Back to the Park Hall glory days

Park Hall is set to host a massive dance event to recall the Thursday nights back in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

The Scottish Soul Weekender, SSW4, is relocating having outgrown its former Dumfries home.

This year promises an amazing line-up that features the enigmatic house meastro Claptone, NYC House & Disco guru Danny Krivit, Crazy P, Jimpster, Horse Meat Disco’s Luke Howard, the UK’s Hacienda mainman, Graeme Park, Inland Knights, Fish Go Deep & Groove Assassin plus rare live performances from legendary American soul artists Ann Sexton and Garfield Fleming. And Big Brooklyn Red will be making his UK debut at the event alongside the US vocal kings of House Music, Michael Watford and Ce Ce Rogers.

Meanwhile, the Godfather of Manchester’s clubbing John Grant plays a Classic Rafter’s, Blackpool Mecca all dayers and Ritz set.

DJs – you can be on the line-up

Widely regarded as the “new kid” on the weekender block, SSW’s rise in size and popularity has culminated in a move this year to Lancashire.

Attracting an international audience that travels from as far afield as Japan, North America, Brazil, Europe and every corner of the UK to attend the event, SSW has firmly established itself as a mecca for clubbers that love the purest and most underground forms of soul and house music around played by the world’s top DJs and emerging talent from around the globe.

It showcases the best in rare soul, deep, soulful ‘n’ jackin’ house, modern/Northern/60’s soul, rare boogie ‘n’ disco, jazz, edits, funk, and nu disco.

SSW4’s newest arena, The Blue Room, is now a permanent fixture with its classic and acid house, edits, electronica, nu disco and jackin’ sounds, headlined this year by Germany’s enigmatic man in the mask, Claptone.

Northern soul star Ann Sexton makes only her second appearance in the UK, singing classic hits You’ve Been Gone Too Long, You’re Losing Me and You’re Gonna Miss Me initially put out on small label Seventy-7 Records.

Sexton has dusted off some of her material from the classic mid- 70s period, and just what the crowd are after in the wake of the recent classic soul revival.

Philadelphia’s Garfield Fleming also makes his debut appearance at SSW4, and is widely hailed as “one of the best singers of soul music”.

The vocal kings of House Music, Michael Watford and Ce Ce Rogers fly in exclusively from the USA to make their SSW debuts with anthems such as So Into You/My Love/Say Something/It’s Over’ and Someday/It’s Alright respectively, bringing the New Jersey gospel house flavour and original Chicago house sound alive.

The Goldmine Arena has become a major part of the event where 25 DJs can book a slot to play at SSW4 and actually be part of the weekender line-up

Get your applications in early as it’s one of the success stories of SSW events.

Curated by long time dance and soul music guru, Yogi Haughton, SSW4 is dedicated to offering a truly unique event.

Ann Sexton leads line-up

Listings:

SSW4: Friday, September-Sunday September 26-28

Venue: The Park Hall Hotel, Charnock Richard

Bookings & Info: 07540 112220

Times:

Friday: 5pm-7am

Saturday: 12pm-6pm & 8pm-7am

Sunday: 12.30pm-7pm

After Party: 10.30pm- .30am

The Pressure Point Line-up: Danny Krivit (USA), Fish Go Deep (Ireland); Crazy P (UK), Inland Knights (UK), Groove Assassin (UK), Mad Mats (Sweden), Yogi Haughton (UK), Carl Dupree (USA), Filthy Manc, David Elders, Bruce Nicholson, Co Co McHale, Dave Hulmes

The Shrine Room: Graeme Park (UK) *Disco Set*, Luke Howard- Horse Meat Disco (UK), John Grant (UK) Rafter’s, Blackpool Mecca all dayers & Ritz Classics set; Soul Sam, Fingerman, Dave Thorley, Kev Edwards, Rob Wigley, Billy Wildman, Willy McKenzie, Tony Bruce, James Cronshaw, Andrea ‘Sista Soul’, Gareth ‘Maz’ Butterworth, Deano Walker, Dave Box, Marcus Bee, Educated Jazzmen (Chris Thomas), Bizzy Pemberton

The Blue Room: Claptone (Germany), Graeme Park (UK) * Ultimate Hacienda Set* Jimpster (UK), Mad Mats (Sweden), Fingerman, Medlar, Yogi Haughton *Chicago & Detroit Special set* Cottam, Jamie ‘Jelly Roll Soul’ Alexander, Jimmy Jammin’, Shaun Gillies, Bosco, Rob Mason, Keiran Jay, Metro Cat

Live Acts : Ann Sexton, above - the legendary US diva behind ‘You’ve Been Gone Too Long’/‘You’re Loosing Me’/ ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’,

Garfield Fleming (USA) ‘Don’t send me away/You got dat right’/’Let’s turn in early’

Michael Watford (USA) ‘So Into You’/‘Say Something’/It’s Over’/My Love’/’Voices’

Big Brooklyn Red (USA)

Ce Ce Rogers (USA), Chicago classic house anthem ‘Someday’ and Carvalho

SSW3 Info No: 07505 922872

Advance Online Tickets: £99 (£101.50 incl. B Fee) available from http://www.scottishsoulfulweekender.com – Deposit of £50 secures your place.

On the Day: £120.00 - No accommodation can be provided for walk-ups

After party ticket for Sunday Night: £12.