City

Wigan

UK

Wigan appears in 2 Songsheets issues: The Haçienda Sound and Northern Soul. One artist in the archive came from here: Russ Winstanley.

Wigan Casino, opened to all-nighters in 1973 on Station Road, becomes the beating heart of Northern Soul, with DJs like Russ Winstanley and Richard Searling spinning rare American soul 45s to dancers until dawn. The club's all-nighters, running until 1981, are legendary for the athletic backdrop dancing and spins they inspired, and Billboard once named it the best disco in the world. Wigan's name remains synonymous with the scene itself, a shorthand for the entire movement.

Scenes

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The Haçienda Sound
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Northern Soul
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Artists from Wigan

  • Russ Winstanley

    Russ Winstanley, born in Wigan in 1952, was DJing at Central Park rugby club when the Casino's manager, Mike Walker, brought him in as head DJ for Wigan Casino's first all-nighter on 23 September 1973.