C
Collibosher
After yesterday’s
depressing posting and everything else that’s been going on, Saturday night was
going to have to work hard for me. I’d been meaning to go to The Egham and District
Social Club for a long time – they have
F
Modnights
Who could resist? But up
till now I had to – I was either busy or ill. Tonight nothing was going to stop
me.
Back in 1978/9 I was
crossing the whole of London to get to The Bridgehouse pub in Canning Town –
home of some very famous
F
Modnights
Once I went with a
good friend, a really hardline MOD, five foot tall but with six foot of
attitude. In the old MOD tradition he wore mascara as a provocation. I can
confirm that it did used to provoke
people. Especially in Canning Town.
This time, 'Collibosher',
a fine MOD band from Dagenham had to make the long, long journey all the way from
the far east, out to beyond Heathrow Airport in the far west. I don’t know if they
thought it was worth it but I had a ball.
They did an evening of
covers of good old fashioned MOD numbers from the 1960’s – the band’s name
comes from a Small Faces instrumental track and no, I don’t know what it means
either.
First number was The
Who – The Kids are Allright and they carried on with the Spencer Davies group,
The Yardbirds, and a whole lot more, all played with plenty of spirit. But I can
hear covers anywhere, anyhow.
This was different. They
played ‘The Jam’ like they meant it. Mr Clean – I haven’t heard that live since
the 1970’s and you know who was playing it then. It was good to hear
it again.
David Watts, Modern
World, Eton Rifles (twice) and The Butterfly Collector, which was the B-side of
Strangetown. I love that song and I’ve heard it played both on a solo guitar
and by Lord John in the last few months.
Best of all was ‘A-Bomb
in Wardour Street’ which I first heard in The Marquee (on Wardour Street)
introduced by Paul Weller the first time they played it.
Aaaaargh!
It’s hard to listen to
Jam stuff played by other people but this was good. Tough stuff played hard.
It was a good night –
even if it seemed more like skinhead night than modnight. They all seemed
happy to tolerate this elderly Mod amongst the skins.
Right now there’s a
MOD revival and it’s just the same with Ska. It’s as though people heard I was in
trouble and put all this on, just for me.
And the band gave me a
badge – I was always a sucker for a badge.
I even think I’ve got New Year’s Eve sorted
too. You have no idea how lucky I feel.
Neil Harris
(a don’t stop till you
drop production)
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