Brighton Mod Weekender

Q: Where would you be most likely to see the largest gathering of 60s scooters, in a plethora of 60s styles, in one place at the same time? A: Brighton, August Bank Holiday Weekend.

Not your usual run of the mill rally, we take a look at this VERY successful Mod event.

Initially the Brighton Mod Weekender was a gathering of like-minded 21st century modernists, celebrating 60s modernist style and culture, under the banner of the New Untouchables. In recent years and certainly over the past five, or more, this event has snowballed into probably the second biggest annual gathering of scooters in the UK. Brighton hosts a variety of events across the year, some of which are aimed at Mods and scooterists. With outlets such as Jump The Gun, Modern Artworks gallery bar and cafe, along with others, plus Quadrophenia tours, this south coast resort offers year-round attractions for those of the Mod persuasion.

August Bank holiday weekend invariably sees entrepreneurial types offering entertainment specifically targeting (pun intended) the Mod pound. Although it is primarily sold as a Mod weekender, as opposed to a straightforward scooter rally, half a mile or more of both sides of Madeira Drive on the seafront is packed with scooters of all shapes and sizes. These can be found parked up two, three, four even five rows deep and stretching from way before Volks Bar, halfway towards Concorde 2 Venue, located at the end of the ironwork archways that feature in the film Quadrophenia and many other films for both the large and small screen.

Talkin’ ’Bout Degeneration

It’s a terrible shame that the local council, has not, as yet, embarked on its intended refurbishment of the iconic Victorian metal arches along Madeira Drive. They have been fenced off for some years now for safety reasons, along with sought after car parking spaces which currently encroach further out onto the seafront road. It’s almost comical the way coaches full of day-trippers struggle to navigate around the many traffic islands. With the historic Volks railway closed, as of this year, apparently for a makeover, much of the seafront resembles a condemned building site. How ironic that sharply dressed, immaculately attired individuals with their, in the main, lovingly restored vintage 60s scooters end up in such drab and dismal surroundings. Mods bring vibrancy, excitement and spectacle, not to mention a huge injection of cash to the local economy, yet the council seems to not care at all about its own heritage. Shame on Brighton council.

Soul Satisfaction

The New Untouchables resurrected and reignited the August Bank Holiday weekends in Brighton after they had done the same on the Isle Of Wight where scooter rallies had been banned since the mid-80s.

The New Untouchables’ (NUT) early events in Brighton attracted a few hundred Mods. Initially, NUT, who promote regular club nights and events in London, across the UK and in Europe, have from those early days seen their event grow to vast proportions. Their three all-nighters at Komedia invariably sell out way in advance. This has led to the Volks Bar, which is the central daytime meeting point over the weekend, becoming venue 2 until 3am each night too.

As the sheer amount of Mods descending on Brighton for the weekend has multiplied beyond all but the wildest, optimistic imaginations, so have the number of Mod-aimed nights, events and happenings. Locally based and outside promoters have, for some years now, aimed at the Mod money waiting to be spent over the duration. NUT do what they do exceptionally well, summed up perfectly by their own self-description: 21stcentury modernist and Sixties music culture. Not all Mods are of an only 60s viewpoint. Revivalists with their taste for ’79 revival music, Britpoppers, even soul music aficionados with a Mod leaning, head for Brighton for the Mod weekend. Notably, on Sunday, a number of well-known northern soul faces including DJs, were out and about, with a rare soul Alldayer at The Funky Fish, followed by NUT Brighton Got Soul Allnighter.

All Day And All Of The Night

Over the course of the weekend, actor Gary Shail, Spider in Quadrophenia, and Carol Harrison, actress and scriptwriter, for the recommended All Or Nothing musical, were in the vicinity of Modern Works Cafe Bar. As was a scooter ‘advertising’ the musical. Sunday heralds a scooter competition, run by NUT, with any scooter parked up being in with a chance of grabbing one of three trophies awarded: Best Mod, Best Lambretta and Best Vespa. This is followed by a ride-out from outside Volks to Beachy Head. This year’s ride out got off to a less chaotic start than previous ones. However, one numpty in a car thought it was perfectly fine to U-turn, then double park in front of the massed ride out. It was a problem quickly overcome, with the largest number of participants I’ve seen at a Brighton Mod Weekender. A haze of two-stroke smoke hung over the early part of the route, nothing to do with a different haze that affected other sun seekers further along the Sussex coast! Those not taking part in the ride-out basked in the scorching sunshine before heading off to preen themselves for the final night out of the weekend. Despite the less than salubrious surroundings on the seafront, Brighton Mod Weekender 2017 was arguably the best one yet and certainly the hottest.