Wanker Lost In Wankerland

Scotland Road is located in the heart of Liverpool and runs along what was once the old coach route, to the north, from the town center. It became a turnpike road in the 1770's, as the road to Preston via Walton and Burscough. It was after this that a stagecoach traveled this road through Lancaster and Kendal through to Scotland, giving Scotland Road its name.

This name soon became synonymous with Liverpool, epitomizing both the best and worst of the city’s attributes. Although the origins of Scotland Road date back to 1770, it is 1803 that is viewed as the birth of Scotland Road. Through the years, those who lived in this area came from differing cultures and diverse backgrounds. One of these cultures was the Italians. Between the years of 1880-1912, a steady flow of Italian immigrants arrived in Liverpool. By 1913, it was estimated there were in excess of 400 Italian-born settlers in the tiny cluster of streets, which by this time, had affectionately became known as Little Italy. By the 1920's, the residents of this close-knit community had become an integral part of Liverpool’s society. Many of the residents earned their living as musicians, organ grinders, hotel-workers, knife-sharpeners, and street entertainers although it was in ice-cream making that several families distinguished themselves. Other families opened fish and chip shops throughout the city and as a result of their business enterprises, the Santangeli, Gianelli, Podesta, Chiappe and Fusco families became part of the folklore of the locality. The area was also world renowned for the many outstanding boxers developed in the amateur boxing clubs of the neighborhood. One such well-known boxer was Dom Valente, who ‘topped the bill’ at Madison Square Gardens and had his roots in Scotland Road’s Little Italy.

The Italians were not the first immigrants to settle in Scotland Road in the 1800's however. This distinction goes to the Irish. In fact, approximately 150 years ago Scotland Road had a population denser than was found in any other civilized city. The primary reason for this overcrowding was the Irish immigration, caused by the failure of the potato crop in many parts of Ireland in the 1840's. This led to thousands of people trying to make a new life for themselves in the New World of America. Unfortunately, the cost of the move was often too great for many families, and once they reached Liverpool, they did not have the money to pay for their passage. To say that they settled in vast numbers would be an understatement. In the end, immigration peaked at about 300,000 in the year 1847. This would prove to be one of the most detrimental things to happen to Scotland Road, as it was because of this mass immigration that Scotland Road acquired the reputation as a ‘poverty land’. Coincidently, bad housing led to bad health. The main killers seem to have been cold, hunger, cholera, and typhus. Unfortunately, situations such as these do not lend themselves to instant solutions, and many of the problems such as education, unemployment, and alcohol could not be solved quickly. The squalor and strife that existed in Liverpool after this time-period was never quite eradicated. It was still amongst the worst areas of housing in the 1960's.

The amazing thing about Scotland Road and its people was their ability to overcome all the adversity and hardships that they faced. In Scotland Road the population remained humorous and proud in the midst of poverty and defeat. The consistent good spirit of locals was largely due to the world-renowned part of this area.

The development of pubs on Scotland Road began in the early 19^th Century, and it was not long before there was a pub on every corner of Scotland Road. The number of pubs increased from the 1840's and dramatically rose up until the turn of the next century. Scotland Road was well known for its vast number of pubs, which dominated the locality, making it one of the most vibrant districts in the city. It seemed no matter what hardships the locals endured in their life, they could be assured of a ‘good night with good people’ in their pubs. The pubs possessed an inviting warmth and was part of community life, providing a service to generations of families.

In the early 20^th Century,the numbers of pubs in the Scotland Road area peaked at approximately 224, with 65 actually positioned on Scotland Road. By 1960, the number had been reduced to 111 in the area, and 41 on Scotland Road itself. This number continued to decline and today, the handful of pubs that are still on Scotland Road provides just a shadow of the former heyday of pub life that used to exist on this famous road. The pubs of Scotland Road were not the only form of excitement, for which the road was known. Scotland Road could also be recognized and remembered for its housing of gangs.

THE MODS AND THE ROCKERS:

Gangs, by definition, each have their own character. It is a structure sharing the same ideas, attachments and solidarity. The interests, activities, membership, and status differ according to each one. They usually have a particular hangout or meeting place where they mark their territory. Conflict usually occurs when there are clashes with other gangs, although conflict can also occur within their own group. "The gang is an interstitual group originally formed spontaneously and then integrated through conflict. It is characterized by the following types of behavior: meeting face to face, milling, movement through space as a unit, conflict and planning" (Thrasher, 1927). The two gangs to be discussed that found their home on Scotland Road were the Mods and the Rockers.

     Developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Mods and The Rockers were two groups that were closely related to the work of author S.E. Hinton who wrote the novel, "The Outsiders". Each group represented opposite tastes with regard to a number of social conventions such as clothing, grooming, music, and so on.

THE MODS:

First to be discussed, is the gang entitled, ‘The Mods’. A Mod was a product of working class British youth of the mid-sixties. They portrayed an image of being stuck up, emulating the middle classes, snobbish and phoney. The Mod boys dressed in suits, neat narrow trousers, and pointed shoes. The girls displayed a boyish image. They darkened their eyes and wore their hair short to fit a unisex type of culture.

The Mods were essentially from London and the South East and were complete followers of the latest fashion. They consumed purple hearts (a mixture of amphetamine and barbiturates). Each had to have a Lambretta GT 200 or a Vespa GS 160. These were their scooters that they rode as part of their stigma that connected them to being a Mod.

Like most gangs of their time, The Mods had a very distinct, yet common interest in music. While the Beatles were enjoying immense popularity and success among Britain's mainstream society in the early 1960's, the first-wave of Mods pursued a different sound. They adopted modern jazz, which was a style of music originated in Black America. Through the jazz music of Black America, the Mods appeared to distinguish themselves from mainstream society. They seemed to be attracted to the "cool" demeanor and elegant clothing possessed by jazz musicians, and strived to emulate their style.

The American Jazz records were difficult to obtain in Liverpool, but the Mods preferred it this way. They hated commercialism and were drawn towards obscurity in their taste of music. As jazz grew in popularity, Mods began listening to Blues, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, and then moved on to Jamaican Bluebeat and Ska to stay ahead of the mainstream.

The Mods sparked a nationwide enthusiasm for Rhythm & Blues music that surpassed Jazz as the music of choice for young adults. They preferred the British bands who played a Rhythm & Blues style of music, such as The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things, The Kinks, The Cyril Davis All-Stars, The Downliners, and The Small Faces.

The most popular and revolutionary band who could be labeled as Mods themselves were the High Numbers, later renamed The Who. They wore Mod outfits, had Mod hairstyles, and sang blues-based songs about being Mods, such as "I'm the Face", and "My Generation". The Who's performance often included Pete Townshend (guitarist) smashing his guitar into the speakers, as well as Keith Moon (drummer) knocking over his drums. The Who's violence on stage personified the aggression inherent in the Mod subculture.

The Mods frequented clubs such as the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, and the Flamingo and Marquee in Soho. These clubs provided Mods with a place to exchange records and create new dances such as the Shake, the Block, and the Bang.

The television show "Ready, Steady, Go!" recreated the Mod club scene on a larger scale. Mods outside of London could tune in and stay current with the latest fashions, music, dances, and slang each week. Bands such as The Who and The Small Faces performed in front of a live audience of dancers and spread the Mod culture throughout Britain.

The story of real-life London Mod, John Waters, offers a more personal insight into the Mod scene of the 1960's. John Waters was a member of one of the smaller street gangs which consisted of around 80 members and was called the Archway Mob. As was the case with other gangs, the Archway frequented a certain few local cafes and pubs both at the East End and the West End. Their home turf was one particular club called the Discoteque, but they were also known to be seen at such clubs as the Flamingo, the Scene, the Whisky, and the Marquee. John’s primary source of transportation was a car because, unlike the members of the scooter boys, the street gangs would not be seen on a scooter.

The Archway viewed two other gangs as their "main enemies", the Highbury and the Mars gangs. John was a part of numerous conflicts between gangs and from time to time these conflicts turned violent. On certain occasions, members of two or more gangs would unite to take on the members of other Mod firms.

The following is an excerpt that John Waters shared about his memories of being a London mod:
"My own particular memories of that era are mainly concerning music as an ardent follower of Soul music. Solomon Burke at the Flamingo; robes, crown and all being joined on stage by Dusty Springfield belting out ‘Everybody Needs Somebody’. The Who at St. Josephs Church Hall, Archway just after they hit the charts with ‘I Can’t Explain’ and having a few ‘sherberts’ in The Cat Next Door’ with Moon. Friday and Saturday nights up West. First a few pints down on the East End at The Green Man or Blind Beggar then off to the Coffee An in a cellar down the bottom of Wardour St. Then up to the Discoteque to dance the night away to some of the greatest music ever to make it on to vinyl. Early next morning meeting up at the all night café ‘El Passant’ on the Strand (what a great jukebox). Heady days! People often find it hard to understand the reverence that the sixties are held in by many. In these day of clubs on every corner, high tech, computer aided music etc everything is pretty much en-passe. The thing about the sixties was that everything was so new. The clothes, music, clubs etc and for the first time we had some money in our pockets to indulge."

John Waters helps to avidly portray the life of a London Mod during the 1960's. He ends his recount of his experiences by stating, "I do not live in the past by any means and there is much to be said for the present day but it will never match the absolute excitement of the sixties."

THE ROCKERS: