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The Wigan Casino Years


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i know there has been a certain amount of unrest with the delay in publication but, believe me, it is well worth the wait. itsa well scripted overview of 8 years that changed the face of the scene, that took it out of the shadows of monotone commercialism and drove it forward to become what it is today, a diverse unification of musical styles that attract people young and old from all walks of life, many of whom have applied their trades to polish it and give it a professional outlook.

in the beginning it was an underground scene that was frequented by an elite few who jealously guarded their secret, but a mod movement had to believe there was more than live bands and uk releases of american rnb singles, it was then that the conflagration to the states began and the search for more of the same uncovered a previously unknown mountain of uptempo soul music that would fit the bill and quench the thirst of a flourishing scene.

as the seventies began, clubs sprang up all over the heartlands of the industrial northwest and midlands and more youngsters began to wake up to a real alternative to the pop dross that was force fed to them. this was a new way of life, it encompassed music that they never dreamt existed, it fuelled their excitement, it encouraged them to travel to seek out more of these secret tunes and, ultimately, it pulled these many strands together in the name of comradeship and under the banner of the newly named "northern soul", it demanded a temple in its honour....and the bricks and mortar of wigan casino just happened to be there in the right place at the right time.

the rest is history.

tim brown's book lays out the groundwork and the details in episodic fashion, highlighting the ups and downs that the venues and the scene in general, encountered during the casino's rise to fame and deals frankly with its pre-forcast demise. it was never the intention to deliver a personal recollection of what went on there or the characters encountered, and true to word, it isnt. it certainly dispells many untruths and lays bare the facts surrounding the history of the holy grail record "do i love you".

to my mind, having read this publication back to front, its the most complete and fitting enditement of a venue that has shaped all of our lives, for better or for worse,....either way it makes one glad that we lived through it and most impotantly that we discovered this wonerful scene and the riches of the music it bestowed on us.the book is a glorious colourful landscape that one can pour over in reference time and again and still achieve fulfilment, its a must buy, its our dna footprint to leave behind for others.

as they say, " i commend this book to the house"...well done tim!.

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