Which was a cooler subculture Mods Or Rockers

Which was a cooler subculture Mods Or Rockers


Mullit-Head, what I can remember from back in the early/mid 60's on the these Mods and Rockers "Sub-Cultures", as you put it, where teenagers in England that were the same as Greasers and Collegians or Hitters and Preppies over here in the USA, or as I saw it, the "Cool Rocker Kids" and the "Faggie Mod kids", but over there they would have gang fights between them and that in itself is a Greaser or Hitter trait to fight and wasn't a Preppie or Fag trait and I was impressed by both gangs and saw realized that the only thing different between them was their clothing style, the Rockers had a motorcycle gang look of Marlon Brando from the "Wild Bunch" movie and the Mods wore tailored suits and Beatle hair cuts. It was a time of transition there like here in the USA but we had the Viet Nam war and politians to fight and not ourselfs. Even early Beatles were Rockers tranfromed to Mods look at some of John Lennons Silver Beatles pictures with Peter Best before Ringo they were Rockers and when they changed the whole world changed into Mods then unified the both cultures in the mid/late 60's to a "Hippy" look and the labels died with the change. That's what I saw in it, but once a Rocker always a Rocker...it's all in your attitude...so Rock on!



Hot Wax


   

Mullit-Head, what I can remember from back in the early/mid 60's on the these Mods and Rockers "Sub-Cultures", as you put it, where teenagers in England that were the same as Greasers and Collegians or Hitters and Preppies over here in the USA, or as I saw it, the "Cool Rocker Kids" and the "Faggie Mod kids", but over there they would have gang fights between them and that in itself is a Greaser or Hitter trait to fight and wasn't a Preppie or Fag trait and I was impressed by both gangs and saw realized that the only thing different between them was their clothing style, the Rockers had a motorcycle gang look of Marlon Brando from the "Wild Bunch" movie and the Mods wore tailored suits and Beatle hair cuts. It was a time of transition there like here in the USA but we had the Viet Nam war and politians to fight and not ourselfs. Even early Beatles were Rockers tranfromed to Mods look at some of John Lennons Silver Beatles pictures with Peter Best before Ringo they were Rockers and when they changed the whole world changed into Mods then unified the both cultures in the mid/late 60's to a "Hippy" look and the labels died with the change. That's what I saw in it, but once a Rocker always a Rocker...it's all in your attitude...so Rock on!

There were some noteworthy differences. Rockers were actually closer to what were known as Teds or Teddy-boys. The teds simply traded in their Edwardian suits for leather jackets. Most Rockers were older and as a result had done some compulsary military training. I believe there was a mandatory draft at the time. This made rockers toughter. British rockers tended to drive British made bikes. BSA Norton Triumph being the favorites. Mods rode Italian made scooters Lambretta being the favorite and Vespa comming a close second.

The Rockers being older and toughter naturally made them a difficult enemy. Mods hunted in packs and poped Blues a word for the upper pills they popped. The street fights in Brighton were grosly exaggerated by the media. Many of the photos were fabricated. There is a photo of a Rocket being pushed off a sea wall in Brighton this photo was used on an Small faces album cover this photo is believed to be fabricated.

Carnaby street in London became a famous mod street. If not for the movie Quadrophenia the subculture mods may have been completly forgotten. For a breif period in 1979 there was a mod revival in Britain.  This was made popular by the band The Jam. By the early eighties being a mod became a really teeny-bopper thing. Whereing a Parka instantly transformed you into someone who looked fourteen. Mods in Britain found a new adversary. The Skinheads. Mod was soon to replaced by Scooter boys in the late eighties. Lambretta has gone out of buisness. Vespa still makes scooters but the new models getting really plastic looking. If you want to see a lot of mod scooters its best to go somewhere like India.



Hot Wax


   

I like the Rockabilly style, so I guess the Rockers probably fit that mode.

The movie "Quadrophenia" by the Who is a excellent portrayal of the Mod/Rocker cultures. I myself liked the Mods.

(When asked if he was a Mod or a Rocker, Ringo Starr replied, "I'm a mocker.")

The Mods  8)

um, who are they?  :)

Ultimately, I vote Rockers.

After all, what is left anymore of "Mod" culture?  It has almost totally faded away.  But the rocker culture is still alive and well.

Of course, I rather like Richard Starkey's answer when he was asked what he was.

Q.  Are you a mod, or a rocker?

A:  Actually, I am more of a mocker.

Mod! I would've been one.