so I got drenched again! Sigh... Despite the late booking, the room was reasonable, a tad on the small side, but not uncomfortable for one. After unpacking, I made my way into town. It was blowing a gale and chucking it down, but I needed to have some food and also pick up my ticket from the Box Office. I'd actually bought my ticket way back last year, soon after the event had been announced, but in the intervening months, bonehead here had mislaid it, so a few days beforehand I was forced to order another one over the Internet. Walking all round the Tower, the building was all locked up with no sign of life - the only tell-tale mark of the weekend ahead was a note stuck on a door, advising that the Tower was closed for a special event. Round the back at the staff entrance, I saw Kev Roberts outside who advised the Box Office would open at 9pm when the event commenced. In the block of shops behind the Tower, I found a nice restaurant, the Bella Italia - lovely food but shame about the slow service. I put it down largely to a lack of organisation - at every stage in the proceedings, my corner table seemed to get overlooked. Ah well, maybe Blackpool isn't used to a discerning clientele. Back to the hotel to get ready and await the arrrival of Al's Gals, Julie, Karen and Sue. They arrived before 9 and decamped in the room next to mine. Now this room wasn't that much bigger than mine and far too small for three, despite one of the beds being a bunk bed. When you think of hotel accommodation abroad, you begin to realise what a losing battle Blackpool is facing inthe holiday stakes. Still, that's a debate for another place. We all met downstairs and within half an hour, we were on our way to the Tower in our taxi (far too wet and windy to get there on foot!). The last of the evening's problems faced me at the Box Office as they had no record of my internet booking! After hanging around for about a quarter of an hour the staff still couldn't find any trace of my booking despite me furnishing them with all the appropriate evidence. Eventually, the manageress took my details and let me in! Never a dull moment, eh?;-) FRIDAY 10th NOVEMBER 2006 We've all seen the TV footage of events such as "Come Dancing", but nothing prepares you for the spendour of the main ballroom. Words such as jaw-droppingly, spectacularly beautiful don't even begin to do it justice. It is ornately and intricately decorated and an absolutely stunning sight for someone like me, who has never ventured into the ballroom previously. Sadly, no sight of the reknowned mighty Wurlitzer Organ - I loathe Blackpool but I really must make a return visit sometime in season to see this spectacular beastie. What else? Well, that floor - reputedly the world's largest sprung dance floor, although it looked smaller than I'd envisaged. I later found that the carpeted areas on both sides of the hall actually covered part of the sprung floor - essentially the sprung floor covers the area in between the pillars. In the past, the seating was in the passageways behind the pillars. I reckon removing the carpeting would more or less double the width of the dance floor. Anyway, from what I can make out it's been this way for the last 5 years or so with seating in the carpeted area, the passageways being used for record stalls for the duration of this event. Even though the event had been going less than an hour it was already very very busy, most of the tables having already been taken and the floor just bustling with activity. NOW, that floor... well, I had to try it out, so once I'd found the gang (thanks Ann for saving us a table by the side of the floor) I just piled on to have a quick dance or three! Superlatives fail again, when describing the floor. Talk about sprung.... it just bounced. In fact, our drinks on the table were bouncing away merrily and one of our crowd remarked how she was feeling a bit queezy with the bouncing!! Well, we ARE at the seaside!;-) I just LOVED the spring in the floor, it was just awesome, quite the best floor I have ever danced on. Come to that, it's the most spectacular venue I have ever attended. Just MADE for a weekend of NORTHERN and all power to the organisers for managing to secure it. The music was just brilliant all evening. Unfortunately, I am writing this up more than 2 weeks after the event, so the fine details of the evening are lost, suffice to say, I just had a ball, dancing my little socks off. I hadn't taken any photos all evening, but when the night ended, the lights were put on and we could see the inside of the building in its full splendour. It was just too much to resist, so out came the camera and I clicked away to my heart's content. The girls were waiting for me, so I packed away my kit and we all walked back to the hotel. Although it had stopped raining, it was extremely blustery to say the least! Strewth, I don't think anyone living in Blackpool would ever have any cobwebs as they would be absolutely blown away!!;-) SATURDAY 11th NOVEMBER 2006 Saturday morning started bright and early, around 8:30 when I met the girls for breakfast. We were all suffering in different ways, whether it was a lack of sleep or whatever. Now I do like my food, but I like my sleep too, so after breakkie and a short natter, I left the girls to it and went back to my room for a kip. A few more hours made all the difference and I finally surfaced gone 2pm and, after a shower, made my way into town. I was looking for somewhere nice to have some lunch, but hey! this is Blackpool and it only does tacky, brash and down market! I eventually found a place that did a so-so butty. I popped back into the Tower to see what was going on - by then it was around 4:30pm and there were quite a few people around, although obviously not as heaving as in the evening. As I'd had a late lunch, I stayed with Doddy and Eilish to secure our table while the girls went back for their evening meal. Just like the night before, the music was superb with the DJs playing to the floor. By around 8-ish, my turn arrived for my evening meal so I set off around town in pursuit of a decent place. My lunchtime experiences were repeated, all that seemed to be around was lots of grotty places serving fish and chips. I fancied chicken, chips and curry sauce and eventually found a cafe which looked reasonable, but quite honestly, it was all pretty poor fare. It got me thinking about the "time warp" that Blackpool is in. Long gone are the days when even the masses were happy with what it has to offer - certainly even the budget package tours that started in the 60s were catering to a higher and more varied level. I don't know whether it's a chicken and egg thing, but I don't honestly see how Blackpool can turn itself around from being such a down-market town. Soul weekends (and maybe curiosity to see and hear the Wurlitzer organ) apart, wild horses wouldn't drag me to the place - quite honestly, dropping a mighty bomb on the seafront (after towing away the Tower) would be probably be the kindest thing to do to the place. Anyway, I was only here for the dancing, so quickly made my way back to the Tower to continue with that. I was a bit surprised in that it didn't seem that much busier than the previous night. Saturdays are often much busier than Fridays - those working in the week who have to travel some distance to a venue often leave it until the Saturday to come over for a weekender. So while it was busy, it wasn't TOO busy. I was busy using up energy on the floor, so I needed a quick pit-stop finding the shop upstairs (near the Modern room) which had snacks on sale. While I was there, I spent some time chatting to Christine and Jack from Yorkshire - we'd bumped into each other so many times, especially at Brighouse and Prestwich but never really talked before, so it was lovely to touch base with them. Yet another example of the lovely people you meet on the scene. By the time we'd finished nattering and I made my way into the main ballroom - the dancing contest was in its final throes, with contestants already whittled down to the final six. The eventual winner was a guy from the Midlands, with Adriana comign second and Connie from Teeside third. The rest of the evening just buzzed, as it had been doing all weekend and by around 3-ish I was starting to flag a bit, finally calling it quits around 4:30am. A LOOK BACK It's quite difficult when doing a write-up of this type to cut down on the use of superlatives, but it really is hard to do justice in words to this awesome venue. Quite simply the best dance floor I have ever been on and the most spectacular dance hall I have ever seen. Next year, it's a three-nighter (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). If you went this year, you will need no encouragement in booking for next year - if you missed it this year, never mind, you just HAVE to go next year. A quick word on the music. This was pretty much yer bog-standard Northern fayre and the only criticism I would make is that the DJs tended to play safe, with quite a few tracks being repeated a number of times during an evening. With the amount of good music out there, there really is no need for this sort of "playing safe" attitude, but I get the impression that DJs these days generally don't seem to care what's been played in previous slots. But this is minor carping. The other thing I would like to see is more rooms being opened next year to offer a wider choice to the punters. I don't know the layout of the Tower and what facilities are available, but I'm sure something could be done along those lines. See ya there next year.
27 Oct 2006	Twisted Wheel, Manchester It is said that time zipping by faster and faster is a sure sign of old age, in which case I plead guilty. Here we are again going down those stairs to Mecca, the birthplace of what subsequently became known as "Northern Soul". For once, no music was blaring through the speakers to greet me on my way in, apparently some sort of hitch! Not that it lasted long fortunately, and soon the usual familar sounds were blasting their way through the PA system. Within seconds I was transported 40 years or so, through the magic time capsule to the music of my youth. The tracks I would hear played on my beloved Radio Caroline North and, later on, by the legendary Mike Raven on his Sunday R&B show on Radio 1. The usual fayre on the evening in question, with residents Pete and John doing the honours and Pete Dyson guesting with an interesting and enjoyable spot. As I'm writing this up some 3 weeks after the event, it's hard remembering the fine details, suffice to say it was another great Wheel night! Which brings me back to previous comments I made about guest DJs - I still stand by those comments made a few months back - assuming we have guest DJs with a relevant pedigree (not yer Mike Sweeneys of this world), a guest introduces an element of freshness to the proceedings. Even though the guest may have the same tracks in his possession as the residents, the fact that it's HIS take, is likely to mean that tracks which would have otherwise remained hidden are more likely to see action on the decks. Varied programming keeps proceedings fresh. It takes a lot of bottle to take risks, but the results are more satisfying than playing safe. Sermon over! Having said all that, it was still a brill session, as ever.
21 Oct 2006	Kings Hall, Stoke-on-Trent A great weekend with two of my favourite venues on, this night being the Kings Hall in Stoke. I set off early because I'd arranged to meet some friends for a meal beforehand and not long after 7:30pm, Pat arrived in the car park with her pal, Josie from Southport, closely followed by Ann and Tony from Garswood. We made our way to a local hostelry where we were fuelled appropriately for a night's heavy dancing. Then it was time to put on our coats and join the queue outside the venue. There were already about a couple of dozen folks ahead of us and by the time the doors opened bang on 9, there was a fair queue behind us. We made our way in and got a table - once I'd texted my pals due to come on after us with details of where we were sitting, it was off to the bar for drinks. Within 15 minutes or so, most of the tables were taken, which is pretty much par for the course here - to be sure of a good table you really need to join the queue at least 15 minutes before start time! This place is just magic, the music is brilliant and the atmosphere is something else. I was raring to get onto the dancefloor and within minutes was doing just that. Pretty soon I realised that dancing with my old heavy pair of glasses on was going to be major hassle as they kept slipping off, so I compromised by having them in my shirt pocket when dancing and putting them back on when going off the floor! After all, you don't need glasses to feel the vibes or dance to the music!;-) With music this good, at my tender stage in life you have to pace yourself - on for a couple of dances, off for a couple and so on!;-) Within an hour or so of coming through the door, we were joined at our table by Pete and Wendy and Doddy and Eilish, so it was a busy table with us all continually going on and off the floor. The dancefloor was very busy for most of the night, with DJs playing well to the floor. In between the dancing, I did the occasional walkabout, chatting with various folks from all over, the lovely Elaine from Berks (I never did catch up with her hubby Rob), Sandie and Sheila (whom I met on the way in but never got round to nattering inside), Chippy, Paula and the Lancaster gang, Dave from Stoke (who sat at our table), Brighouse regulars stomping Chris and her fella Ali from Barnsley, Katie and Carl, Denise and Mark from Yorkshire, Jez and Gail from Stoke, the list just goes on and on. I would also like to thank the various people who came up to me to introduce themselves - you all know who you are! It was lovely meeting you all and putting faces to names! Thank you for that and for the many kind comments, it's so much appreciated, especially given the present circumstances where my RSI is causing me so much grief! By about 3:45 I was struggling - the feet had been worn to a frazzle, so, after a quick round of goodbyes I made my way back to the car and home. A good job I left when I did, as the last 15 minutes or so from home, I was fighting tiredness bigtime. A shower, a cuppa tea and off to bed at 6am, reflecting on what had been a brilliant night. To all the people I spoke with and our table especially, many many heartfelt thanks - you were all delightful company and a joy to be with! If you enjoyed it half as much as I did, then I enjoyed it twice as much as you!;-) Seriously though, life really doesn't get much better than this! Hopefully, I'll be back here on New Year's Eve. Love it, love it, love it!
20 Oct 2006	Ritz Ballroom, Brighouse It's always a pleasure to be visiting the Ritz, one of my favourite venues. A full carload as usual, with Al's Gals (tm), Julie, Karen and Sue, plus Charlie. It was a miserable evening with drizzling rain greeting us as we queued outside for door opening at 8:30pm. Numbers seemed up on last month, but maybe just a tad down on the capacity volume. It didn't take long for the first dancers to hit the floor and we gladly joined them, as the DJs cranked out classic after classic. This month, there seemed to be a better rhythm to the place, none of the stop-start of the previous month and it was a sign of the Ritz getting back on form. Even Soul Sam (who, I must confess doesn't hit the spot for me with his usual fayre) turned out a great slot. Apart from a few blips the floor was pretty full most of the night. Proceedings were disrupted for me when partway through the evening my glasses came apart - a nut securing one of the arms to its lens had just sheared off, causing more than momentary panic! As I didn't have a spare set of glasses in the car, how was I going to get folks home in this state? Anyway, thanks to the helpful staff of the Ritz I managed to do a "Jack Duckworth" and tape the arm onto the lens. I didn't dare dance with my glasses on in this state, so I dumped them on dashboard in the car, hoping they would last the course on the way home. The rest of the evening was spent dancing "blind", well almost!:-( It took the edge off what had, until then been a great night for me, with lots of friendly faces around. After dropping everyone off, I arrived home around 2am, with great relief - the glasses had just about help up, although it was very much touch and go. Moral, next time have a spare set in the glove compartment! That apart, it had been an enjoyable night with lots of good music and great dancing!
13 Oct 2006 to 16 Oct 2006	Prestatyn Motown and Soul Legends Weekender 2006, Prestatyn Sands Holiday Centre, Prestatyn, North Wales A change of location to Prestatyn for this weekender, after two years at Pontins' camp at Hemsby, Great Yarmouth, with the promoters hoping the easier accessibility would attract a larger audience. I'd booked my ticket at Hemsby last year at what was a very special weekend for me, where I had seen Brenda Holloway, Kim Weston and Frances Nero perform live and subsequently met the ladies - undoubtedly that weekender would be a hard act to follow. Unlike the main Soul Weekender in March, the place was not being thrown open to the public on the Thursday night - instead proceedings commenced on the Friday afternoon. FRIDAY 13th OCTOBER 2006 I picked up my son, Simon, after work and we joined the traffic jam on the M60, wondering whether the crawl would be typical of the rest of the journey. Fortunately, the cause of the congestion (an accident further up the road) was soon cleared and we picked up speed, making pretty good timing after that and arriving at our destination around 6:45pm. Checking in at reception, we met up with Charlie and Sue and, hot on their heels, Barry, Laura and Ann. This time around, the accommodation was club class and we soon found our chalet - ground floor too, so no humping boxes up the stairs. The chalet was pretty much like the ones I'd been in previously, with one notable exception - it was warm! Heating is included in the package at club level, plus there are a number of extras, such as a toaster (no more cremated toast from trying to do it under the grill). There were no car parking places immediately near our room, so once we'd unloaded we moved the car to a bay nearby. No light in the kitchen, nor the bathroom, sigh... don't the staff check these things? Simon went off to the shop to get a few items I'd forgotten and to get an electrician to sort the problem, while I started preparing a tagliatelle meal in semi-darkness! Anyway, the lighting soon got sorted, we had our meal, then a shower and change. Now it was high time to get dancing, so around 10pm it was off to the main gate to meet Eilish and Doddy and then onto the main block. The bar area was pretty busy - for about the next 15-20 minutes it was just "hellos" and catching up with friends, introducing Simon to my pals and vice versa. We were then guided to where the gang was sitting in the main hall, Arena 1 - they were all there, Julie, Karen, Sue, Charlie, Pete and Wendy, Debbie and Ged, Dave and Stu from Leyland and Pat from Liverpool. A quick burst of dancing to reacquaint myself with the lovely wooden dance floor (I'd forgotten just what a nice surface it was), then a bit later, off to Arena 2, previously the Modern room, now dubbed the Motown Room - lots of ladies in high heels, handbags galore, not my scene, so a quick peek in what was called the Redemption Room in March, now a Modern/Crossover Room, even less my taste, so back to the Northern Room! Although Friday is not the busiest night at weekenders, as a lot of people travel up for Saturday, it was nowhere near as busy as in March. We subsequently found that 1800 tickets had been sold compared to the 3200 in March - how that compared to the figures at Hemsby, I wouldn't know, but the place seemed quieter. Having said that, the benefit to the dancers was a less crowded floor! The music was pretty good throughout, good solid Northern, with lots of familiar faces from the scene, including Katie from Hull. Undoubtedly, the Motown Room was the busiest, pretty heaving in comparison. The Masqueraders did a live act there during the evening, but I gave that a miss, concentrating on the Northern room. By around 2/2:30 I was flagging - Simon had retired for the night a little bit earlier (these youngsters have no stamina!) - I made my way back to the room reluctantly, nattering with Simon till the early hours. SATURDAY 14th OCTOBER 2006 The morning started in the afternoon, if you get my drift, as we got up around 1pm. A leisurely breakfast followed around 2 and lunch at 4pm!;-) We then made our way into the main hall about 4:30ish. There wasn't a lot happening, although I was pleasantly surprised to see Katie from Colwyn Bay, whom I'd last met in Ince when she accompanied Brian Rae who did a DJ spot there. Into the bar area and there were Ann and Tony from Garswood who had come to see the live acts later that evening - great to catch up with them, even if that was interrupted by the sound of the Miracles' "Whole Lot of Shaking (Going On In My Heart)" - a guy's gotta dance when summat that good comes on the PA system!;-). Back to the billet for a cuppa tea or three, then 6:30ish it was time to have the evening meal, so Simon and I went to the restaurant. My chicken khorma was a bit of a flavourless affair, but it saved having to cook. Back to the billet to get changed then I was back off to the main block just before 8 to save some seats - a lot had already gone but I managed to snaffle a couple of tables near the stage and waited for the gang to arrive. Simon, in the meantime, was resting - what is it with these youngsters?;-) By 9 most of the gang had arrived and we settled down for a night of good dancing. I occasionally popped my head around the door of the Motown Room and even had a couple of dances, but it was so crowded and slippy, I didn't stay long. I was keeping an eye on the clock as the live acts were scheduled on stage in the main Arena at 11, so around 10:30 I took up pole position at the front of the stage, joining the other photographers. Before we knew it, it was 11, the Midnight Hour band and backing singers in position - co-promoter, Rob Wigley comes on stage announcing the first of the live acts, JJ Barnes. What a performer! The guy knocks out all the old Northern Soul favourites in a superb performance lasting about half an hour. He gets rapturous applause that leads to an encore with the whole crowd swaying, clapping and singing along. Brilliant stuff! Then it's the turn of the Andantes - they were Motown's in-house vocal backing group, allegedly appearing on 20,000 tracks during their career. Louvain Temps is the only member of the band still performing and she has co-opted the Pree Sisters, Karen (on lead) and Lolita into the Andantes. The over-riding image I had of their performance, was three gals having the time of their lives, such bundles of fun. Quite apart from the quality of their singing, they won us over with their fun personalities in their half hour slot. Then, on stage came the Contours, opening up with my favourite track of theirs "First I Look At The Purse". The only original Contour still in the group was Sylvester Potts and he now tours with 3 replacement Contours - but don't think they are a poor substitute for the "real thing", the lead singer in the opening track was just as good as the one in that record 40 years ago. Over the next hour, they entertained us with most of their "hit" tracks, such as "Do You Love Me" and "Just A Little Misunderstanding". It wasn't just the quality of their singing, it was the sublime choreography that stunned us all - although I've seen the Tops and the Temps do their routines, it's not been close up so I've just not been able to appreciate the moves. A stunning performance and one which had the whole house rocking! I later spoke with Pat and Pete and Suzie independently and both had seen the Contours before and had specifically come to Prestatyn to see them again. Here's an unreserved recommendation, if you ever see them billed, go and see them, you will have the time of your lives. Finally the showcase parade when all the artists came back on stage to do the finale, Barbara Randolph's "I Got A Feeling", the whole crowd joining in. Before long it was 1am and it was all over, bar the wonderful memories the acts had left behind. I was wet through and that was just from clapping and singing along to the acts! I've said this a few times, although I love a Northern Night, there is nothing to beat the live acts that we see at these venues. It's obvious that they're knocked out by the response from the audience, but what is amazing for us is to see these acts putting on the performances of their lives. The artists were signing autographs a bit later, so I took the opportunity to go back to the chalet and have a shower and a quick change. Half an hour later, back to the main block to join the queue for the autographs, where I joined Pete and Suzie and Doddy and Eilish. We were all still on a high from the performances, swapping notes on the memorable parts of the night for us. Thanks to Pete and Eilish who did the honours taking photos of me with the artists, much appreciated, guys! After that, back onto the floor to dance to some solid Northern. I would like to single out special mentions to the DJ who was on from 3 till 4, I loved the variety of music he was playing (quite a few new tracks to add to my notebook) and to Brian Rae, who followed. Unfortunately, by then I was flagging badly and retired to my room around 4:30. Nattered with Si until about 6 and then hit the sack. SUNDAY 15th OCTOBER 2006 We came to around noon and after breakfast did our packing and loaded the car. Then it was a quick trip to the main block to hand in our keys and say any last goodbyes. I was perusing some books at one of the stands when on comes Marvin Gaye's "When I feel the need" - I dropped the book back on the table and rushed into the hall to have a final dance, sandals and all!;-) A quick goodbye to Doddy and Eilish chilling out in the corner and to Chippy, dancing on the floor, then back to the car to make our way home. A LOOK BACK It was inevitable that I would be comparing this event with the same one at Hemsby last year and with the big soul weekender at Prestatyn in March. Although the Motown Room was very busy (and the music pretty good, certainly better for me than the modern stuff in the same room in March), the main arena was nowhere near as busy as in March and that was to the detriment of the atmosphere in the place. Apart from a few exceptions, the music in the main room was pretty predictable - I'm not saying this as a big criticism but I felt some of the DJs could have stuck their necks out a little bit more. Also I felt that it was far too dark in the main arena - it was far more acceptable on the Sunday afternoon. Finally, I missed the Redemption Room from March, no two ways about it. However, putting all that aside, the live acts more than made up for any minor disappointments with stunning performances on the Saturday night from all 3 acts, not forgetting the backing band. Congratulations to the organisers for putting together such a great bill - for me, it was always going to be difficult following the event at Hemsby last year, but, all I can say is that I was had a ball and wasn't disappointed one little bit. Actually, I felt it was better than in March simply because each act had longer on stage - let's face it, they had a greater "Northern repertoire". I would far rather have a smaller number of acts spending longer doing their turns. Although attendances were down on March, hopefully, the promoters will now have the opportunity to built up the event in the years to come. No two ways about it, Prestatyn's location is far more accessible for the Northern "Northern crowd". On a personal level, thanks to all the people who made my son, Simon, feel so very welcome - it was appreciated by both of us. I enjoyed the weekend tremendously, spending some quality time with my friends and my son.
7 Oct 2006	Soul in the Cellar at the Greatstone - The Greatstone, Chester Road, Stretford, nr Manchester The third visit in about 6 weeks for me at this venue. Not being a footie fan, it wasn't until I hit the Chester Road that I realised Manchester United were at home and playing an early evening game - the procession of fans trawling down the main road was too late for me to take evasive action and choose an alternative route. I got snarled up in a slow moving crawl of traffic, it taking half an hour to travel from the White City roundabout to my destination. Moral, check the fixtures before embarking on your journey! I wasn't the only one held up as one half of the promoter duo, Brian Walker, had only just arrived himself and was carting his records down the stairs. I was one of the earliest of the punters, despite being half an hour late. Some folks I knew from the Oakfield arrived not long after, but it was all looking a bit thin on the ground. Gradually, the numbers crept up, including some new friends from Berkshire, Elaine and her husband, Rob - they had come up to visit their daughter at Manchester Uni and were planning to go on to the Allnighter at Winsford. Now there's dedication to the scene! We'd only spoken very briefly at the All-dayer during the August Bank Holiday weekend, but I was pleased that they joined me and we then spent some time getting to know each other - what never ceases to amaze me is the lovely people you meet on the scene! Finally, the tambourine duo, Dave and Bridget from Yorkshire joined us to complement the proceedings. As on previous occasions the majority of the music played was 60s oriented. the nearest tag would be Twisted Wheel, but in practice rather wider than this and covering earlier R&B, as well as soul. Promoters Barry Tasker and Brian Walker have a wealth of experience in this sector and record collections that reflect this. The cellar location of the venue adds to the atmosphere of the place, although those looking to dance will find that the dance floor area is very small - having said that, it is adequate for the venue, but it would not suit those with an expansive dancing style. Think Wheel or Hideaway and you'll get the idea! I had a great evening with lots of laughs. some brilliant music and delightful company. Dave managed to find a sausage from somewhere and that caused some hilarity as multifarious uses were found for this appendage. My silence can be bought for a modest fee!;-) Unfortunately, my RSI was causing me a lot of discomfort towards the end of the evening which took the shine off what had been a great night. It has to be said that this time around certainly, attendance was disappointing for a venue of this calibre - there were a number of other events on that clashed with this venue, so that won't have helped but maybe it is an issue of publicity, in which case, I hope to help the venue as regards publicity on the net. If you like the music of the Twisted Wheel and the Hideaway, then you'll enjoy the music here, do give it a whirl.
6 Oct 2006	Bolton - Bolton Soul Club, Derby Ward Labour Club, Deane Road, Bolton, BL3 5AH This was the first time I'd been to the Bolton Soul Club, despite promoter Dave bending my ear gently for a few months. I'd originally pointed out to him that the first Friday was normally reserved for one of my favourite venues, Prestwich, so the chances of getting to Bolton for that night were slim. But times change and, after a few disappointing sessions at Prestwich, I quite fancied a change - not a statement made easily! Checking out with the girls, they were happy to go along with my whim. So, on the night in question, Julie, Karen, Charlie and I found ourselves on the M60 and carrying on past the Prestwich junction, then onto the M61 and the A666 into Bolton town centre. A quick stop in the centre to check we were on the right road and we soon found ourselves at the venue - a large social club on a main road, with some car parking at the side. Making our way in, the greeting from Linda at the door couldn't have been friendlier, nor that of Dave inside. The function room looked pretty big with a stage in the far corner and a reasonably sized dance floor arranged in a quarter circle round the stage with tiered seating behind the floor and the bar behind that. The layout reminded me of various cabaret clubs I'd attended in the 70s, I just had this picture all night waitresses delivering the many "chicken in a basket" orders to the paying punters - sorry Dave, I don't mean it in a derogatory way, but I just couldn't dislodge that picture from my mind!;-) We got to the venue around 8:30 and, as you'd expect for a venue starting at 7:30, a lot of the tables were already taken, nevertheless we found one not too far from the floor. The music being played was a general cross-section of Northern, but it seemed to take a little while to get the dancers moving on the floor. Most of the tables were filled with groups of 4-6, having a natter. Eventually, we shifted our asses into gear and hit the floor - this was a solid floor, some parts a little sticky but nothing that a bit of talc wouldn't put right. Once things got moving, the floor was busy for most of the evening, although never to the heaving/uncomfortably busy stage, with a bit of a lull as the guest DJ tried to find the mood of the place. The majority of those dancing seemed like soulies and any handbaggy element was not the problem it can be at some venues, such as Blackburn. I recognised a number of faces from the Greater Manchester soul scene, from a variety of different venues. The promoters and DJs seemed to be keen and eager to please. The consensus from our group at the end of the night was that, although there was a different feel to some of the bigger venues, we'd all enjoyed the night and the music had been good solid Northern - we'd been made to feel very welcome. I would have no hesitation in recommending the venue to anyone fancing a change and would certainly return.
30 Sep 2006	Hideaway, Manchester This was only second visit here, the first one being at the end of April. I'd fancied a bit of an easier night, as my foot was still a bit sore from being trampled on the previous night. But I was also looking forward to meeting my pals, Dave and Bridget from Yorkshire. Just like last time, I got there around 9:15 and the place was already pretty full. I had my coat on for less than 10 seconds before taking it off, the place seemed as hot as it had done on my previous visit. After I'd got a drink, Jane Tasker saw me enter the main room and waved me over where dumped my coat and bag and joined her and Barry and Pete and Suzie Everett. Shortly after, met up with Dave and Bridget and spent the rest of the night, flitting between different groups of friends (largely from the Wheel), having a natter, trying to keep body temperature cool and ..... a dance or three. The music format at the Hideaway, if you didn't know, is 60s mod music, going back to the R&B of the early to mid 60s, with a dose of blues, even a hint of rock'n'roll/rockabilly plus a dash of early solo girl-sounds. The DJs are limited to two 30 minute slots, thus keeping things moving and fresh. Guesting tonight were Kevin Kus and Jorge from Barcelona, showing the widespread appeal of this club. While I couldn't say, hand on heart, that all of the music was to my liking, there was an awful lot that was. That I didn't know many of the tracks was no problem, it just meant that more tracks were added to my notebook. Talking with one of the promoters, Paul Welsby, he confirmed that the idea was to provide something for everyone. Certainly worked for me! The spotlight on late 50s to mid 60s R&B won't appeal to everyone but this is very much where I'm at currently. It's an era I know only a little about, nowhere near as much as the mid to late 60s period - it's a learning curve that appeals to me as I explore the roots of what was to become soul music in the mid 60s. I first came across this era through the legendary Mike Raven when he had his Sunday night R&B show on the newly formed Radio 1 in late 67/early 68. As I said earlier, this time around I got past the heat in the place and got on the floor to do some dancing. The place wasn't quite as busy as on my previous visit and I was told a lot of dealers were at a record fair in London. I've warmed a lot more to the venue (not that I disliked it first time around), in that I am increasingly looking for something that little bit different and this venue, with the Greatstone (first Saturday venue) is increasingly meeting that need. Special mentions to Barry and Jane, Pete and Suzie, Carolyn for her friendly greeting and, of course to Dave and Bridget. I stayed till chucking out time at 2 am, making my way out onto the wet streets of Manchester, having had a thoroughly brill time and adding 9 new tracks to my little notebook.
29 Sep 2006	Twisted Wheel, Manchester Here we are again, last Friday of the month, where else other than the Twisted Wheel? This time, one of the (now-quarterly) Allnighters. I got there just after kick off at 10pm and made my way down the stairs. There were already a few people there and the numbers quickly increased as the punters came in through the doors for what was to become a very busy night. It only seemed like 5 minutes but, after the opening slots from residents/co-promoters John Green and Pete Roberts, it was already midnight - time certainly flies when you're enjoying yourself. It was now time for the first of the night's guests, Patrick Costigan, with an R&B flavoured set, as you'd expect from him. Following him and sandwiched between second sets from John and Pete, we had guest slots by Mike Grimes and Albert "Jock" Heron - I have to admit that, unusually for me, I was talking in the bar area during Mike's spot, but that didn't stop me enjoying the music during that part of the night, or indeed any other. There simply wasn't a duff spot during the evening. The floor was packed for most of the night, the dancers enjoying the music. As I've said in a previous review, it is especially good having more guests on, as a wider range of music gets played, which keeps things fresh. For me, the nights are as much about the people as the music. No exception tonight - quite apart from the usual regular suspects, it was especially lovely to see Joe and Sylvia from Barnstaple, Paul from Newquay and, making her first visit there, the lovely Katie from Hull. It's difficult to conjure up new phrases when describing the Wheel. Suffice to say it's my spiritual home, the music of my youth. By 5 am, though, I was flagging - unfortunately I was also hobbling a bit having been trampled on by an inconsiderate dancer - and there was no way I was going to last till the close at 7 am. I said my "goodnights" and was halfway up the stairs going out of the building when on came Lou Johnson's "If I Never Get To Love You". Just had to rush down to have a last dance. It didn't end there, as, second time around, I was halfway to the car when I suddenly remembered I'd left my coat in the building, so it was back again to pick that up. Third time of leaving was for real, thinking back to what had been another superb session. What a brilliant venue! See you next month!
23 Sep 2006	King George’s Hall, Blackburn The April event here had been a bit of a lacklustre do with attendance well down. A few months later, the place had been much busier largely due to a live appearance by Kenny Thomas in the modern room. This night, however, was on a different scale altogether - it was the 33rd Anniversary of the start of Wigan Casino. It had sold out earlier in the week and that was evident on the night by the number of people in the Box Office queueing for ticket returns. Charlie and I had made our way across to the King George's Hall and inside I met up with Dave and Stu from Leyland and Sue from Lincolnshire. Making my way to the main bar upstairs, I noticed it had been revamped. It had been split into two counters along each side of the room, making serving more people much easier. So far so good. Now let's get the negatives out of the way - bar prices have never been low here, my usual pint of diet coke costing £2.40 previously, now the price had been hiked to £2.60. Maybe these sorts of levels are typical in town centre venues, but they do leave an unwelcome taste. It was lovely seeing the main Hall busy, all tables taken, with a floor full of dancers. There was an electric buzz in the air, at a level I haven't witnessed here in a long time. Dancers who had attended the April event wouldn't have recognised the place. I'd far rather be at a busy event, than one where the dancers are rattling around like peas in a pod. A place such as the King George's always attracts its share of handbaggers but for the first few hours that element wasn't too bad and it was possible to find a spot on the floor without coming across inconsiderate behaviour. Unfortunately, that changed for a couple of hours around the middle of evening with dancers prancing about on the floor, totally oblivious of others and their space. It's a long way from the respect of the Northern scene and is the worst aspect of the place. Mercifully, it didn't last too long and by around 1:30 am, they had departed leaving us with the floor and respectful dancers. Now let's focus on the music. I have to say I wasn't concentrating on the DJs in the early part of the evening, so please forgive me if I've omitted anyone. Kev Roberts set was excellent targetting the Wigan years very effectively, although I could have done without the rambling introductions - yeah, I know, pot, kettle, black!;-) Richard Searling's slot reminded me of his considerable Northern pedigree and what he is still capable of, even though he does mostly modern sets these days. Terry Davies entertained us as he always does with music guaranteed to get us dancing. The night ended with Neil Jones, enthusiastic as ever, again playing great music. The interesting aspect of the night was that we still had a full floor even when proceedings reluctantly came to a close just after 3 am, after Neil had played the "3 before 8" in reverse order (although I thought it was unforgivable to fade Jimmy Radcliffe's "Long after tonight is all over" prematurely to squeeze in two more tracks). The music was just brilliant throughout the night without any lulls and dancers responding appropriately. For me, nights out are partially about meeting up with friends, old and new. During the evening we were joined by Pete and Wendy, Ged and Debbie, Ronnie and Doddy and Eilish, always a great pleasure, guys! I had countless enjoyable conversations with folks over the evening. Special mentions to the lovely Bridget and Dave from Yorkshire, the Blackpool posse, Dave and Pauline from Blackburn, Karen and Margaret from St Helens and last but not least, Pat and Peter from Liverpool. In November this year it will be my third anniversary of attending my first Northern Soul do, it