If you were a soul and jazz funk fan back in the day, two former Peterborough DJs are set to revive their club nights for one night only in May.
Well known local DJs Steve Allen and Steve Jason fronted the popular jazz funk, soul and disco nights from the late 70s to late 80s in Peterborough and to mark the anniversary of those nights they’re staging a special revival night.
On the coronation weekend, Sunday 7 May, the Jazz Funk Disco & Soul Revival Night will bring back memories for city clubbers who were regulars at the likes of Slickers at the Cresset, Annabelles on Bridge Street and The Gables in Werrington.
Soul music and Peterborough have always been good partners and after the Northern Soul Era that started in 1973 the music around 1976 progressed to disco and funk and in 1978. Although there were one-off events at places like The Fleet and The Grove, back then the one weekly club night in Peterborough was on Thursdays at the first ‘nightclub’ in the city – Anabelles on Bridge Street – hosted by Steve Allen, which become known as The Funky Thursdays.
In between having to play records from Saturday Night Fever, Steve looked after the young ‘Funkateers’ in the city with as much upfront soul and funk as he could get away with in the era when wearing a shirt and tie was essential to actually enter a nightclub!
As jazz funk became more popular Steve started a new weekly Sunday club night based at The Cresset called Slickers which ran from 1978 – 1982. This night really put Peterborough on the national map as Steve along with guest DJ’s from around the country played the very best in new upfront music.
Around this time a young DJ called Steve Jason was beginning to make a name for himself around the city, playing various one-off events, before in 1983 starting a new Tuesday night at the then very popular Peterborough pub called The Gables – based on an industrial site in Werrington (Mancetter Square). This night ran through to 1987.
Then in May 1984 Steve launched the night that won both national honours for him and the venue – the famous Canters Sunday night sessions that ran through to 1987.
To celebrate the 45th Anniversary of Steve Allen starting Slickers and the 40th Anniversary of Steve Jason starting out at The Gables on Bank Holiday Sunday 7 May both DJ’s will be digging out their vinyl for one more time as they join forces to present a special Revival Night featuring all the top disco jazz funk & soul tracks from the era that the four clubs covered from 1976-1987.
The idea of doing such a night has been on Steve Jason’s mind for some time. Now the owner of The Met Lounge – the previous home of Anabelles and Canters – Steve also promotes heritage soul acts and over the past six years has promoted shows by artistes such as Shalamar, Kenny Thomas, Shakatak and The Real Thing in the city.
Although The Met Lounge is probably better known now as an indie and rock venue, it is fondly remembered as Anabelles and Canters and will no doubt be a blast from the past for clubbers at this revival event. Doors open from 8pm until midnight just like the old days.
So if you were on the Peterborough disco soul jazz & funk scene from 1976 -1987 the four legendary weekly club nights from that era are coming together for one night only on Sunday 7 May, hosted by the original main DJ’s from the nights making this the ideal bank holiday night out.
Advance tickets are limited and on sale now from www.skiddle.com or on http://bit.ly/3ZuHKQW