Dear Mr Roberts

This weekend I finally completed a lifelong ambition of dancing to soul music in my childhood playground, the Blackpool Tower ballroom.

However I must write to say how disappointed I am, not at the overall music policy but the fact that for two and a half hours, in the closing session of your weekender, two grown soul DJ's played close to 80% bootlegs in front of a crowd of many lifelong soul collectors.

The Saturday night main room was peppered with underwhelming repeats and flogged dead oldies from a genre of music that spans over ten years from over 50 states.

The fact that your events will never have the same quality of DJ's and music as the likes of Cleethorpes and Prestatyn is to be expected, but to endure a painful stream of bootlegs from the likes of Prince Phillip Mitchell, The Epitome Of Sound and The MVP's was nothing short of an insult. And in a world where punters pay hard earned money for original 45's, completely unacceptable.

In stark contrast to this, the previous night saw one of the world's top rare soul spinners play perhaps the greatest hour of music I've heard in 15 years. In a corridor. On a carpet.

To place this disparate quality of DJs on the same bill is an indignity to those who search long and hard to provide people with an original record.

Never would I begrudge having to pander to the tastes of a largely 'classic soul' appreciating audience but to do this on a series of £5 reissues really is embarrassing.

One of the DJs in question defended his case with the opening line, 'Some people use CD's, now we don't do that'. Before telling me to 'get a life'. As an aside he also reacted angrily to another woman who questioned the provenance of his records.

With no alternative musical arrangements on the Sunday night we had no option but to leave early in disgust.

Had I and my friends not made a 450 mile round trip perhaps we would have felt slightly less aggrieved, but I can assure you that we were far from the only ones who had travelled great distances and felt so short changed.

Your claim that Blackpool is perhaps the greatest weekender in the world is due in whole to the grandeur of the venue rather than your commitment to providing an interesting offering to a knowledgable audience.

Although we shall sadly never return, in future I think it only fair to other punters to ensure that the whole cast of main room DJs reflect in someway the level of skill, commitment and talent of those who crafted that beautiful ballroom.

Yours Sincerely,

Matt Bolton

Yes they were. No it wasn't. I wish it had been.

Mr Roberts will confirm asap no doubt.

No,everywhere ain't thank f*ck,no disrespect to the Casino mind!

Great letter,very constructive.He can't be offended by that but I find that unlike any other mainstream entertainment,criticism isn't acceptable on this scene,not by mercenaries anyway.When Kev Roberts wants your opinion,he'll give it to you

At the end of the day, I don't know why you were shocked at the lowest common denominator event you attended.

You must have known what you were signing up for when you bought the tickets.

Nobody ever got rich by over estimating public taste.

T

At the end of the day this is a dance music culture that we are in. There are dancers And there are collectors and never the twain shall meet as far as events go in big circles. I doubt in reality that Kev or Richard would have booked anybody to play nothing but ovo. Chris king can be singled out at certain events but I doubt this one. Why the web cams, why make it that obvious. Surely this is an attempt to make a huge, potentially loss make as much as a gain from some one in the business, legitimate. C'mon what's the problem. Slators slate every venue up and down the nAtion and see what response you get. If this scene is to Stay alive it needs big events like the tower nd from an ovo player i'l back it up. Is it just case of "I fancy an argument"?

who was that out of interest ?

kev such?

Kev Roberts....gives you all what you want.......the fact that it,s packaged rather like a circus....is what you want.......why do they have em at these big victorian ballrooms?....because you all wanna relive your wigin days......it,s what you want........why worry about bootlegs being played.......just like back in the day......you don,t care,why should you........it,s what you want. Kev just gives you what you want......so stop moaning.

Edited November 12, 201212 yr by gordon russell

Here we go again!!!! Small minded so called soul fans having a go !!

Firstly the original poster needs to get his maths right. During the Sunday night set in question, approximately 50 records would have been played. Of those records maybe 3 were re-issues. All others were NOT!! Now I'm no Eistein but no way does that equate to 80%. Indeed one of the tracks mentioned was played because I asked for it and I would have been unimpressed if they'd not played it because they didn't have an original copy!!! Who cares - it's supposed to be about the music.

Secondly, the original poster seems to doubt the credibility of the DJ's in question. Well these guys were there at the start, djing at venues throughout the 70's including the Highland Room, have vast record collections of both rare and easily available tracks and have every right to be up there DJing.

Most importantly, the fact that they played to a full dance floor for the entire set speaks volumes.

I actually witnessed the guy having a go at the DJ's and like most people thought he was being a bit of a prat! As a life long fan of SOUL MUSIC who went to all the big venues in the 70's and was a regular at the Highland Room I am slightly amused at some of the " fancy dress" brigade who think that donning a pair of baggy pants and doing a couple of back drops makes them experts !! Talk about re-issues - isn't that what they are cos they certainly weren't around at the time. Whilst I think it's great that younger people are part of the scene I think that some of them maybe need to grow up and realise that it's not the anoraks that have kept this scene alive but the music, regardless of what format it's in!!

If any one noticed the idiot with the "no boots" sign on his back (and I doubt many did because they were too busy enjoying themsleves on the dance floor) then you'll know the type I'm referring to. I was tempted to replace it with an L plate !!

As for all the people leaving early - is he for real? This was by far the busiest Sunday night I've seen ! I guess if it was his first time he wouldn't realise that tho.

Kev Roberts and Richard Searling, along with all the DJ's should be extremely proud of this weekend. it was the busiest and by far the best yet !!

Rant over.

Don't the "heritage" deejays feel embarrassed following a "non heritage" dj with a box load of originals.I followed Ginger Taylor on a few weeks ago at The Dome...he stayed on stage chatting etc while I was pulling out tracks.I would have felt a right twat pulling out Soul Fox boots...I love Stoke btw and have only seen a dodgy copy of Jackie Edwards I Feel So Bad being played by Chris King...maybe Kev should have a matrix camera.

Its ok for a dj with a "past" ie: ex wigan,etc to play boots cos he was "there at the time,bitd".And its fine if 3000 are dancing.

If anyone else does it at a soul night,he gets a slagging.

And we wonder why the scene is going down the tubes.

Only 0.01% really care, only 0.01% ever did but then it's that 0.01% that went out there, searched for it, brought it back & gave it to the people who don't give a shit what format it's on & only want to dance.

anyone who is knowledgeable about rare soul and buys or collects originals do give a shit what format its on.

there are loads of cheap originals that are as good as the thousand stuff.

from your thread it sounds like your not interested what format its on as long as you can dance ' you and your buddies have poor taste.

The biggest shock to me ,is that someone who actually seems to know a bit about the soul scene and dj's ,other venues etc ,actually went to Blackpool weekender and did'nt know what to expect

Kev and Goldsoul promotions have been around for a long time and have run a rather successful operation ,which is well publicised ,has had its fair share of public debate on here for as long as i can remember

It is what it is ,does'nt pretend to be otherwise ..so put it down to experience ,move on and accept the fact that 3000 other attendees enjoy the experience and will probably all do it all over again next yr ..and so on

3000 people at a event seems very healthy to me and not one going down the tube , music is to be enjoyed not dissected and to slag fellow devotees off.

shall I get involved in this again hmmm .....

Here we go again!!!! Small minded so called soul fans having a go !!

Firstly the original poster needs to get his maths right. During the Sunday night set in question, approximately 50 records would have been played. Of those records maybe 3 were re-issues. All others were NOT!! Now I'm no Eistein but no way does that equate to 80%. Indeed one of the tracks mentioned was played because I asked for it and I would have been unimpressed if they'd not played it because they didn't have an original copy!!! Who cares - it's supposed to be about the music.

Secondly, the original poster seems to doubt the credibility of the DJ's in question. Well these guys were there at the start, djing at venues throughout the 70's including the Highland Room, have vast record collections of both rare and easily available tracks and have every right to be up there DJing.

Most importantly, the fact that they played to a full dance floor for the entire set speaks volumes.

I actually witnessed the guy having a go at the DJ's and like most people thought he was being a bit of a prat! As a life long fan of SOUL MUSIC who went to all the big venues in the 70's and was a regular at the Highland Room I am slightly amused at some of the " fancy dress" brigade who think that donning a pair of baggy pants and doing a couple of back drops makes them experts !! Talk about re-issues - isn't that what they are cos they certainly weren't around at the time. Whilst I think it's great that younger people are part of the scene I think that some of them maybe need to grow up and realise that it's not the anoraks that have kept this scene alive but the music, regardless of what format it's in!!

If any one noticed the idiot with the "no boots" sign on his back (and I doubt many did because they were too busy enjoying themsleves on the dance floor) then you'll know the type I'm referring to. I was tempted to replace it with an L plate !!

As for all the people leaving early - is he for real? This was by far the busiest Sunday night I've seen ! I guess if it was his first time he wouldn't realise that tho.

Kev Roberts and Richard Searling, along with all the DJ's should be extremely proud of this weekend. it was the busiest and by far the best yet !!

Rant over.

...out of interest did you go to any soul nigthers/allnighters from around 1981-2001 ???

This thread, move,Event lookbacks..........yes/no?

Here we go again!!!! Small minded so called soul fans having a go !!

Firstly the original poster needs to get his maths right.

The original poster has been a member here for some years, which is more than you have. He is entitled to post his grievances and doesn't need to be referred to a small minded.

This thread, move,Event lookbacks..........yes/no?

RE-MOVED FULL STOP

Yes there are 1000's of tracks out there that could have been played at the Tower, but it up to the individual dj as to what he plays, or what he is asked to play.

What does it matter if it is an original pressing or not? Only a few care. It is the music that counts, not what it is played on.

Only a few care.

Talking about your own mates there would assume?

Is not Northern soul all about original vinyl? boots should be played had any true Northern Soul Night

The biggest shock to me ,is that someone who actually seems to know a bit about the soul scene and dj's ,other venues etc ,actually

went to Blackpool weekender and did'nt know what to expect

Nev is right. Same discussion/argument every year. I think I started one the second year the Tower was running. The same answers were provide by Kev Roberts. I've never been since and never will. Things won't change with Goldsoul's policy and I accept it.

End of.

c'mon who bloody cares, I have met the Queen Elizabeth look alike a while ago and I was just as nervous

Is not Northern soul all about original vinyl? boots should be played had any true Northern Soul Night

No it's about dancing...

i

This thread, move,Event lookbacks..........yes/no?

can't move anything to event guide - its a different feature

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as the member has had a reply to his 'open letter'

calling it a day on this thread and closing it, as its all too one event specific

if want to discuss any of the various points raised then feel free to start a new thread