MOD is huge in Asia

One reason why so many kids are devoted to subcultures was that they want to be seen as someone – have a voice of their own. They were eager to escape the restrictive and old-fashioned rules society came up with: whether in the late 50s or in the Thatcher years of the 80s. MOD was a liberation for young people. MOD broke all the rules and the style was sexy. MOD was the first subculture to give young people power.

With a delay of almost 45 years, this liberation is happening right now in Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore. The youth in Asia want to be heard and seen. We are talking about the same liberation which took place in Europe throughout the 60s – especially in Japan or Indonesia, where young people have to deal with rigid religion and family traditions.

It was probably the movie QUADROPHENIA which planted the first seeds on the road to discovery. MOD is just massive in Asia. Young MODS, who live MOD just like we did in the 60s and 80s. In their thousands. It’s just stunning to watch when hundreds of scooters cruise through the city night lights of Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong or Tokyo. Each year there are MODS MAYDAYS held in Bali, Tokyo, Osaka, Jakarta etc.

NEVER GROW UP will dedicate a whole episode on the Asian MOD Scene. We will travel to Japan, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, and Thailand to experience this fresh energy first hand. I will meet single MODS, see how they live, what their motivation is and how they are dealing with their traditional culture in context with MOD.

After having spoken to some Japanese and Indonesian MODS in London, I am convinced that the MODS in Asia are driven by the same motives and emotions as we were, when we discovered MOD in the first place.

In Jakarta you’ll see Muslim MODS. Girls with headscarves on the back of a scooter, wearing a parka. Can religion and subcultures co-exist?

This will be one of the most exciting chapters of NEVER GROW UP.