Dance music in Thurso......?

[Midi]

Am I the only person in Thurso who is heartily sick of the fact that the closest we get to a proper dance music nightclub is Frantic Fred playing the '9 to 5' remix in Skins every Saturday night? Please tell me I'm not alone...

[moncur]

I too agree that the selection of music on saturday nights appears to be limited and turning stale. Im not into dance music but it would be a welcome change. Apparently the reason for repetition in skins is that they know that certain songs always get people up to dance ie. christina aguilera, 9-5, destinys child and so on. I just think that Frantic is just too scared to take a risk for five minutes and play something new or original which may be a hit with the punters. The whole point i think of being a DJ is to play new and unheard music or decent hits which have stood the test of time over the years. [/i]

[Midi]

No, it's not a case of Frantic being scared. It's a case of Frantic being a terrible terrible DJ. DJing is not about always playing current chart hits, timeless classics or cutting edge house. It's about reading the crowd, NOT talking, def not 'rapping', mixing and, most important of all, variation. It's a hard skill which takes a very long time to learn but you'd think at Fred's age, he would have some kind of inkling. If Brian would at least give even a Friday night to someone who can DJ with a decent bit of house, it would make such a huge difference and I think the impact would be massive. Of course, this would be far far better incorporated into the second nightclub which Thurso so desperately needs.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Hmmm... Skinandis: the sole nightclub in town: has a mainstream and dedicated audience that wouldn't tolerate anything other than chart-related music. This is true. Therfore, the management aren't going to tamper with anything that 'works'.

However, granted, there should be a place where people into dance music - and other forms of music for that matter - can be accomodated. It won't be at Skinandis. What I would do is attract interest from people into dance music, and help set up/organise my own dance night. There must be places available for hire (i.e. Viewfirth?); and with a bit of advertising/luck, you could start up your own club. It's worked everywhere else I've ever been - why not in Thurso; Caithness?

Make a bit of effort. It'll be fun and just as rewarding. Who knows? If it picks up, perhaps Frantic Fred will be contacting you for a DJ spot.

Good luck!

[codex]

Yea you guys are talking the right track.

The sad thing with Skin's is they wont hold any type of unheard of event.
Like for instance my Application to hold a hard dance event, which was turned down.

One reason being Harder dance edged music encourages drugs. and i cant disagree with that.....but that seems to be the culture of hard dance music...these days though things arent as bad as they were back in the old school days.. but who would know !

last time i was in there they had "Jive bunny" playing lol. what was even madder was that the crowd of teenieboppers seemed to be enjoying frantic fred , i though made a dash for exit. The waterfront though they have held some great nights in the past.. but they too Admit that offences rise whenever theiy site a rave. so i think the best alternative is to site a rave at yer house "The Pepsi Challenge" lol

[Donnie]

I hate chart music so I wont go on a friday or saturday night. In fact I avoid that place 99% of the time. The only time i'll go in at a push is when ryan is the dj.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Yeah, the majority rule. And it sucks. No doubt about it.

I can understand why the Skinandis hierarchy don't wish to accomodate or take on board anything new or fresh. (That's new and fresh from their point of view, by the way.) They have their audience; why drive them away.

What ('we') should be looking at in the grander scheme of things is competition. Which refers back to my last post. And it should be addressed. After all, I had the opportunity to take Mylo to Thurso, and Skinandis in particular. But he said no, because he'd heard of its reputation. Remember how Snow Patrol felt about there? Nuff said.

[Naefearjustbeer]

I far rather to go to Skinnadis on a thursday or friday night when there are live bands playing. But as mentioned these bands dont get a good reception the crowd only arrive just before midnight and stand around getting legless waiting for the disco to start so they can bop to the same of rubbish every week. Some of the better bands are only using skins as a gig to get free digs on the way to orkney where I believe the crowd enjoys good music.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Which is more the reason why bands should start their own thing: finding a venue, putting on good shows and adveritsing as widely as they can. Knowing there's a vibrant musical activity might cajole more people, and nothing attracts people more than a crowd itself. Not since the late 80s and early 90s has there been much to shout about on the local music scene. But hat's off to those who are attempting to change that.

[©Amethyst]

I've personally taken a CD in for Frantic to listen to and staff enjoyed it when it was played while the club was closed.

I'm sure if you petition Frantic and Brian they can try to get better music in.

I think Skinns needs competition... maybe then they'll improve it.

P.S. Frantic's name's not Fred

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Petition Cardosi and Frantic? Why?

[©Amethyst]

I don't mean have a petition where people sign a piece of paper, I mean that if they get a few people asking them to have better music, and make a few suggestions, they might consider it.

[codex]

Im just curious ....
How many people in caithness are atracted to the dance music scene
i feel that caithness is full of metal heads which i used to be..but the hard dance music scene has taken over my life now...is there anyone out there that loves the sound of a TR 303 or am i the only one

[The Pepsi Challenge]

I'm sure - I'm certain - there's loads. But it's apathy. In Edinburgh, for example, you almost have to take the gig/event/club to their house to get them interested.

Another example: when I lived in Thurso I would go to anything new, diverse, or remotely outside the county's Status Quo if it came to town. However, when I moved away, there was so much on on my doorstep I couldn't be bothered. Thurso - and Caithness - should colloborate amongst themselves. Find out who is interested in whatever you propose and set up/organise your own event. Generate intrigue and people will follow.

Forget Skinandis - it's a closed shop. Tribute bands and mainstream chart music... I'm sorry that people who detest both those things, have to put up with it. As I say, good luck.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

It should also be noted: this thread alone has been viewed - at the point of counting - almost 150 times. That would indicate there is some (albeit vague) interest in what's being said and discussed here. This is positive.

It's a start.

[codex]

I've personally taken a CD in for Frantic to listen to and staff enjoyed it when it was played while the club was closed.

I'm sure if you petition Frantic and Brian they can try to get better music in.

I think Skinns needs competition... maybe then they'll improve it.

P.S. Frantic's name's not Fred

What sorta choons are on the Cd you took in to skinn's?
Was it Dance music orientated?

[Naefearjustbeer]

I've personally taken a CD in for Frantic to listen to and staff enjoyed it when it was played while the club was closed.

I'm sure if you petition Frantic and Brian they can try to get better music in.

I think Skinns needs competition... maybe then they'll improve it.

P.S. Frantic's name's not Fred

Why take a risk changing the format when they make the money playing the same stuff week in week out. Any time I have gone to see something different that they have had on, you get a few people turning up to listen to the music the rest are in the place to get drunk/pull and would be in the place whatever was on. They just dont go up and dance cause it is stuff they dont recognise. So you get good music with a dozen or so people up listening/dancing and the rest hang around the bar waiting for the disco so thay can dance/stagger around to the latest pop or the oldies that get played all the time.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

My point exactly. But let's not that be the end of the matter. Hell no. As Chuck D once proclaimed: Fight The Power.

[©Amethyst]

would they not get more people into skinns if the range was wide enough to reach out to people of all music tastes?

and the cd was by a band called The Benjamin Gate - it's quite tricky to get hold of it in this country... but 'tis a sorta cross between rock and something else that I can't quite put my finger on. Easy to dance to tho.

[gravedigga]

Skins is as bad as the Waterfront for playing the same old stuff, they put on a good dance tune that gets you going, then on pops cotton eyed joe, come on eileen or something like that which is a complete come down.

Be good is they held a rave once a month or so like on a Friday night and got DJ's up from down the line. If they can manage to get Judge Jules over to Orkney surely they could get some decent dj's up here. I was at a few raves in the Viewfirth, can't remember who was playing but the tunes were banging and it was a really good night - that was a while ago tho. . . . . Been at a few good un's in the Waterfront too, think the last was when divine inspiration were up and a dj from Dingwall or somewhere lek at.