The Birdcage is more than just a club for me its the place where my journey began in Northern Soul .It was the place to be and I didn't realise it also had a family connection

The Birdcage in Ashton under Lyne was where it all really began for me , we used to go there regularly it was the place to go...

So Where does Northern Soul go from here ?

The Future looks brighter than ever ....

Northern soul began as the sound of working class kids escaping grind of factory life .Fifty years later its a Global community united by Rhythm ,sweat and the thrill of discovery ....

For me Modern Soul isn't just a label...its proof that the scene has never stood still .It evolves it re invents and it keeps surprising us

This is the first episode of "This is Modern Soul "

Final episode in the series........ What really set Cleethorpes apart was the music ,unlike Wigan which focused on stomping mid-60s floor fillers

Cleethorpes embraced a more diverse blend of of sounds

From 1964-1967 The Mojo Club wasn't just a nightclub it was a cultural Volcano erupting every weekend with American artists ,Imports and 60s authentic British Soul

In the mid 70s Northern Soul was at a Crossroads, Manchesters Twisted Wheel and Stoke's The Golden Torch had closed ,a new divide was opening in the Northern Scene ..... Out of the tension a new chapter began ..............."The All -Dayer "

The Catacombs may have been small in size it was known as "The greatest little soul club in Britain"

opened in 1968 and closed in 1974

When I first walked through the Mecca Doors I identified with the clubs shift towards disco and Modern Soul .....

but now looking back I find myself drawn more and more back to that pure 60s Northern Soul Sound .........

The 100 Club in London first opened its doors in 1942 ...but by the late 1970s as the golden age of of wigan casino was coming to a close they started all nighters and to this day they still play the Northern Soul .