MODS IN MOTOR CITY
Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart
Marc Calmbach, 11020
Journalistische Arbeitsgrundlagen
Professor Stephan Ferdinand
MODERN STYLE: STUTTGART
THE SOUL STYLISTS
In the early sixties a lifestyle evolved
for young people that was mysterious,
exciting and fast-moving. It was
directed from within and needed no
justification from without. Kids
were cloth-obsessed, cool, dedicated
to R&B and their own dances.
They called themselves Modernists or
simply Mods.
After more than 40 years of existence
the movement is currently
experiencing a wondrous revival
amongst some young folks in
Stuttgart.
Clean living under
difficult circumstances
A new generation,
a new direction?
There’s probably no other youth culture that is so
spired by the Skiffle
In the late sixties/early seventies the Hippie cultu-
pedantic and has such an eye for details when it
and
crazes,
re was popular amongst many young people and
comes to style. The words that continually crop up
identified with any-
for a couple of years there was a weak interest in
when trying to pinpoint Mods include cool, neat,
thing then conside-
‘the birth of cool’ known as Mod. Also many of the
sharp, hip and smart. The original sixties Mods
red new, exciting,
original Mod bands like The Who grew their hair
evolved from kids growing up in that uncertain,
controversial
and
and wrote seven minute songs with bad guitar
semi-affluent, pivotal period of postwar late fifties
modern
Italian
solos. The resurgence of the English Mod move-
Britain. They were reacting against its repressed,
espresso bars, spa-
ment at the end of the seventies gave rise to a
class-obsessed, old maids, warm beer, cold-water
ghetti
bolognaise,
completely different specie of the proper sixties
naffness. These were the mind-numbingly empty
moulded plastic, the
version. In fact, it bore hardly any resemblance to
b&w pre-Beatles dark ages where teenagers, a
hovercraft,
it all. It was nowhere near as stylish for a start, nor
species that hadn’t existed until the fifties, were
scooters and French
simply not catered for. Popular songs still dwelt on
movies. Music-wise
over-sentimental ‘billing and cooing’ and bloated
they aligned with
dedicated, and above all, as inventive and energetic
romance hadn’t yet been replaced by blatant sex.
the more sophisticated smoother modern jazz
as the original Modernists have been. Paul Weller
However it was all about to change.
sounds of artists like the Modern Jazz Quartet or
whose group The Jam celebrated several No.1-
A handful of discerning British school kids, bored
Dave Brubeck and of course American R&B/Soul
Hits in the late seventies/ early eighties was a key
by the faulty pap that was fifties pop and unin-
music. But soon the scene produced its own
figure for the second wave mods. He is still around
bands that would have an everlasting impact on
doing solo gigs in front of all generations of Mods.
trad
–
Italian
was it as complex or for that matter very popular.
The Rolling Stones, 1964
However, its devotees were every bit as obsessive,
the music world: The Rolling Stones, The Who,
The Small Faces to name only a few.
With the rise of Britpop in the early nineties the
third wave of Mods appeared and it is still gaining
Mod was an attitude and a belief in a way of life,
more and more devotees. Since the political, eco-
spawned in direct opposition to the drabness of
nomical and sociocultural conditions have signifi-
the real world. Mods have been constantly descri-
cantly changed over the past decades, it is need-
bed as a working-class phenomenon but it was
less to say that nowadays the reasons for beco-
more of a working-class reaction against authori-
ming a Mod are hardly the same than in the early
ty. In the late Seventies the Punk movement had a
days of the movement. But anyway the enthusi-
similar point of view but in contrast to the Mods,
asm of its members remains unbroken. If one
Punks expressed their rebellion by looking rotten
takes a closer look at the subculture of Stuttgart
and provocative. Mods, however, had the entire
he/she can find stores, clubs and events that per-
arsenal of capitalist upper-class elegance in their
fectly capture the fascination of the Mod spirit.
working-class hands. Somehow they took away
Since the Mod style includes fashion, music, furni-
what theoretically didn’t belong to them. Their clo-
ture, haircuts etc. there are plenty of places that
thes have come to symbolize their independence
are worth checking out.
from the old idea of a life based on a successful
Paul Weller, 1978
career.
London Mods, 1965
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All dressed up...
The In Sound.
The number one address in Stuttgart for authentic
Besides fashion the second main form of expres-
obsessively for original records. Money often
mod fashion is the the second hand store
sion for mods is music. Mods are as fastidious
doesn’t matter. They rather spend 40 Euro on one
Gewand. 35-year old owner Lisa Oechsle speciali-
about their music as they are about their clothes.
original LP than on four reissues. They are purists
ses in used sixties clothes and supplies the style
Luckily for them, they can choose between two
and want the real thing, not the imitation.” For
junkies with new old outfits. She likes the mods
excellent record stores in Stuttgart: Vinyl West and
Tom Baeurle, owner of Vinyl West, it’s no surprise
not only because they are frequent customers, but
Second Hand Records. Similar to the clothes there’s
that that many mod kids are popular DJs in the
also because they share the same enthusiasm:
nothing cooler than finding an old, original second
local clubs:” You know, soul music got pretty big
“The mod way of life consists of a total devotion
hand vinyl record (CDs are everything but hip and
here in Stuttgart. I mean ‘big’ in terms of being the
to looking and being cool. So like most people
therefore totally rejected). Since both record sto-
hip music in the cooler, more underground clubs.
who base their lives on style, they are rather glo-
res predominantly have used vinyl in stock they
Since mods regularly buy great dance records, it’s
riously unaffected cynics about everything else”.
are the Mecca for every music lover and moder-
only a logical consequence that they spin them”.
Asking her how to best describe the mod fashion,
nist. Both stores have a massive soul, jazz and sixi-
she discerns a certain uniformisation. “In all youth
ties section. Asking Michael Paukner, employee at
cultures it is important for its members to be
Second Hand Records, about the mod’s music
recognized as part of their movement. Clothes
taste, he replies:”Definitely sixties American soul
usually play the most important role. If someone
music. We got plenty of people here searching
came into my store and asked for a mod outfit, I
would sell him a tight suit, a button-down shirt, a
pair of old bowling shoes and an army parka. Plus,
I’d recommend him a hairdresser that cuts Perry-
Lisa Oechsle, Gewand Store, Stuttgart
Como-Haircuts”.
...with somewhere to go.
A very popular mod hangout is a club called HI in
downtown Stuttgart. The venue used to be a table
dance bar and it is still furnished with sleezy red
light district mirrored walls, separees and chrome
bars. They regularly play soul music and have DJs
from all over Germany and beyond. Every last
Friday of the month they organize so called “Allnighters”. Allnighters are parties that last from
dusk til dawn and are attended by lots of mods
and sixties fanatics. Just recently the HI Club
hosted the annual Soul Marathon, an event that
draws modernists from all over Germany to rock
the dancefloor three nights straight.
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Vinyl West, Stuttgart
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The In Crowd.
For the mods their culture has always been the
trend but history that is unclosed and forever
essence of cool and it is one of the few readily
moving on: “Of all teenage movements, the mod
embraced by different generations. Their values
cult can probably be considered as the only one
have transcended their early sixties origins an are
that years later can be looked back on without any
rediscovered and renewed in mod revivals – just
embarrassement. Perhaps youth revolutions should
like in Stuttgart nowadays. It is silently rebellious
come with a health warning: The participant should
in lots of ways and outside politics and mainstre-
show some vigilance as he/she might be making
am culture. One can notice a certain friendly arro-
complete prat of himself/herself and live to regret
gance when the local Mods talk about their move-
it in later life. Mods had no humiliating beads,
ment. Maybe that’s part of their chic, too.
bondage pants, mowhawk haircuts, flares or trak-
Designer Pejo Babic, one of the first mods ever to
ksuits to damage their credibility”.
appear in this town, has unique explanation why
modernism for its devotees is not only a current
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What else there is to add?
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