The Mod Generation

The Society of Cool!

What Is A True Mod?

I keep hearing certain individuals on certain threads saying that this and that and they are not a Mod band or certain clothing, shoes are not mod. So please join this thread and tell us all who and what is mod. I would say without hesitation that The Small Faces were a Mod band. They did change so it was only brief, but so was the original mod scene. However the mod scene has been constantly evolving and showing many different faces. I know a few who would prefer it to stay in the past and are quite happy to live as card board cut outs from the past. But that's not good enough for many, the scene should renew itself constantly with new ideas and new music. Of course we nod our heads to the sixties and take this cool period right into the NOW! But we also take from all the stages we travel through and some of us on here have travelled through a few. For me personally, I love to go and see new bands before they either make it or don't. I remember watching the Dead Sixties in Nottingham, they had talent, but they soon slipped away and split, but I was there to enjoy them.  I briefly enjoyed the Acid Jazz thing before being swept along with  Brit Pop. I got to see a fair few bands and still hang out with Mods from Nottingham who were also attending Brit Pop nights and watching live bands. I remember it being good but at home I was playing underground garage punk bands , as well as Small Faces, Kinks, Who, Them, Motown, Soul alongside various Indie and Brit Pop like the Charlatans, Supergrass, Blur, Bluetones, and many from that time. One night I went to see a fabulous band who recorded on Toe Rag called the Flaming Stars and then went to a Brit pop night after. To tell you the truth, we left the Brit Pop night after about an hour as it simply couldn't compare with the brilliant Flaming Stars, but the thing is I was embracing change as well as listening to the old classics we all love so much. Anyway I would love to hear from Mods old and young, What Is a true Mod?

The Small Faces

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Permalink Reply by sally tooms on June 23, 2011 at 14:26
My mistake andrew.Al has been in touch so should be stopping at his in july hopefuly.Look forward to meeting folk old and new.I didn't know alan was on here already,i understood he wasn't with us any more so pleased to hear from him,still on his scooter i understand.Not long till july in nottingham and then its brighton!
Permalink Reply by John Scott on July 5, 2011 at 17:52

I hafta disagree with both Dick and Sally!

"Real Mods" in the 60's were elitist, arrogant and extremely critical of other Mods - everyone else was considered s grimp and not worthy of comment!

Fashions changed almost daily and if you weren't right up there with the changes you could quickly find yourself 'out' - as it took a while for the changes to percolate out from London, virtually every Mod outside the home counties was considered a wannabe pseud.

Mods had a far more eclectic musical tastes than Dick suggests and very few jazz records were played at Mod dances. For example top Mod tunes included stuff like  "Housewifes Choice" Derek & Patsy (Bluebeat), "Sally go Round The Roses" Jaynettes (US Girl band) "Go Now" Bessi Smith (Soul) "Abilene" George Hamilton IV (Country) and "Fingertips" Little Stevie Wonder (R&B). Just a representaive sample and very few UK bands of the time.

I also have to disagree that real Mods didn't go to the beach meets - I remember about 120 of us travelling to Clacton by train in 1962 - were wre dressed up to the nines in our top gear, but it didn't deter us from having a ruck with the local rockers!

Permalink Reply by Adrian Stern on July 5, 2011 at 18:12
I'll have to agree with John - and add that although I said the media exagerated the mod/rocker skirmishes and tried to make more of it than it really was they of course did take place.
Permalink Reply by Andrew Harris on July 6, 2011 at 10:26
was you one of the Rocker bashers Adrian ? :)
Permalink Reply by Dave Hillyard on July 6, 2011 at 11:42
They took place on the London Streets as well i have a lump to this day on my head from a Kicking by some leather greasy t*ats. ruined my Brutus shirt that i had saved for.
Permalink Reply by Adrian Stern on July 6, 2011 at 17:28
I was too young! My mum wouldn't allow it. We saw some at Southen one holiday weekend but only from a distance. As we hung out mostly in the West End there was very little conflict altho we did have a bit of aggro on Oxford St one Saturday afternoon - but as the greasers were vastly outnumbered I think I took and gave about one punch at the cost of some skin. Boxing was compulsory at school - so I was still at school - if we find out which year it was banned in the London schools we'd probably be able to date the incident.
Permalink Reply by Adrian Stern on July 7, 2011 at 18:25
Well the year before I started they still had compulsory CADET CORPS! Uniforms and parade and saluting and stuff! And they wanted us to wear short trousers! Unbeleivably this bunch of 11 year olds revolted and we got that changed - short trousers!
Permalink Reply by barry gallacher on July 8, 2011 at 11:55
ahh short trousers, rolled up jerseys for goal posts.
Permalink Reply by marty mcallister on July 5, 2011 at 19:18
From what i have read about 60s Mods  , there did seem to be a lot of Elitism among Top Faces, why was this? was it just Cool to be Aloof and Arrogant, or was this part of the Persona of individuals ?
Permalink Reply by marty mcallister on July 8, 2011 at 22:45
Suppose there is still a bit of that even now Steve, although its more an Admiration thing among Mods , Myself and a few mates get together, all we talk about is Clothes and stuff , so i think its just in us as Mods to be that way inclined..........
Permalink Reply by malcolm butcher on July 8, 2011 at 22:33
There seems to be two types of mod, the real street mods. And the magazine mods.never saw many girl mods ,dressed like twiggy and co in clubs or    on street.Street mods were smart casual,not flambouyant like the ones in the magazines.Pretty hard to get street mod cloths now,all the shops are gone.suede was big, try to find good two tone full lenth now. there were mod bands, but they were mostly bands that  adapted to mod taste.The small faces were the real deal.
Permalink Reply by Andrew Harris on July 11, 2011 at 18:02
I have to agree with that Steve, scooters are kinda last on my list but I do wish I still had my sixties Lambretta to pose about on it, and polish it till it gleams. maybe I will get one again at some stage, but I guess music and clothes will always come first. In fact music first for me, not simply old sixties records but all the new stuff too . Nice to look the part though, have the right hair cut and mod type threads.

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