Modernist Musings

 So who are these NeoMods of whom I seem endlessly to speak of, to be frank I am unsure if the term NeoMods exist beyond the cloistered warblings of this blog. Maybe it does and I accedentally stumbled upon it but I've never really heard it said anywhere else. Obviously there were mods in the late fifties [the modernists] and the early sixties [the mods of pop culture infamy] who faded as the decade progressed to re-emerge as Suedeheads and skinheads at the dawning of the seventies, with a full scale mod revial occuring at the end of that decade to flourish for a couple of years in the eighties before fading beneath a morass of New Romanticism. Another modernist fashion the casuals, football hooligans in sportwear and golf sweaters, seemed to fill a mod void for some but this was more concerned with the look than the music, but its sharp dress become absorbed into later mod fashion. All the while the soul boys travelling a parallel path where sometimes the paths merged and others the followed similar routes just taking different directions. After the heady revival of the eighties the nineties saw the birth of Britpop, British musician inspired by earlier British bands some of which were heavily influenced by mod.

In my need to place all of these various mod fashion and music factions under a single umbrella I coined the phrase NeoMods. I doubt such a thing exists today as a movement but individuals of note that I would call NeoMods would be Liam Gallagher, Paul Weller et al; musicians of that uilk who have taken classic mod fashion and added a twenty first century twist, utilising all the phases of mod to create a distinct look that is simultaneously mod, suedehead, casual, and indie Britpop with soul and the driving rhythm. I do not view NeoMod as a musical genre but as a fashion genre; NeoMods dress in a certain style but listen to old style mod music, heavily influenced by sixties US soul, British beat bands, Caribean ska and the revivalist ska and mod bands of the eighties. Less retro in their fashion NeoMods like classic cuts but have moved away from sharp suits into a more casual but still classic look. Sharp tailored high collared leather jackets are a classic NeoMod fashion item, The rest an amalgamation of the modernist fashion decades:, a touch of skin, a dash of the casualsL plus a smattering of BritPop to culminate in a sharply defined fashion statement.

Another factor in my definition of the virtual NeoMod is  its application to the fashion metaverse. Strict mod fashion is extremely difficult to find across the grid; authentic skinhead/suedehead fashion sufferes similarly. There are a plethora of track top and sweater accomadating a strict casuals look and the indie Britpop T-Shirt look is well catered for. But, twenty first century mod fashion needs to adapt and a restricted virtual environment seemed ideal for harnessing that need to change, to accomodate and to adapt. Unable to create my own fashions it was necessary to take items that felt mod, whilst not always necessarily being mod,. uif they had the correct modernist vibe I would adopt them into my own NeoMod fashionista bible. This is clearly illustrated throughout the blog, agree or disagree its all open to debate but this is how I opt to define my NeoMod stylings. Feel free to reinterpret it at will.

Are there NeoMods in the real world who label themselves as such I doubt it, afterall its an effective hangar to fling a variety of fashionable virtual items on in a vain attempt to give me something to waffle about when the virtual club scene is quiet. I define myself as a virtual NeoMod, who possesses modernist tendencies in the real world but no longer clings to modernist fashion rituals outside of his Second Life metaverse. The rise of the NeoMods has yet to take place I'm not entirely certain it ever will. The accompanying snaps in this piece explain bettter my vision of NeoMod fashion, sharp tailored trousers, smart loafers and exquiste high collared designed leather jacket, cool hair and chilled shades ... thats NeoMod.

ciao.

Icons come Tumbling Down

Arriving to Dean Friedmans "Lucky Stars" backed up by Donna Summer and Baccara "Yes Sir I can Boogie" its obvious the glory days are over, Its not just the DJs that define a club but the stream chosen to pump in diring the down hours, and half a dozens boogiers grooving to insipid seventies disco pap means the party is really over and a Mod icon has come tumbling down. Black arm bands while I mourn the passing of a virtual legend. It saddens me to see what has become of a once virtual mod heartbeat reduced to the statius of a disco tart.

Its different........

Whlist waffling about virtual mod and soul DJs I mentioned that one plays the unusual, more obscure tracks in an unstructured way as the muse takes him. I think I should retract that as Graz newly defined unusual mod music and unstructured sets last night when he slipped "Musical Youth" onto his decks. Now, lets be fair he makes no claims at mod greatness and he did step in to help us out otherwise it would be the Four Seasons all night. But c'mon Musical Youth-Pass the Dutchie!!!

Get the gist....

So, it was an unusual mod night over at the AAi, Eden still having technical problems, Kim unavailable and Sean unlike the rest of us actrually piossessing a real life social calender we were lucky to get anyone and what Graz lacked in mod style he more than supplement with fun and laughter, in the end its that which we turn up for. Plus, the limited mod library meant we got a lot of Weller, which is always good, and some classic revivalist ska from the Beat. the Specials and Madness.

Its been a couple of weeks since I attended the AAi nights and I was glad I did, another fun night mocking each ther, ok I'm being polite ... we mostly mocked Graz, but as an ace face mocker - he makes it so easy. I gave away all my best fashion tips, fool that Iam, Graz played some tunes and the crowd danced and cheered and laughed. Thats a virtual night on the town.

Modernist Fashion in SL

Does the more cash you spend on virtual fashion ensure that you are recieving better quality goods?

In the real world its almost universally accepted that if you spend serios cash you generally recieve higher quality items, however, I am unconvinced this is also the case in Second Life. For example I bought two nice suits recently, and was over 4x the price of the other, and whilst it came with various prim attachmments and layer choices, which the cheaper one lacked, I struggled to see how I was getting a better suit in terms of design, texturing, cut and creative sparkle. Once worn, it would be difficult to tell which was the more expensive of the two suits. Are we sometimes seduced by the extras at the expense of quality. There are stores that command high prices and deliver amazing designs, others maybe make up with quantity rather than quality when hiking up their prices, a lesson learnt.

Whilst discussing suits I was delighted to pick this suit up on the one of the many treasure hunts currently taking place across the grid. This prize is offered by Pasarella, and has a definite sixties cut to it, once again much like the Lois Allen Designs Discount Outlet suit here its not strictly an early sixties retro mod cut, but it has definite NeoMod credentials and exudes a sixties stylish charm, the although its ostensibly a brown suit the colour shading on the suit gives it that sharp tonic sheen so identifiable with mod faces, and coupled with a nice white shirt/brown tie combination it allows the wearer to become a classic mod for FREE, sharp shoes, decent hair cut and your already on the floor as a face.Cool modernist fashion is not always very expensive and can often be achieved for pennies or as illustrated here ... nothing! I have matched the suit with some great FKNY shoes, plus my fabulously Welleresque GL Menace hair to axchieve a reasonably stylish mod look.

Check: this blog for details on the treasure hunt for the suit and other FREE items

Modernist Fashion in SL

 Perusing the Second Life fashion blogs I caught sight of this cool hipster pair of jeans. They come in two version a dark striped pair and a white/black striped pair, its the latter that seems most apt for a mod fashionista. The trousers come with neat prim cuffs and various layer and styling variations. They have a cool sixties vibe and look very sharp with trainers and a suitable T-Shirt [this freebie from the Dyn treasure hunt with a rather apt slogan seemed perfect] you create a very casual retro look, or BritPop standard styling. Priced at $L150 I guess the jeans are safely placed in the middle of virtual fashion pricing, but with so few male classically retro style clothing on the grid they are well worth snapping up for you expanding modernist wardrobe. Matched with a shirt and tie, or the AAi shirt/sweater combination they create a wonderfully retro mod look. Get over there, it may be a surfer dude spot but it hides a few classic mod gems.

Action

virtual Mod Michelangelo

Tenuous link perhaps, but master mod craftsman Slate McLeod has an exhibition of his builds running currently alongside his maervelous England '65/'66 build, blogged already over at Moonletters its well worth a visit. First you get to see a varied number of his beautiful scooters, also have a seat on the Enterprise, marvel at the SHADO and Thunbird recreations and hide from deadly daleks. Plenty to see and marevel at. Support your local mod Michelangelo and give it a visit.

Slate McLeod’s Famous Builds Exhibition

Kings of Spin

As the election is in in full swing and the spin doctors are rife and shovelling their stuff across the media I figured I too would engage in spin; although I thought I would have a quick waffle about the Mod/Soul DJs that royally entertain virtual mods and soulies aross the grid, 

There are several virtual DJs focussing their sets on mod/soul tunes at the present time, and whilst the number of clubs seems to be in decline the number of DJs seems to be increasing. The healthy number of DJs can only be good for the scene as after all , fashion, scooters, club architecture are merely decorative features that hang off the crucial foundation of the scene ... the music!

Currently found playing at Soul Mods and the AAi  Edensky Cortes and Kimbereley Sixpence played one of the first mod sets I attended on the grid. Kim and Eden play some sharp tunes, lots of ska and beat bands alongside some classic soul and monster mod favourites from The Who and the Small Faces. Often found playing at the same clubs is Sean Bernheim, an esoteric style Sean plays some of the coolest tunes on the grid, its unstructured its unusual and its always got tunes that spiral in from the nether regions of mod.

Northern Soul plays a huge role in the virtual mod scene and there are a couple of notable DJs playing this classic style. Atop the Northern pile sits Baron Ansome who seems to possess an endless supply of Northern Soul stompers and sixties delicacies, he can be found plying his musical wares at Soul Mods and a few other select clubs, join his group to keep informed. Northern Soul at its best from the best. Thats not to say there are not other outstanding DJs pumping Northern Soul into the grid. Another great champion of the genre is Dragon Bogbat late of the Twisted Wheel and who can now be found at his new club Dragons Den, he plays a great blend of classic Northern Soul; check his club here its well worth the trip. Speaking of The Twisted Wheel, where essentially it all began and still a mod hub despite its reincarnations and heavy leather presence, it plays host to many DJs playing a variety of sixties inspired sets, check their DJ calender. A new DJ to their roster is Marcus Arkin who had his own club at Soul Suite but is now a regular at The Wheel, he also plays a mean selection of Northern Soul and is worth checking out.

One of the best and most eclectic DJs on the grid is Micio Braveheart who along with her partner DJ  JarvisMudhoney Blackheart, play awesome mod tunes over at the Good Mixer. Yet another DJ worthy of mention is Nero Basevi who plays a mellow brand of soul at his Fabulous Soul Club. The final piece of a majestic Japanese soul triumvirate is Fujiyama Yokosuka who also plays a very chilled set of soul. Alas because of time zone differences I do not get to hear these talented DJs as much as I would like too, but they are well worth checking if you can fit them into your virtual schedule.

Now for a DJ that is always on my schedule: Boone Blanco, more known for his soul and funk sets at the Original Soul Rebel Head Quarters, can often be found coming out of his mod shell at special events, club openings and the like. He plays a blend of generic sixties, Northern Soul and sharp mod tunes and its worth listening to, and he draws a friendly crowd wherever he plays. The OSR HQ also plays host to a stable of DJs who play a blend of soul and funk that is worth checking. On occassion you'll find master builder and scouse superstar Slate Mcleod spinning his Northern Soul delights, or mod classic and revivalist masterpieces. The geezer is mod hardcore, albiet with a dodgy goatee. Other DJs to check are the wonderful Divine Law who whilst not playing mod does play a rather fine blend of soul and funk .. so check it!

Another worthy of mention is Davey MacIntyre of the 5.15 Club who appears to have gone quiet of late, real life commitments maybe. He plays a great classic mod set: soul, sixties and revivaklist tunes and well worth a listen too.

Returning to Soul Mods for the final DJ worth looking out for is Tabby Galthie who has begun regular Friday night sets, wonderfel Motown and awesome Northern Soul appear to be stalwarts of her Friday night set and I'd advise people to get along for a great night out.

Undoubtedly I have missed other outstanding virtual DJs but as my virtual time is limited I am unable to check every DJ online so these are a selection of MY favourites, its not an objective DJ critique far from it its wholly subjective with me choosing to pump up the profiles of the DJs I like to listen to. The Mod/Soul DJ department seems healthy with many more on the grid than when I entered the virtual worl couple of years back, hopefully the crowds keep coming and the scene grows from stength to stength. But DJs need clubs and there appears to be a decline in the number of viable Mod clubs hosting events, hopefully a recovery is on the horizon. Many events clash which means I cant get to everything I want to but rather that than a return to the spandex Friday and endless steams of US inspired insipid soft rock. So rejoice in our Mod Soul champions and dance til your feet burn, oh and Mods please lose some of the leather you look like a greaser mate, hahahaha.

Albion fulfills virtual DJ fantasy

Modernist Fashion in SL

This suit has already been blogged by Shauna Skye here; but quality product often need to be publicised more than once so I thought I would give the suits some more publicity, if a blog read by half a dozen people really can publicise anything, can it? What the feck I'm doing it anyway ... because its fun.

There are three suits in the range and they are distinctly marketed as Mod suit classics:

mod suits have quite specific requirements and so its interesting to note if the suits meet those rather excruciating standards. In virtual terms the suits are great, with plenty of prim attachments to help the suits stand out from the crowd, the variable tie prim shirt collar is an imaginative idea, but the lapels on the suit jacket are perhaps a shade too long, the prim bottom of the jacket is perhaps also too long for a "mod" classic but in terms of what is available grid wise its fantastic. A pale grey and black fabric has been used on two of the suits whilsts the thrird with its grey jacket fabric but black pocket flaps and black trousers is far more Beatlesque in design than retro mod. So I have my doubts as to mod classics if I apply strict mod fashionista rules but this is the virtual world and I am often bending the rules of the mod fashion dictatorship to accomodate classic virtual design that whilst not strictly mod exudes a modernist vibe, and feels as tghough it should be mod.

These suits justly deserve there title as virtual mod classics and I'm glad Shauna pointed them in my direction, Iopted for the black suit as I felt it was a shade sharper than either of the other two, but thats a preference thing rather than an objective criticism. I also opt for the red handkerchief for the same reasons. Worn with some cool black shoes either from the store or from some other suitably modernist style the virtual mod will definitely turn a few heads in this sharp cut well designed mod retro classic.

Umi Usagi

Modernist Fashion in SL

SoReal make some of the coolest urban fashionwear on the grid, and much of it is superbly suited to the NeroMod who finds himself inspred by the casuals and Britpop fashions of the eighties and early nineties rather than the classical retro of the sixties.

I have blogged their fantastic track jackets before; but such is their quality that I have no qualms in blogging my latest purchase from the store. My super cool "SOUL" tracket jacket comes in two colours and also has a plain variant without the "SOUL" slogan emblazoned across the chest. Fully scripted for resizing the prim collar, cuffs and belt to fit your avatar, a much more axcurate system than the click edit and stretch option often necessary to expand such prim items to match the male avatar shape.

Worn with faded jeans and classic trainers* this track jacket is a typical Britpop look, expect Damon Albarn to pop up behind you bellowing Parklife at you at any moment. One tiny flaw is that the design means the jacket cannot be worn with other items as the prim collar incorporates a rollneck creating a complete look, rather than the open collar design that allows an additional shirt layer to be combined with the jacket. This does not mean the look is any less for the design but it does reduce its versatility. The Prim belt can be omitted to create a more retro looking jacket, and I would prefer full length sleeves to the wrist rather than the pushed up option [oops thats two flaws, but strictly they are opinions rather than flaws]. These items tend to be in the more expensive range of virtual fashion but coupled with a cool pair of feebie jeans you will achieve a great look well worthy of the mod label.

*Soreal makes some of the best real life influenced trainers on the grid, expensive but brilliant. The best Adidas style I have seen, probably only Hoorenbeek compares in quality.

SoReal

Modernist Fashion in SL

Are you weary of black or grey suits, tired of navy and dispirited by biege. Mods need to be sharp, mods should not fear being labelled flash; rather, a mod should embrace such labels. And this fabulous electric blue suit from Lois Allen Designs Discount Outlet achieves that and more. Okay its not the greatest texturing and yes its not the most realistic item of clothing I possess; but for sheer impact this suit takes some beating. Stroll out onto the sprung dance floor at your nearest virtual mod club and you'll create a buzz. Girls will love it and geezers will dismiss you whilst secretly think..bollox I wish I had got myself one, and at a knockdown 60L$ they really should do. There is an equally stunning Aqua suit in a very similar design that I have my eye on. No more black, no more grey - I'm out there in a haze of electric blue.

In modernist terms the shirt that comes with the suit isnt really suitable but married to a classic buttin down collar from the Unknown Boutique the suit displays its modernist retro ctredentials, the search for a suitable shirt/tie combination to do it justice is on. Lacks prim cuffs on the trousers, which seems standard with most clothing items but thats not really an issue as the trousers have been tightly flared and look great with sharp retro black or brown shoes. The skirt layer doesnt fit the male avatar perfectly and could do with some tweaking but on the whole its fine. A virtual modernist retro classic and all for a paltry sixty lindens. Really I should keep this beauty to myself but I'm a generous soul. Claim it, buy it, live ...go on you know you want too.

Lois Allen Designs Discount Outlet

Modettes have needs Too

LEMANIA INDIGO DESIGNS & SL DIVINE DIVAS

I dont often touch on girls stuff in this blog, mostly because I'm a bloke and I just cant be @rsed with it, but sometimes I wander and come across things that have a real mod feel and I think that might look really cool in the club in one of my endless snaps, sharp dressed chicks just make Albion look cooler ... honest. So, I saw these shoes and thought they look kind of cool, sharp 2-Tone black and white graphic going on very modernist revival; and, then I saw the outfits that are fifties [indeed they say so] but as they are also monochrome I thought they were ripe for tweaking and submerging into sixties fashion. Price no idea, but I figured the clubs would look cooler once the modettes strode into the hall in all their monochrome glory. There dont say I dont do anything for you, now take your gin and lime and sit in the corner while I talk with the lads.

LEMANIA INDIGO DESIGNS & SL DIVINE DIVAS

Modernist Fashion in SL

Its easy for virtual casuals to continue looking exceptionally cool in the virtual world when there are a raft of virtual designers producing wonderful clothing; the casual look is a simple one to adopt requiring only three essentials: a cool pair of trainers, a smart pair of jeans and finally a sharp track top over your polo shirt or shirt. There are many stores producing some great track tops, some basing their designs on real life classics like Adidas  or Tacchini et al. Of all the modernist styles the casuals look is possibly the easiest to achieve in the virtual world as sportswear, jeans and trainers appear to have a global appeal and are therefore readily available. However, to attain a cool casuals look you have to purchase the correct sportswear jeans and trainers, its in the detail. As ever with modernist fashion its the details that are crucial, in real life or the virtual life.

This fantastic track jacket from Style Extem, is a classic example of a fantastic casuals product. The fabric design and colouration is suitable retro, the high prim collar and prim cuffs also add to the retro eighties feel of the item. The striped design is classic eighties and thus peferct for the modernist seeking to axchieve the casualist look. If I had a tiny grievance its that the jacket comes with its own T-Shirt texture which resricts its use with other modernist items, but at a great price, 89L$, its well worth investing in, there may be no real life labels to place it in its casuals epoch, but the design screams casuals too me and hopeful to others as well. There are several cool casuals style items on sale that are well worth looking at; I have already spied several I would like to add to my wardrobe, just need to stash the linden cash in order to aquire them.

Style Extrem

Modernist Fashion in SL

Dropped in at ASS today and saw these sharp sweaters on sale, there noticed there was a fatpack available for 200L$ which in Second Life is pretty good value. You get a range of five colours that come in various layer option to give you bags of options in how you wear the item. The layer also carries the white shirt/ black tie on the texture which means you cannot intergrate the sweater with other items but it looks sufficiently retro for this not to seriously concern the purchaser looking to enhances their sixties styling.

Coupled up with my reliable cheap Diesel styled jeans the sweater creates a laid back casual retro look that is ideal for a NeoMod stylised fashion look. It could also be smartened to accentuate the shirt/tie element by wearing it with some suitable trousers to create a perhaps more classically retro look. The sweaters can be bought as individual items but the fatpack seemed such good value it seemed a folly to let it slide by.

Expect to see this look in a club near you shortly.

A.S.S.

Into the Dragon's Den

A Monday night opening for a new Northern Soul Venue is not something this virtual funkster wanted to miss. So when the mods flyer winged its way my way via the e-mail reminder I logged on jumped on the tp and settled myself into the groove. Awesome!

Proprietor and DJ Dragon Bogbat has opened a visually stunning venue, architecturally its sparse and its look is wholescale robbing out of thold FAC51 Hacienda [as seen recently on Film4 in the excellent Twenty Four Hour Party People]. Despite the iconic Madchester features and huge dollop of acid house imagery rest assured the mu8sic tonight was rooyed in Northern Soul and had me spinning my heart out. Definitely worth getting your brogues and talc out for these choice tunes.

If you are looking for some cool tunes in a stunning looking club I urge you to check out the Dragon's Den, supoort your little clubs you dont realise how much we need them til they're gone. Its a quiet place currentl;y but once news filters out that another great Soul Venue has opened its doors hopefully virtual mods will rally around to make a groovy Monday night venue shine on the weekly rota, I'm loving it low lag its bliss. Chill ito some awesome music ts well worth the trip.

Dragons Den

Hmmm All Our Eggs.....

Further wafflings whilst I finish my hot chocolate and mull over the weekends virtual life.

Was disappointed to learn of the demise of yet another club this weekend. I had been told of the Soul Suite a week or so ago and told it was quiet but worth catch a set, as ever real life conspires against me so I failed to get there and when I finally get my @rse into gear and arrived I discover its gone. Soul in a gareden of twinkiling bridges very novel I thought then discovered that it was merely a bridge shop. At least I'm guessing so ... what could anyone do with so many bridges of your own.

So the scene loses another viable venue and it appears, to my great regret. that the 5.15 has gone into hibernation. Still some fantastic venues around but every time a little club expires I cant help believing the scene loses a little piece of itself, after all variety is good keeps you sharp gives everything an edge. Hopefully, the demise of so many clubs wont intimidate believers too much and there'll be an upsurge on the scene and a few more cool venues will open their doors to aspiring virtual mods.

What do you think of the Weller single, personally I think its amongst the best stuff he's ever done and am hoping to hear it thundering across the stream ways at clubs with taste very soon. As soulful as an grey haired mod from the 'burbs could ever hope to be. majestic man just majestic. What? You aint given it a listen ... do so, NOW!

I have had a mention in a couple of blogs recently, how cool is that? Real proper blogs, by people who know what they're doing and understand it  all. They write punctuated grammatically correct pieces that are full of interesting information - y'know real blogs.. So we are not talking trite self indulgence like this blog but proper skilled journalistic type virtual blogging. Check them in the sidebar they regularly updatre and have fascinating things to say and show you. And no KERCHING either.

Further ponderings, should I get a virtual scooter with a custom paint job incorporating my Its a Mod Second Life byline, I just lack any creditable graphic skill to create a coo design so another idea shelved. But I yurge you all to getr scooters ready for a virtual scooter rally on the Brighton Pier sim, I also lack skill and commitment to ideas so thats another notion shelved. I should really get a virtual shed to house all these shelves.

ciao

All Day Fun at ...

... the Original Soul Rebels Headquarters

There were a host of DJs entertaining us on the Bank Holday over at the OSR HQ, soul in all its many forms was on display as the DJs played great tunes from the early evening way into the early hours. 

9-11am : DJ BOONE - Funkin' U Up!

11am-1pm :  DJ DIVINE - Movin' & A-Groovin' Y'all!

1-3pm : DJ Slate - Classic Cool & Funky!

3-4pm : DJ Jose - Stonkin' Fave Raves!

4-6pm : DJ Hbomb/DJ Seth - Funky Latin Grooves!

Beleive me, it gets no better than this!

* MUSIC IS THE KEY OF LIFE - AND OSR IS GONNA PLAY IT! *

So I rolled up nice and early to hear Boone open up the entertainment and discover beers in the fridge and burgers on the grill. The party had begun the question was would I last the pace? The usual jovial atmosphere was very evident as the OSR mob begain to gather, nut it hit new levels when somebody outed themselves as a mankini admirer, oooh hamster hammocks indeed! So the brewing of a fine time was there, great music, wonderful people and huge portions of laughter ... marniate in strong ale and pretty soon its a fully baked groove. Once Boone had delivered his set the delicious ladty of the decks stepped for and DJ Divine took over, a real hunny bunny she entertained us royally and kept the music pounding and the party swinging.

We were four hous in as Divine stepped away from the decks and it had been wonderfully entertaining, the DJ tag team brawlwers then unleashed a double barrel of Northern Soul as Slate stepped up to carry on the baton [yeah mixed metaphors but really, do you care that much ... I doubt it.]. He had the poolside in full overdrive as he blasted out some great tunes, so great he even recieved a 1000L$ tip. Mentioning no names but thats true generousity, a deed worthy of Slate himself ...

Real Life then grabbed me for a while, but I left Albion grooving as a reminder to get back in. I'd left to scouse tones and came back to a latin accent that didnt sound like it was from Bootle so I surmised Slate's set was completed. More great soul poured out as Jose kept up the high standard and the Guinness can pile grew higher until finally it was the pumpkin hour and I wussed out. Yeah, as HBomb took over at midnight I admitted defeat and slid off to my bed, but I am convinced he continued with the impressive tunes that featured throughout the evenuing.

A great night of gridline fun, fabulous music supported by a wonderful cast of characters, so get on your scooter and check the next one. Just make sure you possess more stamina than I do.

Weller Wonders Number One

The new Weller single arrived today, cd and RECORDS [yeah I still get those big black discs with holes in the middle] its all over YouTube, so enjoy. This is Weller at his best its beautiful.

Mods on the Road

Shauna's blog post over at Moonletters discussing virtual mods,and scooters got me thinking ... clank clank yes it does hurt. So I thought I'd do a little waffling:

Virtual modism wanders severely from the regimented restriction that define real life mods, in fashion-in music-and in hair styles. But even in the virtual world you cannot lay claim to being a mod without possessing a scooter. So iconic is the scooter in mod myth that its an essential item even when its no longer necessary. Essentially mods rode scooters because they couldnt afford cars, you dont believe me. Lets see rainy Brighton '64, who gets the girl the soaked parka clad mod on the Vespa offering a drenched back seat; or the chilled mod in the tonic suit in the Austin Healey? If you think its the scooter ... Wake Up!

For working class youths of this era owning a car didnt even register as a possibility; their parents didnt even have cars it was an aspiration that wasnt quite attainable. But, you needed to be mobile and so you had an option a great oily brute of a Triumph, BSA et al or sharp Italian scooter that wouldnt crease your trousers or leaves oil over the suit your still paying off on HP for the next five months. Its no surprise that the scooter won out. Besides it was easier to make a statement crawling along with your mrrors glaring in trhe pale sunshine, than  a flash of leather clad grease roaring past at ninety miles an hour. The mods choice was the cool and functional scooter, a wise one. The revivalist of the eighties took scooter customisation one step further with elaborate paint job, chroming of every metallic part, and tuning to reach dizzying speeds on what was essentially a rather unstable comfy chair. So strong is the iconic status of the scooter, that motor aspirations of the mods are forgotten and so in a world where you could have a Ferrari, an Aston Martin, a Lambourghini or all three ... the mod still chooses the scooter.

So once you decide to get involved in the virtual mod scene you decide you need a scooter and begin your search. Short cut, you have only two options the scooters at Medeka Garage or the scooters built by Slate McLeod*. Honestly, I have seen most of the scooters available and if you want to look sharp these are your only viable options. I have mentioned both in the blog before so seems pointless to review them again, so instead I will put my head on the block and make a choice.

I love my Vespa from Medeka, its colour changuing scripting, its mod attachments make it a wonderfully mod vehicle and I adore their Lambretta TV; but, my Union Jack scooter has a mod soul at the heart of it. Slate's a classic virtual British mod and its that mod soul that is expressed in his scooters. They just feel like a mods scooter, its something inherent in their creation, and he provides you with a wearable option. The wearable option is crucial if you wish to partake in the impromptu scooter rallies that spring up at mod club nights. So, both wonderful builders; both wonderful machines but if I had to pick one .. its my Union Jack Vespa.

*mention you have snaps of his mankini you might get a discount, lol.

Modernist Fashion in SL

 Access Free Accessories

One of the current accessories that appears to be defining the uber virtual mod is ... yeah, the doyen of the warm winter woolly - a scarf. Yes that tradition mum's item has become the essential fashionista accessory both in real life and the virtual world. You dont believe me, check out the mod groove clubs and see the sharpest guys wrapped in their scarf. Fortunately there's a plethora of FREE scarfs across the grid; you can of course buy them too and sometimes I do - but there are so many given away that I just grab these free prim masterpieces and wrap them around my neck.

Worn with the right clothes a scarf immediately casts a retro spell and takes a rather contemporary styling on a sharp trip backwards towards classic sixties fashion. Whilst its capable of creating an amazing retro look, it can also define a fantastic contemporary NeoMod fashion statement, or immedetately put your look in its retro context.

Accessorising your look can work wonders in creating a great classic retro look from a rather bland set of contemporary clothing items. Choose the right shoes, a great scarf, fine watch or even a cool stachel and your jeans and T-Shirt blandness becomes a sharp cool modernist look. And most of these accessories can be found for free so its well worth checking the freebie blogs to get hints on where these cool items can be found.

ciao

Modernist Fashion in SL

These awesome mod trainers can be found in the Ordinary store, stylistically they are rather a seventies bulky design rather than a classical Adidas eighties design as worn by casuals and later NeoMods, but its the excelent use of the iconic mod target that propels them into the foreefront of mod fashion. I love my pair they look great with either jeans or trousers and that cool piece of modernist popart elevates them to amongst the prime mod fashion pieces available. Seek them out and get yourself a pair.

Ordinary

OSR HQ All Day Bank Holiday Special

A Bank Holiday event featuring most of your favourtie OSR DJ's and starting around 9am slt on Monday and running for up to 9 hours DJ'S LINED UP include DJ SLATE, DJ BOONE, DJ DIVINE, HBOMB, DJ JOSE AND EVEN DJ SETH!!!

SO GET YOURSELF SUITED UP AND GRAB YOUR SCOOTER RIDE TO: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Coolibah/208/160/621

Keeping Tabs on Soul Mods

Friday at Soul Mods is back on the menu, as real life has captured the Baron for a while the search had been on to find a suitable replacement. The Baron is not an easy act to follow but the management have not let the punters down and the new Soul ModsDJ Tabby Galthie is proving to be a huge success. Friday was her second night in residence, I think, I am certain I'll be corrected if thats wrong, and had a good crowd grooving to some magical motown and sizzling soul classics.

Its difficult to mock, when my primary victims ... err I mean collaboraters, are not present. So no Graz, no Sean, no Josie and no Kim which meant the core of Soul Mods were missing but some great newcomers fill the empty slots and a great night began to bubble away with DJ Tabby playing some fabulous tunes, including an awesome Funk Bros version of Bernadette, which had Dugi funking like an avi on fire. Some cool groovers were present, Mr Ice cool Lupo, but whats lurking behind those scafs? Another sharp dresser was Sky Westmister in a sharp two-tone outfit; Aston's Easter Bunny elicited quite a response and there was a suggestion that it should be compulsorary. I think its massaging the Soul Mods crowd to suggest it should turn into a Soul Bunny bar there's enough oddities across the grid already.

So, no Baron but the beat goes on and Soul Mods still blasts out some awesome Friday tunes and is worth a look if you like cool motown and sixty beats whilst having a laugh. Get yourself a scooter and get on down to Soul Mods.