Photography by : Mill Bows - for Gone Norf.
Manchester Summer 2025.
If you were at Gone Norf’s Wax n Wine Northern Soul social club event back on the 19th June at Kim’s Kitchen in Hulme, you’ll know exactly what Northern Soul means to Gen Z right now. With vinyl-only sets from young DJs like Arlen McKee, Jake Robson, and Maggy Grooves, the night proved that this isn’t just a nostalgic throwback - it’s a living, breathing scene in the hands (and on the dance floors) of a new generation.
Northern Soul, born in the clubs of Manchester, Wigan, and Stoke-on-Trent in the late 1960s, was once the soundtrack for working-class youth chasing escape, unity, and euphoric release. More than fifty years later, those same values are pulling in young people across the North of England, eager to lose themselves in the music, the movement, and the community.
Northern Soul began as a counterculture built on obscure American soul records that never hit mainstream radio. With fast tempos, soaring vocals, and athletic dance moves, it demanded both energy and commitment.
For Gen Z, that mix of rarity and rebellion feels fresh again. In a world of endless digital playlists, crate-digging for vinyl and losing yourself on the dance floor offers something real - an escape from screens and a connection to a living tradition.
We spoke with several young Northern Soul enthusiasts making waves in the North, Lidia, Liv and two of the mixers from our WAX N WINE event - Maggy Grooves & Jake Robson.
Lidia Bavin, 20 years old from Redcar (pictured above in her pink Fred Perry dress) traces her love of Northern Soul back to her highschool years :
“My love for Northern Soul started when I was about 15 or 16 - I’d already been involved in the mod scene and found soul music through that. Can’t lie, I used to practice my footwork in the bedroom mirror every day - so much that I ended up wearing the carpet down.”
“In 2023 I moved from Redcar to Salford to study Fashion Image Making and Styling at uni, and that’s when I began going to soul nights regularly. My favourite has to be Room At the Top at Atama.”
“Northern Soul gave me an escape. I feel at my best when I’m dancing, completely lost in it. But it’s not just the music, it’s the people. I love the social side, meeting new faces, hearing stories from those who’ve been in the scene for years, and finding new records to fall in love with. It’s proof of the unity music can bring.”
For Seaham native Liv, also 20 years old, it was leaving school and stumbling into a festival that changed everything:
“My fascination started the year I left school. Me and my friend went to a ska/soul festival, and I heard loads of new music and fell in love. Later, I met my friend Lidi in college, and we bonded over Northern Soul and mod culture.”
“Back in the North East, there wasn’t much going on, but when I moved to Manchester for uni I started going to more and more soul nights.”
“For the past year all I’ve thought about and gone to is soul nights, my favourite being the Rugby all-nighter. I love the sense of family the scene has. I’ve made lifelong friends and improved my dancing - actually, it’s through this love, that me and a friend even started our own night in Manchester called Trackside Soul Club”
As the scene grows, a new wave of young DJs are taking to the decks - not just as collectors, but as culture carriers. One of them is Maggy Grooves, a 21-year-old from Bristol whose soulful energy is lighting up dance floors across the North.
“My dad used to play Northern Soul in the car when I was young. The first song I remember loving was ‘Seven Days Too Long.’ When I was 18, I started going to Bristol Northern Soul Club nights, and from that point on I was hooked.”
“For me, Northern Soul isn’t just music, it’s its own world. When I’m dancing to certain songs, there’s this other-worldly feeling. It sounds cheesy, but sometimes it feels like I’m floating.”
Top Tracks:
Chris Morgan – Who Am I
Lou Pride – I’m Comin’ Home in the Mournin’
The Younghearts – A Little Togetherness
“I collect vinyl too - my most prized is ‘I Feel Your Love Changing’ by Jesse James. It’s pure emotion, and it’s venues like Niamos in Manchester that just capture the soul spirit perfectly - old wood floors, big heart, and a community vibe that’s impossible to fake.”
Another name turning heads behind the decks is Jake Robson, 24, from Cumbria. From scooter rallies, to running his own club nights, to now working at Doc Martens - Jake’s story shows how deeply this music still resonates with young people today.
“I first got into Northern Soul when I was 13. My parents got me tickets to a scooter rally, and I remember being in awe at the tents, the smell of two-stroke, and this one lad dancing - that’s what did it for me. I had to learn.”
“Since then, it’s spiralled - DJing, collecting, travelling to nights across the UK and abroad. For me, it’s an escape. After a long week, there’s nothing like a night of good records and your mates around you.”
Top Tracks:
The Montclairs – Hung Up On Your Love
Flame N King & The Sons of Darkness – Ho Happy Day
Aquarian Dream – Phoenix
“My most prized record is Detroit Soul - All of My Life. I had to live off beans on toast for a month to afford it, but it was worth it. Honestly, the younger generation is definitely keeping the scene alive. There are more youth-run nights than ever - the energy is unreal - yeah, I think the future’s in good hands.”
Northern Soul is alive not just in memory, but in practice. Young DJs are spinning original vinyl, dancers are wearing out their shoes (and their carpets), and new nights are being born in Manchester and beyond. Social media too, from TikTok to Instagram, has introduced the culture to even more young people, but the heart of it remains the same: the music, the dance floor, and the people you meet there.
For Gen Z, Northern Soul is more than retro, it’s a reminder that joy can be physical, communal, and timeless.