LIAM QUINN

Dec 27, 2024

6 min read

What inspired your journey into DJing, particularly in the soul genre?

My earliest memories as a child were of music playing in my house every moment of the day, thanks to my six older siblings and my mum's record collection (she loved Jackie Wilson). Ever since I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with music—the feeling, the escapism, the emotions. As a kid, I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and nothing has changed.

As I got older, I became the kid in town everyone knew was "into" music. I made mixtapes for friends, which I guess was my earliest form of DJing. Those carefully curated mixes that I spent hours—sometimes days—creating were like works of art for teenage Liam. The C90 tape was my canvas.

One day, I found a burned CD at my brother's house, left behind after a party, with "Northern Soul" written on it. I thought it was the Verve album and promptly borrowed it. Playing that CD was a pivotal moment in my life: 24 Northern Soul tracks that someone had compiled. I had no idea who the artists were, had never heard any of those songs, and hearing each one felt like injecting a powerful drug into my brain. My brother knew I had started collecting records, so he gave me his decks—a huge factor in my decision to start DJing.

At the time, I was living in Belfast and was completely obsessed with Northern Soul, but there was nowhere for me to hear more of it. So, I travelled to England on my own and attended the Sink Soul Club in Liverpool. I watched as about 10 people danced all night, and by the end of the evening, I knew each and every one of them. The music, the people, the dancing—it was the best thing I’d ever experienced.

When I returned to Belfast, I thought, "I'll put a night on. People have got to feel the same way I do about this music, and if they don’t now, they soon will." And so, the Belfast Soul Club was born. The rest, as they say, is history.

What’s the most memorable set you’ve ever played, and why?

Tough question. Playing the 100 Club twice was an incredible honour—I almost felt like a footballer getting the chance to play in a World Cup Final, or a chef being asked to cook at Noma in Copenhagen. The 100 Club was a mythical place when I first got into the soul scene. I travelled down intermittently for years, and it really is a special venue with a magic in that basement that you can actually feel.

But I’d have to say my final set at our Manchester European Soul Weekender in 2011, double-decking with Gary Bratchford was the standout. I can’t remember the exact records I played, but it was all about the connection—with Gary, the crowd, and the atmosphere. The place was going wild. I remember looking up and seeing everyone on the floor smiling after a long weekend of dancing and partying, still going strong. Gary and I caught each other’s eye and knew we were experiencing something truly special in that moment.

Those moments sometimes don’t fully hit you until years later, but that night was different—it’s stayed with me ever since. Let’s recreate it all again in October 2025!

Who are some of your greatest influences as a DJ and soul enthusiast?

Phil Shields—hands down, this man, who has sadly only recently passed away, was one of the greatest mentors and friends I’ve had on the soul scene. Phil turned up to one of my early Belfast Soul Clubs, a quiet, reserved man sitting in the corner of the room, nodding along all night. At the end, he approached me and offered to come down and play a few of his records if I was interested. I was delighted by the offer. Little did I know this man was one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet when it came to rare soul music.

Over the next nearly 20 years, Phil introduced me to some of the best soul music a person could ever imagine existed. We spent countless afternoons at his house, sitting with his immense collection, playing record after record while drinking copious amounts of tea—there was always a biscuit too. Phil went on to co-run the Belfast Soul Club with me until we both eventually moved to England to be closer to more soul events. He moved to Rugby, and I went to Manchester. Even in his final days, he was still playing me records I’d never heard before. His love for soul music was, and always will be, unmatched by any human being I’ve ever met.

Other DJs and collectors who influenced me over the years include Pat Bleasdale, the Greatstone Soul Club residents, and Dave Rippoles—his sets over the years, and still to this day, are mind-blowing. One unsung hero for me was Franc Giacobbe. Franc’s taste was phenomenal—always ahead of the curve, playing new and different sounds. He was a huge influence on me.

All of these DJs shared a unique sound and pushed boundaries, which really aligned with the style I loved.

How does the soul scene differ between the UK and other European countries you’ve played in?

The first thing I noticed about the clubs when I began travelling to Europe in the early 2000s was that the venues were actually much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye! I was used to dingy basement bars and working men’s clubs, so being in well-maintained venues with great beers and facilities was refreshing.

Age was obviously the most noticeable difference, and again, this was refreshing as it was a younger, more varied crowd. I remember feeling that these European events just felt more relaxed, and this reflected in the musical output as well. The music was generally more varied, and this younger crowd was more appreciative of DJs playing new sounds. In the UK, there’s often a lot of empty floors if they’re not hearing the same old stuff.

For me, the European events were just more accessible and progressive in all areas. I do feel the clubs I’ve run—The Beat Boutique and the European Soul Weekender—emulated this environment. The Home Run Soul Club perhaps emulates that European style in some aspects, but of course, in Manchester, we do things differently.

What do you think makes the soul community so unique and enduring?

I guess it's built on a shared passion that transcends music—the lifestyle, culture, and a sense of belonging. Ultimately, it’s the people. This shared experience that brings us together is incredibly strong and comes from a deep love for the music; it’s that simple.

Certain music moves you more than others, like a painting or how good food makes you feel inside. These soul tracks, born mainly from social deprivation, with men and women singing from a place of such authenticity and truth, deeply resonate with humans.

From that love, a never-ending, ceaseless drive for discovery sails the boat—searching for new records, undiscovered sounds, and importantly, the Soul Community, which is ever-evolving and has served it well to endure the test of time. When something feels so good, you want more and don’t want it to end... thankfully for us, it doesn’t.

Are there particular cities or venues that stand out for their passion for soul music?

Venue-wise, I’ve got to say the Greatstones Soul Club. Now a distant memory, but that little basement venue in Stretford, Manchester, was so special for all of us who attended over the years. The love and passion for the records being played was tangible in the air. No matter where you sat, everyone would be chatting about the music and sharing their knowledge. Musically, it was unrivalled in my opinion—so forward-thinking and open to new sounds. I miss it dearly.

On that note, cities that particularly stand out... Manchester. From the day I stepped foot in the city, there are references to soul music and its culture everywhere you go. It runs deep in the blood of the Mancunian DNA.

What do you listen to when you’re not playing soul tracks?

I’m a huge music fan—everything from folk, jazz, indie, shoegaze, ska, Irish trad, to classical (in the car). Music that moves me is what I desire, and no matter what genre you allocate to a song, if it moves me emotionally, it has soul.

Why do you think soul music continues to resonate with audiences today?

It's just such an infectious sound and completely omnipresent. It's sampled in all the best HipHop, on TV adverts and on in every hipster shop, café, deli and bar’s Spotify Playlist.

I was a late adopter to Spotify (not majorly late but slow enough to realise I was missing out) and hadn’t really realised there was a “curated playlist”. One morning I was in a café and the Gospel Comforters – Yes God is Real came on their sound system. I said to the guy on the counter, ‘Gospel Comforters! I’ve got this on a 7’. He looked at me like I’d had just claimed the earth was flat and mumbled something about a ‘random soul playlist that head office suggested they play in store’.

Good soul music is everywhere, and someone somewhere recognises its importance…the marketing person working on TV branding, the coffee shop owner and the Hip Hop hero’s who knew the groove was dope. You hear it everywhere and if you’re interested you make moves to find out more and that’s what keeps the whole thing going.