The Wigan Casino nightclub, which had its first Northern Soul night 50 years ago this weekend, was an instant cultural phenomenon – and a surprising influence on music
It was a place where soul music found new life… and young Northerners found new inspiration.
The Wigan Casino nightclub, which had its first Northern Soul night 50 years ago this weekend, was an instant cultural phenomenon. As 4,000 soul music fans from all over the world gathered at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens to mark the anniversary, a DJ from the club’s heyday recalled those heady nights.
Richard Searling, now in his early 70s, said: “The two huge wide doors would have a queue forming right the way back down the road, with 500 to 1,000 people waiting to get in. As soon as those doors opened, there would be a flood of people, the wall of sound would hit you. That smell of condensation, of Brut, of sweat… it was absolutely amazing.”
Dancers paid 75p to get in to the first Northern Soul all-nighter on September 23, 1973. Bosses originally began the fun at 2am but later softened to a midnight start. Many of the tunes played were chart flops from across the Pond. It seems that Wigan Casino’s clientele found something in them that US listeners had missed.