Northern Soul devotees from around the region are expected to descend on Bradford this weekend for a music session in the city centre.

The ‘mini all-dayer’ at the New Beehive Inn is the second in a regular programme of Northern Soul events launched by DJs Dave Hughes, Mick Cordingley and Steve Flynn. The idea is to recreate the flavour of Bradford’s Northern Soul scene and attract big-name DJs to the city.

Dave says the first event, held in April, was a huge success. “There was a fantastic response, we had people coming from as far as Lancashire, East Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire,” he says. “It was a massive success, there was so much interest and support.

“This Sunday we’ve got DJs Steve Grimshaw from Barnsley and Ian Gee from Chesterfield so there’ll be a lot of people coming from those areas. There has traditionally been a big soul scene in Bradford, Keighley and Brighouse. Bradford’s New Beehive used to be a soul venue and still has a Sixties feel about it.

“We’re holding sessions in the basement which has the kind of atmosphere venues used to have, when all people were bothered about was the music.

“We’re holding the events bi-monthly but the demand has proved to be so strong that we may start going monthly.

“The idea is make it a regular, established event so we can attract big DJs from around the country and really put Bradford on the soul map.”

Dave will also DJ at this Sunday’s event, along with Yorkshire DJ Graham Slater.

  • The session runs at the New Beehive Inn, Westgate, Bradford, from 2pm to 8pm. Pay on the door.