Isn't it heartening to know that the large salaries paid to journalists, ensures well researched, accurate and unbiased reporting?

Lorraine

The Observer

From the Observer Music Monthly - Sunday 20th May 2007

No. 45 Page 5, Second to last paragraph

Article Title: Sounding Off

By Miranda Sawyer

https://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,2080673,00.html

"Have you ever been to a northern soul night? Not the proper Wigan sweatathons, but the smaller, muso ones held above London pubs, or in small church halls. There you find grown men, sitting round the edge of the room, nursing their pints and weeping, gently, on to their suede loafers. They wouldn't dream of dancing. It would ruin their appreciation of the music and could crease a shirt.

But let's ignore such blithering idiots and throw ourselves, whole-heartedly and arhythmically, into the Return of Rave."

OMG speechless

Brainless.

Beyond belief.

Beyond belief.

Shame she cannot be contacted but I couldn't find anyway of doing it through their site.

If someone finds a contact e-mail for her or her editor please paste the link up on here.

It would be fun to bombard her with our thoughts on the subject....

from a non bear drinking woman...

[quote from a non bear drinking woman...

[quote from a non bear drinking woman...

Whats a bear drinking woman Sian?

i got an idea but if you want to change your mind

"Have you ever been to a northern soul night? Not the proper Wigan sweatathons, but the smaller, muso ones held above London pubs, or in small church halls. There you find grown men, sitting round the edge of the room, nursing their pints and weeping, gently, on to their suede loafers. They wouldn't dream of dancing. It would ruin their appreciation of the music and could crease a shirt.

But let's ignore such blithering idiots and throw ourselves, whole-heartedly and arhythmically, into the Return of Rave."

Sounds about right

WHAT???

[quote from a non bear drinking woman...

Whats a bear drinking woman Sian?

....oops...

It's the Warwickshire bear of course....

Suede Loafers

Shame she cannot be contacted but I couldn't find anyway of doing it through their site.

If someone finds a contact e-mail for her or her editor please paste the link up on here.

It would be fun to bombard her with our thoughts on the subject....

from a non bear drinking woman...

The Editors name is Casper Llewellyn Smith

The email address for the mag is

omm@observer.co.uk

Telephone number 020 7713 4797

I suspect that by putting the editors name infront of the @observer.co.uk it would get through directly to him.

GO FOR IT

Lorraine

The whole write up, just seems to me, to be complete and utter b*ll**ks! As for northern soul events above London pubs, that I took to mean Solid Hit (upstairs @ O'Neills), the dancefloor is always busy, or perhaps Stuart, Gene, Dave and company should start playing the Chemical Brothers.

If anyone can be arsed to dash off a few short lines, this is the blurb for their 'letters' column.

I did

Write to us Letters, which may be edited, should include a full name and postal address and be sent to: Letters to the Editor, The Observer, 3-7 Herbal Hill, London EC1R 5EJ (to be received by noon Thursday). Fax: 020 7837 7817. Email: letters@observer.co.uk (please insert Letters to the Editor in subject field).

just to follow that up - I got an automated reply saying blah blah blah and that my email would be forwarded to to the relevant journo.......so hopefully she'll get to read any emails, even if they're not published.

Hilarious !

Well what more do one expect from the jumped up luvvies who try and desperately fail to be oh so trendy as according to the so called style bibles.....one thing about Norhern soul...is that the rules were dictated by its patrons,.that is why it went above most of the mainstream's head,...that is whhy the mainstream sought to ridicule....this was all well and good in the past....but in these days of easy internet information..there is absolutely no place for it apart from ignorance and a sad desire to still be percieved as hip and happening......Delxxx

Moving to All About The Soul.

I've e-mailed them too but put it FAO Mr LLewellyn Smith

I didn't get an automated reply....mine wasn't as important...

Topics merged.

"The one great thing about raving is that it isn't cool".

And they think that's a great thing?

They don't know do they? Or should I say, they just don't know ...

i mentioned this on EMS on Sunday night, I wrote in Sunday afternoon straight after reading it, not that they'll print it, but if i win any HMV vouchers i'm going to buy Miranda some Kent CD's. the correct address to mail is omm@observer.co.uk which someone has mentioned above, mail 'em so they get the message.

cheers Sutty

Edited May 23, 200717 yr by Sutty

Thanks for the timely reminder as to why I don't waste my money (and time) on "The Observer" ......I'd rather watch paint dry than be wound up by some second rate know nought psuedo-journalist

Wheres soulfulsaint these days ?

The general view seems to be that these peoples opinions don't count, and are ( and I agree here) worthless. Why do people get so worked up ?

The suede loafers must be a London thing though Dave. Andy BB ?

you don't have to get worked up about it, but there is a response address you can mail to point out she is wrong?

Edited May 22, 200717 yr by Sutty

Miranda Sawyer has been talking bollocks disguised as music journalism for twenty years...she's the prime example of someone with a fragmented knowledge of a subject who's manages to blag her way to success...

Any decent music magazine wouldn't bother with her but the OMM is very poor..

Edited May 22, 200717 yr by Reg

Miranda Sawyer has been talking bollocks disguised as music journalism for twenty years...she's the prime example of someone with a fragmented knowledge of a subject who's manages to blag her way to success...

Any decent music magazine wouldn't bother with her but the OMM is very poor..

Hmm. not sure I agree with that, or at least its a bit harsh. Her early writing I thought was pretty good, and although I agree her depth of knowledge did not match the experts (should/can a journalist ever be an expert on everything they write about?). I used to always think she at least was young enough to not only understand the youth culture she was writing about, unlike most other observers (clubland stuff here I mean) she was also living the lifestyle and therefore had a bit more right to comment. Certainly some of her more mature writing, on other than music, has shown signs of talent I would suggest.

However that was then, looks like she has joined in the easier to guess than find out brigade of journalism in this case, however I think the more interesting point here is who cares, do we really even care what the Observer says, oh yes thats right we do.,

How many people moaning about her coverage voted media coverage would be a good thing in recent poll!! Ms Sawyer sums up why it is not far better than anyone in that debate did.

Cant wait for my fish and chips tomorrow!!

Hmm. not sure I agree with that, or at least its a bit harsh. Her early writing I thought was pretty good, and although I agree her depth of knowledge did not match the experts (should/can a journalist ever be an expert on everything they write about?). I used to always think she at least was young enough to not only understand the youth culture she was writing about, unlike most other observers (clubland stuff here I mean) she was also living the lifestyle and therefore had a bit more right to comment. Certainly some of her more mature writing, on other than music, has shown signs of talent I would suggest.

However that was then, looks like she has joined in the easier to guess than find out brigade of journalism in this case, however I think the more interesting point here is who cares, do we really even care what the Observer says, oh yes thats right we do.,

How many people moaning about her coverage voted media coverage would be a good thing in recent poll!! Ms Sawyer sums up why it is not far better than anyone in that debate did.

Cant wait for my fish and chips tomorrow!!

Isn't that copyright Neil Warnock Jocko ?

I just had to rummage around in my recycling bin to retrieve O.M.M which is strange really considering I had already 'read' it on Sunday. Ms Sawyer's articles are often so tedious to read that I had employed my usual trick of speed-reading anything penned by her. Consequently, my quick scan did not even register any references to Northern!

Thank you for bringing it to my (in)attention!

Well what more do one expect from the jumped up luvvies who try and desperately fail to be oh so trendy as according to the so called style bibles.....one thing about Norhern soul...is that the rules were dictated by its patrons,.that is why it went above most of the mainstream's head,...that is whhy the mainstream sought to ridicule....this was all well and good in the past....but in these days of easy internet information..there is absolutely no place for it apart from ignorance and a sad desire to still be percieved as hip and happening......Delxxx

HERE HERE DEL.... My thoughts exactly

my my what a strange lady she must wake up with cartoons running in her head writing utter shit like that

Isn't it heartening to know that the large salaries paid to journalists, ensures well researched, accurate and unbiased reporting?

Lorraine

The Observer

From the Observer Music Monthly - Sunday 20th May 2007

No. 45 Page 5, Second to last paragraph

Article Title: Sounding Off

By Miranda Sawyer

https://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,2080673,00.html

"Have you ever been to a northern soul night? Not the proper Wigan sweatathons, but the smaller, muso ones held above London pubs, or in small church halls. There you find grown men, sitting round the edge of the room, nursing their pints and weeping, gently, on to their suede loafers. They wouldn't dream of dancing. It would ruin their appreciation of the music and could crease a shirt.

But let's ignore such blithering idiots and throw ourselves, whole-heartedly and arhythmically, into the Return of Rave."

It would be more fitting / appropriate , if the author of this article threw herself into the path of a bus .....

Malc Burton

The general view seems to be that these peoples opinions don't count, and are ( and I agree here) worthless. Why do people get so worked up ?

The suede loafers must be a London thing though Dave. Andy BB ?

I have got a pair of nice suede desert boots *.....

That must be a Yorkshire thing ......

( * No - they are not the part of the uniform that I was given whilst fighting in the desert with monty in WWII ..... )

Malc Burton

Edited May 23, 200717 yr by Malc Burton

And to think some people on here actually think having Northern Soul in the media is a GOOD thing??

And to think some people on here actually think having Northern Soul in the media is a GOOD thing??

Well said that man.

And to think some people on here actually think having Northern Soul in the media is a GOOD thing??

Well pointed out Mr Gibbs.

Another point - Do you think that writing angry missives to the editor of OMM about a relatively inoffensive and not wholly inaccurate piece in OMM is going to do anything? Other than generate more opportunities for Ms Sawyer to make money?

God forbid that she ever comes onto this site for 'research' and sees the Photo Gallery!

This disproves the saying that any publicity is good publicity.

I too will do an email to the editor of this magazine, but after I've popped out to get my suede loafers. By the way are the middle aged men weeping because of the prices of the records they want?

This disproves the saying that any publicity is good publicity.

I too will do an email to the editor of this magazine, but after I've popped out to get my suede loafers. By the way are the middle aged men weeping because of the prices of the records they want?

I was weeping because I tried to do the splits on Saturday, and the two lumps in my throat afterwards werent as big as I thought they'd be.

Sweeney, I would assume that the editor sees a bunch of emails on an article, for or against, and pays the journo a little bonus, and employs her to stir up more controversy.

How else would TV programs like Big Brother get another series?

I was weeping because I tried to do the splits on Saturday, and the two lumps in my throat afterwards werent as big as I thought they'd be.

Sweeney, I would assume that the editor sees a bunch of emails on an article, for or against, and pays the journo a little bonus, and employs her to stir up more controversy.

How else would TV programs like Big Brother get another series?

I can indeed imagine a scenario where the Editor says "blimey Miranda, we've had x amount of irate e-mails about your last piece which briefly touched on the bizarre cult of Northern Soul. Who are these nutters? Would you like to do a full-blown piece on the subject?" God help us all.

a relatively inoffensive and not wholly inaccurate piece

Not easily offended then?

What parts of the article did you think were accurate?

Not easily offended then?

What parts of the article did you think were accurate?

I said not wholly inaccurate. It's hardly a full-blown scathing attack on the integrity of the Rare Soul scene is it?

It's a single paragraph taken out of context in an article about something completely different.

Who's to say that she hasn't attended a London-based night playing Rare Soul where she witnessed such sights?

SMERSH for instance (venue for George Jackson & A New Chapter plus a couple of others whose name I can't recall) actually had a policy that banned dancing for licensing reasons.

Yes, there are probably sweeping generalisations in that brief eighty or so words, but I think people are over-reacting a tad.

And I've been called far worse things than a blithering idiot.

I can indeed imagine a scenario where the Editor says "blimey Miranda, we've had x amount of irate e-mails about your last piece which briefly touched on the bizarre cult of Northern Soul. Who are these nutters? Would you like to do a full-blown piece on the subject?" God help us all.

For Pete's sake guys........it's one paragraph in an otherwise rambling, smug, smart -arse piece. Take it for what it is - a bit of incompetent journalism in a little-read part of a little-read publication.

Don't take the bait - otherwise she might be tempted to go out and find a crap NS venue in a pub or a club where a few beer-gutted middle-aged "experts" sit around nodding and harking back to the good old days.

Let's be honest, there are places like that.........

Isn't it heartening to know that the large salaries paid to journalists, ensures well researched, accurate and unbiased reporting?

Lorraine

The Observer

From the Observer Music Monthly - Sunday 20th May 2007

No. 45 Page 5, Second to last paragraph

Article Title: Sounding Off

By Miranda Sawyer

https://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,2080673,00.html

"Have you ever been to a northern soul night? Not the proper Wigan sweatathons, but the smaller, muso ones held above London pubs, or in small church halls. There you find grown men, sitting round the edge of the room, nursing their pints and weeping, gently, on to their suede loafers. They wouldn't dream of dancing. It would ruin their appreciation of the music and could crease a shirt.

But let's ignore such blithering idiots and throw ourselves, whole-heartedly and arhythmically, into the Return of Rave."

I have an email contact for her brother Tom

I said not wholly inaccurate. It's hardly a full-blown scathing attack on the integrity of the Rare Soul scene is it?

It's a single paragraph taken out of context in an article about something completely different.

Who's to say that she hasn't attended a London-based night playing Rare Soul where she witnessed such sights?

SMERSH for instance (venue for George Jackson & A New Chapter plus a couple of others whose name I can't recall) actually had a policy that banned dancing for licensing reasons.

Yes, there are probably sweeping generalisations in that brief eighty or so words, but I think people are over-reacting a tad.

And I've been called far worse things than a blithering idiot.

I think we do need to put these comments into context....

The whole write up, just seems to me, to be complete and utter b*ll**ks! As for northern soul events above London pubs, that I took to mean Solid Hit (upstairs @ O'Neills), the dancefloor is always busy, or perhaps Stuart, Gene, Dave and company should start playing the Chemical Brothers.

TOS was downstairs under a pub....does that count? And there could have been a few Chemical Brothers or Sisters on the floor making shapes - but it was hard to tell. It was always very dark Jo

The general view seems to be that these peoples opinions don't count, and are ( and I agree here) worthless. Why do people get so worked up ?

The suede loafers must be a London thing though Dave. Andy BB ?

Could be!

I remember seeing her and her Shoreditch twit mates at The Old Blue Last when I lived on Old St.

That very London Boozer of course used to host a Northern Soul do upstairs...

I was almost certainly wearing suede loafers

Edit: Actually they would have been cord loafers, and there was no dancefloor upstairs in the OBL, it was all carpet so we couldn't dance. And we may have been crying at the quality of the lager. Still, it was always a great night.

Edited May 23, 200717 yr by Andy BB

Could be!

I remember seeing her and her Shoreditch twit mates at The Old Blue Last when I lived on Old St.

That very London Boozer of course used to host a Northern Soul do upstairs...

I was almost certainly wearing suede loafers

Edit: Actually they would have been cord loafers, and there was no dancefloor upstairs in the OBL, it was all carpet so we couldn't dance. And we may have been crying at the quality of the lager. Still, it was always a great night.

She obviously wasnt there the night Janet 'improvised' and threw down a door from a nearby skip, covered it in talc, and danced for 3 hours.

She obviously wasnt there the night Janet 'improvised' and threw down a door from a nearby skip, covered it in talc, and danced for 3 hours.

I can vaguely remember her putting something down on the carpet there, was it a door? So long ago now.

I remember Janet changing her outfit 7 times at the Soul In The City all dayer at the place used by the Valatone, St Aloysius hall or something.

Oh happy days!

Aw come on folks.

Who gives a fcuk.

every time "they" try to say something they get it wrong.

Thank Christ for Art school arseholes sez I, keeps the Culture Vultures away!

(now wheres my copy of The Snake??)

Tony

Edited May 23, 200717 yr by tonyp

She appears to have a bit of a thing about Northern.

She signs off this article ( https://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,1733300,00.html )

as follows

"Good formats don't die, despite manufacturers' best intentions. We might all be surfing the net, but some of us are looking for rare northern soul singles."

In this article she writes of Stuart Maccaroni

"I don't know if he dances any more. He likes walking in the Lake District, so maybe he drops a few yomp-friendly northern soul moves atop Scafell Pike."

( https://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,2062686,00.html )

Bored as I am I've also identified the potential cause of her change of heart. She's a journo, she'll Google herself it's a dead cert.

She will have found this line on a Northern Soul forum

"he's always on those shit 'ultra short term nostalgia' TV shows, talking about the '70s, spacehoppers, lava lamps etc etc ad nauseum. Him and that Miranda Sawyer. Who the f*ck are these people, anyway?"

( https://northernsoul.proboards37.com/index....9414&page=4 )

So there you have it. She likes to namedrop Northern, someone slagged her off. She hates Northern.

For God's sake don't let her come to a do.