Katy
Wheeler speaks to a Mod band who are bringing their scooters back on the road
for a revival festival.
Mods and
more are set to descend on Chester-le-Street next month for a festival which
will celebrate one of Britain’s most defining musical eras. Riverside Live,
which takes place at Riverside Park on Bank Holiday Sunday, May 24, will see
sets from From The Jam, featuring former The Jam bassist Bruce Foxton, as well
as a day of performances from The Selecter, Secret Affair, The Whodlums, LoGOz,
The Style Selektors and The Last Fakers.
Also
looking to get the crowds rocking at Riverside are The Lambrettas. The
Lambrettas, with original members Doug Sanders, Paul Wincer, Mark Ellis and Jez
Bird, came to prominence with their cover of Poison Ivy and had follow up hits
with Go Steady and Beat Boys In The Jet Age.
Fast
forward to 2009, and the anniversary of Quadrophenia. Doug and Paul were asked
if they would get back together to do a short set at a Modrophenia event in
Brighton. They were joined by Phil Edwards on guitar and Chris Venzi-James on
bass. After the Brighton gig, the phone didn’t stop ringing and it was clear
that they were back together permanently. Doug says he’s looking forward to
heading up north. “We’re absolutely looking forward to it,” he said. “We only
played there before once, a year or two ago and that was really good.”
Doug says
fans can expect classic tracks, as well as new material. “Doing a festival like
this people would be annoyed if we didn’t play stuff off the first album. We’ll
also be doing some ’60s homage stuff and maybe a couple of new tracks,” he
said.
“We had
some legal problems with our back catalogue, but that’s sorted now and we
recently released our first album Beat Boys In The Jet Age in its original
form, with another album of music. And that’s going pretty good.
“We’ve
also signed a deal to do new stuff and we’re hoping to release a new EP in the
summer.”
In 2014,
due to other commitments, Chris was replaced temporarily by Nick Beetham on
bass. However, they now have a new full time bass player Ant Wellman.
Doug said:
“It took a while, but we are really happy that Ant, as well as being a nice
bloke and great bass player, has helped us get back to our original sound, but
with an up-to-date slant on it.”
This year
saw the 35th anniversary of the release of Beat Boys in the Jet Age. The
record, which was re-released in February and is available on the Salvo label,
also includes a second CD with Ambience, singles and B-sides. Doug says the
resurgence of interest in the band was unexpected, but he’s loving every minute
of it.
“We didn’t
know how the public would react, I spoke to the drummer and we decided to give
it a go, so we got a couple of young whippersnappers in and rehearsed,” he
said.
“After the
show the phone didn’t stop ringing. I don’t think One Direction will be ringing
us anytime soon but the response has been great, I’ve got nothing to complain
about.” Speaking of original highlights from the band, he said: “I remember
doing Top of the Pops for the first time in 1980. As a kid I would buy old
guitars and go to jumble sales and buy Bakelite radios for 50p which I would
link together to make an amplifier. I would blast it in my neighbourhood and
the neighbours said I would never get anywhere. So being on Top of the Pops was
a real moment for me.
“There’s
aspects of the music business that have changed, the records and gig thing is
different. Back then, we would go out on the road and from a financial point of
view we’d lose money, but the idea was to promote the record and encourage
sales.
“Now it’s
the opposite, you have to deliver live now, you can’t just be a wizard in the
studio. You really have to deliver and hopefully we do that.”
Doug says
he expects faithful Mod fans, as well as other music fans at the one-day
festival. “When we play places like this, most of the audience are of a certain
type. When we play festivals it’s more general public, but the Mod fashion,
compared to something more fringe, is very easily accessible. More so than an
out and out punk band. Something like that is more of a culture shock to the
general public. Our music is not too far removed from the mainstream.”
• Riverside
Live is at Riverside Park, Chester-le-Street, on May 24. Early Bird tickets are
£25 via www.riversidelive.org
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