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It really doesn't seem a month since the first one but there I was again at the Orwell in Wigan
for the Soul Expression 'do'. I turned up about 9.30 after driving round for 45 minutes trying to find somewhere to stay overnight as I fancied getting pissed rather than having to keep off the ale and drive home,
but to no avail - there appears to be only three places to stay overnight in Wigan - one was full and the other two were miles out, so a night on the orange beckoned once again! What a crap town!!As I
walked through the door there must have been about 60 or so people in there - a lot of faces from the first one, which was encouraging, as it was on my mind that the majority of travellers wouldn't have bothered going
to the second one, as is the unfortunate tradition with many 'modern' soul nights in the north west of England. I was greeted on the door by one of the 'guest DJs' for the evening, Bob Cosby(!!!) - just had to get
that one in again Plumby lad! - went to the bar for a pint of orange flavoured sugary water and headed straight to Expensive Dean for my vinyl fix for the evening before settling down and enjoying the night. I'd
previously ordered some uptempo soul 12s from Dean, and as I went to collect them he thrust another 12 incher into my hand (fnarrr, fnarrr!) and demanded that I buy it, so I did - it was the Sonya 12 on Electrik Groove
- this is probably going to be the big tune of the summer as it's very 'Drizabone' in feel, so more than likely it will also eventually get played in the 'northern' rooms - now that would be something, a new tune being
played simultaneously on both scenes - you never know, it might happen! So, with records tucked nicely under the arm, I had a look round the room and saw two top boys, Gary Scothern and Steve Smith, who'd
travelled a couple of hundred miles for the night, so I went and sat with them whilst taking in the first set being played by fellow EMS member Dave 'The Dentist' Ripolles - it was a real 'showing off' session,
pure class - big rare tunes from Cracksteppin', Cloudburst, the fantastic Danny Williams and such like, plus the "Morning Spring" track from Copeland Davis, from the actual real LP rather than the compilation
CD - this caused Expensive Dean to practically run across the floor to the decks to have a look at it! This wonderful first hour's music really set the tone for the evening - there was no Flanny or Barry this night so
the duties fell to residents Plumby and Steve Connor and their 'two' guests(!), Bob Cosby and Expensive Dean. Throughout the whole of the evening, all the lads dug through their boxes and pulled out the full hit of
tunes of the highest order - old 'n' rare, new, cheap, re-discoveries, the occasional 'obvious' ones (Lenny Williams etc. but thankfully I don't remember hearing Ivan Matias or Michael Procter, which was a relief!), but
above all just good quality SOUL music. I don't think I've ever seen Plumby so excited behind the decks - I can only reiterate what I said about the first one - quality guys, quality sounds - Steve Connor was his
usual class act - turning out tunes like Al Johnson/Jean Carn "Back For More" and the best five quid record ever imo, "Now Or Never" by Little Dooley as well as the staggering John Valenti (that
STILL just knocks me over every time I hear it). Ditto for the Plumbobster, playing, amongst other goodies, his Foundations 'exclusive', Timmy Thomas "Why Can't We Live Together" remix, Ron Henderson,
Family of Eve "Truthful", (my!) Troy Johnson, Rosey Grier and looking a very happy bunny when he was playing his newly acquired Cru-el Grand/Philip Ramirez "Spend The Day Without You". Bob
Cosby was as excellent as ever, but I did laugh to myself, because a few of his 'usual' sounds had been played by the others and he was quietly panicking to himself as to what to play! As usual he dropped the
awesome Tierra "Just Loving You" which I could never tire of hearing. And then there was Expensive Dean - I can never make my mind up about Dean as a DJ these days - sometimes he can be a bit eclectic and
try to be too different for his own good and on other occasions he can knock you out with his choice of records - on this night he was on good form, starting his set with brand spankers like the Sonya prospective
monster tune, the wonderful "Don't Ya Like It" by Will Easley that I was raving about the other week, and balancing it out with rare crossover requests and well known quality tackle like Archie Bell & The
Drells "Don't Let Love Get You Down". I just wish someone would tell him that he's not actually supposed to have the microphone IN his mouth when he speaks - he stands there, head tilted back like he's
finishing a pint, and just SHOUTS skyward into the mike - you can never actually hear any words, just vibrations from where his tonsils are actually touching the mike!! I don't think Dean particularly
enjoyed his spot because as he was leaving he was very angry and upset, complaining about some bloke who was perched on his shoulder throughout his set, wanting to look at every record, and saying what hard work that
set was! I was of course sympathetic with him . . . was I bollocks!! Hard work DJing? I think NOT!!! But joking aside, it is a pain in the arse when some totally ignorant pissed bastard hassles
the DJ whilst they're working - I've had idiots coming behind the decks and tapping me on the shoulder while I've got the headphones to my ear, trying to cue a record up - some people are just thick or ignorant, or
both, and when they're drunk as well and hassling you, then you just want to punch them! DJs should be equipped with T-shirts to give out to these kind of people with the words - "Instant Arsehole - Just Add
Alcohol" - printed on the front!! My only criticism of the night was that, as last time, the sound system was far too loud at times, on occasions unpleasant, especially when Dean was shouting - at the end
of the night I left the building with Gary and Steve and all three of our voices had all but disappeared from the constant having to shout to make each other heard. But even with that gripe, it didn't really
detract too much from a yet another great night. Gary Dennis is the 'proper' guest at the next one on July 29th - which should be entertaining, especially if Gary gets as drunk as he was on the Saturday night at the
last Yarmouth - I'd never experienced having my hand shaken 307 times in four hours until that night!! Also, don't forget the Howard at Chorley, the week before, on the 22nd July - always worth a visit for us
northerners just to hear Terry Jones. But one question . . . Colin Curtis DJing at the next one . . . why?!?!? |
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