Geoff

Really excellent event. Got there just after Carl and Maria's first set due to slight problem with train. They mixed some unknown tracks (at least to me) with some better known tunes. Was very pleased to hear the Allen Sisters' I'm In With The Downtown Crowd, one of my favourite CSC records. Good to know I can still dance to a fast tune. Ended their set with Reggie Alexander's It's Better, another one you don't hear that often. My 100 Club friend Sean Towers followed them and played some fine tunes, loved to hear Idris Muhammad's I'm A Believer. Well done Sean. Nice chat with your better half. Later the Willinghams returned and played more well known records, e.g. Love Finds A Way, Stop Ovelooking Me, my request for Count The Days, etc. A very entertaining set. Embarrassingly can't remember the name of the guy who followed them but he played a good mix of both 60s and 70s. Didn't stay too late, still a bit tired after my holiday, the time difference has made me tired. Soul Giant is shaping up to be an event that can't be missed. Not one of the run of the mill classic oldies' do's. Well done to Brian who runs it. Don't miss it.

What is the nearest station to this event please?

I did wonder what the turnout for last night's 100 Club would be as the previous month had been comparatively quiet. However last night was busy I'm happy to report. Whether it was to support the three regular attendees who were doing guest DJ sets I don't know, quite a few faces down there that I'd not seen before. I'd planned to pop in the Blue Post first but my travel plans went awry and I arrived outside the club just gone 11 pm. I must have an honest face because the bouncers didn't check my bag, accepted my assurance that I had no talc and let me in. Rolly and Garry were a bit late due to transport difficulties so Faye was doing the honours taking the money, selling the anniversary tickets and even stamping the backs of our hands. Then down the stairs, past the cloakroom and into the club. Very dark with Ady on the decks. Time to dump my bag and change my shoes as my friends began to arrive. Emma was there before me but was followed by Suzy, Paul and Bev, Craig, etc. At about 11.30 Ady handed over to Tomas McGrath. By that time there were several people dancing and my first foray on to the floor was to the Natural Four's I Thought You Were Mine, not sure if it was Ady's last play or Tomas's first. He played a mainly Northern set including What Is This by Curtis Liggins, but also a couple of Latin tunes. A good mix to get things going. At midnight the first guest Colin Innocenti took over. His set was mainly 60s and he soon had me back on the dance floor to one of my favourite oldies Love Is The Only Answer by Kelly Garrett, yes it's a bit poppy but a great dance tune. He kept the tempo up, Two People's Leave My Heart Alone, great record but a bit fast for me these days. Butch followed Colin and got me out again with his Chuck Jackson cover up and followed it with the Precisions' My Sense Of Direction Is Blown. As usual Butch kept the pace up and the floor busy. One I'd not heard before was by Ann Peebles but I didn't catch the title, a dancey track. He also played Kiss Me Girl On Your Way Out, don't know who sings it, firsts heard it at Cleethorpes. As is often the case Ady followed Butch and included some current and some old favourites. For example What's That On Your Finger, Your Little Sister, and more recent ones such as I'm Not Afraid, Voodoo Mademoiselle, Can't Shake It, I Wanna Be Good To You, thanks for playing that one, Holly Maxwell acetate Three Strikes And You're Out, and many others. The floor was full. Next up was another regular Lee “Buey” Buers hitting the decks. He played a mixed set that kept the dancers happy. Nice to hear Tony Fox with Love, Let Love And Be Loved, haven't heard that out for a long time, also Movin' With A Groove and Date With The Rain. Lee ended his set with my favourite 60s Marvin Gaye song, When I Had Your Love. Time for the second set from Tomas who started off in the 60s but later moved into more Modern territory. For the former he included Celeste Hardy's You're Gone which has recently sold for quite a large amount, well out of my range then. He went into a sort of disco mode with I Love Music which had me on my feet and followed with other Modern Soul tracks, nicely mixed I must add. Butch was on for his second set after Tomas, started off with a few sides that I didn't know at all or didn't know title, artiste, etc. However later I recognised What's Your Game, Eye For An Eye, Just Can't Please You, the Shades' Hit It. My favourite of his set was the penultimate one, a Brenda Holloway acetate, think it's called You Succeeded. A great medium tempo song, only heard it once before when he played it at Spirit. Then it was the final guest regular, Garry Cotterell, who'd had a rather difficult journey due to his train being full and impossible to board, so he and Rolly had to drive to London. Well worth it though. Garry mixed the sounds, got me out for Teacher Man, Bull's Bygones, the Debonaires' How's Your New Love Treating You and ended with the lovely I Need Your Love by Ella Woods. The final 45 minutes were as usual handled by Ady himself. A nice mix of oldies were played, What Shall I Do (with the spoken intro), One In A Million (think it was a different take), Kissing Her And Crying For You, etc. Then a slight slowing down of the tempo with Don't Tear Me Down, This Is The Thanks I Get, Lonely Girl and finally for the “3 before 6”: Tony Clarke's The Entertainer (one of my old Mod favourites from my youth), Marva Josie's Don't (grown on me this one) and of course Baby I Need Your Loving, still a fantastic record after all those years. To the sound of That's What Mama Say it was time to pack up and say farewell after Tony Smith had taken the usual 6 am photo. I rushed off then to get to Oxford Circus for a tube to get a connection at Finsbury Park. I got indoors at 7,30 which is pretty good. One of the nice things about the 100 Club is the people who attend, so many of my friends there. I guess that really we're a very small minority on the soul scene and there were quite a few I'd seen the previous weekend at Boomerang: Carms and Nige, Jackie Jackson, Jules, etc; plus loads of other 100 Club regulars too numerous to mention. You help make the night complementing the music. I really should have sat down and noted the records on my phone but I was having too good a time chatting and dancing, incidentally the floor was really good, didn't get sticky and nice and slidey. So thanks to the staff of the club. And of course a massive thanks to Ady and all the DJs who entertained us so well, particularly Colin, Lee and Garry, well done guys. Next month is the 38th Anniversary, that is something. Hopefully see you all there.

Looking forward to another musical masterpiece at this alldayer, always delivers great music and of course good to see my friends there.

Well done Yann Vatiste for putting on an excellent soul night that combined rare soul with a good selection of classic oldies. Not always easy to do. For those who don't know the Phoenix is a pub just off Oxford Street next to the John Lewis department store. It has been used many times for soul nights, Scenesville had nights there and more recently Yann has put nights on. I'm happy to report that last night was very busy, much more so than my last visit to this night. Generally the dance floor was busy, it's good, nice and slidey, no need for talc. Pleased for Yann that it was busy, it's a worry putting on a night, hoping that people turn up. Each DJ did two sets, mixing up the sounds, and each added a unique style to the night. Loads of my favourites played, thanks to Tony Smith who'd noted that I'd mentioned the Shadows' My Love Has Gone in my comments on the last 100 Club nighter. He played it for me and then followed it with the Adorables' Ooh Boy! That's my favourite oldie, When I left home I felt some aches in my knees, applied Volterol before leaving but didn't really expect to dance much. But as usual the music got into me and I had to get out there. The time went very quickly, Yann did the last hour, assisted by Rob Messer, think it was his birthday. When a friend said he'd be going in 20 minutes I thought we had an hour to go. When a night goes quickly you know you've enjoyed it. Very nice to see some of my friends there. Thanks to Shaun Arnold for his company on the tube home. My first use of the allnight tube, thought it might be packed but fairly quiet. Got a cab home from the station and was in bed by 4.05. Feeling tired now though. Thanks to Yann and the other DJs for a most entertaining night. Phoenix Got Soul is worth going to.

If I'm in London I'll come to this, the others have been very good.

A quieter night number wise at the 100 Club, possibly the combination of hot weather, holidays and other soul nights had an effect. Fortunately it had no effect on the quality of the music and the enthusiasm of those attending. After meeting friends we had to queue for a while so got in a little later than usual, to be greeted at the door by Ady Croasdell, and not having the normal frisking by the bouncers. Handed over my money to Rolly and had both my hands stamped by Garry, then down the stairs to the music. Keith Money doing the honours for the first 30 minutes or so. He included the Gambrells' You Better Move, which I've heard nearly everywhere I've been lately. Next up was Chris Dale, opened with one of my all-time faves Feminine Ingenuity and then the Shadows' My Love Has Gone. At this point I must say that the dance floor was possibly the best I've ever experienced there, nice and slippy, but not like an ice rink which it can be early on. And even better it didn't get sticky as the night went on, which sometimes happens. So lovely to dance on. There was a young couple sitting with us on our table, their first visit. Talking to them I found that they'd never been to the 100 Club before, and that the guy came from Nottingham. I told him I'd been there a couple of weeks earlier for the Quality Of Soul nighter at the Irish Centre. He told me that him mother had been to that one. The Tangeers' Let Your Heart And Soul Be Free came on and he checked Shazam on his phone to find out what it was, and the app found it. Choice Of Color's Your Love and Suffering Wrath by Rudy Love were others Chris included. Butch followed Chris, playing a set that included some I knew and others I wasn't aware of. Johnny On The Spot, Little Tommy's Baby Come To Me and the version of Shadow Of A Memory by 21st Century spring to mind as I write this. Dance floor busy as usual but room to dance which is nice. Time for Keith's second set: classics like Somebody Tell Her, 1000 Wonders, Job Opening, Hipper Than Me, Too Late, I Won't Have No Babies For You. They give a sound picture of his set, superb Northern. Ady stepped up to the decks for the first time this night, opening with the Gerri Granger cover up Why Not Tonight. Thanks for playing the Demures for me, when he announced it as for Geoff I was at the back and hurried to the dance floor. Other popular tracks included Voodoo Mademoiselle, Nancy Wilcox's version of He'll Be Leaving You, Oh Baby Don't You Weep and Out With The In Crowd. Ethan Howarth, a young DJ, made his debut at the club next. Starting with Tony Galla's In Love, Willie Hutch's Love Runs Out and Brice Oldfield's Ain't That Right. As well as classic Northern he included some 70s tracks including I Believe In Miracles and both sides of Brown Sugar's Game Is Over. But after this slight excursion into these “disco” tracks, as a friend described them, lol, it was back to the 60s with Marie Knight's That's No Way To Treat A Girl. For his second set Chris Dale kept the tempo to the medium pace with tunes like Ain't Gonna Give You Up, Pyramid, upping it a bit with I'm Waiting and I'll Rescue You, then back to mid pace with The Best Is Yet To Come by Bessie Banks, one of my late wife's favourites, and ended his set with my favourite record These Memories by Almeta Lattimore. Time for Butch's second set, again mixing the lesser known with some favourites, e.g. Salvation, the Perfections' Just Can't Leave You and the wonderful Chuck Jackson cover up, what a tune! And he also played Sammy Lee's What Goes Around, one he's revived recently. At the end of this set he played a couple that I didn't know the titles, found out via Facebook that they were the Diplomats cover up Kiss Me Girl On The Way Out and the Shades Hit It. Doubt if there are many other places you'd hear these. As resident Keith did a third set after Butch starting with Teardrops. Dance floor busy with tunes like Never Learned To Dance, I Need Your Love (Clydene Jackson), Big Lee Dowell, Papa & The Bears, Karmello Brooks, Vondells, etc. At that point my phone's battery died, I'd been noting some tunes on it so not really sure what Ethan played except that his last two tracks were Jack Montgomery's Dearly Beloved and Dionne Warwick's Walk On By. Some may say the latter is too well known, I'd disagree, brilliant record that I'd call a beat ballad, Bacharach and David at their best. As per usual Ady did the last 30 minutes or so, keeping the floor busy. Sweet Temptation, Don't Tear Me Down, etc led on to I'll Never Stop Loving You and finally Baby I Need Your Loving, which had nearly everybody on the floor. Lights on and it was Tony Clarke's The Entertainer playing as we prepared to say farewell and leave. Out into the daylight, still very pleasant temperature. Thanks to Andy Gibb for the lift to King's Cross, sorry you had to go round the houses thanks to road works. As I said earlier a bit quieter than usual but everyone was up for a good night, and we got it. Nice to see so many of my friends there, you know who you are. I danced more than I usually do, there was a bit more space which helped, and my legs gave me agony during Sunday night, the floor is a bit unforgiving. But despite that the night was great, nothing better in the world than listening and dancing to soul music with friends. Thanks to Ady, the DJs and the staff of the club.

I spent the weekend in Manchester staying with a friend, had a lovely time. As part of the weekend we went to the Sunday session of the weekender at the Ark. It's a large bar on two floors, ground floor was the Northern room, downstairs there was a bar playing more modern soul sounds, and another room playing upfront sounds. Due to the lack of chairs in the upfront room we spent most of the time in the Northern room. We got in just gone 4 pm, mainly better known oldies being played but what I'd describe as a thoughtful selection. As per usual I would sit and drink and chat and all of a sudden jump up and head for the dance floor when I heard something that made me want to move. A good selection was played, well done to all the DJs, but as usual my memory has let me down. I was most pleased when an old friend, Sue Parker, came in. I hadn't seen her for a while and we had a good catch up. Despite plans to get the last tram we stayed till about 11.35, had to get a taxi to Piccadilly Gardens to get the last bus back to Bury. Shows that we enjoyed the music and company. Well done to the organisers.

Musically and socially QoS goes from strength to strength, one of the best rare soul allnighters in the UK. Numbers were down a bit though, probably due to a combination of factors. Over the last few weekends there have been several weekenders, Cleethorpes, Blackpool and on this weekend Bridlington, certainly some regulars had gone there. And I think that some had gone on holiday to take advantage of lower prices before the kids break up from school. I travelled up to Nottingham by train and arrived outside the Irish Club at 9 pm, however the door was locked, but soon opened. I went into the downstairs room, where I usually spend most of my time, found somewhere for my bag and jacket, got a drink and got ready to enjoy the music. I forgot to pick up the DJ timings list so not sure of who played what. I did write on my phone a list of some tunes played but the battery run down quicker than expected so had to stop later in the night. The first three DJs in the rare and Crossover room (downstairs) played a mix of mainly mid tempo tunes, e.g. Dream Girl, I'd Think It Over Twice, Down And Out, Wind Kept Laughing, Breakaway (had to ask the DJ what that one was, it had totally slipped my memory), At 11 pm Nige Mayfield began his set downstairs with the Hesitations' Is This The Way To Treat A Girl, Call On Me by Barbara Mercer, and in the room on the first floor Calvin began his. I popped between them, danced to the New Yorkers that Calvin played but missed Like A Rolling Stone that he'd played for me, sorry about that. The trouble with two rooms is that you can only be in one place at a time. Nige continued with I Can Feel It, Ordinary Joe, I Thought You Were Mine, etc. Downstairs Nige was followed by 100 Club stalwart Russ Vickers, nice to meet his son and his wife whom I'd not seen since one of the very early MonuMental Soul weekenders. Russ played a set that I'd call fairly cutting edge, Jerry Washington, Grey Imprint for example, thanks for my request My Sense Of Direction Is Blown. But he also included more conventional NS tracks like Can You Win and Too Much Love. James Pogson, from the Inner City Soul Club and other London venues followed Russ. Starting with Who You Gonna Run To, he continued with Let Your Light Shine, Fluorescent Smogg, Alvin & Calvin Carter, Talkin' Bout Love, Love Tempo, Pro Fascination's Try Love Again, finishing with Sweet Memories. Next on downstairs was Cliff Steele who was effusive about James' set, and started off his selection with I'd Like To Get Near You, following with Love Is Gone and the Appointments' Steppin' Closer, You're Gone, My Prayer, and my favourite classic oldie Ooh Boy by the Adorables. In the Crossover style he played the Honey Bees beautiful Never In A Million Years and Reggie Soul's My World Of Ecstasy. The next one he played was New World's We're Gonna Make It. At that point I discovered my phone was about to pack up so my tune listing stopped. I do remember Cliff playing quite a few that I didn't recognise. He was followed by Andy Dyson, then Dave Thorley. I heard all of the latter's set, most I didn't know but really good. I did know What About Me, I Can See Him Loving You (another of my favourite oldies), Jewel's Paradise, and Welfare by Antonio Castro. Dave nuxed them up extremely well. When he finished it was time to finish in the rare room and go upstairs. Matt Sneath was just finishing and then Mick H took over for the last hour and 45 minutes. Thanks for including Pee Wee, Shucks & Huey for me, plus It's All Over Baby, Life Is A Miracle and many more favourites. The nighter ended with the club anthem Count The Days and I Have No Choice. Then we had no choice, we had to go home. I did have a long wait for a train and a slightly convoluted journey, but got home at 11.30, not too bad really. It is always good to see your friends at a soul night, even if you've seen quite a few of them the week before at Rugby and the week before that at Cleethorpes. Great to see you all. It was James Pogson's first visit to QoS, hope he enjoyed it, his music went down very well. Apologies to any of the DJs whose sets I've missed. And big thanks to Mick and Co for the night, and of course to the staff of the Irish Centre.