A brief intro...
Some may also know me as Aldo Moravcik on Facebook (nothing mysterious about covering myself up there, I just didn't want extended family and work-types being exposed to compromising tales and pics of my misspent youth on the Northern Scene that crop up from time to time .
Well, what to say. I learned to dance to Len Barry - 123 in my bedroom; first niter was Wigan 5th Oldies Anniversary on 15th Feb 1981, second was the 'official' last one in September '81. In between me and my big bro Steve snapped up every possible Northern & Motown compilations we could get our hands on - which in those days was only the 3 Grapevine LP's and a brilliant Motown 'Mod' compilation. Totally hooked by that point, and under the guidance of peers who were dedicated 'newies' men, Clifton Hall became the go-to venue. Then Stafford TOTW. Steve and I started the Right Track Soul Club (I know, I know...) for all dayers at The Crown Hotel in Thornton, Fife. Niters followed, with a policy of promoting a much 60's, 70's/Modern newies we could get away with, a decision that set us on a collision course with what was essentially an oldies-orientated crowd in Scotland, and ensured every single promotion we staged would be frought with the fear we wouldn't get enough bodies in to cover costs. The Crown Hotel niters were born to self destruct - a function suite, surrounded by homes in a tiny village was never going to last, so after enticing Rob Smith, Tony Clayton, Gary Rushbrooke, Chris Plant, Dave Thorley, Keb and, for his Scottish debut, Guy Hennigan to grace the decks, the Council pulled the plug. A couple of niters were held in the Exit Centre in Glenrothes - one of which was covered in a Stuart Cosgrove feature in Echoes in '85 - before we moved to our new home at Glenrothes YMCA., and our newer, much cooler Solid Hit Soul Club, complete with pale blue plastic membership cards. We ran niters there for a couple of years until it was kiboshed by the inevitable police/Council intervention.
I started collecting very early on, then dj'ing warm up spots at The Crown. Because of the good taste of our Edinburgh & Tranent peers, I was as at home with 60's oldies as with brand new US indie releases, but was and am still proud to be a Capo of sorts in the New 60's Mafia. I dj'd pretty much everywhere in Scotland for about 10 years from the early 80's, including all but 2 of the much loved Allanton niters, and a few guest spots in England, including various 100 Club forays, Keb's first wedding, and a residency downstairs at Leicester Oddfellows for a year (more often than not when Keb was on in the main room, frustratingly), the highlight of which was doing 12- 1 in the Main Room at a Christmas niter, just before Gary Rushbrooke came on. Gary was the first DJ whose records I could identify him by, kind of a first DJ hero, and he stood with me at the decks for most of the hour, being supportive with wee words of encouragement. I finished with The Inticers - Since You Left and he said something incredibly complimentary on the hand over that I immediately forgot and regretted not asking him to repeat! The other real highlight was playing the upstairs attic room in Stafford at a TOTW anniversary: I didn't deserve it - I was strictly B-List as a newies DJ - but I think being invited to play was a recognition from Dave of the missionary work we were doing in Scotland, spreading the newies gospel, and a wee thank you for our support of Stafford.
Allanton's demise in the early 90's was a hammer blow. It had become widely acknowledged at the No.1 All Nighter on the scene: I mean no disrespect to the venerable 100 Club in saying that, but the 100 Club just seemed to trundle along, ploughing it's own furrow; always reliable but not so often thrilling, where as Allanton was a blast; an event worth looking forward to, every single time. Being so involved in it and so close to promoter Jim O'Hara, it closing knocked the heart right out of me. Plus I had just started going out with a girl who lived in London at the time, a gal not on the scene, so I just kinda drifted off. It should be said the lure of exciting new electronic music coming out of black America, the exciting clubs it was played in and the accompanying, highly exciting pharmaceuticals played a significant role at this juncture *ahem*
To be continued...
