Piercebridge Summer Soul Weekender

Piercebridge NYSD Soul Weekender July 12th – 13th 2024

Every so often an event comes along that’s for whatever reason is just a little under the radar to the masses, Piercebridge NYSD Weekender last weekend was such event. A relatively quiet lead-up to the Friday start, meant me and my compadre for the weekend, Ged Lunt, were fairly cautious about how it was all going to go. As it turns out, caution was very quickly thrown to the wind…as soon as we arrived; mid Friday afternoon, we were greeted by the promoters and hosts for the weekender, Karl ‘Chalky’ White, Gary Prescott and local lad and original instigator of the weekender, Harry Brigg. From then on it was a case of meeting face, after familiar face, including Simon Ingham, who had brought the ‘Sure-Truth’ microbus with our drinking partners for the weekend, and oh how we drank 😉

Once settled in to the hotel, which is quaint but at the same time perfect for this event, the right number of rooms, the right number of bars, welcoming staff, and reasonable bar prices, spot on, (check out the piccies!)

So, the right people were here, what about the music? Well that was spot-on too, the afternoon collectors, ‘chill out’ sessions on both Friday and Saturday were brilliant, just check out the playlists on Facebook and Soul Source to testify to that. Eleven DJ’s in all, diggin’ and featuring records from their collections to the delight of a truly appreciative audience. The sun nearly came out, but didn’t quite make it, but the barbie on Saturday afternoon, definitely did 😉

And so to the ‘Main Events’! Well what can say, Friday night was a cracker and Saturday night with weekender later arrivals, was even better…From Dale Byers starting proceedings on Friday evening, all the way through to Gary Prescott finishing off at 2:30 am on Sunday morning, it was tune after tune, much to the delight of the near-enough, full house on Saturday! 

Gotta give a special mention to Sweden’s CARL HEDBERG who travelled over, just for Saturday night, he joined the festivities, drank lots, danced lots and to top it off, played an absolutely brilliant set!

Soooo, if you missed it, don’t miss it next time, cause it’s a bloody great weekend and needs to be on your bucket list.

Here’s a few tunes I played on Saturday afternoon in the Chill Out lounge

Lou Pride Bringing Me Back Home

I’m So Happy The Dupremes

Loves Gonna Do You In The Autographs

Change in My Life 2001 Black Essence

Baby I Love You Jimmie Ellis

Sweet Temptation Sunday Jordan

Why Can’t It Be The Compacts

Crying Clown Billy Sha-Rae

Somebody Stole My Love Frankie Zhivago Young

You Mean Everything To Me Sweet Pearl

I Never Found a Girl ‘Sammy’

Put Me in the Mood Art Jerry Miller

I’ll Never Change The La’ Dellics

Whatcha Gonna Do Sandra Feva

I’ll Come Running Back Eddie Hinton

Didn’t You Know It One Way

You Lift Me Tee Gee

Where Could I Go The Michigan Soul Searchers

Got to say this is my 2nd visit and the venue is superd and wonderful staff as for the music a perfect mix of all things soul it was a refreshing change. Friday was excellent great bunch of people and friends. Saturday night was unreal music was sublime every dj went down a storm and dancefloor always busy all in a wonderful weekend hats of to Karl and the boys for all there hard work and highly recommended any future events 10/10 🙌👍