Words by Ed King / Pic by Jayne Billi
On Saturday 15th April, The Big Birmingham Soul Night comes to the Town Hall – presented by The Night Owl and THSH. Running from 9pm until the wee hours, DJing throughout the event will be Colin Curtis (Golden Torch Set), Ian ‘Pep’ Pereira (Catacombs/Wigan Casino), Sonny & Spare (Boogaloo).
Tickets are priced at £12 advance, £14 on the door. For direct event information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.
The Night Owl has been committed to Northern Soul since the moment they opened their small but secure back street Digbeth doors. Cosy and clandestine, they did it for the love. But the echoing footsteps from the floorboards of the Wigan Casino, Blackpool Mecca, Wolverhampton’s Catacombs and Stoke’s Golden Torch nightclubs are behind every Northern Soul night and it was, arguably, a matter of time before we saw the words ‘wooden dancefloor’ appear in print.
But to up the stakes of nostalgia, The Night Owl has managed to bag the Town Hall for their larger late night revel. Stick that in your Vesper tailpipe and smoke it. Plus they’ve booked one of the DJs behind the burgeoning Northern Soul scene of the 60’s and a previous resident of the famed/infamous Golden Torch all nighters – Colin Curtis.
And if you’re of a fresher faced age… staying up until dawn, hopped up on adult pills with childish names, dancing to music that will tear down the establishment is not the invention of the post millennials. Northern Soul was a powerhouse of a scene in the 60’s and 70’s, redefining the culture of UK clubland whilst streaming African American music into Britain’s tacitly segregated waters.
Plus the term ‘rave’ was first used in the British press (as a badge of debauched youth culture) to describe all night jazz events in and around Wardour Street. So pass the potatoes Gran, you’re looking a little off colour this Sunday lunch.
But the chance to foot stamp in the Town Hall is almost too tempting to miss, and if Northern Soul is your thing then you’re almost obligated to go. Tribal loyalty: another thing that’s not new. But references and alteration aside, The Big Birmingham Soul Night is a bold move from a venue that has been steadily grafting away – plus the line up is a handpicked homage to Northern Soul’s phenomenal rising balloon.
“We are delighted to be working with Birmingham Town Hall,” says Mazzy Snape – promoter of The Night Owl, “with its huge wooden floor and iconic design it really fits with the ethos of the legendary Northern Soul all nighters of years gone by such as Wigan Casino and Blackpool Mecca.
It holds so much history with artists such as Buddy Holly and The Kinks having played in the 50s and 60s, the soul fans are going to love it! The Night Owl regulars will be happy as they’ll have more room to dance and there will be about 3 or 4 times as many people as we can normally fit in! If all goes well this could become THE Birmingham soul event”.
The Big Birmingham Soul Night comes to Birmingham Town Hall on Saturday 15th April, in conjunction with The Night Owl. For direct gig info and online tickets sales, click here.
For more from The Night Owl, visit www.nightowlbirmingham.com
For more from the Town & Symphony Halls, visit www.thsh.co.uk
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