http://BBC News - Meet the young DJs keeping Northern Soul alive https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd11gzqpwyko

An interesting take, don't know if the link works but its on BBC news 

 

Edited June 18, 2024Jun 18 by Mark S

Here's a wortking link

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd11gzqpwyko

I just read this, it's a really annoying piece to be fair. implying racism among people attending NS events and that the NS scene was a protest movement.

She may have got stared at because she was the only person in the room under 50!!! And the point about getting pushbacks for playing new tracks in sets annoys me [they must have been at the local top 500 only doo] as we have people pushing the new releases!!!

More BBC tripe I'm afraid.

The alas casual liberal "victimized" ideology morphed into 'everything paranoia' once again I am afraid. Being 'younger' (born in 1970) and not UK continental (no regular punter) although white face I often felt 'looked down' upon in such secluded from mainstream or commercial 'underground' environments. Such were always my experiences before in other circles too. Meaning to point out that I did not only experienced that in the northern soul arena only but in others circles too. Needing most of the time to be introduced through pairs in order to be 'openly' welcomed faster if ever. Argument Number 1.

Argument Number 2 ; could the ever so growing numbers of young 'wannabe' dee-jays expected to be 'regarded' on the simple fact that they 'bring' a so called "fresh" light to it as opposed to 'old'N'dusty' sods sounds be a legitimate argument ? Not in my book. It's wrong as it is caricatural lacking humility. Hence the reporter's title for that chronicle 'Meet the Young DJs keeping the Northern Soul alive'. How's that not presumptuous ? As it was agonizing until they... IMO once again that old worthless debate. Hopefully it's not all 'black or white' and / or caricatural even if it can be that bad either ways sometimes.

Edited June 18, 2024Jun 18 by Tlscapital

😂 Just another click bait article about another student night playing northern off boots and USBs who don’t travel or care about the scene. 

These articles never seem to come across well , good luck to the those being interviewed with their events. But I have never known any racism while on the scene and I'm positive my black friends havent ...Black, Brown, White, Pink or Yellow it dont matter on this scene  in fact it would not be tolerated! Neither does it how anyone dances. The staring is more than likely to be a side effect of the gear or beer... It seems certain factions of the youngsters have isolated themselves setting their own separate scenes, we all mixed in together and learned the game as we went along.

On 18/06/2024 at 08:06, Mark S said:

http://BBC News - Meet the young DJs keeping Northern Soul alive https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd11gzqpwyko

An interesting take, don't know if the link works but its on BBC news 

 

Interesting piece though this bit sounds like a load of bollocks to me:

Quote

"I always felt very excluded in traditional Northern Soul spaces, it's built off black and brown music... [at some events] I'd get loads of hassle and stares, obviously I’m a brown woman," Greta said.

I mean, if she wants to introduce race into it - and it does seem to have to be introduced in a lot of places these days, goodness knows why - it's built off black music, not 'black and brown music' (if brown means, as I think it does here, Asian). But either way is it likely that she'd get 'hassle and stares' an a northern event? I've never seen that.

Edited June 19, 2024Jun 19 by Paraboliccurve

19 hours ago, Emjaygee said:

I just read this, it's a really annoying piece to be fair. implying racism among people attending NS events and that the NS scene was a protest movement.

She may have got stared at because she was the only person in the room under 50!!! And the point about getting pushbacks for playing new tracks in sets annoys me [they must have been at the local top 500 only doo] as we have people pushing the new releases!!!

More BBC tripe I'm afraid.

+1

In my younger days, NS was for me about getting off my tits and dancing all night to the greatest music ever made, and not much more.

Then it became about the above + collecting and listening to the records, and then it became just about collecting and listening to the records.

I don't think I ever knew anyone who saw it as 'a protest movement'.

 

9 minutes ago, Paraboliccurve said:

Interesting piece though this bit sounds like a load of bollocks to me:

I mean, if she wants to introduce race into it - and it does seem to have to be introduced in a lot of places these days, goodness knows why - it's built off black music, not 'black and brown music' (if brown means, as I think it does here, Asian). But either way is it likely that she'd get 'hassle and stares' an a northern event? I've never seen that.

Brown as in the USA's refers to Mexicans and Latinos in the general broad sense of it. European and Caribbean migrants alike. Meaning I guess as I'm not in 'hip' to such today 'woke' language if ever...

Edited June 19, 2024Jun 19 by Tlscapital

1 hour ago, Tlscapital said:

Brown as in the USA's refers to Mexicans and Latinos in the general broad sense of it. European and Caribbean migrants alike. Meaning I guess as I'm not in 'hip' to such today 'woke' language if ever...

I dunno what she meant tbf - she's obviously got Indian heritage herself (Kaur being a Sikh or Hindu name), and that's great, nice to see people of all sorts getting into soul. But let's not pretend that the scene was built on anything other than black music - sure, there's a bit of latin soul, and The Embers and a few others want a word as well for that matter, but to my ears she's just (possibly reflexively) importing modern bullshit politics into a place where it's not needed, nor appropriate. I'd love it if people would just give it a rest.

What a load of bollocks!! Makes me cringe all this crap! Why people especially younger crowd have to run to media groups and publicise their part on this scene.. as for the funny looks and hassle like Andy said might be more to it.. or she dances round like a friggin loony.. have we found the soul scenes meghan markel ? 🤔

The idea of making Northern soul accessible to people that might not be into the genre puzzles me  and I can't help but find the  narative a bit sad and a reflection of a lost generation that has no identity. 

The protest bit got me, the scene for me in the early days  was just an evolution of working class culture from Skinhead/Suedehead to Soulboy no protest movement just seamless unconscious change. 

There is an uncomfortable hint that the scene is racist and this shows a lack of understanding . My black mates at the time wouldn't be seen at a Nothern soul event to them the music was old fashioned many preferred Reggae or Funk. 

Don't think in 50 odd years time it will have had the same impact on their lives as it has on many of ours a shame really for a lost generation. 

 

Edited June 19, 2024Jun 19 by Mark S

Read this article this morning and it just made me feel really disheartened for so many reasons, some of which have been mentioned above. Personally i loathe the BBC (all that ‘Auntie’ horsesh*t grinds my gears) and would like to see the conniving, insidious, corporation shut down, again for many reasons. 

Edited June 19, 2024Jun 19 by Corbett80

12 hours ago, Mark S said:

The idea of making Northern soul accessible to people that might not be into the genre puzzles me  and I can't help but find the  narative a bit sad and a reflection of a lost generation that has no identity. 

The protest bit got me, the scene for me in the early days  was just an evolution of working class culture from Skinhead/Suedehead to Soulboy no protest movement just seamless unconscious change. 

There is an uncomfortable hint that the scene is racist and this shows a lack of understanding . My black mates at the time wouldn't be seen at a Nothern soul event to them the music was old fashioned many preferred Reggae or Funk. 

Don't think in 50 odd years time it will have had the same impact on their lives as it has on many of ours a shame really for a lost generation. 

 

I think your first paragraph hit the nail on the head.

I am fine with what they had to say personally, and we have to remember that "the scene" means different things to different people and everyone has their own views. Just think of how many probably hundreds of thousands have "tried" northern soul over the last six decades and given up on it because (for whatever reason) it wasn't for them.

As for "fresh and inviting for young people", most of these people have limited funds available to them (young and often burdened with huge student debts) and are not going to travel long distances to go to events largely populated with people old enough to be their grand parents, so good luck to them with their club and endeavours. 

It's just a different perspective, but easy enough to live with in the current world environment. 

Edited June 20, 2024Jun 20 by Steve G