Music > Live Reviews

Craig Charles Funk & Soul Night // Open -

23/04/13

The place was already jumping when we arrived at Open at 9.30. People were dressed snappily, and had their dancing shoes on. Just-Is were getting all up on the decks and plying us with groovy tracks that certainly gave a fair introduction to what we should expect of the evening. Seeing everyone's smiling faces as they entered the intimate venue made me even happier to be there.

The sounds of Norwich Soul Kitchen (you can catch them next at the Take Five Crypt on 18th June) continued to rouse up the crowds and we started dancing. And then carried on for 4 hours. I can't remember the last time I, as a late 30-something girl, found a place where I could dance without inhibition and for many hours, to excellent music. And boy did Norwich Soul Kitchen deliver. Easily the best DJs of the night, with some real toe tapping 50s soul and funk that got everyone in the mood; some well known tracks but also a lot of stuff that was unknown to me, but just as danceable. All sorts of rhythms and beats made it really fun. The final support act, DJ Jazzlord, played more of a mixed bag, with some rather manic bongo tracks and bombastic beats that I think may have been a bit much for the dancing folk. By this point everyone was a bit knackered!

Craig Charles slid unobtrusively behind the decks just after midnight in a lurid pink paisley shirt and fabric tie and it was testimony to him that people just kept dancing. It was the music that mattered, not really who was playing it; the fact that Craig Charles, very famous for many reasons for several years, could appear in the room and no one really made much of him as a celebrity but more if he could play good songs... brilliant. Boy was he excited to be there. Jumping up and down, bouncing on the spot, spinning on his toe, he really gave it some welly, but in a totally genuine way that showed that he really really loved the music and was enjoying sharing it with us so much.

Although he appeared to be working with CDs not vinyl (not genuine DJ'ing in my book) he was very tight and fluid, playing remixes and boosted up versions of older songs and creating a real party atmosphere. The best thing was that he looked so happy and everyone was having a great time. The worst thing was that I had no energy left to dance by the end of it! I must be getting old. Thanks Craig, good job.

Lizz