31st January, 2010: Radcliffe Funk-A-Go-Go

Spat by Soulgirl at 1:53 pm | Comment here! Comment (0)

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OK, it’s official… I’m certifiably WANKERED! :D

Steve & Rachel picked me up at 5.30pm for the 3½ hour journey to Manchester for the Radcliffe all-nighter. I’d only got back from Gloucester around lunch time and hadn’t slept, eat or topped up my internal water-table. We arrived at Radcliffe around 10pm and made our way to the main room.

I realised just how dehydrated I was because it felt as though I was on my boat rocking in the water and I couldn’t dance for toffee! I took the opportunity to fill up on beer and water in equal amounts and by 3am I was feeling much better. Thankfully so because Soul Or Nothing kicked off in room 3 which is where I stayed until 6.30am.

The music in the main room was very safe and one thing I would have changed was the lightness of the room. Possibly it was lighting required by health and safety but I joked with Joan that lighting was the least of their health and safety worries with us lot there :D

Amazed at how many people, that I didn’t know, were asking after my new boat life. Just goes to show how many read my blog and take and interest. I was flattered.

I was really pleased to see Paul & Helen McKay there. What a coincidence! I’d literally only been thinking that very day of how nice it would be if they turned up and blow me, they did!

Musically, the main room music elevated around 10 notches at 2am. Andy Dyson took his place behind the decks and delivered some excellent soul music including my favourite Calvin Grayson track. Went a bit ape to that and thoroughly enjoyed it! It was pretty much de-ja-vu during the evening as many who attended Gloucester last night were also in attendance in Manchester. Some of us feeling pretty sorry for ourselves due to the abuse on our frail ageing bodies but with a solid determination to ‘get on with it’.

Normally I would have danced all night but as I said earlier I just couldn’t keep my balance due to my lack of hydration and a somewhat marathon dance-fest the night before so stayed near our table taking the opportunity to chat to lots of people (whilst holding on to a chair for security) until it was time to take residence in the Soul Or Nothing room.

George kicked off proceedings and sweet Mother Mary, it was like a sledgehammer round the back of my head. Funky beats emanated from the massive speakers willing my body to wake up and move in time with the music. I didn’t know any of the tunes but I danced irrespective of this small hiccough!

Wayne Dearman’s set was more familiar as a few of his records were included on the CD he gave me last time. Again, I funked around the floor like some retired go-go dancer in appropriate apparel of bootleg trousers with stars down the sides :D

There was a girl on the dance floor with a dance style that ‘made’ me watch and admire every step. Smooth, effortless and cool. Her boyfriend was sat next to me and we struck up a conversation. I believe he said her name was Rowena. If I’ve got that wrong I apologise but by then I’d not slept for two nights and leeway has to be given in regard to my ‘mutton jeff’ hearing problem LOL. He said she read my blog so I quickly photographed her so she can be in this one!

I was so into the music. Letting myself go on the dance floor like a scene from Soul Train with little regard to who else was on the floor or in the room for that matter. As a record ended and I walked back to my seat, her Boyfriend was giving me applause! How fab! :-D

However, I found on many occasions that I was screwing my face up… must get out of that habit otherwise people will think I’m a bit odd. Hang on a minute, I am a bit odd :D

I also enjoyed watching Karl Heard dance on several occasions as he oozes passion and enthusiasm enjoying his ‘zone’ – just as Steve did behind the decks actually.

Next up was Steve Csordas and what a fucking entrance! Marva Whitney screamed for what seemed like an eternity before exhaling into funky goodness and bringing the whole room alive with excitement. Excellent choice Mr Csordas! His 100mph set continued where I even found myself trying to dance to the Intensions… That’s heart-attack territory is that!

All 4 DJ’s rotated and started a 2nd set. George wowed us yet again with up-tempo funky brilliance and Steve hit us with some superb 60′s. The last two sets were brought right down in terms of tempo and to be honest I was very much flagging at this point and it bored me enough to make me leave the room. Don’t get me wrong, I love my mid-tempo but at the end of an exhausting all nighter we need to be kept alert and only fast dancers will do.

Back to the main room where the tempo was just that. Kick you in the head tunes rolled out of the speakers keeping those still on the dance floor happy and animated. The music system in all 3 rooms were without fault. Crisp and loud!

There was a point much earlier in the evening where I resigned to the notion that I wouldn’t be dancing at all. I couldn’t even be arsed to get my camera out so have only captured a few shots. By the end of the evening my trousers were sticking to my arse and my shirt clung to my damp body. My hair was it’s usual crusty, sweaty mess and I knew then that it has been a successful night in terms of dancing and enjoyment.

I didn’t even get to twirl around in the R&B room which is very unusual for me. Rachel took full advantage of it though and kept popping back to where I’d planted myself, swaying monotonously, giving me updates as to how brilliant it was.

I ‘think’ I got chatted up by a good looking Mancunian but he was a bit drunk and I had trouble hearing what he was trying to convey so I hope I put the nods and smiles in the right places :-O

Chris and Marcelle can now notch another successful promotion on their bedstead and be happy about that. Thank you!

Oh, and I’ve left my voice behind so if the cleaner comes across it, pop it in the post to me will you.

So, here I am… waiting for the come-down. It’ll more than likely be ‘wankered ’til Wednesday’ so I’ll patiently await the return of my ‘body normal’. Soulism, there’s nowt like it! ;-)