A little over five years ago, local expats Eva Johnson and Earl Brown had the idea of transporting the music and flavour of the famous Wigan Casino in the UK out here to Pattaya. The result was the formation of The Pattaya Soul Club.
The dynamic duo organized events roughly every quarter that brought back the atmosphere of the Northern Soul era and slowly built up a mass of loyal followers. These events called ‘Souled Out’ were also a great way to raise money for charity and the underprivileged, with numerous organizations such as Hand to Hand, Mercy Center and Take Care Kids all benefitting vastly from the time and effort Eva and Earl put in.
On January 28, Souled Out returned once more to the Access Inn on Pattaya 3rd Road to stage its five year anniversary party. The doors were due to open at 8pm, but the crowd was already milling outside and anxious to get in and by 8:15 the venue was packed with an estimated 170 people present. These consisted of foreigners reliving their youth and many Thai ladies who need no excuse to dress up and dance the night away. Motown and Soul blasted out of the speakers and it was evident that the music triggered fond memories for many of the guests.
Because of the charitable nature of the event, many local businesses were keen to be involved and play their part in corporate social responsibility. The sponsors for this event included The Riviera Group, Magna Carta, Fabulous TV & Radio, Scooters bar, BBQ Prime time soi 9, San Miguel and Akvavit.
A few days later, once the dust had settled from this most recent Souled Out party, Eva Johnson visited the Navy Wives Association Sattahip School for Special Needs Children where she handed over 60,600 baht raised during the musical event. This money will go a long way to helping look after the numerous children there who have major learning difficulties.
The next Souled Out event is expected to be held at the end of July or early August. Check out Pattaya Soul Club on Facebook for the latest information.
