Post by coops on May 5, 2008 4:05:49 GMT
The qube in Sheffield,
I thought it was about time I tried a ‘Lifeline’ event and dipped my toes (or ears) into a lesser played segment of our northern soul so I packed my open mind into my beat-up old fiesta and made the 176 mile round trip from Skegness to Sheffield this Bank Holiday Sunday.
The last time I had been to a venue in Sheffield was the ‘nighters at the KGB school of dance and that was some time ago.
My first impression of the qube was the toilets! (I know but I was dying for a leak). It’s the first time I’d been to a northern/rare soul venue with designer toilets. (although the free pineapple chunks didn’t taste very nice)
After the poshest piss I’d ever had we venture upstairs to the ‘60s’ room.
This was a very small room with a very small dance floor but it already had (6:00 p.m.) an atmosphere the dwarfed it’s physicality. Small, hot, sweaty, full of soulful sounds with pounding beats, not unlike a miniature Mr. ‘Ms’ in some ways.
As this room became even more crowded we decided to go downstairs to the main room which, by then was beginning to fill up.
The ‘blurb’ from the Soul Source ‘preview’ of this event had the following comment: “…if you want to…. venture to a world of rare soul that might convert you then this is the place to be for Sunday.”
I’ve got to tell you, I’m converted, was after only an hour or so.
I was surprised at how many records played I actually knew and more pleasantly surprised by the quality of those I didn’t.
At one point I did think that both rooms were short of the odd microphone or two because it wasn’t until 10:00 the any of the dee-jays actually communicated with the paying punter in a verbal manner.
I found this ‘Silent Treatment’ a bit strange but thought may be they didn’t want to introduce their records for two reasons,
1) Most of the regular punters would already know what they were or…
2) The dee-jays didn’t want to share that information due to the fact of there may be a shed full of a £500 record which, if only we knew it was being played we could flood the market with it and therefore assist in it’s loss of monetary value! I jest, I guess they just wanted the music to do their talking for them.
At 9:00 the upstairs room closed and all congregated downstairs which led to a more diverse spectrum being covered.
For me, the set of the night was that of Mick and Mo, what they lacked in their microphone technique was more than compensated for one of the finest hours of soul music I have heard in a long, long time.
Although Mick and Mo come from the same town I live in (Skegness) I’m not actually a Skegness person so I don’t know them perhaps as much as a ‘neighbour’ should but after hearing that set I may just have to get to know them to get some tips from them.
Another bonus on top of what was already a top night was bumping into and old friend who I hadn’t seen for 30 years. Johnny ‘Fingers’ Porthouse was there selling some wares and it was so good to see him looking so well and still so enthusiastic about the music we’ve been apart of so many years ago.
We had to leave at midnight (just incase my knackered old Fiesta turned into a pumpkin on the way home) so we did miss Mick ‘H’ etc. but that will be rectified next time, because after hearing the music played this night there will certainly be a next time, and, if on the next time the venue is as full of friendly faces (known and unknown to me) as this night was then I’m sure I will enjoy my conversion at least just as much, if not better, now I know what to expect.
While driving home I did think that I’d have to get up in the morning and take my record collection down to the tip and start collecting all over again, but, on second thoughts, I'll keep the Lifeline and such similar events as the icing on my northern soul cake, not as something for me to aspire to but to simply enjoy as special occasions with special music.
Well done to the promoters and I hope it goes from strength to strength.
Micheal D Cooper dip
images on ournorthernsouls.org
I thought it was about time I tried a ‘Lifeline’ event and dipped my toes (or ears) into a lesser played segment of our northern soul so I packed my open mind into my beat-up old fiesta and made the 176 mile round trip from Skegness to Sheffield this Bank Holiday Sunday.
The last time I had been to a venue in Sheffield was the ‘nighters at the KGB school of dance and that was some time ago.
My first impression of the qube was the toilets! (I know but I was dying for a leak). It’s the first time I’d been to a northern/rare soul venue with designer toilets. (although the free pineapple chunks didn’t taste very nice)
After the poshest piss I’d ever had we venture upstairs to the ‘60s’ room.
This was a very small room with a very small dance floor but it already had (6:00 p.m.) an atmosphere the dwarfed it’s physicality. Small, hot, sweaty, full of soulful sounds with pounding beats, not unlike a miniature Mr. ‘Ms’ in some ways.
As this room became even more crowded we decided to go downstairs to the main room which, by then was beginning to fill up.
The ‘blurb’ from the Soul Source ‘preview’ of this event had the following comment: “…if you want to…. venture to a world of rare soul that might convert you then this is the place to be for Sunday.”
I’ve got to tell you, I’m converted, was after only an hour or so.
I was surprised at how many records played I actually knew and more pleasantly surprised by the quality of those I didn’t.
At one point I did think that both rooms were short of the odd microphone or two because it wasn’t until 10:00 the any of the dee-jays actually communicated with the paying punter in a verbal manner.
I found this ‘Silent Treatment’ a bit strange but thought may be they didn’t want to introduce their records for two reasons,
1) Most of the regular punters would already know what they were or…
2) The dee-jays didn’t want to share that information due to the fact of there may be a shed full of a £500 record which, if only we knew it was being played we could flood the market with it and therefore assist in it’s loss of monetary value! I jest, I guess they just wanted the music to do their talking for them.
At 9:00 the upstairs room closed and all congregated downstairs which led to a more diverse spectrum being covered.
For me, the set of the night was that of Mick and Mo, what they lacked in their microphone technique was more than compensated for one of the finest hours of soul music I have heard in a long, long time.
Although Mick and Mo come from the same town I live in (Skegness) I’m not actually a Skegness person so I don’t know them perhaps as much as a ‘neighbour’ should but after hearing that set I may just have to get to know them to get some tips from them.
Another bonus on top of what was already a top night was bumping into and old friend who I hadn’t seen for 30 years. Johnny ‘Fingers’ Porthouse was there selling some wares and it was so good to see him looking so well and still so enthusiastic about the music we’ve been apart of so many years ago.
We had to leave at midnight (just incase my knackered old Fiesta turned into a pumpkin on the way home) so we did miss Mick ‘H’ etc. but that will be rectified next time, because after hearing the music played this night there will certainly be a next time, and, if on the next time the venue is as full of friendly faces (known and unknown to me) as this night was then I’m sure I will enjoy my conversion at least just as much, if not better, now I know what to expect.
While driving home I did think that I’d have to get up in the morning and take my record collection down to the tip and start collecting all over again, but, on second thoughts, I'll keep the Lifeline and such similar events as the icing on my northern soul cake, not as something for me to aspire to but to simply enjoy as special occasions with special music.
Well done to the promoters and I hope it goes from strength to strength.
Micheal D Cooper dip
images on ournorthernsouls.org