Soul At The Rec Northwich

I Just want to thank Timillustrator for his kind words and fabulous drawings, I am pleased you enjoyed my set and those of the resident DJ's Roger, Tot & Johnny, the lads run a good night, that I really look forward to playing at, it's a privileged to be given the opportunity to go along and spin some vinyl for the extremely friendly & knowledgeable crowd of soulies who help to make this one of the best Soul nights in the North West and for the welcome they give and there participation on the amazing dance floor I score it a 5 stars venue.

Had to be in Liverpool early on Sunday morning so rather than drive up the M6 at 6am (!) I thought we'd make a night of it. Knowing that Liverpool is even more of a soul desert than Birmingham I thought I'd look in North Cheshire - still time to get there but without overdoing it. Anyway this looked a decent bet from soul source and knowing nothing whatsoever about Northwich I thought it would be worth a go. 

Quality local night - extremely good venue; I am used to the West Midlands' often slightly tired looking working mens clubs or community centres but this was a really plush looking 1930's sports club, big sprung dance floor, loads of room, stage, TWO lots of toilets! amazing. I also like the way the further north you go the cheaper the beer (£2.70 for a pint of Grolsch). Mixed crowd, a few more vocal people didn't stay the course! (like the bloke next to us who said he couldn't stand northern soul but the woman he was with was into it so he had to come) but a great bunch did. 

Pretty mixed early sets, a fair bit of Motown which seemed to go down well with the crowd, a few things you don't hear at all in the Midlands, modern, crossover and even (as my son said to me excitedly "This was in the charts!", dunno what it was myself) some popular stuff. Bit of a game changer when Rod Looker came on; I missed a bit of his set because I had to drop my son and his girlfriend back to the hotel, but when I returned it was as solid a set of Northern dancers as you could ever wish for. The following DJ was also excellent; the absolute highlight was Jesse Johnson - Left Out; not sure who played it, just after Rod Looker, but it was one of those transcendent life moments when you hear a song that is so fuc**ng immense that it makes time and space stop - and it's just you and the song and the dancefloor and the rest of the world is not there anymore you just never want that song to end. Had to play it about 20 times on repeat the next day just to re-live that 1 minute and 56 seconds (playing it again now for the 10th time). Who'd've thought such a thing could happen in North Cheshire!

Stayed right up to the end at 1:30 - a few left about midnight but it was certainly their loss as the quality to my mind just got better and better - Jackie Edwards, The Broadways, Marv Johnson superb!

Anyway drew the DJ and the room. 

I rarely give 5 stars - I've noticed that often reviews are by people connected with the event who inevitably give 5 stars to everything. I am trying to be objective. 

Bangin night again down at the Rec, with guest DJ Rod Looker and the regular crew.

See ya next month.

Nige & Tina