ImberBoy

How important was Va Vaas in the evolution of Northernsoul? Was it just a club or was it held as a measuring stick for Wigan? I know that the importance wouldn't have been imagined at the time but for those who where there and did both Va Vaas and the Casino/Mecca, was the impact noticeable or is it just a footnote on a CD cover? Is there such a creature who has attended the Torch, Va Vaas, The cats Whiskers and the Casino/Mecca? Who else had the records, who else DJ'd at Va Vaas, where there DJ's who played soul who didn't carry on to the Casino? I have never wanted a time machine as much as I do now! I hope you fookers appreciate your experiences coz I am jealous as fook!

I haven't trusted venue flyers for years now because they more often than not use language that is designed to fill the place rather than let you know what is going to be played. As much as it pains me to admit I kinda ping every "Soul Night" to be playing the dreaded "List" of floor fillers that I admit to liking but I just don't want to pay to hear and I certainly don't want to drive the length of the country to listen to some thing I can hear across town. "Across the board" appearing on a flyer may have at one time been genuine but now days I think it's a complete con by promoters who haven't got the records or the DJ's. Slipping one or two tracks in-between the same old same old aint "Across the board". I would love the promoters to be more honest and I think that it is only the Allnighter promoters who dare to be honest because the Allnighter crowd when they vote with their feet the impact is a lot more painful than says a local soul night with a captive audience. There is such a disparity between the Allnighter scene and The Soul nights that is as oil and water now days so lots of these comments don't fall between the two very different scenes. It may be acceptable and quite the norm to see "Across the board" appearing on a flyer for a soul night but an honest description is demanded for an allnighter less we stop attending.

Frankie Vance - Can't Break The Habit Of Your Love Jimmy Graham - Love Can't Be Modernized Does frank Wilson enter into this?

Excellent feature! Ace for the punters to see a close target recce! Good to know as some times the satnav gets you close but it can still be difficult finding the venue even when you are right on top of it, come on promoters, get yer venues on here so I don't have to end up asking some chav on a moped!

Hi Dolly xxx Sticks n stones and all that.

Mind blowing! It is such a shame that a voice like that isn't worshipped and appreciated by the great unwashed! I am always stunned when such a belting vocal is experienced and I can imagine the joy of his fellow train users hearing an angel in such an unusual setting. It is experiences such as these that makes me take time out and remember that the world aint all crap! Ace youtube fine, thank you for posting it.

Never professing to be any kind of expert, I do hear RnB that's sounds very soulful and I do hear Northernsoul that sounds very RnB, I love it when we get three rooms where your ears take a fluffy assault of mixed beats! Great that we have such diversity and long may it live. Loads of Northernsoul that you could cross over to rock n roll with.......... VELVET SATINS - NOTHING CAN COMPARE TO YOU Northernsoul coz it was played at the Northernsoul venues, soul? Not too sure, Rock n Roll......... I think so? There aint much that survives being placed under the microscope is there? Webby be very carful that them RnB Catz don't take out a fatwa on you for this RnB blasphemy! I still have them standing out side my house in their turtle neck sweaters and tweed jackets!

"Converting The Non Soulies", don't convert them! "Burn them!"

[quote name=' AGREE WITH MOST OF YOUR OBSERVATIONS ON THIS ONE EXCEPT THE ALLNIGHTER BIT. GREAT POST BUT CONSIDER THIS. Surley the essence of what is Northern Soul is the actual music/sound itself. Many people who are into northern, who are now in their senior years, had their first introduction to soul/northern at many of the smaller evening venues and youth organisations. When the music/sound grabbed you and you were hungry for more, that for me was the very essence of the beginings of Northern Soul. The allnighter gave you all the bells and whistles so to speak and was integral to the scene and very important as it still is today for the introduction of new and vibrant sounds. Arkright,s post is spot on when highlighting how people grasp the genres of soul. ROY

Does it mean ................ If you turn up you will be led down some stairs and oiled up by three Turkish mud wrestlers with lisps, forced then to undress hurriedly and place on some sort of wet suit that is never ever going to cut the mustard if you ever swam in it, then ordered to eat three small melons and then told to dance for some Arab rich boy over her studying modern history and physics, then a quick shower and back to his place for open sandwiches and crisps, Coz that's what happened to me when I went to The 100 Club and what will happen to you if you fall for the "Across the board,something for everyone". Scam!

Doesn't "Across the board, something for everyone". Mean "CD's played here"?

KevinKent I salute you sir! That surely has to be theeee top youtube clip ever! I love it and wish I had found it, essence!

I have often pondered this given the fact that over the years I have played Northernsoul "cold" to some of my friends who were less than impressed. I think it's a case of going fishing and catching a fish the first time out and getting hooked for life or watching football and seeing an excellent goal then ending up supporting that team through thick and thin. Northernsoul played cold misses too much out, the atmosphere, the ravel, the venue, the anticipation, the naughtiness of sneaking out and staying up all night when most souls are in their beds, these are all very potent components that make up a soulie and to trying to circumnavigate these small but important pieces gives an incomplete jigsaw puzzle that can some times make no sense. I will be brutally honest and say that I have heard many records on CD that meant nothing to me until submerged in the full flow of our strange cult with all of the trimmings needed to make the meal a hearty and memorable experience. Put your CD away, log off from Youtube and save your self some time, you can never capture the essence of Northernsoul without an allnighter, to say so is to lie and to believe so is to have never done an apprenticeship on the scene.

Malc, was the badge based on a Dr who character? lol

Mega! I have some questions........ Malc, what are "emidiscs"? What does the badge consist of? I can't make it out? Can any one give a play list for the two clubs, so we can get a flavor? Was this music pre the term "Northernsoul"? How did you find out about these places? Easy now days with text and Tinternet, was it via Echoes and Blues and Soul? Who where the DJ's Richard and Ginger and ???? How much, if any, did these clubs influence what we now know as Northernsoul? I am fascinated by this stuff and know zero of our roots, I have visited The Twisted Wheel and the story of The Wheel is well documented, there seams to be an air of silence surrounding Va Vaas n The Cats Whiskers, was there a club on Rochdale road called The Cats Whiskers? I know I may regret this but, can some one who has visited these clubs come and talk to me about them next time I am at a nighter please.

Va Vaas - The Cats Whiskers On my travels I often meet those who attended The Torch, Mecca, Imber, Samantha's, The Twisted Wheel, and of course The casino, I have never ever met any one who had attended Va Vaas or The Cats Whiskers? These two clubs are etched into Northernsoul history but why? What was broken there? Who DJ's, yup I know this maybe old news but to be honest I get a little sick of CD cover experts and Google pasters, is there any first hand info and stories on these venues? We have just seen a Stafford reunion, what a brilliant thing to have had and what a mega opportunity for those who didn't go to have sampled a slice of the pie, I take my hat off to any one who tried to put something back into our scene, I think that's why I kinda respect the likes of Ady Crowsnest so much, getting off subject a little..... So who went to Va Vaas - The Cats Whiskers? Why haven't we ever seen a reunion? How big, where the venues? What were the influences?

Norman Cook is still alive

Gerd did you get sorted mate? let me know if you need anything from England my old friend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAHNhcMbS5Y

Brilliant thread! Happy days of Swinton and Mexborough!! Me n Mick Scott of Doncaster used to go all over, Canklow, Doncaster Catholic Club, and Swinton Civic, Bottom Club at Swinton for some mega soul nights! Here is me n Edwin, he was the last ever star to play at Mexborough and not may turned up! It was a disaster!! He was heckled by some local trollops so he insisted on singing unaccompanied! I met my wife in Swinton, the mad mile was tops on a Sunday and I have so many fond soulful memories of the Manor. Whispering Bob, Stuttering Stu, Bub (RIP), tony, Sanch, Averill, too many to mention and always glad to see them when I come home to visit from the yon side of Barnsley. Love the people, Rotherham's got soul, Donny, in fact there is a Soul mine under this area!!!!! Complete noncense about the people being ruff, they are honest and modest, they don't like wingers waffelers and wankers! Salt of the earth!

lets get this fooker played again! And again and again And again and again parkash, we will all ask for this next time !!!!

Great comment Dave!

Mega sound!