Oh, so you won't want to see Rebecca's photos then? Or my review of the Saturday Ball and the Tate dancing?
Oops, sorry...
Ok you 2 lets stay on thread and stick to how wonderfull SP was and not sully a marvellous weekend by fighting on this thread....PLEASE.
DTS XXX XXX
Guys,come on ... just STOP IT! If you want to throw handbags at each other set up your own 'bitch-fest' thread.
Re THE EVENT ... sad, end of an era ... lots of people already realising what they will be missing. Coming from someone who admittedly isn't a great fan of weekenders, I can see why. Great atmosphere, great chance to meet/make friends ... even some workshops that you might want to attend Still impressed at how many people pack in to do the WCS workshops ... maybe it does have a future. Got to say that the Royston's probably taught the BEST workshop I've seen ... fantastic way of explaining how to dance and great use of 'models'.
Maybe a surprising star for me on the DJing was Nigel Standeven (?) .... did exactly what is said on the tin ... played a couple of really solid 'main room' sets .... Shame a few others didn't follow his lead. In the Blues room, usual praise to Dance Demon ... one of the true greats of the DJ scene and truly the King of the Blues Room
Sorry, I won't ask again then.
I too am far too knackered to post properly. All I want to say at present is, Ceroc have Utopia, but JA just showed me the equivalent to Shangri-la!
Last edited by Cruella; 15th-September-2008 at 05:24 PM.
Hey, I posted a genuine review. It was a fab weekend. I posted "The Bad" with "The Good" in the hope that it will be all good next time. I felt that there was too much of that slow rap "Mary had a little lamb" gangsa poetry slow stuff played in succession during the afternoons so I said so. When you have only one room for people to dance I believe it should provide a varied mix of music - the afternoon stuff that was being played while the workshops were being run had, IMHO, too little variation in tempo and style - it was mostly slow, mostly modern and mostly lacking in melodic quality (there wasn't much of a tune). That wasn't just when Lee was playing and I never said it was - I wasn't singling Lee out for criticism, it's not all about him.
Last edited by David Bailey; 15th-September-2008 at 07:37 PM. Reason: Removed personal comment
I thought "aftermath" threads were supposed to be bitch-fests, that's the whole point of them isn't it?
For example:
Wooo.
Andy, you'll soon realise that should you dare to post even a tiny negative comment, it will be jumped on, stomped over, re-hashed, inflated, misinterpreted, and will stay with you forever; you'll always be known as "Oh yes, Andy McG, he's the one who posts negative reviews isn't he?" from now on.
Last edited by David Bailey; 15th-September-2008 at 05:29 PM.
The Ceroc take-over was under constant dicussion from everywhere all weekend, looks like we'll all be following Jive Addiction to the east coast. The worm is turning, it would seem. I am a Southport veteran and have been appauled by Ceroc's latest dirty deed. Ceroc will never achieve the dance quality that JA have built up. They have burnt themselves in the foot this time. Too many people have been turned off, yea some will follow, but anyone with any morals will ditch the monopoly that is Ceroc and support the independents.
Just remembered one the (many) highlights of the weekend....
Sunday night in the Blues room, trying to wake up while watching the dancing on the floor behind the DJs ..... in wanders a certain Amir who then links up with the gorgeous Mel () ... and they just HAD FUN ... so easy yet so beautiful to watch. Would have paid good money for footage of their dancing. AND ... as if that wasn't enough,. short time later then Amir is on the dance floor again with ANOTHER absolutely stunning blonde (how the ?$&*** does he do it? ) ... never seen her before (tall, slim, black top, white trousers) ... but once more pure poetry was created on the dancefloor ..... wonderful
Last edited by Gus; 15th-September-2008 at 05:28 PM. Reason: genetic inability to spell :-(
Too tired for a lengthy review at the moment so keeping it short and sweet.
Once again SP was simply outstanding, most of all for the quality of the dances and the special atmosphere created at times in the blues room. I had no really bad dances, loads of really good ones and some that were . I won't mention names (some I don't know anyway) but simply say a massive thanks to all of you.
On the music front I will give a special mention for Zebra Woman's set in the blues room on Sunday night . I also had a go myself on the very sunny Saturday afternoon and played some of my favourite blues and chilled tunes which seemed to go down reasonably well.
So once again thanks to Jon and Wes for a great weekender - I felt so sad to leave and really wished it could have lasted a few more days.
Well am just in the door and about to sleep for as long as I can before work the next morning.
I had alot of fun this weekend... started (again) the long struggle from jive to WCS
Though only after three dances and one workshop afterwards i've manged to loose my whip ability......
Made alot of new friends this weekend. Though i didn't manage to dance with all the forum lot i met.
Am convinced i met a jive something at a wcs workshop which disappeared for the rest of the weekend.
Cake was supplied and eatten plus i had countless fanstastic dances even attempted to dance with a teacher (didnt know sowwy!)
Only downside for me was it was over too soon that and the evil mobile cameras that might have pictures of me while traveling down to southport....
Ah!!that's better, sleep, a shower and bacon and eggs later I feel human again. I was quite 'spacey' on Monday morning having had only six hours sleep since waking up on Friday morning, but what the hell who wants to sleep through Southport
The Good
Fabulous atmosphere, yes we won't be at Southport next time, but as ever the optomist I think well, in that case Southport is moving to Skegness, same great dancers, DJs, music, and teachers, different location, whether that had to happen? different subject and in the words of the song, we're moving on up now.
Dancing Milonga with my friend George for the full one and a half hours on Sunday night, in his words delicious!!
Meeting JonD properly and dancing tango in the beautiful close embrace with him, and also having the very best of fun dancing MJ with Jon, in my words ..awesome and hope to repeat at Skegness perhaps???
My fabulous dances with Stokie , Blueshoes,[who was blue from head to toe] Ant, Dave, [Jivenights], Dance Deamon,Mr Darcy,tsh, Prezelmeister,DTS,Lost Leader, Underpar,Bill Straycat, Darryl,Tanjive,Onkar, Tiger 'sexy' pants, The Librarian, Chunky Josh,Raphael,Noel, Wuzzle, pmjd, robd,Dai,Gerry, my lovely mate Patrick, [non forumite], and to all the gorgeous guys who made me feel very special and a million dollars on the dance floor,thank you so much.
Thank you for the music DJs each and everyone.
Lemoncakes spectaular cakes, so much appreciated.
Having breakfast with the compliments of Jon and Wes
My chalet roomies, Ant and Susie, we got on ok didn't we and between us we certainly didn't starve, PHEW !
Moments where you just had to be there at the time, like 'you've been oranged with Hevmate', I know I am special at times. The girly handbag dances, we will have to keep that as a feature.
For the laughs and amazing 'you had to be there times' with Sara White, love ya honeyand we get to do it all again in a couple of weeks, I ask myself,is Teneriffe ready for you, Trouble and me together.
Fletch, you always shine darling in the most dignified and elegant way Lol xx
Caz, get those legs out girl and show off that fabulous figure in your frocks, you look fantastic.
Raphael's 'truely suprise' birthday party, dancing in the sunshine, chair dancing when you are too knackered to get up and dance but can't keep the body still, and really the list goes on and on....magic happens , like buying the sexy shoes I have been looking for and managing to find purple ones.
Catching up and having laughs and fun fun fun with the girlfriends I have made with dancing, big hugs xx
The Milonga's and Tango classes did it for me they made a great weekend even better,I agree with Sue that it would be nice if the Milonga time could be extended...what do you think Jon and Wes? Sugarfoot you played the most gorgeous music in the Marquee, any chance you do a playlist if it is different from the one mentioned by David Bailey. Many thanks x
The not so good
Trouble wasn't there and I missed you gorgeous.
Missing the opportunity to dance with Lee Bartholomew, I was just off to the tango lesson and didn't find you after that, gutted, so would like at least two next time please. lol
Missing out on more dances with Straycat, Andy I just didn't find you later and I so enjoyed dancing with you. Mind you you may have been in front of me and I wouldn't have recognised the 'new' you lol x.
Too much music with the beat for West Coast Swing dancing.
Hearing that there is a thief about, that is bad, bad, bad.
That fat lady sang again and has now emergrated across the pennines and beyond, but I will find her and will make sure I will enjoy Skeggie just as good.
I missed meeting loads of people that said they were going, jive -vee sorry xxx ,
Thank you Jon and Wes for a great time, and for the personal touch that makes for a dancing event with a difference.
Last edited by rubyred; 15th-September-2008 at 06:23 PM.
if you love the life you live then you'll get a lot more done
On behalf of Wes and I, thank you to everyone who attended the Last Ever Southport as we all knew and loved. It was a truly memorable and emotional experience.
ECLIPSE at Skegness will be the 'new' Southport and with the amazing facilities available to us, Jive Addiction will raise the standards once again.
Advance bookings have been phenomenal. Thank you to the 873 dancers who booked in over the weekend for February and the 655 dancers who booked in for June.
Assuming you are talking about Sunday night, I don't get this. WCS was scheduled at 23:30 after the Milonga.
23:30 - 02:30 is 3 hours. It might have got extended but that is the potential benefit of being last, and isn't guaranteed. Would the Tango dancers really want the last slot ?
You had Dance Demon playing in the Blues Lounge @ 23:30 - 01:00. Mostly WCS ?
Then from 01:00 - 04:00 in the Latin room you had Zebra Woman and Blueshoes. Not a whole lot of WCS there, and quite possibly a decent number of tangoable tracks.
And as far as bluesier tracks go, it isn't always correct to dismiss the main room, as things tend to slow down deeper into the early hours.
Possibly the issue was that there was more short term variety, than was necessary with 4 freestyle rooms (As in DJs generally making an effort to provide variety)
So not the (lose the will to live) uninterrupted WCS previously seen, but difficult to settle down to a different vibe. And blues/tango dancer have good reasons for being far more disturbed by a hard WCS track, than WCS dancers are by a bluesy track.
Back home and rather tired... summary points.
The atmosphere - very much a feeling of people wanting to make the most of the last Southport - just settling into the event and enjoying it for what it is.
Music great as always. Loved the variety that the different DJs brought.
A lot of amazing dances. I didn't have a single bad dance all weekend and had some really fantastic ones.
The standing ovation for John and Wes.
Seeing so many familiar faces and meeting some new ones.
Robert Royston's classes - simply an excellent teacher.
Not going to list lots of names re dances as there were just too many, but a few highlights - dancing on the decking in the sunshine and in the evenings, Lemoncake and LM's lovely cakes, starting to get into the flow on Fri night with Nigel S, shopping with Andy McG (!), doing tango in the middle of 'Pump It' with the Passion Harem, tag dance with DTS and Bill (?), seeing myself on a video clip (being v playful and daft! ), meals with the NI crowd, dancing and sitting and chatting and relaxing and dancing some more. Smooth dances, funky dances, high energy, slow and sensual - delightful.
The downs - despite a whole weekend with so many of my favourite dancers - still not getting to dance with everyone I wanted to.
I've been to every Southport - my personal dance journey has been linked with this event, I feel I have grown along with it. And its the people that make it for me, some are forumites I have got to know over the years, some are people I don't know but just always see at SP. It all works because of the people, good to hear so many booked for Skegness, with the music and the people it will be great.
Thought I would leave feeling a bit sad at the memories of the past 5 years, but instead I left feeling satisfied at a great weekend. Thanks John and Wes.
Looking forward to Eclipse.
Last edited by Lynn; 15th-September-2008 at 07:19 PM.
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