October 2008
Fish wrote:
Having just arrived back from the 'Legends Weekender' at Prestatyn, I can honestly say the recovery time is simply getting longer and longer, but what a blast we had and it was all over in the blink of an eye !
We arrived very late Wednesday night / early hours of Thursday morning in preparation of the rooms during Thursday daytime. My main task was to make sure everything was in place in the 'Without Boundaries' Modern Soul room. A new room and layout for this event - the feedback we received for it over the weekend was fantastic, and I'd be the first to admit it did look stunning. Dressed to mirror our 'Summer Ball' events that we used to hold at the Bass Museum, with white drapes giving it that marquee feel. Add to that a large stage and dancefloor with overhead mood lighting, the dj stand even looked the part too ! and the PA system sounded the business.
A chill-out area in one corner with comfy lounge seats and plenty of chairs and tables throughout the rest of the room meant everything was in place. The room felt right and welcoming even when empty which was a good sign. All we needed now was the music and the people....
Thursday night was a chilled out relaxed affair, the calm before the storm so to speak as most people started to arrive during Friday - it was clear from early on the room was gonna fill up quickly. By midnight the room was heaving in readyness for the live show from AFRO ELEMENTS and they didn't disappoint with a blistering concert of their uptempo soul, funk and jazz rhythms fronted by the gorgeous Cheri on vocals. The music continued on afterwards to a full floor as Friday became Saturday. And into the daytime session. Quite a rareity these days but it was encouraging to also see a busy afternoon session. Saturday night was always going to be about THE SPINNERS , so inevitably the room emptied out from 11.00pm for around 45 minutes but from then onwards there was no looking back as a packed dancefloor grooved the night away to to a wide range of musical styles from new release soulful house to seventies obscurities and everything in between through until 6.00am.
Sunday continued in the same vein and although a few hadn't managed to last past Saturday ! - a very sizeable crowd continued to pick up where they'd left off on the previous two nights making for a memorable finale on the last evening.
Some were calling it the best ever Prestatyn and I don't think we could wish for a higher compliment than that.
Fish
Joe Dutton wrote:
The Back Beat R&B Weekender @ Legends 2008
Back Beat started out life as another club running R&B All-Nighters at the much missed Sheridans in Dewsbury. Although they were run to critical acclaim, due to the strength of the resident DJ’s, (Ted Couldstone, Nashee, Hoss and Roger Banks), they were never ‘packers’ and, as the venue was winding down, the club was also reaching the end of it’s tenure. When Sheridans was finally to close, Andy McCabe of Soultown (one of the other promoters who regularly used Sheridans, and attended almost every R&B All-Nighter at the club), approached myself to run a room at his newly acquired venue, in Middleton. To differentiate between this club and its’ previous incarnation, it was renamed (although most of the original DJ line-up was retained as part of the new resident team), with the addition of Kev Drage. And so ‘Back Beat’ was born, a bunch of like-minded reprobates with a love of R&B and the more eclectic sounds which ride it’s coattails….
During the last couple of years at Middleton the club has gone from strength to strength, gaining a regular following, whilst sticking to the original plan of promoting quality R&B in a Northern Soul arena. As a club, I feel that we are getting the mix just right, with a play list that is heavy in R&B, but also allows DJ’s to occasionally go off at tangents with diverse sounds from Big City Soul, Latin, Popcorn and the odd Funk tune. All this may sound a little serious, but there is also an emphasis on fun, with the resident DJ’s getting into the spirit of things… and some of the guest DJ’s can’t help but join in…
Now, thanks to the Midnight Hour team, we have the opportunity to promote ‘our’ music to a weekender crowd. For the first time, the Back Beat team are able to bring you a full weekender packed with R&B and give you an extended taste of the unique atmosphere we produce at each Middleton All-Nighter. The R&B Room will commence on Friday Evening with an All-Nighter. Joining the Back Beat residents will be DJ’s who have already graced the decks at Middleton and proved to be real crowd pleasers. The Saturday Afternoon session will be an ‘R&B Club Showcase’, with clubs from throughout the UK given the opportunity to give us their take on the R&B sound. Saturday Evening will be another Back Beat All-Nighter, featuring the resident line-up, along with representatives of some of the UK’s best clubs as guests. Sunday Afternoon will feature ‘new’ to Back Beat Talent, with local and lesser heard DJ’s getting the chance to play their favourite tunes. The Sunday Evening Finale will feature several of the DJ’s from the weekend, with the now legendary double decking sessions. Whether you are a died in the wool R&B aficionado, or just fancy dipping your toes into it’s murky pool, there’s definitely going to be something going on, at Octobers’ LEGENDS Weekender, for you. All Together Now!…..Oh, We Do Like To R&B Beside The Seaside…Confirmed DJ’s
Basics: Dundee Davie and Kev Conn
Midnight Town: Merv Parnell
Shakedown: Bob Morris and Paul
(If R&B is your thing, join us, this weekend, for “The R&B Spectacular,” from 5.30pm, in Arena 3, The Queen Vic, on Saturday evening and for “The R&B Encore,” from 6.00pm, in Arena 4, Redemption, on Sunday evening).
Joe Dutton
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DJ Info & the Arena's they played