Preview: Scottish Soulful Weekender

This upcoming weekend, the Scottish Soulful weekender will host three days of soul music, heavily interspersed with house music DJ sets. It has a particular emphasis on the more ‘soulful’ side of electronic music, which it provided through some of the most internationally active DJs in the world. The festival takes place in the Park Hall Hotel, roughly eight miles south of Preston.

The itinerary for SSW4 comprises of three main rooms. The Pressure Point, featuring DJs such as Groove Assassin and Danny Krivit, will be the hardest going of the three. It is, taken in the context of the festival, and in comparison to the other rooms, a more standard fare—here, you will get the most distinct house vibes. The Shrine Room, as subtly hinted at in its name, is where the crossover music is to be found, for those looking for a little more incorporated jazz and soul (both old and new) this weekend. Here, you will hear the 73-year-old Soul Sam, and Luke Howard, a key DJ in the legendary Horse Meat Disco collective. The Blue Room offers a roster that will please those after something slower, more psychedelic. It will house Jimpster, who is at the forefront of the maverick Freerange Records label, and Sweden’s most prominent DJ: Mad Mats.

Aside from the DJ sets, live bands will be playing: we have the excellent blue-eyed soul singer Big Brooklyn Red, whose minimalist approach in the studio belies the talent he brings to the table in his live performances. At top of the bill, though, is Ann Sexton, whose music is reminiscent of The Supremes in terms of both style and quality: tracks such as ‘You’re Losing Me’ has solidified her status as a living legend in the northern soul and funk scene.

On top of all of this, there remain two areas. The Goldmine is an idea which embodies the pluralistic attitude that the organisers have: twenty five DJs book themselves places to perform at this stage, which is something that is sure to yield some very welcome surprises. The final area, So Chill, is outdoors, and is the place to socialise here, and to smoke in the sun to the tunes of DJs, including some unannounced ones. SSW4 has an awful lot to offer: a large and eclectic mix of DJs, some impressive and established live soul music and a whole lot more – it promises good times as well as novel and unexpected experiences.

Kicking off on Friday September 26th from 5pm and closing at 7pm on Sunday September 28th, tickets are priced at £101.50 and are available from www.scottishsoulfulweekender.com

Competition

To win a Pair of VIP Tickets to SSW4 and a Goody Bag containing T shirt, tote bag, mug, car stickers etc, please answer this question. 2nd Prize is 1 Pair Of Tickets + 1 Goody Bag and 3rd Prize, 1 Pair Of Tickets.

Q: Which country do Danny Krivit, Michael Watford & Ce Ce Rogers hail from?

1. Germany
2. USA
3. Brazil

Send your answer to [email protected] with your contact info.