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Beginnings. Well, where to start. The only way I can do this is to cast my mind back to the beginnings of soul in the town as I remember it. Some of the people in this brief history may disagree with some of the detail, but if you remember it differently, tell me so, and I will put it right. |
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A number of older lads in the town had started to travel out of town to go to places called "The Torch", "The Wheel", "Va-Vas" and "The Catacombs", and the music they heard there began to put into youth club jukeboxes (remember them?) and influence the playlists of the local discos and nightclubs, normally due to people taking their precious pressings with them and asking the DJ to "play this, mate". |  |
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This started a following among my age group (albeit only a couple of years younger, but too young), who started travelling to Northern Soul venues about the time of the Wigan Casino First Anniversary in 1974, and the craze rapidly spread throughout the town. I remember being involved with one of the first pure Northern venues at the Constitutional Club, which showcased the talents of Paul Rudzitas. |  |
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After this, Northern Soul became a regular feature of the social calendar in the town. Most of 16-20 age group became involved in some way or another, as Northern became part of any disco. With the commercial exposure of Wigan Casino, it became the "in thing". Learn the rest of the story in detail by navigating through the Local Venues and National Venues sections, listen to the music in the Sounds section, and have a laugh at a few old photos in the Pictures section. Go on, have a go! |