Ribble Valley Mod Weekender It’s not so grim up North

I’ve been discussing the point on the radio – what is a ‘rally’ and when is it right to use that term for a scooter based event?

The Ribble Vally Mod Weekender's been going for a few years now, and each year is bigger than the last. To be honest (and to my shame), this was the first time I’d attended it. Yes, we’ve all seen the ride in on YouTube, and the excitement that causes, but that in no way reveals the whole event. Based in Clitheroe, home to Pendle Hill and the legends of the Lancashire witches, their trials and executions, it’s got historic charm and is a great setting for a gathering. Not only that, but Burnley and Pendle have a long and distinguished history within scootering, as they were one of the clubs that kept the torch aflame in the dark days of the early 70s.

The event ‘officially’ begins with the ride into the town centre on Saturday, however, there’s plenty of entertainment on the Friday. The event quite literally takes over the whole town. Shops are festooned with all manner of scootering and Mod paraphernalia… some get it right, others miss the mark by a country mile, but it’s the thought that counts. All of it adds up to a really good ‘community’ atmosphere.

Although the event has been embraced by the locals, the council has been less helpful (now there’s a shock). When Derbo and Dave approached them to try to get a car park for the scoots to be safer in, the council said… yup, they could possibly have one... for the princely sum of three grand! Ignoring the council’s mentality, the rest of the town is behind it to a man, woman, dog, cat, child, pub and chip shop. This small town ‘ooop north’ was rocking. Each pub, club and bar had something on offer. On Friday I went with Derbo to the British Legion where Absolute Heroes were playing. You wouldn’t think Friday was the ‘warm up’ night – it was jumping. There was a bit of a deja-vu moment in the Legion when I bumped into a crowd I’d chatted to at a

Coast Town Ska event in Blackpool. I’ve asked quite a few people in clubs what they consider the weekender to be – and the majority agree that it is a ‘rally’, official or otherwise. By the very nature of the event, if it’s a gathering of mainly scooter riding folk to meet up and have a good time, then it’s a scooter rally. Now being a ‘Mod’ weekender, it naturally has its leanings, but I think the lines have blurred over the years and there are probably quite a number of modernist purists out there who wouldn’t agree with the term for this event.

No matter. There was pretty much something for everyone, and Derbo and Dave must be given much credit for that, and also for the single mindedness of bringing this event to be over the years. Even big names such as the band The Deep Six pitched up, so the event’s pull grows, and long may it do so. Yes, there were the predictable covers bands, such as the Style Council covers chaps who were in the ‘Grande’ ballroom thingy, but there were also a few younger acts. One act which particularly stood out was a young chap called James Walsh, he’s got a CD out called Sunshine and Rainbows, and his stuff is like a solo Weller meets early Rory Gallagher meets early Bolan… if you will.

As a side point, my elder brother actually lives in the town the event happens in. His history was in the Manchester Mod scene of the 1960s (Twisted Wheel, Jeung Frau and Disco Takis Clubs in the 60s) that’s how I got brainwashed into the creature I am. I linked up with him to get his opinion on the event and what was the same and what was different between then and now. His opinion was very black and white, he thought the weekender was a great idea, but he did make the point that during the 60s the scene was more fluid, by the very nature of the Mod thing, the fashions and tastes changed rapidly and nothing was as set in stone as it appeared to him now. He reckoned that some of the chaps knocking about looked right, but others appeared to be a caricature, short hand for what Mod was (do I detect the words ‘comedy’ and ‘Mod’ creeping into the vocabulary).

The attendance is brilliant, and from all over the place too, not just the north west. In short I’m looking forward to this year’s do. Once again, for me, the beauty of the Ribble Valley Weekender is that you can go solo, or with a family, whatever, there’s something there for you, whether you’re a soulie, revivalist, proto punk, live band fan or vinyl head, it doesn’t matter… you even get decent ale, food and a genuine welcome from all concerned.

Rik