Steve S 60

Just for you, Chalky.....the Nicholas Brothers. https://youtu.be/fNKRm6H-qOU

Bruce Lee has an influence on my current dance moves. I call it "The Art of Dancing Without Dancing".

P.P.S. Howzabout a re-run of Z Cars?

Richard Roundtree could pull it off. Saw it written on plenty of patches and flyers, we tended to go more for the "cool" handshake.

Thanks Win, but I'd like to point out I'm not a Guardian reader.

If anybody is interested in a review of last night's show by an "outsider", here's what the Guardian TV critic had to say: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/sep/26/northern-soul-keep-the-faith-review Picked up on a few of the comments already posted.

The presenter gave a potted view of the Northern Soul scene from his own perspective, one of someone who had come onto the scene in the mid 70s and, by his own admission, left in the early 80s. He was obviously comfortable with the material and would have been less so had he attempted to cover what happened between him leaving the scene and the present day. He stuck to what he knew and did a good job of putting it across. After all, he only had a 30 minute time slot. It was also good to see the Wigan Young Souls, and their obvious passion and enthusiasm for the scene. As for the middle aged baggy trouser brigade, if they're happy enough to parade on national television like that, well, what can I say. Scores on the doors.... , and I'll be pressing the Keep button on Sky+.

Never mind about the girl and the music, did anybody manage to catch the number of that second locomotive?

Return of the Skateboard Kid..... https://youtu.be/P-hcSl2fwX0

From a technical and economical point of view this would be highly unlikely. Ships have ballast tanks below the waterline which they fill with seawater to maintain the trim. As fuel is used, they need to counteract this by filling the ballast tanks. The seawater is then pumped out prior to getting alongside. They would not fill the hold with unnecessary ballast, as any space on a cargo ship is at a premium. Boring, I know, but records as ballast doesn't make sense.

That's akin to saying "All possible requirements of a soul record are more or less satisfied by Motown, who made good soul music before there was any competition. Arguably, all other soul music only exists to spread profits and wages over a broader economic area. Choice is more of economic benefit than artistic." I'm all for quality over quantity, but would hate to have little or no choice when it came to which venue to attend. At the end of the day, it's the individual's choice where he / she goes, or whether they go at all.

No, I believe the concept of choice is a global thing, even the Russians and Chinese have come to embrace this. The great thing about the Northern scene is the amount of choice. Maybe today we are spoilt for choice, but it's better than having no choice at all.

Do you get a uniform?

In many areas of the country, it's not a case of so many DJ's, but too few. We had a regular soul night in my home town organised by a local DJ. Well attended by people from all over the county and quite a few from further afield. When the lad moved out of the area, there was no-one to fill his shoes and take over the venue. Not a problem for myself as I've always been happy to travel, but it's left a gap for those unwilling or unable to look further afield. So spare a thought for those who aren't blessed / cursed with a surfeit of people willing to get behind the decks, for whatever reason.

I may be wrong, but the way I read it, Len's events weren't advertised as Charity Events, and the charitable donations were off his own back.

It’s like unlicensed mini cab drivers. Given the choice, would you get into a cab where the driver is registered and operates a properly maintained and tested vehicle, or one that isn’t licensed or insured to carry passengers and may not be maintained in a roadworthy condition. Town and city councils grant a limited number of taxi licenses, in order to regulate the industry. Maybe not the best analogy, but how about a governing body for Northern Soul DJs? Anybody wanting to become a certified DJ on the scene would have to pass both a written and practical exam, and would need to re-qualify every two years. The practical exam would entail putting together and delivering a set at a soul night, the examiners looking for professionalism, music quality, dance floor reaction etc. Their equipment would also have to be up to scratch. DJs could go on to specialise in their chosen genre. Numbers of DJ licenses granted would also be limited. Punters would then be able to attend venues with licensed record spinners where hopefully a decent standard of DJ’ing will be provided. Not very “underground”, I know, but it may solve some of the problems already discussed. I’ll get my coat…..

Enjoyed the Blackpool Mecca All Dayers, with Northern in the Highland Room and Jazz Funk in the main hall. Spent most of my time upstairs, but wasn't averse to nipping downstairs now and again, as there was a great atmosphere in both rooms.

It means one problem shouldn't bring everything to a standstill, but I don't know the origin.

https://youtu.be/c7azCNlbY4s

YOU & ME......Reminded me of YOU + ME = LOVE

I don't look at the scene through rose tinted glasses and I tend to take people as I find them. I've only ever felt genuinely uncomfortable at a soul night once, so on the whole I have a very positive view of the Northern Soul fraternity. Getting back to the topic, from the clips I've seen I think the Culture Show feature will portray the scene in a positive light, whether you consider that a good thing or a bad thing.

I suppose knowing the music policy and DJs for any given venue, you should know what (and who) to expect on the night. Where there's an across the board music policy, you're going to get a mixed crowd. Because the scene's been going so long, we've got various factions, but they all get along together, regardless of personal taste and style. Like you say Pete, a friendly scene.

Pretty ironic that the first clip from the show covers acceptance, integration and unity in the Northern Soul scene whilst numerous posts in this thread give a very different view.

https://youtu.be/V_9qfJB1URA

From Disco Connection to T-Connection.....