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When Wigan Died


Barry

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Not till next year, started going at 15 :(

QoFxx

As the majority of us did.

You loved it, I loved it and in the cold light of (my) day, nowt can, or will ever be able to come near it.

A statement that will no doubt cause some ire amongst others but I've been here, there and every bastard where - week in and week out ever since, both here and abroad....and nothing comes near.

That is, in my opinion.

And you can't argue (with me that is) with that. :D

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I can and I will, it was good at the time, but we were kids. I have been to far better venues since , all be it smaller venues, but I think the scene is far better now than it was then. Just IMHO.

QoFxx

And I wll never argue with your HO - cos I can't - you will always - ALWAYS - be right - and I respect that.

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Was it early '80 maybe?

Prob 200 outside, obviously not enough to warrant the opening (and staffing) of the whole venue.

Just M's open - nobody ever seems to mention this period.

It was the Friday after the 7th anniversary. A bit of a dissapointment after a train journey from Lincoln.

I remember a few dead Saturday's as well. They tried to revive it with the "500th All nighter" thing.

Music was great though. Remember buying the Dells "your song" in the record bar at this time. A recent release and a big sound. Some great 60s stuff around as well but don't mention the Seeds "pushing too hard" :D .

Regards Alan

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Guest Scarborosoul

At the end of the day, it didnt die until the "Last ever all-nighter" that then became the "penultimate" all-nighter!!!!

What a fcuk up and a blatent rip off. Thank dog by that time i was in the Army and missed all that shyte!!

As said earlier though no where like it FOOKIN MAGIC!!

RICK

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It was the Friday after the 7th anniversary. A bit of a dissapointment after a train journey from Lincoln.

I remember a few dead Saturday's as well. They tried to revive it with the "500th All nighter" thing.

Music was great though. Remember buying the Dells "your song" in the record bar at this time. A recent release and a big sound. Some great 60s stuff around as well but don't mention the Seeds "pushing too hard" ohmy.gif .

Regards Alan

Not suprising some nighters were poorly supported,lets not forget they were putting on 7 nighters a month some months-Not so much milking the cow but cutting it throat.Plain greed. :D

Add to that the competition (mainly the Fleet & Yate in early 1980 ) & hey presto an empty Casino.

Still the best I ever went to on its night though. :thumbup:

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Guest whippet

Mr Smith I have to agree with you there were better places than Wigan. It was good in its day but never moved on, thats why Cleethorpes was so much better. I thought that and the Wirrina when it first started were mega. St Ives was good too and although I only went to Yate afew times I loved it. Wigan was very old hat by then.

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Mr Smith I have to agree with you there were better places than Wigan. It was good in its day but never moved on, thats why Cleethorpes was so much better. I thought that and the Wirrina when it first started were mega. St Ives was good too and although I only went to Yate afew times I loved it. Wigan was very old hat by then.

Never really liked the Wirrina much,but didn't do a Wirinna nighter untill 77 so missed the original nighters from before KC's days.Were they in the same hall ?

Edited by martyn
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Never really liked the Wirrina much,but didn't do a Wirinna nighter untill 77 so missed the original nighters from before KC's days.Were they in the same hall ?

The P'boro Wirrina Ballroom(not the Gym) was fantsatic for 18 months from early 1975...then Mindham got greedy and went for numbers, Ken Cox followed, tne opening of the big sports hall killed off what could have been a great nighter.

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At the end of the day, it didnt die until the "Last ever all-nighter" that then became the "penultimate" all-nighter!!!!

What a fcuk up and a blatent rip off. Thank dog by that time i was in the Army and missed all that shyte!!

As said earlier though no where like it FOOKIN MAGIC!!

RICK

======

im so glad they did the 'extra' nights as the end of an era was my first niter and allowed me another 2 nights at this fab venue!

26 years of niters later - none have come as close atmospherewise!

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The P'boro Wirrina Ballroom(not the Gym) was fantsatic for 18 months from early 1975...then Mindham got greedy and went for numbers, Ken Cox followed, tne opening of the big sports hall killed off what could have been a great nighter.

I thought as much, I only went to the sports hall ones. Not good,especially as an intended substitute for St Ives :lol:

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Mr Smith I have to agree with you there were better places than Wigan. It was good in its day but never moved on, thats why Cleethorpes was so much better. I thought that and the Wirrina when it first started were mega. St Ives was good too and although I only went to Yate afew times I loved it. Wigan was very old hat by then.

Wigan broke more quality sounds than all those other venues put together...and as for not moving on, find a Searling playlist from 80-81 and stand back in amazement at the quality of the newies played.

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Wigan broke more quality sounds than all those other venues put together...and as for not moving on, find a Searling playlist from 80-81 and stand back in amazement at the quality of the newies played.

Would agree with the second part of that statement but definatly not the first part.St Ives,Cleethorpes & Yate were churning out newies that were later incorrectly labled Wigan discoveries. :lol:

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We all have our favorite clubs, and for different reasons. I loved every nite that I went to Wigan. Even to poorly attended saturdays in the last 2 years. But I always felt then and now with hindsight that if you had taken Richard away from Wigan, then the amount of truely new tunes played there over the years would be less by half. Many of the others played a mixture of new, old/re-activated.

Where as I can remember going to The Mecca, both when they were still played northern and later and only knowing 50% of what was played allnite.

Wigan was a monster club, in every respect and should be held in high reguard, but also viewed with an air of reality. The introduction of the Friday Oldies allnighters, caused a casum in the scene similar to The Mecca's move to Jazz Funk/Disco and still affects us today. The club owners took, took and never put much back. The club facilities were shocking, flooded toilets, sticky carpet, ceiling coming down in places. But you still had to love it. :lol:

Edited by Dave Thorley
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But I always felt then and now with hindsight that if you had taken Richard away from Wigan, then the amount of truely new tunes played there over the years would be less by half. Many of the others played a mixture of new, old/re-activated.

Spot on. :lol:

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We all have our favorite clubs, and for different reasons. I loved every nite that I went to Wigan. Even to poorly attended saturdays in the last 2 years. But I always felt then and now with hindsight that if you had taken Richard away from Wigan, then the amount of truely new tunes played there over the years would be less by half. Many of the others played a mixture of new, old/re-activated.

But that applies to every club in history and still happens now. Stafford played the latter day Wigan sounds and the ones that didn't make it first time round as well as it's own tunes.

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But that applies to every club in history and still happens now. Stafford played the latter day Wigan sounds and the ones that didn't make it first time round as well as it's own tunes.

Oh Pete, I know exactly what Stafford was. Alot of tosh is written about the club, it was just the next phase in the northern soul story. But it did have, more like The Mecca a full line up of DJ's that went out of their way to play new tunes. But any good DJ would make sure the dancefloor worked and that meant playing some stuff that got that buzz going again. We were also lucky to have an audience that accepted a less than full floor so that new stuff could be played. If you read reviews of the club of the time many that came expecting another Wigan hated it.

I was just lucky to have some great DJ's, with collective passion at the right time, in a great club.

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I can remember nights around 77 where it was dead outside and worse inside, yet the next weekend and it was a packer, 2 weeks later and it was dead again.

My mate Paul Owen and me arrived outside at around 11.45 one night autumn 77 to find 30/40 people milling about, we never got out of the car, just turned round and headed straight back to North wales, this was before Jan 78 as thats when i joined the forces, and stopped going with the N. Wales crowd and started travelling there with some of my fellow Army mates who hailed from Nottingham area.

I bet loads of us have seen poor nights there and i would bet my house most of us have had the best times of our lives there too !!! :lol: (apart from the night i met my 1st wife lol) :lol:

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I remember going up one night in the car, 80/81 (nick!) & finding the place like a morgue, just a handful of people milling around, unsure if the all-nighter was actually on or not.

the main hall was closed. I think M's was opened out of pity. it was a profoundly depressing night.

there was a guy there with a tache & flat cap called alf (?)

from the notts area, one of those guys that seemed omnipresent at the time. he knew everybody, punters & jocks alike.

we gave him a lift back, I remember him still being 'vocal' in the back seat of nick's capri.

paul d is right about the wirrina ballroom 1976. st.ives was also another cracker, especially in 77.

I wasn't that enamoured of the stuff wigan was breaking back then & I'm sorry, but I still don't like cecil washington to this day. I became verydisenchanted & like many, gravitated towards the west hampstead/100 club scene.

Edited by macca
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Wigan broke more quality sounds than all those other venues put together...and as for not moving on, find a Searling playlist from 80-81 and stand back in amazement at the quality of the newies played.

Bang on - absolutely BANG ON!!

Why is there a need to say 'take Searling out of the equation and it wouldn't have been what it was' - and what Wigan did to a generation (whatever time you spent in the lovely old bugger of a building) - Searling WAS there - and teamed with the other fantastic bastards that made my life worth living ever since, made Wigan summat to shout about.

At what point do people that purport to love this scene begin to have a go at old romantics and their memories, like myself, to say that it wasn't all that?

If you EVER see me have a go at another venue, at a time when the NS scene was inhabited by people who were spurred to travel the country to dance to an incredible form of music, and not just chutzpah about wether their time was better than mine, then ban me.

I've proper got the hump at the mo ( :rolleyes: ), as I'm sure I haven't tried to push my opinions on this scene on anyone else, unlike others - just share my (happy) memories of my beautiful youth - wholly thanks to the N Soul scene.

I know that message boards, in some ways, serve as an egotistical vent within which we can all tell the world what we have done, where we have been, what records we have etc etc - but isn't that why these boards exist, for us to share - you've put in, so why not tell people, they're all the same, we are?

Balls to it! I love Northern, course I do - but f*ck you if you want to get all negative on my arse for telling people about my time.

Yours lovingly,

A low end hierachy Soul Boy, who will still be there when a lot aren't.

ps

I know I'm milking this but I'm not arsed.

Edited by Barry
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keep it going Barry. i've learnt a lot from this board and conversations like this one. i never went, you did. people like you have a story to share...

cheers Greg.

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Bang on - absolutely BANG ON!!

Why is there a need to say 'take Searling out of the equation and it wouldn't have been what it was' - and what Wigan did to a generation (whatever time you spent in the lovely old bugger of a building) - Searling WAS there - and teamed with the other fantastic bastards that made my life worth living ever since, made Wigan summat to shout about.

At what point do people that purport to love this scene begin to have a go at old romantics and their memories, like myself, to say that it wasn't all that?

If you EVER see me have a go at another venue, at a time when the NS scene was inhabited by people who were spurred to travel the country to dance to an incredible form of music, and not just chutzpah about wether their time was better than mine, then ban me.

I've proper got the hump at the mo ( :D ), as I'm sure I haven't tried to push my opinions on this scene on anyone else, unlike others - just share my (happy) memories of my beautiful youth - wholly thanks to the N Soul scene.

I know that message boards, in some ways, serve as an egotistical vent within which we can all tell the world what we have done, where we have been, what records we have etc etc - but isn't that why these boards exist, for us to share - you've put in, so why not tell people, they're all the same, we are?

Balls to it! I love Northern, course I do - but f*ck you if you want to get all negative on my arse for telling people about my time.

Yours lovingly,

A low end hierachy Soul Boy, who will still be there when a lot aren't.

ps

I know I'm milking this but I'm not arsed.

Most of them are just jealous cos they never went.

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Guest Una Scot-Oz

Bang on - absolutely BANG ON!!

Why is there a need to say 'take Searling out of the equation and it wouldn't have been what it was' - and what Wigan did to a generation (whatever time you spent in the lovely old bugger of a building) - Searling WAS there - and teamed with the other fantastic bastards that made my life worth living ever since, made Wigan summat to shout about.

At what point do people that purport to love this scene begin to have a go at old romantics and their memories, like myself, to say that it wasn't all that?

If you EVER see me have a go at another venue, at a time when the NS scene was inhabited by people who were spurred to travel the country to dance to an incredible form of music, and not just chutzpah about wether their time was better than mine, then ban me.

I've proper got the hump at the mo ( :D ), as I'm sure I haven't tried to push my opinions on this scene on anyone else, unlike others - just share my (happy) memories of my beautiful youth - wholly thanks to the N Soul scene.

I know that message boards, in some ways, serve as an egotistical vent within which we can all tell the world what we have done, where we have been, what records we have etc etc - but isn't that why these boards exist, for us to share - you've put in, so why not tell people, they're all the same, we are?

Balls to it! I love Northern, course I do - but f*ck you if you want to get all negative on my arse for telling people about my time.

Yours lovingly,

A low end hierachy Soul Boy, who will still be there when a lot aren't.

ps

I know I'm milking this but I'm not arsed.

I had already gone off travelling just before it ended. It must have been sad to turn up and see it like that. I don't take any notice of put downs either. No-one can tarnish my memory.

"It'll never be over for me"

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Was it early '80 maybe?

Prob 200 outside, obviously not enough to warrant the opening (and staffing) of the whole venue.

Just M's open - nobody ever seems to mention this period.

Bang on - absolutely BANG ON!!

Why is there a need to say 'take Searling out of the equation and it wouldn't have been what it was' - and what Wigan did to a generation (whatever time you spent in the lovely old bugger of a building) - Searling WAS there - and teamed with the other fantastic bastards that made my life worth living ever since, made Wigan summat to shout about.

At what point do people that purport to love this scene begin to have a go at old romantics and their memories, like myself, to say that it wasn't all that?

If you EVER see me have a go at another venue, at a time when the NS scene was inhabited by people who were spurred to travel the country to dance to an incredible form of music, and not just chutzpah about wether their time was better than mine, then ban me.

I've proper got the hump at the mo ( :D ), as I'm sure I haven't tried to push my opinions on this scene on anyone else, unlike others - just share my (happy) memories of my beautiful youth - wholly thanks to the N Soul scene.

I know that message boards, in some ways, serve as an egotistical vent within which we can all tell the world what we have done, where we have been, what records we have etc etc - but isn't that why these boards exist, for us to share - you've put in, so why not tell people, they're all the same, we are?

Balls to it! I love Northern, course I do - but f*ck you if you want to get all negative on my arse for telling people about my time.

Yours lovingly,

A low end hierachy Soul Boy, who will still be there when a lot aren't.

ps

I know I'm milking this but I'm not arsed.

You asked the opening question about a poorly attended time at the Casino, which it was. You asked, when did Wigan die ?. People responded, with their view. On a open forum their will be some that will have a different view to yours, which surely is healthy. But reading the comments none has said it wasn't a great and important club, just that they viewed it differently to you. Whats wrong with that.

Edited by Dave Thorley
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Was it early '80 maybe?

Prob 200 outside, obviously not enough to warrant the opening (and staffing) of the whole venue.

Just M's open - nobody ever seems to mention this period.

You asked the opening question about a poorly attended time at the Casino, which it was. You asked, when did Wigan die ?. People responded, with their view. On a open forum their will be some that will have a different view to yours, which surely is healthy. But reading the comments none has said it wasn't a great and important club, just that they viewed it differently to you. Whats wrong with that.

Dave.

My post 'When Wigan Died' was, I would think, obviously drawn from a period within which I attended The Casino - as I cannot speak about any other period, as I wasn't there.

Again obviously (if you take the time to actually read my opening gambit), my post singularly pointed toward a particular period - early 1980. Correct?

My question wasn't aimed at people who wanted to state that they attended Wigan first and that their period was better than mine :rolleyes: - was it? ....Really?

The view it appears you are referring to in your reply, as it was the only one I took exception to -therefore it can't really be any other?!l - was...

IMHO it died in about mid 1975

from Chrissie - which had absolutely nothing at all to do with my original question.

It was just a personal, if flippant, view by another member at maybe innocently pointing out that for him the Casino died for him at that time - nothing to do with my question - at all.

Me and Chrissie then entered into the age-old message board to's and fro's about whose Dad is the hardest - and at the end of my day, it passes a minute but I don't take it personally, this is how people get their shit out.

On the back of my above explanation, which I think at heart you knew already - your unnecessary reply puzzles me.

I am well aware that people view things differently to me, so please don't condescend.

Again, if I can't innocently post a question without getting involved in a w*nky "I don't really like you as you spout your mouth off when yer pissed" altercation with armchair soulies, then I'll leave you to it.

That was a lie btw - I won't.

Tell me where I went wrong with with this post?

Do you see my original question as anything other than a relevant post that may possibly have garnered responses from other Soulies that attended Wigan at the period I initially spoke about?

That is without the ill positioned dig, that I think you speak about in your reply, that I received?

Edited by Barry
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from Chrissie - which had absolutely nothing at all to do with my original question.

You asked a questions "WHen did Wigan die?" I answered with my opinion which to me does have everything to do with your original question. :ohmy:

It was just a personal, if flippant, view by another member at maybe innocently pointing out that for him the Casino died for him at that time - nothing to do with my question - at all.

and I'm not a him I'm a her :rolleyes:

QoFxx

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the last few casino years

well on the first friday the"oldies" nighter was packed it was the night after that was so empty

around that time id guess 600 in on a saturday night, didnt stop us having a great time and appreciating the music of the time :lol:

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the last few casino years

well on the first friday the"oldies" nighter was packed it was the night after that was so empty

around that time id guess 600 in on a saturday night, didnt stop us having a great time and appreciating the music of the time :lol:

Spot on Toad.

I'm pleased you are, very obviously by that post, one of the lucky ones.

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Was it early '80 maybe?

Prob 200 outside, obviously not enough to warrant the opening (and staffing) of the whole venue.

Just M's open - nobody ever seems to mention this period.

You asked the opening question about a poorly attended time at the Casino, which it was. You asked, when did Wigan die ?. People responded, with their view. On a open forum their will be some that will have a different view to yours, which surely is healthy. But reading the comments none has said it wasn't a great and important club, just that they viewed it differently to you. Whats wrong with that.

Dave - I know that the above post wasn't your initial response to my airtight view, you have edited it - I'm not point scoring, I don't feel the need to, but that's poor.

My Dad would be bigger than yours - but he can't be arsed.

I almost feel like I've wasted a small piece of my life responding to this bobbins but I feel safe in the knowledge that I (thanks to you and Chrissie) have given the lurkers summat to smile at.

Spectrum Is Green.

x

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Guest Scarborosoul

After a bit of thought, The Casino may have gone but it most certainly IS NOT dead!! Just look at the prices for the badges!!!! wish i still had all mine!!

As for the discoveries made at the Casino, it wasnt just RS who made them. Look at the main list of DJs what about the likes of Kenny Spence, Bri Rae or Ste Whittle?? all the Casino Djs have had a massive impact on our scene wether it be good or bad (and the bad ones know who they are) :thumbsup: but i ask how many other Djs from one club have had such an impact??

RICK

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The P'boro Wirrina Ballroom(not the Gym) was fantsatic for 18 months from early 1975...then Mindham got greedy and went for numbers, Ken Cox followed, tne opening of the big sports hall killed off what could have been a great nighter.

gotta agee with ya mate. edwin starr in the small room was top notch. went to 3 in there .all great nighters

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Don't duck it Chrissie, you were wrong, just read the post again and don't babble bobbins.

Yours lovingly; a caring and bullshit free soulie with nothing in his heart but goodness and happy memories.

Love

Baz x

Don't know what your beef is with me you seem to be intent on having a pop at everything I post and what the f*ck does "babble bobbins" mean? I say it how I see it but as I have always said it is only my opinion and I think even I have a right to that on a forum that is based on peoples opinions. I read your initial post again and can't see where I went wrong apart from not agreeing with you. For me Wigan still died in mid 1975. As for you point about happy memories, I have memories of when "I" believe Wigan was at its best but I don't live on my memories I live for the here and now.

QoFxx

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I don't know about Wigan dying in '75. My memory isn't foolproof but I'd guess that '75 was somewhere around the time when 45s really started to get rare and very exclusive and Anderson was supplying Richard first.

Yes there were pop records like the Seeds. Bloody great pop record!!! I heard pop records all over,not only at Wigan. Del-tours,Combinations,Executive IV,John&Wierdest etc were all post'75 weren't they. Perhaps Chrissie explains why these 45s seem to get played now as some didn't hear them at the time.

Some nights it was empty-ish but in the record bar it was always enjoyable and interesting. I know that's not much consolation if you're into the dancing and need a buzzing atmosphere.

When it was empty Richard would play more of what he just got and less to the floor so it was IMO fresher too.

I went to the first night and to the last [several times!!] and I enjoyed every one of them.

ROD

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Guest topcatnumpty1

Got to agree with you Rod--we,re probably talking about 1980--81 ISH the saturday All Nighters after Rotherham Clifton Hall or the IST. Sat of the month ALL Nighter (after the packed Oldies all nighter) when the place was COLD AND VERY QUIET!!! bUT me .you ,Dave Withers,Pete Lawson ,Steve Campbell ,Gilly ,etc. could talk Bollox in the record bar---build pyramids on the dance floor(there was that much room--honest!!) and play tig round the balcony and plan our games of football in the car park at 7.30 --when it got light--and yes R.S. DID PLAY SOME ACE STUFF ON THE QUIET NIGHTS!!

Regards

Tony Coleby

I don't know about Wigan dying in '75. My memory isn't foolproof but I'd guess that '75 was somewhere around the time when 45s really started to get rare and very exclusive and Anderson was supplying Richard first.

Yes there were pop records like the Seeds. Bloody great pop record!!! I heard pop records all over,not only at Wigan. Del-tours,Combinations,Executive IV,John&Wierdest etc were all post'75 weren't they. Perhaps Chrissie explains why these 45s seem to get played now as some didn't hear them at the time.

Some nights it was empty-ish but in the record bar it was always enjoyable and interesting. I know that's not much consolation if you're into the dancing and need a buzzing atmosphere.

When it was empty Richard would play more of what he just got and less to the floor so it was IMO fresher too.

I went to the first night and to the last [several times!!] and I enjoyed every one of them.

ROD

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Guest skorpiano

The Casino was fantastic, there were some great nights, and some bad nights.

But, for me, it was the best all-nighter I ever went to.

No club has ever come close to that true 'soul feeling'.

And that's all I have to say.

Goodnight from Stockholm.

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I have memories of when "I" believe Wigan was at its best but I don't live on my memories I live for the here and now.

I wondered when this one would be trotted out, now Barry is more than capable about sticking up for himself but unlike many others here he is probably too decent and more than a little modest. I think you need to do a little more research about the scene and people before you spout stuff like that. I think you will find that Barry would be considered one of the most forward thinking people among almost all of us on here. I think, and dont want to speak for Barry, all he was doing was respecting the past that allows him to live in the present and look to the future, accuse me of stealing from Aristotle or some such like philosopher with my phraseology!

For me Wigan still died in mid 1975.

And here I would suggest is the crux of the matter, what an absolutely ridiculous statement, Barry wore his heart on his sleeve on this one, most of the rest of us just pissed ourself laughing at your arrogance. Of course we could re-translate this as you went to all nighters for a couple of years before you got bored and then had a 30 YEAR break! Hardly the form to pass judgement on everything that went on in your absence is it. Yes you are right this is a forum and is all about opinions, that doesn't allow you however to re-write history, maybe just think a little before you go spouting off rubbish next time!

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Sorry, it may be a bit selfish of me, but I can't understand anyone slagging down the Casino when it was one of the clubs that paved the way for the scene as it is today and has been for over 30 years. The club was AWESOME! the atmosphere, the people, the music, the dancers, the DJs, the venue, what is there to slag off? maybe I'm out on a limb here, but if it hadn't been for clubs like the Casino, the scene might not be what we know it as today. It and other clubs of that time, were instrumental (no pun intended) in educating and introducing thousands of people to the best music scene in the world ever, FACT!!!

Edited by steveluigi
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