Went to Rolls Royce club Sunday Mini All Dayer Always use to be very busy, Still had a fair few in but nothing compared to a few years back.   I just wondered if anyone else thought there were to many Events these days

There's been to many events for over 10 years mate - it ain't gonna change.

 

I've passed worrying about it, or caring - just enjoy the bits that suit you.

 

All the best,

 

Len

 

P.s - Presuming this isn't a thread to wind people up

quick answer YES

can anything be done about it NO .

there are too many wannabee dj,s and also a lot of people who see it has making a few quid and don't really care about the scene in general ,.

Lifes too short to worry anymore , like Len says just get out of the scene now what you want ,  if the bar is serving beer - get a pint ,  sit back and enjoy.

Better to have too many events than too few. Maybe best to have too few, but committed punters at events rather than too many hand baggers, tourists, voyeurs, media types and kids looking for the latest band-wagon to jump onto. If some of the wannabe DJ's can contribute some good tunes and give folk a good time then it can't be all that bad.

Outta Sight spawned a whole new herd of wannabe DJ's / promoters

maybe its a cyclical thing,a lot of us have had spells away from going to events for whatever reasons and maybe the youngsters who have started going to events in the last 5 or so years have still to have their time away  or to pack it in completely and maybe attendances will drop a wee bit and some events may stop but i dont think were ever gonna go back to what some people call the" lost years" of the 80s when i first got into it, which incidentally" lost years"my arse i thought that was a great time.they might have been lost years for them that weren`t making any money out of it.love to all

Not enough events in the South of Spain, and probably too few punters to put them on.  You have to cherry pick the ones you want to attend in the UK, either by knowing the DJ's and their ability to pack a floor or the crowd that you want to associate with.  Just because a local event is a lot easier to get to than a tried and trusted event happening 50 or more miles away, it won't make it any better, go to where the quality is proven, then when the local do is the only one on a particular weekend give it a try.  Just enjoy what you can, where you can, you can always leave early if it's crap and vent your spleen on here.

There aren't any good ones, that's the problem. Unprofessional in every way, the ones I've been to. Never been to the big oldies nights so maybe they are run properly.

 

It's usually a case of lets start a night up. Find a room, buy a Dj in a box set, and beg, borrow or hire some PA. Get your mates to Dj and expect it to be rammed. 

 

Fantastic flyer, shame about the [venue, sound system, music, lack of seating, lack of lighting for record sales, unfriendly door staff etc.] add as applicable.

 

If only there was a nighter that addressed all those issues. 

There aren't any good ones, that's the problem. Unprofessional in every way, the ones I've been to. Never been to the big oldies nights so maybe they are run properly.

 

It's usually a case of lets start a night up. Find a room, buy a Dj in a box set, and beg, borrow or hire some PA. Get your mates to Dj and expect it to be rammed. 

 

Fantastic flyer, shame about the [venue, sound system, music, lack of seating, lack of lighting for record sales, unfriendly door staff etc.] add as applicable.

 

If only there was a nighter that addressed all those issues. 

got to dis agree if you are being serious ,I attend some brilliant soul nights , where the crowd the music and the venue all combine to make for me an enjoyable and pleasant night with a few dances a few drinks ,cracking music and good friends , I certainly couldn't ask for more .

Edited August 29, 201410 yr by barney

In my opinion everyone has forgotten what it is about !

 

It's an All-Niter scene not a mini allnighter or weekenders that finish at 4 am each night.

We need a central focus for progressive tunes not each person running their own soul club and asking their mates to dj so the get asked to dj at the next night.

 

Its only my opinion ! 

Edited August 29, 201410 yr by Roddy

In my opinion everyone has forgotten what is about !

 

It's an All-Niter scene not a mini allnighter or weekenders that finish at 4 am each night.

We need a central focus for progressive tunes not each person running their own soul club and asking their mates to dj so the get asked to dj at the next night.

 

Its only my opinion ! 

By that I take it you mean a specific venue, but to do that, you need a specific crowd willing to travel week after week, and that crowd is dwindling in my experience. I love the idea, but the bigger promoters would almost certainly contest such a place by putting on an oldies nighter against it. So unless you're of a more discerning nature, you'd probably never go, and the progressive nighter would struggle IMO. 

The good nights / days continue to strive and do well the not so good go away eventually , but there is no harm in

spreading the faith and why not give some aspiring Djs a go .At the end of the day its the paying public that will

choose, I remember the brilliant rare soul night held a few miles away from me a few years back ,great Djs superb

sets but very few punters I am afraid you cant win them all and I can say is just enjoy

The good nights / days continue to strive and do well the not so good go away eventually , but there is no harm in

spreading the faith and why not give some aspiring Djs a go .At the end of the day its the paying public that will

choose, I remember the brilliant rare soul night held a few miles away from me a few years back ,great Djs superb

sets but very few punters I am afraid you cant win them all and I can say is just enjoy

 

I disagree mate. I've been to do's that are touted as being fantastic, and they were terrible from my point of view. Don't forget that most people go to soul do's as their social life. They aren't bothered about anything other than they can get a good drink and their mates will be there. Also, if you aren't one of the in crowd and you don't ask everyman and his dog to do a spot,  people won't attend your event no matter how good it is. 

 

Nobody dare criticise anything as it will be seen as a personal attack. How are promotions going to get better if we are willing to accept any old rubbish?

 

Politics has killed it.

Edited August 29, 201410 yr by Quinvy

There are the right amount of venues to satisfy demand; it is the external factors that make the scene what it is:

Travel, Age and Family are all elements that differ for many people from the 70's.

Travel can be a challenge (in the 70's the drink driving rules were less stringent); Casino was tea, lucozade and for some pharmacy supplements. These days a smell of beer or pharmacy supplements and the authorities give you a night in the cells and rip up the driving licence.

We just got older and our bodies are generally more knackered (the body can't stand the punishment you could inflict on it 35+ years ago), these days following a nighter my Sunday is write off.

Family - 35+ years have resulted in children and/or grandchildren who have demands on our time and often restrict the leisure period available for NS events.

Getting older is a bitch but the music is ageless!

There a still too many nights not enough quality and too way too much politics and nonsense 

In my opinion everyone has forgotten what it is about !

 

It's an All-Niter scene not a mini allnighter or weekenders that finish at 4 am each night.

We need a central focus for progressive tunes not each person running their own soul club and asking their mates to dj so the get asked to dj at the next night.

 

Its only my opinion ! 

 

Not sure I'd describe it as strictly an all-nighter scene. Soul nights have always co-existed with all-nighters and have their own distinct history on the scene albeit usually in a local context. Why even Blackpool Mecca wasn't an all-nighter and neither were the early 6Ts events.

By that I take it you mean a specific venue, but to do that, you need a specific crowd willing to travel week after week, and that crowd is dwindling in my experience. I love the idea, but the bigger promoters would almost certainly contest such a place by putting on an oldies nighter against it. So unless you're of a more discerning nature, you'd probably never go, and the progressive nighter would struggle IMO. 

 

The reason for travelling is no longer there.  The resoan once upon a time was to gear what you couldn't hear anywhere else.  Now except for a few DJ's, some who rarely DJ in this country you can hear what most D j's have to offer on your dooorstep.   Most night main rooms play what local soul night Dj's play.  All the imagination and innovation has been eradicated practically.

Edited August 29, 201410 yr by chalky

And yes there are way too many venues, it is one reason why the scene has become so diluted and retro. 

I love your quote, "to gear what you couldn't hear anywhere else" (sic)....thank you, and yes I know what you really meant !!!!

I disagree mate. I've been to do's that are touted as being fantastic, and they were terrible from my point of view. Don't forget that most people go to soul do's as their social life. They aren't bothered about anything other than they can get a good drink and their mates will be there. Also, if you aren't one of the in crowd and you don't ask everyman and his dog to do a spot, people won't attend your event no matter how good it is.

Nobody dare criticise anything as it will be seen as a personal attack. How are promotions going to get better if we are willing to accept any old rubbish?

Politics has killed it.

love your attitude. I think every night should be scrutinised and criticised until it stops or improves, then we might actually end up with a few great nights.

what do you think's wrong with lifeline / pow wow at bidds? Now I'm not wrapped up in djing or promoting, I think I'm pretty objective about things and I think it's a great night / venue where djs seem pretty free to play what they like; every time I've gone into lifeline it's been jumping.

Be honest, I only play a small part in it. I'm a punter there really; i only get out once a month these days and I'd love it to get even bigger and better at that venue, i think it's great

Edited August 29, 201410 yr by pow wow mik

And yes there are way too many venues, it is one reason why the scene has become so diluted and retro. 

prophetic as always, in a minority as well, and a dwindling one at that as the clock forever ticks...fact is, we are handing over the scene to younger generations in the face of an irresistable tide called age..add that to the 30-40 somethings who have been around theirselves for a number of years and have helped to spread the word to all four corners of the globe..and it's a weekender literally every week...50-100 all nighters every week, mini events galore, the rebirth of all-dayers and a myriad of ultrasocializing soul nights on every continent...in the light of all this is the undeniable fact that the youth wants to hear, dance to and buy the tunes we class as standard, and so they should as this was our way into the scene..we have to put up with the regurgitation for the sake of enlightening them about the scene, why it attracted us in the first place and letting them make up their own minds as to why it has the aura and mystery that no other music phenomenon can boast of. the result is what we see now...i think the money makers are also fighting the tide, where the burgeoning calender is concerned.....there REALLY ISN'T tipping point....this isn't a global warming issue, the real hard fact has been with us for a long time now....this music that drives the scene hasn't gone away, been forgotten, ridiculed as a fad.....probably the mid to late 90's was the catalyst period for northern soul...the official launch pad and we haven't looked back since.....so much so that people outside of our original tight knit circle finally "got it"..that there is a sane alternative to paranoid world of "pap"......this time ( as opposed to the 70's ) the glue has stuck, granted the upshot is what we see every day now...calender claustrophobia...the bubble, contrary to any personal opinion, won't burst either, because so many youngsters have seen the light and grasped the nettle...it has to be a good thing, an ancestral thing in many of our own cases...soul survivors is an apt quote...we've surprised ourselves for 50 years or more at how good the music sounds when you drop a diamond stylus into the groove and get those everso refreshingly comforting crackles that only vinyl can give and listen to music that was meant to be legendary before it even became that.

 

so, too many gigs?......100 fold more that anyone could ever imagined in their wildest dreams, but dosn't that also spell out what a total and utter resounding success northern soul has been in educating people, turning them on to something real and meaningful, learning to love artists, they now can only hear about, unfortunate as that is, understanding where we the senior generation are coming from. they have the luxury of knowing that wherever their travels take them, they'll always find a venue.. where this wonderfully esoteric music is playing...the world is an oyster full of soul now, bury the resentments, if there are any, live for now...live while you can and,......keep on keepin' on

love your attitude. I think every night should be scrutinised and criticised until it stops or improves, then we might actually end up with a few great nights.

what do you think's wrong with lifeline / pow wow at bidds? Now I'm not wrapped up in djing or promoting, I think I'm pretty objective about things and I think it's a great night / venue where djs seem pretty free to play what they like; every time I've gone into lifeline it's been jumping.

Be honest, I only play a small part in it. I'm a punter there really; i only get out once a month these days and I'd love it to get even bigger and better at that venue, i think it's great

Not been to this event since it moved, and not been to Bidds since it was done up, so can't comment Mik.

I used to love the old Bidds venue.

There's been to many events for over 10 years mate - it ain't gonna change.

 

I've passed worrying about it, or caring - just enjoy the bits that suit you.

 

All the best,

 

Len

 

P.s - Presuming this isn't a thread to wind people up

No not in anyway to wind folk up . 

Just looked around the venue ,which is a great place , someone said in Derby area alone that day there were 3 other soul Do's ,on that day.

may be like someone eles said there are to many wanna be D,Js

The reason for travelling is no longer there.  The resoan once upon a time was to gear what you couldn't hear anywhere else.  Now except for a few DJ's, some who rarely DJ in this country you can hear what most D j's have to offer on your dooorstep.   Most night main rooms play what local soul night Dj's play.  All the imagination and innovation has been eradicated practically.

I agree with what you say so many tunes you never hear some say same old same old .And some say we need new stuff to move the scene forward I think if Some of the music from the past that dosen't get played that often 'was air'd more.But that distracts from the point I was making that in the same area on most weekends there are more than 1 event It mystifies me.

prophetic as always, in a minority as well, and a dwindling one at that as the clock forever ticks...fact is, we are handing over the scene to younger generations in the face of an irresistable tide called age..add that to the 30-40 somethings who have been around theirselves for a number of years and have helped to spread the word to all four corners of the globe..and it's a weekender literally every week...50-100 all nighters every week, mini events galore, the rebirth of all-dayers and a myriad of ultrasocializing soul nights on every continent...in the light of all this is the undeniable fact that the youth wants to hear, dance to and buy the tunes we class as standard, and so they should as this was our way into the scene..we have to put up with the regurgitation for the sake of enlightening them about the scene, why it attracted us in the first place and letting them make up their own minds as to why it has the aura and mystery that no other music phenomenon can boast of. the result is what we see now...i think the money makers are also fighting the tide, where the burgeoning calender is concerned.....there REALLY ISN'T tipping point....this isn't a global warming issue, the real hard fact has been with us for a long time now....this music that drives the scene hasn't gone away, been forgotten, ridiculed as a fad.....probably the mid to late 90's was the catalyst period for northern soul...the official launch pad and we haven't looked back since.....so much so that people outside of our original tight knit circle finally "got it"..that there is a sane alternative to paranoid world of "pap"......this time ( as opposed to the 70's ) the glue has stuck, granted the upshot is what we see every day now...calender claustrophobia...the bubble, contrary to any personal opinion, won't burst either, because so many youngsters have seen the light and grasped the nettle...it has to be a good thing, an ancestral thing in many of our own cases...soul survivors is an apt quote...we've surprised ourselves for 50 years or more at how good the music sounds when you drop a diamond stylus into the groove and get those everso refreshingly comforting crackles that only vinyl can give and listen to music that was meant to be legendary before it even became that.

 

so, too many gigs?......100 fold more that anyone could ever imagined in their wildest dreams, but dosn't that also spell out what a total and utter resounding success northern soul has been in educating people, turning them on to something real and meaningful, learning to love artists, they now can only hear about, unfortunate as that is, understanding where we the senior generation are coming from. they have the luxury of knowing that wherever their travels take them, they'll always find a venue.. where this wonderfully esoteric music is playing...the world is an oyster full of soul now, bury the resentments, if there are any, live for now...live while you can and,......keep on keepin' on

While I agree with some points you make I still feel there are to many events in the same areas. And many soul fans still travel fair distance to venues and I wondered if dwindling numbers at events was due to the amount of events on per wekend

While I agree with some points you make I still feel there are to many events in the same areas. And many soul fans still travel fair distance to venues and I wondered if dwindling numbers at events was due to the amount of events on per wekend

when i read post-event reports on here, it seems that everyone is busy...i agree it's anybody's fair assumption that attendances are on the slide so,....either people are using artistic license or "dwindle" is in fact a contradiction......and if anything could bear that out, it's the fact that the scene has expanded, not just globally, but largely due to the influx of youngsters in great numbers, who have come to terms with what THIS music offers compared to the dull and mundane alternative ( that's my personal opinion of the outside world, you understand )..no such thing as armageddon for the scene and i'm sticking by that principle,..and that's dispite stating the obvious which is what you & others imply quite innocently and even i agree with...that there are too many...there will be an alternative party who will say there simply can't be enough...that it's a sign of spreading the word, the gospel, the religion..it IS reaching more and more people...this past 2 and a half decades the music has taken a seriously strong foothold in marketing..add to that the snowball effect of mod culture aligned with the northern soul scene and there's something for everyone. also remember...a venue would hold a soul night EVERY WEEK in the 70's, totally implausible decades later.....that very fact was responsible then for driving people away, because they were hearing the same tunes ALL THE TIME so, roll on the 90's and millenium and the new approach was to offer events on a monthly basis, naturally that has allowed other promoters and enthusiasts to pick a date for their event thus, resulting in a calender ( if we had had a calender in the 70's, i think the face of northern soul would have irrevocably changed at a faster pace and tunes would doubtlessly have been discovered even quicker to fuel the market )...as you said, and has been said since time in memorium this has seen a multitude of people jumping on the tide of enthusiasm for finding a niche venue and town that has not been previously exposed and the wannabee djs a chance to stand in front of stage and play their brand of what it takes to get the dancefloor moving...it ain't necessarily the 500 either, though on the whole, the newer converts will use this as a reference point and you can't blame them for that either as they are only exploring what drove us in the first place.

one thing i have noticed is the marked lack of evidence to suggest promoters attempt to slag off other people's gigs, perhaps that's the realisation that we are already so much older and wiser and it achieves nothing...so like it or not, we're overflowing with beckoning dancefloors and tempting musical differences, promises of great nights out and so much we were too naive to achieve 4 decades ago...wigan casino was a catalyst for igniting the curiosity of folk from all walks of life but the scene now has broadened even greater to encompass the rest of the world and ensure there is never again any talk implosion. negativity is the only thing dwindling.

when i read post-event reports on here, it seems that everyone is busy...i agree it's anybody's fair assumption that attendances are on the slide so,....either people are using artistic license or "dwindle" is in fact a contradiction......and if anything could bear that out, it's the fact that the scene has expanded, not just globally, but largely due to the influx of youngsters in great numbers, who have come to terms with what THIS music offers compared to the dull and mundane alternative ( that's my personal opinion of the outside world, you understand )..no such thing as armageddon for the scene and i'm sticking by that principle,..and that's dispite stating the obvious which is what you & others imply quite innocently and even i agree with...that there are too many...there will be an alternative party who will say there simply can't be enough...that it's a sign of spreading the word, the gospel, the religion..it IS reaching more and more people...this past 2 and a half decades the music has taken a seriously strong foothold in marketing..add to that the snowball effect of mod culture aligned with the northern soul scene and there's something for everyone. also remember...a venue would hold a soul night EVERY WEEK in the 70's, totally implausible decades later.....that very fact was responsible then for driving people away, because they were hearing the same tunes ALL THE TIME so, roll on the 90's and millenium and the new approach was to offer events on a monthly basis, naturally that has allowed other promoters and enthusiasts to pick a date for their event thus, resulting in a calender ( if we had had a calender in the 70's, i think the face of northern soul would have irrevocably changed at a faster pace and tunes would doubtlessly have been discovered even quicker to fuel the market )...as you said, and has been said since time in memorium this has seen a multitude of people jumping on the tide of enthusiasm for finding a niche venue and town that has not been previously exposed and the wannabee djs a chance to stand in front of stage and play their brand of what it takes to get the dancefloor moving...it ain't necessarily the 500 either, though on the whole, the newer converts will use this as a reference point and you can't blame them for that either as they are only exploring what drove us in the first place.

one thing i have noticed is the marked lack of evidence to suggest promoters attempt to slag off other people's gigs, perhaps that's the realisation that we are already so much older and wiser and it achieves nothing...so like it or not, we're overflowing with beckoning dancefloors and tempting musical differences, promises of great nights out and so much we were too naive to achieve 4 decades ago...wigan casino was a catalyst for igniting the curiosity of folk from all walks of life but the scene now has broadened even greater to encompass the rest of the world and ensure there is never again any talk implosion. negativity is the only thing dwindling.

In reply to what you have said ,I'm not tring to be negative I have and still do travel to different areas for soul events Nott's Linc's Derby's York's over the past 40 years & have had some excellent nights out only to see people how run events fall out/desagree and hence start a separate  event running same day! .

In response to new people entering the scene which is great! How many are coming for the Music ,and how many are coming for a night out?,

How many promoter's /Djs care enough what they play & whats been played? We have seen over the last few years the pub & club trade dwindle, which in turn someone say's let's put a soul night on Hence I give you the amount of event's !. Not class nights with Dj's with the records That these's day's we hear rarely because they haven't got it and in some Circomestances don't know, and people on here say let's take the N/soul scene forward I say let reeducate it first. See now you've distracted me from the point I was making about to many events LOL.