Chasing the ghosts of Mods and Rockers… Adam heads to the coast in search of the roots of a pop culture myth.
The little Essex seaside resort of Clacton-on-Sea will forever have a place in pop culture infamy. For it was here, at Easter 1964, that the first violent clashes took place between the Mods and the Rockers.
For the uninitiated, Mods and Rockers are two sub-tribes of British youth culture with their roots in the 1950s and the 1960s. The Mods wore sharp suits and expensive shoes. They had a taste for American soul music, and rode Italian motor scooters – Lambrettas and Vespas. The Rockers were sometimes known in the 50s as Ton-Up Boys for their predilection for trying to push their heavy motorcycles to speeds of 100 mph – known as a Ton – and above. Less concerned with looking neat, they wore their hair in grease-backed quiffs, and dressed in denims and leather jackets.
Mods vs Rockers
The first seaside conflict inspired horror and outrage on the front page of the Daily Mirror. “Wild Ones Invade Seaside – 97 Arrests” it roared. The story, however, is now widely believed to have been blown out of proportion by our excitable tabloid newspapers .
The coverage of the altercations, however, seems to have sparked a spate of copycat events all along the south coast of England. And in the process created not only a pop culture legend, but a leitmotif in a rock opera – The Who’s towering glory Quadrophenia (1973).
Beyond The Headlines
So, what really happened at Clacton-on-Sea that weekend? Well, violence for sure. And certainly a not a mere storm in a teacup. Reading between the lines, however, it sounds like the classic anthem for bored youth – with the local council playing its unwitting part…
Clacton local council, in an effort to push their town as a youth-friendly destination, had promoted special shows for the Easter Weekend. Freddie & The Dreamers were booked to play the town. Hardly a bill to satisfy the musical appetites of your hardcore soul-loving Mod or rocking biker.
A number of Mods on scooters arrived on Good Friday. And they were soon joined by a few rival motorbike-riding rockers. Scuffles took place throughout the night.
After the Freddie and the Dreamers gig at the Blue Lagoon on Saturday night, further fighting took place through into the small hours. Police separated large groups of Mods and Rockers in Pier Avenue as the bottles flew. But when the police reinforcements arrived in greater numbers from neighbouring towns, it seems that the so-called rival gangs have, in many cases, joined forces to fight a common enemy – the rozzers. Violence raged throughout the night.
The Legacy
The police had taken control of the situation by dawn on Sunday – despite an estimated crowd of around 1,000 youths having assembled at the junction of Pier Avenue and Marine Parade by Sunday lunchtime.
The real legacy of the trouble can be found in the wake of the alarmist post-Clacton-on-Sea headlines. Later that year, on the Whitsun weekend of 18th and 19th of May, copycat scuffles broke out at Margate and Brighton and just along the coast at Hastings. Such was/is the fondness of our tabloid press for hyperbole that the latter conflict was headlined, The Second Battle of Hastings.
Where Are the Mods In 2023?
A visit to Clacton on a wintry off-season afternoon yields little visible commemoration of this (for some) seismic moment in youth culture history – save for the Mod insignia in one of the local sandwich bars/cafes.
But if you would like to find out more about the events of March 1964, then look no further than the local library. The Clacton & District Local History Society occupies a room on the first floor. They’re open on Tuesdays and Saturdays and you will find a fantastic exhibition on the history of Clacton– especially its entertainment heritage. The tale of the Mods and Rockers at Easter ’64 is woven into the exhibition beautifully. It’s a fantastic little museum.
There’s also an excellent page on The Clacton & District Local History Society’s website. Have a look here: https://www.clactonhistory.co.uk/mods-rockers-1964/
Visiting Clacton-on-Sea
Chasing the ghosts of Mods and Rockers? Want to leave your Lambretta (or Triumph) at home? There are frequent trains from London out of Liverpool Street Station
When In Clacton, Don’t Miss…
Record Shop: Music Mania
Clacton is blessed with a five-star record shop – Music Mania, at 18 High Street (see map above).
Great prices and lovingly filed in alphabetical order in such a way that allows the bulging rack of LPs by The Who to be the first thing you see upon entering (an accident, sure, but a very nice touch nevertheless).
It’s a well-stocked shop with new and second-hand vinyl (good prices, too) and an excellent array of very reasonably priced second hand CD’s. Music Mania’s Facebook Page lists its opening hours as 9am to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday (last updated March 2023).
The Clacton & District Local History Society
The Clacton & District Local History Society is in residence on the first floor of Clacton Library (see map above).
Their exhibition is lovingly done. Presented with style and wit, there’s a great old variety programme on which the audience member has written her/his reviews of the performers! It’s a small but fascinating collection and is open to the public on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
Mods & Rockers: The Music
Playlist: 12 Tracks For Mods…
Playlist: 9 Rockers For Rockers…
Somewhere (Else) In England…
For a self-guided tour of Pink Floyd’s Cambridge CLICK HERE
A map of Nick Drake’s London – CLICK HERE
