Paul-s

Great! Thanks

I'm really enjoying these stories. Anymore takers?

😅🤣

I agree, I'm not biting my friend. In fact, its very interesting to write about and expose. They can have as many tantrums and try to erase history as much as they like. It is quite an entitled approach. No time for an apprenticeship, no time for time, or to be part of a scene. You must use a title that announces your entitlement, stand on a stage at your own club to dance so others can see "this is how its done". You have to continually announce yourself as 'soulful'...whilst totally missing the point and the soul. Older DJ's with a profile are invited as a means of validating, but then memes are shared ridiculing older members of the scene (elders and founders). The joy is, that it won't survive, its an attitude that thinks it can hijack 5 decades of working class dance culture, gentrify it, cleanse it of its history, repackage it as 'cool'. We have 'lived' lives, not curated them online, we were 'present' in those nighters, in that travelling, in those pharmaceuticals, lost in those record boxes, on the dance floor, 'in' the music, made 'real' friends, supported many clubs, met 'real' souls, lost many friends too. The arrogance to assume they can gloss over the past, hijack it...mock it, beggars belief. After just reading Steve Whittles brilliant book (a top man I used to get lifts off at times), it makes me even more determined to expose and challenge the fake northern soul scene that smiles in your face 24/7 declaring it cares.

Its shockingly sh*te.....nothing to do with northern soul: just like the BBC proms Bloody dire, awful, pathetic, soul-less drivel....

Exactly. When you know you know and when you see you see. But have you seen what clubs like Bristol are saying about people over 30 on the scene? It's really quite disgusting and totally disrespectful. "They smile in your face and all the time they wanna.....etc (O'Jays). I include some posts that were forwarded to me by the people at Rareclipsnorthernsoul (the spoof/parody page). They were also sent one telling them to "hang themselves" after lampooning #northernsoulgirl Turns out Lilskets is the club producers fake account (and other long-time scene goers, male and female, have also been trolled by this account apparently). The link being that anyone who critiques, lampoons or questions the club is trolled. The conversation about over 30 years old being pushed out the scene as good thing is between a fake account (Kevin Newey) and #northernsoulgirl To me this is unacceptable, and we should care, and that's why I am writing and investigating this new phenomenon of keyboard soul and the 'production' values involved. Make up your own mind.

If you don't care you don't care. Not all do. Of course i realise that you may be saying its crap and so who cares. I do care and the attitude of not caring was never a part of the scene for me at least. I care(d) a great deal about my roots in a working class subculture that saved my life in many ways. Hip hop cares and respects, House cares and respects, Capoeira cares and respects and Northern Soul has just as rich and important historical roots. So for me to not care about the soul of it all is impossible. I am built that way, without hesitation, I guess. I do care about the co-optation of the scene. Totally agree...its unacceptable.

I totally agree...Sheridens was a real 'Hole in the Wall' gang place that offered exactly that (other venues of course did too, but S's was a more recent one.

Anna Scher was brilliant, empathetic and compassionate facilitator and dramatist and, as you say, encouraged listening and true connected communication: that human inter-connection has now been replaced with the internet-connection in many ways. Thanks, a great summary of todays google earth living for the younger generation. The desperate need for the 'like' and often living a 'double life' existence via an invented online persona. A very unhealthy way of validating oneself and much is written about the dangers of this. Its pure fantasy..... Some can be trusted to carry on the legacy (whatever that may be) and others clearly can not. The problem is that the ones who are are busy getting into it, for real, real souls, are doing just that. Whilst others, the narcissistic ones (who want to sell it down the swanee for fame and 'likes') use all of their time to promote the facade, and more and more that facade, that parody, is being accepted by media and those outside the scene, as the real thing.

Thanks Tomo, But, I have to disagree with you on the "I’m sure Jack or any of the other previous winners wouldn’t consider themselves to be the best dancer in the world". The last so called World Champion has totally used it to advertise and sell workshops and services. In my research, many I talk to have said that she is not even on the scene, at venues, but developed via YouTube and via Musical Theatre School. You can check out the Instagram page dedicated to promoting this. So, at the point someone takes themselves so seriously and film makers and classes stem from it (because they have no clue or do no research), for me, it becomes more than a bit of a giggle. It also says something about (dis)respect, narcissism and a total lack of awareness. This is, I think, one of the problems with online over sharing and filming for 15 seconds of fame. temp_GICWmAB-R-syXxUNANDnQZmshVQ0bpR1AAAF.MP4 I read this recently and it is a great summary of the online problem of instant gratification and also what is being lost within the scene as a result...

Very well summarised...

Just want to say thanks for everyone who has joined the conversation. To me its an important one because other cultures such as Breaking, Hip-Hop, House (loft), Tango etc, strive very hard to preserve the roots of the dance in the face of corporate gentrification of the cultures/style/movements. The work in maintaining the historical roots of the dance in these other styles are predominantly championed by young participants who respect the origin(ators) and recognise the need to know the source of the movement(s). It's always seemed to me that many people: producers, social media entities, seem to think that dancing to northern soul has no roots or social/economic/political/emotional connection to 'a past'. Which, in my experience, and opinion, is totally wrong. The attitude of erasing its past connection with drugs for instance, is a common feature of this re-branding. Now, particularly via online media, a person can declare themselves 'World Northern Soul Dance Champion' with no sense of irony or humour and make lazy producers believe that they are, and pay them to pass on this terrible parody of dancing to northern soul. So, thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences (on this thread and the other one about 'how you started dancing to northern soul') it's much appreciated. Paul-S

Here is a copy of my questions to Kev. I will share the response if/when one arrives. Hi Kev, I hope you're very well. You may have seen the thread concerning this event on here. I am writing a book about dancing to northern soul. I am obviously aware of the local dance comps that took place back in the 70's. Wigan Casino Dance Competition; St Ives Dance Competition; Loughborough Dance Competition etc. The thread raises the following questions and I wanted to ask you (the organiser) if you could respond to them please, to give more insight into the 'World' part of the title. You can see the questions below: What makes it a World championship? What countries from around the World are represented? Why is it not called Blackpool dance competition (local as in the past)? Is it run by a representative World federation. As with other World dance competitions? Which other countries is it held in? Can other event(s) hold a World Northern Soul Dance Championship: so we will have many World champions? How do the judges choose a winner? How are the judges chosen? Does the title mean the winner is the best northern soul dancer in the World? Thanks in advance Best Paul

Thanks for all the contributions, they paint a vivid picture of how it happened for many at the time. Please keep them coming...

Yes. Exactly.

Thanks yes.

Trying to find Kev's contact on here?

I have to agree..

I was hoping Kev might hop on here but yes i am intending to do that of course. Richard in his show refers to it as The Blackpool Northern Soul Weekender Dance Competition. So he's quite accurate. I will send Kev a PM.

So was the standard World Class? I was very bored watching it, people cheering at dull dancing, to dull records, and nothing new introduced to the style. Acrobatics in strange places, spins in strange places, breaks missed, and all very limp to watch: my feelings about it. Quite frankly, I find it all very Derby and Joan and cringy. It was a very slow fizz... I heard the better dancers were at Rugby, getting into it.

I am writing a book and want to compile some of the 'lived' experiences of scene participants....we get older and new narratives often erase the old and documenting them is important, to me at least. The other threads are related: World Championships etc, as they are commercial ventures that help create the parody of dancing to Northern Soul (in my opinion). Thanks for the contribution. Booper was brilliant dancer indeed! Hated to be filmed, unlike many of todays northern soul dancers ...

Makes total sense.

Yes yes. I used to love Bombers, but needed phenobarbital, Tuinal etc to bring me back down before school. This obviously just meant I missed school eventually. Bombers had some sort of time release thing going on that could be quite interesting at times.

Firstly, i really appreciate the input of everybody who has taken part in other threads on here: enlightening and interesting. I wanted to ask if people could share their experiences of getting into it, particularly with regard to dancing: learning, assimilating, not sure how to phrase it. Did anyone have lessons, go to classes for example. Was it observation.....how did it feel to see the first time etc. Much appreciated Paul-s