Keeping the Faith | Bristol Northern Soul
March 17 2025 | Written By Sophia Wilkins
Northern Soul music has brought people together through heavy-beat classics, and fast-tempo tracks for over half a century. People mainly united to dance to this music in the early 70s when Northern Soul found itself in its Golden Age, particularly in the North of England and the Midlands. Soulies tended to spend their nights out in venues such as Twisted Wheel, and the infamous Wigan Casino, Blackpool Mecca, and Golden Torch. The weekly pilgrimage of bunking trains to reach these venues meant that the scene could be kept out of reach of the media and major record labels. It originally emerged from the Mod scene, and somewhat based itself on Black American Soul music, which was popular at the time. The style of music has a range of Motown influences, yet didn't quite receive the same amount of recognition; this has ensured it’s been left as a controversially underground scene to this day.
One of the major Northern Soul clubs in England today is thriving in Bristol. Bristol Northern Soul Club promotes everyone having a good time, listening to good soul music. There is a fabulous mix of people attending this club at their regular events, lots of university graduates in particular. Regular go-er Beth recalls “stumbling across the club one night,” she says she is gripped by the history of Northern Soul culture and loves educating others. “It’s so addictive, now I’ve started going I can’t imagine stopping! The people, the music, I love it all.”
The scene grew very quickly, emerging into a youth subculture which featured wide-leg trousers, sports tops/Fred Perry polo tops, high kicks, and collections of obscure vinyl records. The dancers were subject to carrying Adidas or Lonsdale hold-alls, usually decorated with an array of iron-on patches, boasting the venues they’ve danced at, and most importantly the talc to help them glide across the dancefloor.
Another regular at Bristol's Northern Soul Club, Jake, discovered the music after one of his mates played him the euphoric sound of Northern Soul; his opinions on the scene are “the people are all lovely, a great sense of community, it has made me enjoy dancing!”. Arleen Mckee is another member of the club, he’s been dancing to Northern Soul since his friends showed him a YouTube video of rare records, he says “since then, I’ve fallen in love with digging for underplayed soul records.” He explains that it could benefit from being a wider exposed culture in todays (and future) generations, “there is definitely a space for it in today's youth scene, where there is little connection amongst the people.” Soul artists that are played at Northern Soul events often didn't receive the same appreciation that Motown artists did, the familiarity of listening to records that were made by normal people is very attractive and could bring a sense of community to younger generations.
Some favourite tracks of Bristol Northern Soul Club’s members are: “I want your lovin’-Backyard Construction” “If You and I- Magic Night” “I’ve Had It- George Smith”