Faces in the Crowd - Update

In the last post we mentioned the new documentary filmed at the Glasgow Mod Weekender. It is available to watch here and is also selling really well on ebay here so you had better snap yourself up a copy soon.

It is refreshing to see a documentary like this where they let the people do the talking and don't force an opinion down your throat. Covering everything from the music to the clothes to the scooters and having a range of ages from the people at the start to the younger people today it is, in my opinion, well worth watching.

To get more information on the makers look at our last post here.

The In Crowd

If you are one of the many thousands that attends Mod related events from clubs to rallies up and down the country then you will be happy too know that the much anticipated release of 'Faces in the Crowd' has a date of August 27th. Filmed at the Glasgow Mod Weekender this summer it will be an intriguing look at the scene and the people who make it tick. To see the trailer for the documentary click here.

"This is the official trailer for a 30 minute documentary filmed at the Glasgow Mod Weekender 2013. DVDs with artwork are available on eBay for £6.99 ($10,99): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Faces-in-th...

The film is also available to view (via streaming) on Vimeo On Demand for £1.49 ($2.70). 

How does mod culture survive while others fade away? Join Emma-Rosa Dias on her journey to find out why mod never left.

Youth subcultures often come and go over time. They get very popular, very quickly, before being replaced by whichever fad comes next. However, it seems that there is one exception to the rule. Mod culture may have been most visible in the 1960s and 1980s, but the underground scene has always survived and stayed as vibrant as ever.

Now, Belfast-based TV producer and presenter, Emma-Rosa Dias, is digging deeper into the mod scene to find out what makes this subculture so different.

"There's a great story waiting to be told about the mod scene." Said Emma. "It always connects with so many people. Generation after generation reinvents it in its own way but at its heart it has changed surprisingly little."

The self-funded project is a labour of love for former DJ manager and club events organiser. Her lifelong fascination with the mods started when she was a child, as she watched them come and go from her mother's popular record shop, Blinkers, during the mod revival of the early 1980s.

'It's a complete lifestyle that people really cherish and protect. I was lucky enough to meet a lot of people in the research for my documentary and I am so grateful they shared with me. I decided to document my journey in exploring this amazing culture. The next step is to develop this story in a series of documentaries on mods world wide. I've only seen the tip of the iceberg and there's so much more I have to explore and many more key people I have to meet. I hope I can take it further and start to get funding. If the support and feedback continues to be as good as it has been then that's exactly what I'll do."

Below is the description from the clip on YouTube that is well worth a watch. Keep up to date with this documentary and future releases from Afro-Mic Productions here;

Facebook  -  https://www.facebook.com/AfroMicProductions

Twitter  -  @AfroMicPro

and at  http://www.afromicproductions.com/.

Still Got It

Following on from the last post about Quadrophenia I eventually managed to get tickets to see them at the SECC in Glasgow and was not disappointed.

I had dithered when the tickets went on sale and was devastated when I saw that tickets had sold out. I did the usual look about eBay and Gumtree but to no avail, some sites were selling tickets but at vastly inflated prices. For me this is something that needs to be clamped down on, but that's a rant for another day.

Then, on the eve of the show with all hope lost I saw a post on Twitter from the official tour page saying that the last of the tickets were now available on Ticket Soup. I presumed it would be those package deals that end up costing about £400. To my surprise and delight it was normal tickets at a normal price, I was in.

I spent a nervous day leading up to the event thinking it was probably all a big scam and when I went to collect my tickets they would give me a blank look. It was real, I would be seeing The Who and I could not have been happier.

Looking about the venue there were people of all ages and backgrounds and the place was electrified. I could give you a blow by blow account of the performance, the power and passion they still play with, the emotion of the tributes for Moon and Entwistle but I won't. I will just say it was one of the best experiences of my life.

I am sure so many people that have been lucky enough to see it will feel the same way. The film, the music and the band meant so much to me growing up as it still does to people today.

I am hoping that I will eventually get down to Brighton to see the sights and locations used in the filming, if I stay in any of the Brighton Hotels it will have to be The Grand but I doubt Sting will be carrying my cases, I wonder if they will appreciate me shouting "BELLBOY!!!" in the lobby?

I did manage to get pie and mash in Cookes on the Goldhawk Road, an experience I would recommend to anyone. That location is under threat at the moment thanks to the kind of local authorities that would be happy to see such a great historic location knocked down.

I hope some of you had the opportunity to see them and enjoy it as much as I did.

Can You See The Real Me?

Quadrophenia is a phenomenon that has influenced so much since it's release in 1979. Watching it is a who's who of British actors and musicians and is probably the greatest depiction of British youth on film.

Even today you can still get guided tours around Brighton, get soundtracks from Vinyl and CD's to downloads. Videos, DVDs, Blu Rays and it's even on iTunes. You can find the original Quadrophenia book by Alan Fletcher online as well as the Quadrophenia Anthology by Gary Wharton and To Be Someone by Peter Meadows, an interpretation of what might have happened after Beachy Head.

Countless t-shirts and other items of apparel and accessories have found their way into production off the back of the cult following the film got. Some of better quality than others.

After a successful stage show that toured in 2009 the UK is now braced for The Who touring major arenas with the Quadrophenia and More tour in a move that will not only cement the popularity of Quadrophenia to it's loyal supporters, but bring it to a whole new audience. You can follow the Quadrophenia facebook page here.

Remember that you can feature on this blog by emailing bsc1969@hotmail.co.uk so if you want to write about anything Mod or if you want to share your blog just let us know.

This is the Modern World

Mods

Starting off this blog with some nice old pictures. We are looking to link up all Subculture bloggers so just drop us an email at bsc1969@hotmail.co.uk or find us on Twitter and Facebook if you have a blog you want to link back to or you would just like to write a post.