An evening of brilliant music and fabulous dancing, hugely enjoyable from start to finish.
Last Saturday night, the South Coast Soul Club presented an evening of Northern Soul at The Grove Theatre in Eastbourne. DJs Stuart Trevelion and Steve Woolston (with special guest Anton Ludwig) spun the discs and the rest of us danced and danced and danced.
The non-stop music, entirely on vinyl, was purist, according to some enthusiasts, a mixture of the rarer grooves and the classics, but always uptempo and driven by an insistent syncopated beat. I'm a newcomer to this genre so I had the joy of discovering, time and time again, yet another wonderful and eminently danceable track. The dance floor was never empty. These DJs clearly knew their stuff.
The dance floor may have been always occupied but it was never so crowded that it was difficult to move. Some of the dancers were clearly experts, athletically kicking and twirling and sliding, seeming so light on their feet that it looked like they could float above the floor. There were others - well, me - who were more ponderous and less nimble. It didn’t matter. It was obvious that everyone on the floor was having tremendous fun and most of these around the edges were just catching their breath before starting again.
The venue was perfect. The floor was a decent size and properly sprung. Seats, and some tables were arranged around the edges and there was a separate bar area where it was possible to chat and relax. The acoustics seemed spot-on. But most of all, The Grove delivered that 'club' feel, the special magic of dancing underground.
The dance floor may have been always occupied but it was never so crowded that it was difficult to move. Some of the dancers were clearly experts, athletically kicking and twirling and sliding, seeming so light on their feet that it looked like they could float above the floor. There were others - well, me - who were more ponderous and less nimble. It didn’t matter. It was obvious that everyone on the floor was having tremendous fun and most of these around the edges were just catching their breath before starting again.
The venue was perfect. The floor was a decent size and properly sprung. Seats, and some tables were arranged around the edges and there was a separate bar area where it was possible to chat and relax. The acoustics seemed spot-on. But most of all, The Grove delivered that 'club' feel, the special magic of dancing underground.
The organisers said they wanted to control the numbers so that they achieved the Goldilocks zone between too crowded and not busy enough; there were a lot of people there but I think they got it just right.
This was The Grove’s first foray into Northern Soul but they promise it won’t stop there; they hope to make it a monthly event. Last night was sold out so, if you want a memorable evening of great music, impressive dancing and friendly company, keep your eyes peeled and book early.
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