ImberBoy

SoulBoy II Allready in production

I have just seen Ian Levine wearing a "Keb Darge" must go T-Shirt!

Galaxy Quest, any one seen that movie? "The movie, a parody inspired by the television series Star Trek, is about the washed-up stars of a fictional 1978-1982 TV series called Galaxy Quest. On the show, the actors played the crew of a spaceship, the NSEA Protector and embarked on "intergalactic adventures", but then they are recruited by aliens who believe that their fictional adventures were real." Wikipedia. The comedy works very well because there are small, teeny tiny intentional errors that when spotted the parody is delicious. I think this is where Soulboy becomes the turd that it is because getting most things right then allowing your self to trip up over the small, teeny tiny when unintentional just pissed people off especially when claims are made to have researched the material and claims that care was taken when it becomes obvious that no care has been taken. I can forgive the length of Soulboys trousers, I can forget the GP 200 with the German Pop mirror, what I can't get my head around is why Billy was left out of the original Wigan Casino clips? Billy is Northernsoul royalty and possibly one of the best ambassadors for our scene now and our scene then that we could ever wish for. He is not a dusted of dance champion who gets wheeled out every time a camera crew cant be arsed to travel further than the M25 nor is he a born again "when I", I am quite disgusted that such wild claims are made in the care and attention to this film yet they disrespect a real part of our living scene! I consider my self both honored and privileged to call Billy a friend and Shimmy Marcus should be flogged for leaving a legend out!

The cinema was pretty empty, There were about 13 "Soulies" counting The Tarn Posse and my family then another 10 in the cinema making a grand total of 23, that's a lot of empty seats. 23 bums on seats

Many thanks

Trixster and Keb both great dancers and top lads.

I think I'm both?

It's never too late to learn anything. To spin it's a case of understanding a few basic principles: 1. Give your self plenty of space so that if/when you cream out you don't take out a table full of drinks like I did at Keele. 2. Don't show off to a camera crew who are filming a piece in your front room and boast how well you can spin then crash into your new plasma screen, like I did. 3. Wear the appropriate footwear so you can glide seamlessly over the sprung wooden dance floor, don't get pissed up and try to spin on a carpet at The Isle of Wight Scooter Rally like I did and rip your knee muscle coz it hurts for months. 4. Don't spin whilst wearing glasses as they become Kung Fu style missiles and hit your fellow dancers especially the eight foot Jock whose foot you stood on earlier. 5. Don't show off to a girl coz being sick after a good spin can often put people right off. 6. Avoid doing that tippy toppy on your toes not quite a spin but whizzing around none the less coz that just makes you look like a 50 year old bloke who wants to spin but can't. Enjoy, let us know how you get on.

I thought London Council had eradicated the vagrant problem from Leister Square years ago, these dancing tramps are just spoiling it for everyone.

Soulboy the Movie Well after much trumpeting and waiting I finally got a chance to see the movie. We went as a family consisting of my self, my wife Carol and my 17 year old son Zak the venue was the Showroom & Workstation smack bang in the centre of Sheffield and we were in the wonderful company of "The Tarn Posse" who had come mob handed from the beautiful metropolis we know as Barnsley. Anticipation was the best way to describe how I felt as the curtains parted and the lights went down, Soul Source had already set the stage and I didn't quite know what to expect, I think every one was conscious about the possible impact the film could have and no one wanted to leave feeling let down or used? I will do my best to critique the movie in a moment but first I will say that we all enjoyed the film and none of us felt cheated or used and that was a big relief. The Movie The plot is described as a coming-of-age drama set in the 1970s Northern Soul underground music scene. I found that the script was either overambitious or that the director was unskilled enough to explore some of the characters introduced within the sub plots. The sub story of "Fish shop Bobby" was half hearted to say the least and left me scratching my head as to why hint at this little vignette as it started quite strong and fizzled out as if it had run out of allotted time? The acting and direction was quite confusing at this stage, we where presented with a credible performance from Joanne Hartley who played Monica the 'battered" chip shop wife (sorry), she navigated quite capably giving a good performance yet her co star in the shape of Brian McCardie was nothing more than a clich pantomime villain, I was reminded of the butcher from The League of gentlemen. Our lead man and hero Martin Compston played Soulboy Joe McCain giving a more than adequate performance coming across as a likable lad yet there was hints at boredom yet know real show of teenage angst. Nichola Burley, his reason d'ªtre gave an uncomfortable and unconvincing performance as the Northernsoul "Vamp" who inspired our Joe to become a Soulboy, I am not too sure if this was down to the bad direction or the bad script? Felicity Jones played Mandy Hodgson the "ugly duckling" girl next door, frustrated artist and Casino regular, her character was over cluttered yet Felicity Jones more than coped with some excellent acting resisting the trap of over egging the pudding, she came across a as likable character and it was great to have quality acting amongst other flat and ill equipped actors who where struggling with a scrip that some times appeared to be written by four or five different people? This is where the film falls flat on its bottom a bit, there is such disparity between the actor's skills and the script not quite knowing what kind of film it is, we go from whimsical to serious without any real substance and this relegated the movie to a rainy afternoon on DVD. Would I recommend the movie, sadly no, certainly not for a special trip to the pictures. I think this is a fun film, on the Northernsoul side I would have to write "Could have tried harder", the mix of old clips and new was well done yet some times it came across as the Kids from Fame, at one time we see a Blues Brothers type jump up and touch your toes. The dance off at the end was probably the most unforgivable own goal of the movie. Simon Cuerden Soulboy the Movie by Zak Cuerden (17) Upon first seeing the trailer for the film Soulboy the excitement felt by all the northern soul fans about a film that captured the magic that was felt at Wigan casino was unmatchable. Finally a film that could describe what northern soul meant to that generation. The film on a whole was very predictable, and seemed to be just a big build up to the final dance off. In my opinion the film did not know what kind of film it wanted to be and seemed to stray away from the initial goal of capturing the feel of Wigan casino, in the end it did not do this. The film on the whole was a good watch but that did not stop the disappointment by the Wigan veterans after being promised a film that could be based on them, but unfortunately the film concentrated on the love triangle instead of the music on which the film boasted it would be. But despite the all the failed promises, the film had a good mixture of comedy and seriousness. One thing that I must praise Soulboy for is the range of the audience I sat in the cinema at the age of 16 being equally entertained as my nearly 50 year old father. Soulboy will not go down in the record books for being a revolutionary film but it also will not go down for being the worst film of all time.

Kev did you play "You Get Your Kicks" first at The Casino? If so what made you choose the record? It aint exactly soul but it is exactly Northernsoul if you know what I mean? How did the dancey none soul records end up so engrained in our scene? It must have been a right risk playing some of the blue eyed soul tracks that are a little "poppy" and I don't mean that in a derogatory way but what was the thought process?? Where you running out of sixties soul by black American artists or was it the sound of the era? I'd love to pick your brains on this. I think Ian was introducing a different flavor at The Mecca but a step away from sixties soul none the less?

I like it

Barney being among likeminded people with the same problems and difficulties is very rewarding? I suppose it should be mate but when the problems and difficulties begin and end in finding a safe place to park your van up in Southampton prior to riding onto the ferry kinda erodes the shared problems and difficulties some what? Barney we both know that like the Northernsoul scene the Scooter Scene has many layers and credibility is mainly in the eye of the beholder, The IOW Scooter Rally is the ultimate "Soul Night" experience giving a disposable weekend to hundreds of Scooter fans who want to reenact what ever slice of nostalgia that floats their boat. Barney we both have Lambretta and we both have GTS 250's and we both love our music and scooters. I don't know why hobby mods bother me so much, they shouldn't but they do? I have no interest in any one who surfed EBay for the appropriate attire and rally patches who then pay some one else to restore a hunk of junk they have just bought from Vietnam and then book a BnB, hire a van and hey presto they are giving it large about a scene that they have cared little for until their mid life crisis. Like I said, I don't know why it bothers me so much but I just can't stand to listen to people drone on and on usually with pilfered memories. The IOW is a great giggle, Hipshakers and The Crown are a good night out to listen and dance to your preferred music. If you want up front, new sounds and rare dancers and a taste of some thing you might not know then you aint gonna get it on The IOW. Barney I'm out next weekend mate.

There was also a rumor that David and the Giants where also Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels You Get Your Kicks? I can't hear the connection as Mitch has a very distinct accent? Maybe its because they are both blue eyed soul from sixties Americana? You Get Your Kicks is still a great record.

I think the rumor was that it was a David Cassidy cover up?

Northernsoul Barn Finds There is an old story, probably an urban myth, of a chap looking for a decent car to restore and he chats to an old farmer who takes him to a barn where a superb Rolls Royce is sitting all in dust sheets and well preserved, the farmer sell the car for a pittance and this is called a "Barn Find". Every now and again you hear of a Northernsoul Barn Find where a disc or some memorabilia turns up very cheap in an unsuspecting place. I have had a little touch of luck over the years finding a "Moments" LP in Germany amongst a load of toys some kids where selling out side their house. It's always a joyous thing to find a little piece of gold in an unexpected place. During my time in the Army I have been given small unwanted collections of Northernsoul and this has happened twice to me. Years ago I was lucky enough to be given a unique piece of Wigan Casino's history by Jim McClusky, Mike had had some T-Shirts done with a print of the Casino frontage, the T-Shirts where being considered along side the Casino patch but the patch was chosen and the T-Shirt became obsolete, Jim gave it to me and it is amongst my most treasured possessions. What "Barn Finds" have you found? Records or memrobilia?????

Is this true??????

I was told it was him

J.Blackfoot - Taxi, flip it over for Where Is Love, cracking track and well and truly forgotten! Dust it off and get it played!!! 48183

nabay - believe it or not - Believe it or not Did any one really jump from the balcony? Throughout the years there have been many strange stories about the many iconic venues, some easily dismissed and others that have embedded into Northernsoul Folklore. One of the strangest stories that I heard was of some one leaping from the balcony in order to dance to a favorite record, is this true or is this complete rubbish?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSB0Snz7_aY

I DJ'd in the main room on Saturday night at Holiday In Holland, played Fire Island featuring Loleatta Holloway - Shout To The Top followed by DRIZABONE - Pressure they didn't want to know and just wanted to dance to Moses Smith - "Girl across the street" and the like. It was like a kids fookin party, as long as I played the tried and tested formulated same old same old they where happy as Larry, I swore I'd never do it again as I could have just played the Northernsoul equivalent to Jive Bunny. The Scooter Scene did help prop up the Northernsoul Scene in the late eighties and very early nineties but there have never ever been any records broken on the Scooter Scene, there have been a few records championed such as "Suspicion", "Love is serious business", "I want to give you tomorrow", and the "Drifter" but these where as a result of The Northernsoul Scene. DJ's such as Tony Class where products of The 100 Club visits, John Buck RSG tailed off the Scootering Scene (now back and at The Crown?). I'm not saying that Scooterists don't take their music seriously; I am saying that they aren't serious about music. The Snake and The Vibrations type Northern probably connect some of the Soul Night Soulies and the EBay Scooterists together in a wonderful weekend away kinda Disney like experience.

joe bataan deffo! Great tunes, you'll be hard pressed to find a bad one

"Take me in, oh tender woman Take me in, for heaven's sake