14

Sawdust Caesars: Original Mod Voices

Steve Austin - The movement came through when I was 14 or 15, just as I was getting
interested in fashion, so I was always a Mod. ut hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I realise now
that Modernism wasn!t created in a vacuum. "hat we now call Mod evolved from #indy $o%%ers in
the 1&4'!s, via Teddy oys, eatni(s, and $i%sters. ut li(e every other generation, I hated the
one )efore. *or me Teddy )oys were li(e +oc(ers, their clothes, music, and )i(es were so old-
fashioned, and we were so new, and so cool,-

Sally Stevens (from West Byfleet, near Woking) - I started my adolescent life as a roc(er,
influenced mostly )y .ddie /ochran, .lvis, uddy $olly, 0ene 1incent, etc. efore that, at 11 years
old, my attire was art school )eatni(. Tight )lac( %ants, long )lac( sweater. My )rother used to call
me The eetle. 2This )efore the advent of the eatles, who were also roc(ers until 3strid cut their
hair, and .%%y %ut them in /ardin suits.4-

Alfredo Marcantonio - 5eo%le ta(e youth culture as a given, with its many cli6ues, all with
their own dress code, clu)s and maga7ines. "hen the Modernist movement arrived none of these
things e8isted. There were no decent clothes sho%s, no music stations and television )arely
ac(nowledged young %eo%le9s e8istence. :ntil the si8ties swung in, you!d have trou)le telling %ost-
war ritain and %re-war ritain a%art. .verything was so grey.
*or most of us, the %hrase ;fashion victim! had an unintended accuracy< from toddler to
teenager, we were (itted out li(e miniature adults. =ou were forced to wear scaled-down, short
trousered, grey wool worsted suits. If you were luc(y, *or most of us, going out in your ;)est
clothes! meant donning the dreaded school )la7er. #ittle wonder we sei7ed the chance to e8%ress a
)it of individuality.-

David Middleton - It was all new for us )ac( then, we were teenagers and all we heard a)out
was war and more fuc(ing war< my dad did not come out of the navy till I was 1> years old. .lvis
went into the army and when he came out, he was singing lots of to% ten hits that were just not
roc( ;n! roll anymore and were mostly )allads. *or me, ?erry #ee #ewis was the (ing of roc( ;n! roll.
y the late-5's teddy )oys had really had their day anyway.-

Rob Nicholls - "hen I met 5at @mitherman at the local fairground in 1&5& I was fifteen and
already wor(ing full-time. My )rylcreemed hair was swe%t )ac( at the sides with a rollover 6uiff at
the front. I wore a Teddy )oy dra%e jac(et and a homemade )ootlace tie. 5at had a )ouffant and
she wore a short white %lastic mac worn with matching high heels. My change of attitude )egan in
autumn 1&A1 when I went to lunchtime dances at the #yceum with day-release classmates 3lan
/owell and Terry unyan. The )irds there were chic, and for me, 5at com%ared unfavoura)ly.
+ichard arnes reminds us that ;in the fifties, girls were still corseted and stra%%ed u% in
sus%ender )elts, %antie girdles and all that corrective )rassiere stuff.! "ith her sus%ender )elt,
stoc(ings and lace %etticoat, 5at seemed to )elong to an earlier generation. I felt that there must
)e more to life than this. I felt confined )y going steady and my future seemed to )e closing in.
This wasn!t hel%ed )y 5at hinting that she wanted to )uy some (nives and for(s ;for the )ottom
drawer,! which signified a seemingly inevita)le and dismal fate. I!d read a 1&th century )iogra%hy
;The $ouses in etween! )y $oward @%ring and I felt a yen for witty conversations across drawing
rooms with %iano nocturnes tin(ling in the )ac(ground and for new styles )ased on fo%%ish
+egency fashions. I envisioned a light grey dou)le-)reasted suit with the royal-)lue lining that I
would have made as a )adge of my new identity. My )rea(-u% with 5at in 3ugust 1&AB
%reci%itated my virtual immediate transition to Mod and I )egan to develo% a new sense of style. I
wanted my life to )e e8citing and I %lanned to ma(e it so,-