Crossfire, 12th October

I'm becoming quite the old hand at these Northern Soul nights (read: I've been to two before this one) and have a reasonable idea of what to expect. Namely lots and lots of people who clearly live and breathe the scene, and some great music, none of which I recognise.

Crossfire on Saturday fit this bill a treat but with the exception of it being on a much larger scale. Run by the same people who do Mousetrap (the New Untouchables) this was an EVENT. Held only twice a year, this all nighter which went from 10pm until 6 am spread across three rooms. One was garage, one was RnB and one was - well, I forget and it didn't make much difference to me as I'm not expert enough to have been able to discern the differences in each room. One of them also had a live band which seemed fairly decent and was drawing quite a crowd - so we went somewhere there was more room to dance! I'd never heard of 229 The Venue before hearing about Crossfire but it's a pretty large venue in the middle of London (by Great Portland Street) and they seem to have live music of retro-type events on every day of the week. Inside it's not particularly glamorous but it has the key features you need from a dance club - a bar and a dance floor. 

Everyone apart from my motley crew was dressed to the nines in their best mod gear. We went to the Albany for a drink beforehand and it wasn't difficult to spot which people we'd be seeing again over the road with all the Paul Wella-esque haircuts, beehives and turned up trousers revealing brightly-coloured socks underneath. 

Given the number of people who are clearly quite serious about the Northern Soul lifestyle, there's no attitude and we all felt perfectly comfortable being there. That might have been different had we eschewed the clearly printed rule stating 'No Drinks on the Dance Floor'. Because of course, the people are here for the music and to dance to that music. It's a serious business - the floor is sprinkled with talc to ensure maximum gliding ability for all the shuffle footwork that takes place. A spilled drink would ruin the effect.

There were some quite amazing moves happening on the dance floor and once again, almost everyone seemed to have that combination of moving like you're completely absorbed in the music but still looking completely authentic down pat. I wondered again if such swaying and shuffling requires much practice, or if people are so enthralled to the spirit of the 60s, it just comes naturally to them. 

My feet had started hurting before I even got into the club so I didn't do as much dancing as I would have liked, and I must admit, I would have preferred it if I recognised some more tunes. Having said that, apparently the number of Northern Soul records in existence is very small so if I keep going to these nights I will become more and more familiar with them and potentially rack up some 'favourites' in my mind. In the meantime it's just enjoyable feeling like you have stepped back in time. 

Zoo Zoo, 24th May

I've been to the Blues Kitchen before, for after work drinks and dinner and really liked it. But I wondered how it would work for a proper late club night of sorts such as Zoo Zoo.

Zoo Zoo is a night from the lovely people behind Mousetrap and all things 60s soul, groove, funk and R 'n' B to name just a few - the New Untouchables. I really enjoyed Mousetrap in its dinky cellar club but was looking forward to some old school music in a slightly bigger, slicker setting.

We got there at about nine, and the place was certainly lively. But it was lively in that kind of after works, sit-down meal kind of way. All the booths were full of people eating and I suspected a lot of people were there just because it was a bar near their workplace rather than for the entertainment.

Promised for the evening were two live bands, one at 10, one at midnight, with 60s R 'n' B, Soul and Garage played in between. As ten o'clock swung around the place was so busy I didn't even notice when the first band started playing. Everywhere was packed and it required a valiant effort to get down to where the stage and audience were. I think I managed to get to the edge towards the end of the set. The music was good and had certainly been good in the background, although the singer left a little to be desired. 

The after-work crowd began to thin, or perhaps everyone was just worried about getting the last tube home. Far from lessening the atmosphere I think this actually helped; there was room to breathe - and dance. Close to midnight as promised the second band took the stage and they were amazing! They had the crowd eating out of their hands. What a voice that singer had. Powerful, soulful... stunning. They were a 7-piece - singer, two guitarists, drummer, keyboard player and trumpeter and trombonist. 

So caught up in the atmosphere was I (and the lovely frozen margaritas were probably taking effect) that I didn't really register exact songs. I think I remember singing along to I Just Want to Make Love to You while at the bar. And I think the band did a pretty excellent rendition of Think. And I'm reliably informed that Son of a Preacher Man was also played. 

No one was ready for them to finish when they did and we bayed for an encore, which we were duly given. 

It was exactly what me and my friends had all wanted from the night - 60s music that we knew, loved and could shake our asses to!

So, despite the slow start, I had an excellent time and would definitely go again, though I might go somewhere cheaper for drinks first!

Mousetrap...for Soul Shakers, 15th December

I didn't really think places like this existed. But I'm ever so glad they do.

I had a very detailed image in my mind of what I expected the venue to look like. I knew it was a wine bar and I basically imagined it as looking like Concrete in Shoreditch, but with wood panelling and low lights everywhere instead of, well, concrete.

It wasn't quite like this. Not quite the sleek, imposing wine bar, more of an underground little cavern. And by little I mean tiny. I don't think I have ever been to such a tiny club.

We arrived at a little after 11, in order to avoid having to pay a whole 2 pounds more after midnight than the 8 pounds we did pay to get in. It wasn't heaving as yet, but there were definitely quite a few people in there already, and more than a few of these were already on the dance floor. And they were really giving it some - authentic, willowy 60s dancing galore  in a way that seemed not quite on the beat that could only have been the result of a lot of practice. We almost felt guilty joining the dance floor and thus depriving them of the necessary room to throw down their shapes,. But this is probably why they got there so early - to have the luxury of having the whole dance floor to themselves while they could.

The bar was small and served usual pub drinks - as one of my friends was quick to point out, that meant no cocktails. Prices were normal for London bars - not cheap, but not inflated club prices.

It is touted as a Northern Soul night, and there were definitely a lot of people there who were very much into the scene, wearing clothes I can only assume were authentic vintage. But we didn't feel out of place as 'tourists' there, and all the staff were incredibly friendly. Take the cloakroom attendant below, for instance, who took his time to smooth out the creases and hang each and every coat with decorum.

You got the feeling that it's like a big family here, with a lot of regulars who know each other, and the staff. Well, it has been going 20-odd years in the same place! The night we went it was the DJ's birthday and there was free cake on the bar!

The music was fantastic. Mostly Northern Soul as expected but with some jazzier numbers thrown in. I hold my hands up - I didn't recognise a single song, but I didn't stop dancing. I've been places with better soundsystems (this is certainly no Funktion 1 a la Fabric), but if genuine soul and original R'n'B is what you're after then I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better night.

I really felt I'd been transported back in time to the heady days of the swinging 60s with all the hip cats and kittens. Groovy! (or another, probably more authentic slang of your choosing).