LONDON 2025
LONDON 2025. The 100 Club is packed to the rafters. On stage: THE MOLOTOVS – currently England’s hottest alternative band. What Mathew and Issey Carts (siblings) unleash on stage is nothing short of astonishing. It’s that same surge of energy that once swept me away when I first saw Paul Weller with THE JAM.
The crowd seems to feel it too: young, wild and out of control. So perhaps not all hope is lost.
Let’s rewind to the early 80s, when subcultures like PUNK and MOD were calling the shots. A time when there were just three TV channels and no internet. A time when teenagers hung out on playgrounds and street corners “just hanging around” THE STRANGLERS (1977). Then came PUNK – and for many of us, it changed everything. The rebellious music and the idea of NO FUTURE gave young people a way to let go – and a voice. With the PUNKS came the MODS. PUNKS IN PARKAS, they say. Their bands: THE BUZZCOCKS and THE JAM. Their motto: experience everything while you’re still young. Being a MOD – it was pure euphoria.
“…at dawn we tore through the streets of Berlin, chanting WE ARE THE MODS! WE ARE THE MODS! We popped colourful pills that carried us through the night…” BEN BECKER
In 1979, the MOD epic QUADROPHENIA by The Who hit the cinemas. Bands like THE JAM, SECRET AFFAIR, THE SPECIALS and MADNESS appeared on the big screen.
What few people know is that, alongside London, Düsseldorf and Hamburg were true epicentres of the 1979 MOD revival. This is where European MODS met – from Sweden, France, Italy and beyond. German bands such as DIE PROFIS, STUNDE X and CHOCOLATE FACTORY found their audience here.
Düsseldorf and Hamburg’s history as part of the British occupation zone also played its part. Hundreds of German MODS would gather at coastal towns such as Eckernförde or Grömitz. Hardly a weekend passed without a party or a gig.
They kept in touch through homemade fanzines and met daily in clubs like the Ratinger Hof or the Soul Center in Düsseldorf. These encounters sometimes sparked full-blown clashes with other groups, who felt provoked by the MODS’ extravagant style. The book title Dreiknopf (The Smart Suit) und Dosenbier (A Nod to the Working Class) captures the essence of the 1980s MODS (the Revival MODS) perfectly.
The story of the MODS began in the late 1950s, when Modern Jazz swept across Europe. As with the fight for civil rights in the US, Modern Jazz struck a chord with a small, intellectual elite in Europe – young people who rejected the prudish post-war society completely. In the small underground clubs of Paris, London, or Hamburg, a scene emerged that engaged artistically and, above all, critically with society.
For some, they were the existentialists – but they called themselves the MODERNISTS. Women were seen as equals, with short hair and trousers, and homosexuality was freely expressed. At the time, it was new and shocking. In England, an entire generation of young people seemed to be waiting for nothing more than a chance to break free from traditional constraints.
Especially the young working class. The MODERNISTS became MODS. What had started as a trend turned into a full-blown subculture. It coincided with the growing visibility and influence of the black community in England, and for the first time, young people from different backgrounds came together within a youth movement. MODS listened to black music—not just jazz, blues, and soul from the US, but also early reggae and ska from Brixton and Peckham. Like their heroes in Italian and French movies, MODS wore tailored clothes, rode souped-up scooters, and were always chasing the next kick.
Whether through wild parties, exclusive gigs in tiny clubs, or simply strolling along Carnaby Street, the MODS were suddenly everywhere. They became known as the IN CROWD, taking their name from Dobie Gray’s soul hit. The MODS often clashed with the Rockers, who descended on seaside towns like Brighton or Margate every Easter. These skirmishes earned them a reputation for trouble.
To ordinary people, the MODS were often little more than a public nuisance. Anyone who has seen Saturday Night Fever can get a fairly good sense of the MODS of the 60s. The article behind the film tells the story of the MODS in London’s Shepherd’s Bush. The MODS and the new black music were the future. The first to recognise the commercial potential of MOD was record producer Peter Meaden. He took a MOD band called THE HIGH NUMBERS and transformed them into THE WHO, who went on to write the anthem of the MODS with ‘My Generation.’ Many speak of it as the first PUNK song in history. THE WHO were pure MODS - loud, flashy, and outrageous. They smashed their instruments, gave cheeky interviews, and sang about telling the older generation to get lost. They stood in stark contrast to the Beatles, who at the time were seen as well-behaved and conventional.
I hope I die, before I get old… THE WHO (my generation)
With THE WHO came THE KINKS, THE SMALL FACES, ROD STEWART, THE YARDBIRDS, DAVID BOWIE, and many more. Even CAT STEVENS was a MOD at that time. The TV show READY, STEADY, GO! was the must-watch music programme on British television, giving the new stars a stage.
Twiggy introduced a new type of woman to the world, young, boyish and self-determined. London’s Carnaby Street, with all its small boutiques, became the world’s fashion mile. Mary Quant invented the mini skirt, and Vidal Sassoon created the French Cut for men. On the big screen, films like BREATHLESS, THE GRADUATE, and BLOW-UP captured the mood.
For the first time, young people truly had a voice that was heard. Fashion and music came from central London - born from a subculture. It was also the first time youth culture had been so thoroughly commercialised.
For those who had once stood against all conventions and the mainstream, this raised questions of purpose. Events on the world stage, like the Vietnam War, only added to the uncertainty.
By the late 1960s, the Hippie movement had replaced the MODS. But back to the present. What remains? How much have subcultures like the MODS shaped us? And what became of the protagonists of the ’60s and ’80s?
The impact of the MODS on British music became clear in the 1990s. Bands like BLUR, THE VERVE, or OASIS represented the fourth generation of MODS, shaping the Britpop sound. AMY WINEHOUSE gave soul a new face. It was also the era of EDDIE PILLER and his ACID JAZZ label, with successful acts such as JAMIROQUAI, THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES, and GALLIANO.
PAUL WELLER, the Modfather, embarked on a solo career after the dissolution of THE STYLE COUNCIL.
I'll always be a MOD… you can bury me a MOD.. PAUL WELLER
Britpop is currently experiencing a revival. The Oasis reunion is probably the biggest music event of the decade.
And what about the MODS?
They’re back - more numerous than ever. All over the world, especially across Europe and Asia. With one major difference: They’re no longer rebellious teenagers. They’re men and women in their fifties and sixties who, it seems, refuse to grow up.
Bands like The Purple Hearts, Secret Affair, and The Chords are still playing the same songs about eternal youth. Even the original Quadrophenia cast are part of the scene, signing autographs and recalling what it was like on set.
You can feel however you like about it, but honestly, youth was an incredibly cool time. Who can blame anyone for wanting to hold on to that electric feeling? MOD Maydays light up the nights in Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, and Jakarta, with hundreds of young MODS cruising the streets on their chrome-slick scooters.
Mod Icon EDDIE PILLER, 61 and today DJ and keeps a close eye on the scene.
For Eddie, MOD is a way of life. He hosts his own radio show, and his book Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances is a bestseller among MODS. In his view, the future belongs to the youth - those who resist the commercial frenzy of today and instead engage independently and creatively.
Eddie calls this the fifth generation of MOD. They might not call themselves MODS, but at a gig of the MOLOTOVS, he sees a reflection of himself as a young MOD.
Today's gonna be our day... THE MOLOTOVS
