News / Blog

The MODCAST appears to be going from strength to strength, this week receiving its first print press mention (in the GUARDIAN GUIDE as their recommended download – the blogs are attracting some attention too – here’s a story from MARK KITSON with a fascinating insight into his small-town mod experience and a pitch offering his services as a mod lanscape gardener – check it out!!!

“Felt compelled to email you to congratulate you on a brilliant podcast.  I have listened to you since you began and think that your content is spot on in educating the less informed what the Mod culture meant to people and what it still means to the converted today.

I was drawn into the music and Mod style at the age of sixteen in the early eighties in the small market town of Saxmundham in Suffolk. There was a dominance of Rocker culture and admittedly I had succumbed to the cut-off denim and biker wing patches and enamel badges for a short while. That was until four mates and I found ourselves drawn in by the music played at our youth club by the likes of The Lambrettas, Secret Affair, Madness and The Specials. We started to take to the dance floor and also started to get a load of abuse from the Rockers, some of whom we had grown up with. But that didn’t bother us because we were hooked.

We were all from very working class backgrounds with very little spare cash available to our parents, so new cloths were a luxury only bought for Christmas or Birthdays. But we all wanted to get into the Mod style, so we used to scour jumble sales for suits, shirts and ties to get as close to the style as we could on our limited funds. I still vividly remember the first night we turned up at youth club suited and booted and also how quick I found I could run back to a mates house whilst being chased by the Rockers. We weren’t wimps but we decided about eight to one against us was a good enough reason to get out quick. This conflict continued wherever we went but the Mod culture won through.

One day after school I had Secret Affair playing on my parents record player and later went outside to find ‘ Mod Shits.’ daubed on the corregated iron fence.

None of us had scooters but at seventeen we all got motorbikes, purely because we knew we had the same speed as them if it was needed.

As so often happens, it took an accident to calm the one sided rivalry. One night after a disco we were leaving and the Rockers had congregated down the street. We were all walking, apart from one mate, who was on his bike. As he passed the group a piece of wood was thrown at him. He swerved and fell off. I can still see the stream of sparks coming from his sliding bike. He was unhurt unlike the bike, and the police were called and everyone was questioned, but nobody was charged because of a lack of witnesses. The Rockers went quiet after this.

I thought I would tell you this as like I said, we were from a small town but still got a fair bit of shit because we choose to be different. It shows how strong the pull to be part of the Mod culture was to us lads and how addictive it became to us, and we didn’t give a shit about anyone who disagreed.

In later years and even today I always get on the dance floor if any Mod music is played, although now I sometimes find the physical demand needed to get to the end of the song a bit challenging! I always said that if I was chatting up the most beautiful woman in the world  and ‘ One Step Beyond.’ came on, I would forget about her and choose the dance floor instead.

When I was thirty, after being made redundant, I decided to retrain in Landscape Design and Construction. One assignment we had to complete was to create a garden design influenced by culture. I racked my brain and knew there were enough aspects of the Mod culture to create something totally different and visually a tribute to everything Mod.In the design I included many aspects of Mod culture from scooters, Union Jacks, targets and also the formal smartness I associated with it. To create the rivalry which we had from the Rockers I included elements of conflict and chaos caused by them”

Thanks Mark.. our first Mod Gardener!

In the spirit on the modcast republishing some of my old articles, here’s one i wrote for CHILD OF THE JAGO magazine a couple of years ago! There are half a dozen names that evoke a seminal definition of mod.

Paul Weller is the only contemporary example. His vision shaped the look and attitude for the 21st century. But what about the originators? Those ‘white soho negroes of the night’… Rod Stewart, Steve Marriott and Pete Townshend are first amongst musical equals – they were peacocks, thrusting the mod image into suburban

living-rooms through Ready Steady Go! Andrew Loog Oldham and Pete Meaden were the entrepreneurs, hustling their way to a modernist nirvana with a manifesto of youth-culture-as-art-as-commodity, riding the zeitgeist

with Austin Reed and John Stephen.

But what about the music? Who was the mod face with his ear to the black American underground? It was Guy Stevens. He was the face without even being a straight-down-the-line-mod. He was above such simple definitions. He was a music man. The music man. Robin Beste, who ran the seminal out-of-town mod nightclub, The Birdcage, remembers, “I was tooling around London with Peter Meaden – he was looking for new songs for his latest discovery, The High Numbers. He’d booked a meeting with Guy Stevens at his office. There was a certain commotion as we turned up; the latest disc-delivery from the States had just arrived – from Stax Records. Stevens opened the package and the first record out was ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ by Sam and Dave. That

beautiful brass intro kicked in and the pair of them played it again and again. Just the intro. Listening and talking about it and listening again. I was sitting in the corner, ignored, as Stevens and Meaden

eulogised about this semi-religious experience.”

Stevens had always known his black music. He established the Chuck Berry Appreciation Society whilst still at school and at a time when very few US soul or R & B singles managed a release, he was always the first with

the latest cuts.

Bitten by the black music bug, Pye records employed Stevens to select releases from Chicago’s Chess label for their Pye International R&B series. An instant success, the label championed the careers of such household names as

Bo Diddley, Berry himself and Etta James.

As mod icons go, it was as resident at The Scene Club in Soho’s Ham Yard that Stevens takes his place in the pantheon. As the disc-jockey at London’s main mod hangout, Stevens discovered and broke just about every

big record there was. His night was where taste-makers showed to check the latest tunes and later incorporate the best into their sets. Stevens and his selections steered the mod scene at its peak and soon he had

established Sue Records with Chris Blackwell. The ultimate 60s mod label, Sue, was Stevens’ legacy – the coolest

record company there ever was. From its trademark red and yellow label, more akin to a Jamaican ska release, to its consistent output of quality black music. Sue Records remains one of the most collectable record labels – bar none.

As mod faded, Stevens shifted direction embraced the Middle-Earth and became a record producer. Spells in prison for possession in the late 60s and a well-documented battle with alcoholism marred his career but in spite of that, he both produced and named Procul Harum (originally the name of Steven’s cat) Free and Mott The Hoople. His career blossomed but from the glory days of the early 70s there was a genteel decline until he produced the Clash’s ‘London Calling’ in 1979. The album reinvigorated both Stevens and the band and resulted in a multi-platinum classic.

In 1981 Stevens, like his friend Peter Meaden, died young.

Duffer of St George founder Eddie Prendergast & Stitch founder and organiser Brian Duffy join Ed and Dean for another great show focussing on sartorial trends and all else Mod..

A twitter thread that’s had alot of chat has been top 3 Mod albums of all time.. we’ll be compiling your favourites for a round up later in the year so keep them coming on Twitter/Facebook or email us at info@themodcast.co.uk

Competitions

Competition this month comes courtesy of various brands we interviewed at the Stitch Tradeshow.. thanks to

Merc who are offering up a Merc Harrington in the new Taupe colourway which is new for SS12, available in sizes XS – XL.  see pic below and check out their website for more at www.merc.com/ plus  Goodies from Lambretta www.lambrettaclothing.co.uk/ AND…. Admiral Sportswear www.admiralsportswear.com/ plus more.. check out the Modcast (15) for the question..

Episode 14.. question .. what did Jean Shrimpton wear to the Australian Derby that caused was in fact a man’s watch.. not a short skirt as nearly all applicants suggested.. Winner of the Rare Mod boxset and books courtesy of Paul Hallam To Be Someone by Peter Meadows & Dance Craze by Gary Bushell goes to: James Watson in Darlington.. email us at info@themodcast.co.uk to claim your prize..

Listings this month to check out are:

17 March – The Selecter are playing at 229

30 March – The Chords are playing Islington Assembly Townhall.. Tix available from https://agmp.ticketabc.com/events/chords/..

We have a pair of tickets to give away for this gig.. email info@themodcast.co.uk to claim a pair.. first email gets the tix..

30 March – Belfast Mod Weekender

Tracks played this month are

• Jessica Lauren “Happiness Train”
• The Tripet “Moanin’
• Quantic Featuring Alice  Russell “Look Around the Corner”
• The Filthy Six “Girlfriend”

Next Month.. Norman Jay & Jo Wallace for a muso special

Taupe jacket up for grabs in our competition in Modcast 15 below… thank you Merc

Ok, so i have decided to do a monthly blog for the modcast website – I was wondering what to start with when last night, sitting with Tosh and Tommy from The Duckworth Lewis Method/Pugwash (both have beards) in the Acid Jazz office, I found myself listening to a whole host of unreleased Small Faces masters – I should explain, the boys were over from Dublin to attend the remastering of Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake at Abbey Road – they had spent the day in jaw-dropping silence listening to the original SF tapes with Kenney Jones – we got on to the subject of mod beards (as you do) and I was reminded of this – a little piece I wrote on my myspace page in 2006 – still relevant though – here it is, for my bearded Irish friends and anyone else who thinks mods can’t have beards…

Mod Beards – Dalston, 1963

No, this is not a paean to cover my alleged homosexuality by dragging a young mod girl into the frame as my pretend girlfriend. Far from it. This is more a reflection on the hirsute mod male.

In case you are wondering, since the new year, I have neglected to shave. I have had all kinds of beards over the years, but an abundance of grey flecks meant that I have been facial-hair free since NYE 2000. This time I thought I would see how a full beard would turn out and the result is an instant ageing of about 20 years.

However, the reason for this blog is a simple reflection on mod beards. The subject came up last week. I have endured a few comments like…”Oh, is Paul Weller growing a beard then?” or “The beard makes you look like Weller’s dad!” and when we got stuck in to some heavy debate; ‘mods don’t wear beards’ – all I could come up with was as an example was Manfred Mann in 64…even then, they came back with ‘yeah, but he was toying with the beatnik thing so it doesn’t count…’

Well. after three weeks of this abuse I’ve had enough…the beard will be off next week, but I thought I would relate the story of the most famous bearded mod from the 1960s. The story of ‘Beardy’ Pegley from the East End.

Basically, I haven’t read up on this for ten years so I might get the specifics wrong but the story needs to be told. I got it from a book called “Buttons – The Leader Of The British Hells Angels”, an autobiography written in the early 70s by a legendary rocker….It was later confirmed to me by a mod called Les Hall from Stepney Green, who I interviewed for a book. It goes like this…

In early 1963, Buttons was the leader of a gang of East End Teddy Boys. They were based around Dalston and haunted both the Locarno and the three late night cafe’s nearby. They were hard and sharp dressed. Drapes, Beetle Crushers, Bootlace Ties and duck’s arse/Tony Curtis hair cuts were the order of the day… The Teds were getting a bit pissed off with the plethora of young mods on their territory, so Buttons sanctioned a few beatings. Les told me that the word soon spread through the East End; “mods were getting a regular hiding in Dalston”. Sooner or later the Pegley brothers, the generally accepted faces of the Stepney Green mod crew heard about it. Although Dalston was well out of their patch, the elder, Beardy, decided to do something about it. On the night concerned he asked for volunteers. Twenty or so Stepney and Canning Town mods met up and made the journey across London to seek revenge…

The last part of the story comes from Buttons himself. Les was there but he didn’t see the final confrontation.

“It was a normal Wednesday, the Teddy Boy crew were all out and hanging around the haunt in Dalston. The mod fights had reached their peak. A few mod youngsters had been cornered earlier in the evening and my boys were on a high. At about 10 o’clock a couple of cars and a dozen scooters pulled into the car park. It was obvious that they wanted trouble, they were mob handed and looked like they were tooled up. I thought I could deal with the situation. I walked out in front of my boys. They were ready, but I thought we would see what the mods wanted before things got out of control. Their leader came round the corner. He was about 5 foot 8″, dressed in a leather coat. Sharp, but I knew I could take him. He looked like a queer with his lacquered hair… As I walked towards him he stood foursquare, hands out, shouting at me to come on. I started to run, pulling my tool from my jacket, momentum giving me the edge. When I was about 20 yards away he simply flicked back his leather trenchcoat and pulled out a hidden sawn-off shotgun. He laughed, pointed it at my legs and pulled the trigger…”

Beardy Pegley was a mod, he had a beard. ‘Nuff said.

Eddie Piller – Feb 2012

for further information about the original East End face, Beardy Pegley – search the memoirs of the legendary Penny Reel on the jackthatcatwasclean website

Stitch Menswear was the ideal opportunity for The Modcast to get an inside look at some of their favourite heritage brands.

Our very first outside broadcast with Eddie and Dean roaming the tradeshow talking to Baracuta, Admiral Sportstwear, Lambretta, Schott, Merc, Pretty Green, Warrior plus brand expert and previous Modcast Guest Kevin Stone plus Stitch organised Brian Duffy on the mic… discussing where the brands are going in 2012 and beyond and how the classic Mod style continues to inspire menswear today.

Also up was Cass Penant who was showcasing his selfmade documentary Casuals..

Brian Duffy will be guesting on our Modcast “proper” Episode 15 in the next couple of weeks and we have Stitch giveaway goodie bag on our competition in that episode..

Also we’ve got a couple of nice threads going on twitter.. Fave Top 3 Mod albums ever (has this ever been done before)?? keep your thoughts coming .. plus your suggestions for Mod superband.. ie what would comprise your “fantasy” mod supergroup.. @themodcast..

Another cracking episode has 80s Mod entrepreneur/publisher and rnb DJ Paul Hallam and co-guest Legendary DJ Musician, author and DJ Snowboy joining Eddie and Dean for another chinwag on all things Mod and beyond.

Winner of the “coverted” covert coat is Ross White from Edinburgh with this correct answer .. “The three stripes represent three naval victories of Admiral Nelson; namely Trafalgar, The Nile, and Cape St. Vincent. I also found out that the stitching was to reinforce the cuffs and waist area of a riding jacket (made of the material covert) as these areas were always the first to wear after riding through thick brush etc. Nice one and congrats Ross.. email us for your prize!

We had a massive response to our AGC (Art Gallery Clothing  comp…. and the winner is Martin Veal..

Check this months Modcast for new prize

Also.. The Modcast are heading down to Stitch to record their first (of many) outside broadcasts.. talking to the designers exhibiting in Islington this Sunday .. check it out if you can.. www.stitchmenswear.com.. If you can’t make it.. listen in when we get it up online!

Tracks featured on this edition:

• Ray Charles – Baby Don’t You Cry (one of the big records at Snowboy’s club)
• Picture Atlantic – Joust (demo from one of our US listeners)
• Los Charly’s Orchestra – My Barrio (new release)
• Floyd White – Finders Keepers (from Mod Jazz Forever comp)

Working on the shop right now so standby to buy goodies asap..

Eddie, Dean and Jonny went it alone on the New Years Special rounding up the first full year of the Modcast.. here are some the contributions we were sent through from our guests..

MARK WINGETT

My highlight was actually making 50 years of age!.. Fave record has to be Newport State of Mind

PAOLO HEWITT

HIGHLIGHT – Watching The Mumper be turned into a film, hearing actors such as Bob Hoskins speak some of my lines, shaking the hand of Dudley Sutton.

RECORD _ A tie between DJ Shadow and Little Dragon’s Scale It Back and Liana La Havas’s No Room For Doubt featuring Wily Mason.

NEXT YEAR – God willing, I will be overseeing the publication of the A-Z Of Mod and Love Me Do – Fifty Great Beatle Moments books, selling hundreds and thousands of my books Fab Gear, Scuse Me While I Kiss The Sky, and The Mumper, embarking on a Ronnie Lane biog to match our Marriott book, creating with The Stone Foundation, hugging Harry Redknapp at the party to celebrate Spurs winning the Double, and above all watching my memoir The Looked After Kid – My Life In A Children’s Home turned into a film.

PAUL GALLAGHER

Highlight of the year : it aint over yet.. so many..mostly where did summer go?

Fave record : Cults debut album

Coming up: more DJ touring in 2012.. writing..and making a road movie.. think spinal tap meets father ted

ANDY LEWIS

My highlight of the year was recording the Red Inspectors album in February. An excellent time was had by all involved.

My favourite record of the year is an album called “The Hosting Couple” by a band called Rotifer, especially the tune “Aberdeen Marine Lab”, a ridiculous garage punk thrash in the fine tradition of The Prisoners, Milkshakes, Headcoats etc.

My plans for next year include the release of The Red Inspectors album in January and live shows with them and the Andy Lewis Band. I’m also looking forward to being out and about with Paul Weller again.

MARK BAXTER

Seeing my film ‘Outside Bet’ for the first time at a screening in Soho in July. A wonderfully surreal moment

‘I Read A Lot’ by Nick Lowe – From his album ‘The Old Magic’. That song is a classic ballad, simple as.

I have the film ‘Outside Bet’ based on our book The Mumper being released on April 13th and a new book called ‘The A-Z of Mod’ out in May. I once again collaborated with Paolo Hewitt on it and Martin Freeman has written the foreward. In for an interesting year I think/hope!

CHRIS SULLIVAN

Highlight of the Year – Thousands of people complaining about  uber twat Clarkson’s deplorable comments.

Fave record of 2011 – I Believe in Miracles – Sunlight Square Latin Combo

What you have coming up – Weekly DJ residency at Novokov Mayfair, my film script entitled Anarchy in the UK which has absolutely nothing to do with punk rock, has been optioned by a Hollywood production company so I will be working on that with a view to shoot next August.

My book We Can Be Heroes should hit the shops in April and I  and it looks as if I will  be back onboard with The Vintage Festival this summer.

FRED EKANDER

Being guest (with Marshall Chess) on The Modcast, of course! And the opening of the first Cosmos Music Store in Stockholm…

Fave record.. “Out Of Bounds” – Trummor & Orgel

A long overdue Holiday to Thailand in the New Year, then back to work and hopefully some more hits in the UK, so that we can justify opening our first office there soon!

WELSH PETE

Highlight of 2011 – Stone Roses reforming.

Best Song – ‘Suzanne & I’ by Anna Calvi.

Coming Up – Delivering a pilot script for The B-Team to the BBC for the spring and hopefully seeing that and other projects in development!

DEAN CHALKLEY

Highlight of the Year- I think it’s got to be the launch  of Young Souls. The Film launch party at the Bethnal Green Working Mens Club a brilliant night with 2 floors of great music supplied by legendary djs the film was screened a number of times ..brilliant! The Photographic exhibition at the Youth Club Gallery in kingly Court off Carnaby street proved a big draw and attracted national media coverage too. Young Souls the film and Photographic Exhibition were the realization of an idea and the result of a lot of hard work by many people. I’m pleased to say it was received really well which is of course very nice but more importantly I think it is a solid piece of work that celebrates a culture that I admire and love.  You can see the film at tinyurl.com/656vnmc.   It has also been excepted into the London Short Film Festival details at shortfilms.org.uk/events/2012-01-12-new-shorts-16-music-video.  The Young Souls Photographic Exhibition will appear next at the Hotel Pelirocco  private view on the 19th January – 29th March details of the hotel are on www.hotelpelirocco.co.uk/

Fave record of 2011 The funny thing about collecting old records is that they are new to you even though they are decades old, so my fave record would have to be Daryl Carter ‘ The thing that saved me was the love you gave me’ but from new artists I really like Nick Waterhouse and his track ‘I Can Only Give You Everything’, a great record and I think the vinyl will be a collectable thing in the very near future..i’m looking forward to hearing and seeing more of this chap when he comes over..

What you have coming up It is mad busy over here at Chalkley Towers..I’ve got some big Jobs on as well as several exhibitions too… a number of my Photographs will be exhibited in an NME Magazine  exhibition  between the 4th Jan –11th Jan the show features the winners of the annual NME photography competition, its good to see the young blood of the medium coming through.  The Magazine awarded me a very nice honour ..’Outstanding Contribution To Music Photography Award’  so I think it will be a nice little show private view on the 5th Jan at The Print Space in Kingsland Road London..come on down.

Then there’s the Pelirocco Exhibition 19thjan-29th march

And then 3rd Feb opening Party –view  in Leigh on Sea  Essexof ..”LOOK HEAR”  a collection of  Photographic works based around Music some classics and some less well known..it will be held at the WHITE WALL SPACE GALLERY check www.deanchalkley.com for details or the Gallery’s site.. www.whitewallspace.co.uk/

We have a load more guests lined up for 2012 so watch this space..

Episode 12.. our Christmas and music insider special

A Corker of a show with the absolute legend that is Marshall Chess and business partner in Trisound Records Fredrik Ekander joining the Modcast hosts.

Marshall (left of this shot).. recalled his time with Chess Concept, Chess International, Rolling Stones Records (great Jagger stories), Sugarhill and the currrent Trisound Records.  Brilliant anecdotes from the front line of music and Culture from the 60s on..

Fredrik.. Top Music Exec from Scandinavia and Top Mod now working with Marshall after forging a relationship following the release of a rareties compilation some years ago.. launched Trisound Records with Marshall  (see Jasmine Cara release.. great album) and runs some really really good soul nights in Stockholm.

Tracks featured in the show all connected with Marshall as follows.. check em out.  Brilliant tracks.

1. ROTARY CONNECTION
2. SUGAR PIE DESANTO “SOULFUL DRESS”
3. ROLLING STONES “SWEET BLACK ANGEL”
4. MALCOLM X “NO SELL OUT”
5. JASMINE KARA “AIN’T NO MORE ROOM”

Competition winners for Episode 10s signed Rifles album in answer to the question “what was the hidden track on the album?”… answer Lazy Bones.. are Ed Bailey and Helen Bird..

This month’s comp as mentioned in Ep #11 is a beautiful Covert Coat .. value £800 .. donated by our sponsors Peckham Rye .. listen to the Modcast for the question.. made to measure.. lucky winner.

So we’ve done a whole year now.. looking to broaden our scope next year and will keep y0u posted.

Lucky #13 has Chris Hill and Snowboy joining Eddie, Jonny and Dean.. email/twitter or facebook any questions and send us your fave tracks of 2011..

Welcome to our new sponsors Peckham Rye who have a fantastic prize (coming up in our christmas special) to launch their new sister range Tommy & Charlie Mccarthy (their original family name) .. more on Episode 12.

Multi Olympic Gold Medallist for cycling and Top Mod Bradley Wiggins joined the Eddie, Jonny and Dean on Episode 11 in November for an insight into the life of a top athlete and life growing up as Mod and influences alongside top broadcaster, ex Kiss FM JD and Sports podcaster himself.. Mark Webster..

Listeners offered up their fave hairdressers.. check them out if you’re in the vicinity..

• Seda at KiwE1 in Liverpool St London take fine care of wings from Chris Dunn
• Episode 10 hairdressers in Glasgow.. see Tony Wright.. from Ian Gregson
• The Nuthouse in ashington, northumberland – Bri the barber is a legend from Nick Carruthers..
• Acefacebarbers, in great barr Birmingham. Does fab haircuts, has a totally mod themed shop and runs mod nights at the victoria inn and the cross Moseley.

Episode 12 have legend Marshall Chess joining the team with top music industry Mod from Sweden.. Fredrik Ekander of Cosmos Music

Ddan

The 10^th Episode of The Modcast has Soho Legend Chris Sullivan and Rifles Keyboardist Dean Mumford join Eddie plus co-hosts, Dean Rudland talking music and Jonny Owen focussing on film for another roundtable discussion on all thing Mod and beyond.

Chris Sullivan hailing from Jonny’s patch of Wales, Methyr Tidfell stepped into the world of youth culture through djing at Youth Clubs in the 70s.  A meteoric rise through clubland saw him hanging out at the Mudd Club New York immersed in the punk scene with luminaries such as John Cale (Velvet Underground). Back in Blighty he opened up the famed Le Kilt Club in Wardour St and pioneered what would become rare groove before going on to found Blue Rondo a la Turk which he fronted, design artwork for, promoted and styled.  2 years later in 1983 he opened the The legendary Wag club which ran for 18 years… the place to be in the 80s.  It was here that Chris cemented his friendship with punk royalty including Glen Matlock, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones and more. As a journalist he wrote for The Face in the 80s in addition to ID, NME etc..   He wrote the phenomenally successful “Punk”.  Bringing us up to date..Chris has just penned a book “We Could Be Heroes” focusing on London clubland ’77-84 due for release 8^th December, has a film optioned in Hollywood and has developed a documentary series “After Dark” for consideration at the BBC.

Dean Mumford, keyboard player with The Rifles joined to record their 3^rd album “Freedom Run” released 19^th September. having known them for several years previously.  The band’s 3 albums have entered the top 40 and they are about to embark on tour.

Dean introduces a new demo this month from The Town and Jonny discusses films recently out including Drive, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Turnout and a new competition for next months sponsors Peckham Rye offer up and a scarf and tie along with 2 signed copies of The Rifles being announced on Episode 11 newsblog..

Episode 9 competition winner is Gary Dixon for the Baracuta shawl collar cardigan thanks to Baracuta

Bradley Wiggins and Mark Webster joins us for Modcast 11 for some sport mod chat amongst other..