Rockers

ROCKERS

“Well alright so we’re being foolish/Well alright let people say/That these foolish kids can’t be ready/For the love that comes their way/Well alright, well alright/You know we’ll live and love with all our might.” (Buddy Holly).

From the 1940s on, the biking world was becoming more varied and colourful. This was due to the infusion of new machines, new ideologies and new clothes, as it entered a second Golden Age. New generations of motorcyclists were absorbing aspects of other youth cultures, which also gave rise to some of the negative aspects. However, underlying this was the more plausible inclusion of alternative culture. Through this, biking entered socio-political arenas. There was trouble, but it is neither fair nor possible to condemn or exonerate the acts of all parties involved. Complicated identities clouded the already turbulent atmosphere.

Events in the 1950’s and 60’s drove the Biker as a stranger further away from mass-society. As the generation gap was becoming more distinct, youths were defining their own roles, and parents seemed to be getting more set in their ways. It was now more than ever that music and fashion were to take on prominent roles in the expression of youth - and alternative culture. The mid 20th century motorcyclists enjoyed a range of excellent machines in more than just appearance. The potential performance of the bikes they rode gave rise to the term Ton-up, due to their ability to exceed 100mph. The Ton-up Kid or Boy was a name naturally applied to many who rode such machines, and they regarded themselves as members of an élite. The achievement of 100mph plus created an aspiration among others who tinkered with less frenetic machines in the hope of getting there. It was a milestone, because previously, the ton was only attainable on specially built or very expensive bikes. Affordable road-going production machines, like Triumph’s Speed Twin were now boasting this capability.

During the 1950’s, Teddy Boys were the pinnacle of rock and roll appreciation in the UK. Rock and roll had its sentimental ballads, but was mostly quite snappy, even aggressive. Songs about rumbles (fighting) featured in the repertoires of performers who displayed a penchant for leathers, if not biking. Songs like Route 66 also showed a preoccupation with travel. They gave rock and roll enough of a compulsive beat and sound to make it appealing to the motorcyclist, while the imagery put some rock and roll fans onto bikes. The Teds, who were the descendants of the Dandies, injected important articles of taste into the Biker image.

Beneath the Teds’ Edwardian drape coats, leather studded belts began to appear, often holding up either ice blue or jet black drainpipe jeans. They had also taken to wearing leather motorcycle jackets, adorned with studs that took forms like the Ace of Clubs symbol. Some spelled the name of a gang, a favourite machine or rock and roll performer, or would sometimes include the wearer’s name. Nicknames were popular, and among the Micks, Johnnys, and Sues, it was Baz that seemed predominant. Maybe there were more Rockers called Barry, but no-one has any real explanation for this.

Originally, Ted males sported coifs and sideboards; consisting of beard growth on the cheeks, and long neck hair (which some say resembled a duck’s backside). Some girls favoured the big hair of the bouffant style (which became known as the haystack), while many still preferred the (less sophisticated?) pony tail. Often worn by both sexes, sneakers (a style of canvas baseball shoe with a high ankle) were popular. The girls laced them with ribbons, and wore bobby socks and rah-rah skirts with them, as per their US counterparts. But towards the 1960’s, the sneakers were being replaced with high-heeled shoes and boots among the females. Along with the disappearing sneakers, the ankle-length bobby socks were giving way to stockings and suspenders. The men began sporting Winkle Pickers with pointed toes (which some alleged were used as weapons) and Cuban-heeled boots. Rock and roll was dumping its high school image for something more stylish - and erotic - and biking was being invaded by fashion.

There was a perceived tendency for the girls to be of a tomboy nature, whatever clothes they chose to wear, especially those who rode their own bikes. It was partly down to the aggressive, therefore (assumed) masculine nature of motorcycles, and partly because female attitudes were themselves becoming more confrontational. As has always been the case, people of either gender who are attracted to bikes tend to have strong character traits, and these were picked up more easily by any observer. Females who didn’t have their own bikes often accepted lifts. For this, they received treatment that ranged from tongue-lashings to public beatings, such was the dislike among some parents for the new generation.

Despite earlier appearances of the leather jacket, the Teddy boy or girl appearance seemed incongruous on a motorcycle, where previously the army surplus and specialised clothiers had provided protection and warmth, if not style. Individuals have and always will apply their own ideas to anything. Some ideas are so good, there’s no better way forward than to copy. Ted gear engendered an individualistic image, even if others were doing it. It was Ted evolution that began to form a distinct group who became known as Rockers, taking their name from the rock and roll music they enjoyed. White T-shirts and chains with shark’s teeth or other ornament replaced the frilly shirts and boot-lace neckties. The over-all Rocker appearance of denim and leather was the foundation for the next wave of motorcyclists, who were among those now becoming known as and identifying themselves as Bikers.

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During the 50s, society was under close scrutiny from every musical genre, including folk singers (Like the Zager and Evan’s song, In The Year 2525). The music was also changing, and by the 60s, groups were dropping the ‘and roll’ to become rock bands. Inspired through a shared love of imported blues records, the Rolling Stones burst onto the scene. Fanship of this band, who spoke of important youth issues, connoted an alternative lifestyle. One Stones song, Satisfaction, talked of sexual frustration, while their Street Fightin’ Man alluded to the restlessness felt by 1960’s youth. It said: “In sleepy London town there’s just no place for a street fightin’ man.” Some took it literally and fought in the streets, others realised a bigger picture. One other Rolling Stones song, Paint it Black, looked at the grief felt in death, which Bikers knew only too well. Bands like the Stones were regarded as Rocker property.

Although some would associate them with Mods, The Who were an expressive band with a sound more akin to the power of rock. There were plenty of Rockers who looked askance at Mods who liked The Who. In their song My Generation, the age divide is stutteringly expressed: “The things they do look awful c-c-cold/I hope I die before I get old.” This is nicely rounded out in the same song that added: “I’m not trying to c-c-cause a b-big sensation/I’m just talkin’ ‘bout my g-g-g-generation.” But this was not simply spite concerning physical age. It was aimed at attitudes. Some get through life rather than living it, a detestable condition that youth consciously avoid. Reflecting on the times, Pete Townsend, The Who’s lead guitarist, apparently said that the song My Generation, was: “A battle hymn of unresolved and unresolvable tensions”. This not only marks the general recognition of music power, but echoes the contention of people from all historical periods wishing to stay young.

Some Teds became Rockers, but never rode motorcycles. Some Teds rode bikes, but never became Rockers. Some motorcyclists became either Teds or Rockers. There were also Teds and Rockers who got into Biker culture through the Ted and Rocker subcultures. Out of all of the above, not all were thugs or criminals, but some were. Among these then, were some who had entered biking through a cultural window rather than the door of biking enthusiasm. Not that this in itself was wrongful, but there were those who enjoyed fighting as part of a night’s entertainment. At the very heart of UK Bikerdom was an element that caused a similar media reaction to that which happened in the small town of Hollister, USA.

Some Teds had taken to fighting at fairgrounds, seaside resorts and town centres, and generally disturbing the peace. They had formed into loose gang units that became competitive, but only occasionally violent towards each other. The flick-knife or switch-blade seemed a popular accessory among them, many of which on closer inspection were just fancy combs. As far as society were concerned, the Teds were a scapegoat that represented the evil among their generation. The gang ideologies (inherited from the Edwardian Dandies) got passed on to (some of) the Ted-cum-Rocker generation, and to some of the later Mods. It all depended on the individual’s personality, their preferences making them gravitate to the scene which suited personal ideals. To many outsiders, there were sadly no such distinctions, beyond Mods or Rockers.

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Fairgrounds had become mechanised and consumer-lead enterprises that competed with the traditional village fair. The cattle and other trading mainstays had been replaced by the leisure aspect. Often attributed to Romany families, these businesses had begun with a cachét of mystery like in fortune-telling, but had been entered into by Didikai (half-Romany) and Tinker people. The Waltzer and other rides, gambling machines and other distractions were indulged to the sound of pop and rock and roll music - attracting the younger residents. Rockers and Teds are noted for taking employment at fairs. The owners were accused of tilting the gambling in the fair’s favour, and while some people gave up on fairs, they became the hang-outs for youths. The occasional fighting among youths and gangs further spoilt the fairground imagery. Other static entertainments like the seaside arcades eventually competed with the fairs, drastically reducing their viability and number.

Places with names like The Imperial Ballrooms would host rock and roll events that the Teds and Rockers attended, creating venues for the development of youth cultures. Their incongruous names were held over from the popularity of ballroom dancing. Towards the 1960s, the names began to change, to things like ‘A-Go-Go’ and ‘Scene’. The venues were changing, and the disco was being born.

At the same time that the Rockers were forming, the hang outs they frequented (including the cafés and coffee bars) were popular among other youths. They developed other tastes in fashion and music. Some had a preference for modern music, moving away from the basic rock and roll theme. This also included an appreciation of black artistes, who often recorded on the Tamla Motown record label. It is notable how many of these (like the Tina-bashing Ike Turner) turned out to be worse Outlaws that many rock or rock and roll artistes actually were. Their fans, the Mods as they became known, had short conservative crops, often with a fringe. They wore smart clothes, and being heavily into style, they liked things Italian.

Lambretta and Vespa scooters were manufactured with the fashion and commuter markets in mind. Their partial enclosure gave some weather protection for the expensive Mod suits. Despite having less horse-power than motorcycles, they had a look that could be made very modernistic, or Mod. An excessive number of mirrors and spot lights on chrome bars highlighted the scooter appearance. A back-rest with a flashy chrome hub-cap (not necessarily off the scooter) almost aped the chopper bike style. The Union Jack flag and fur embellishments finished it off. One fur item was the ‘Davy Crocket’ style tail, that had been popular among other youths - including Rockers.

The Union Jack flag was significant among the Mods, because it spoke of a patriotic streak. Black music had been easily accepted in the UK, where there was less of a xenophobic tendency to form Klu Klux Klan type organisations. However, although racism was not as predominant in the UK as in the US, it did find outlets among some Mods. It was a peculiar quirk of theirs, to be dancing to Ska music (with a kind of reggae-beat) one minute, then beating someone up just because they were black, the next. To those who felt they were leaching off of UK society, their victims were all known as Pakis (including Pakistanis and Indians) or WOGS (Western Oriental Gentlemen) - of African and Caribbean descent.

Some Mods chose to wear blue suits as a sign of their affiliation with Lambretta, who produced a blue scooter. Yet their association was in opposition to the formal scooter clubs. The runs to coastal towns like Margate, Brighton and Clacton were bifurcated and lead to media misrepresentation. Of the alleged thousands of Mods on scooters arriving to do battle with the Rockers, many were just scooter fans, and despite their dressed machines, were not Mods. Among other scooterists, a Mod could be identified by their riding style. As they set off, they stuck their feet out forwards, and kept them there for prolonged periods - the twist-grip gearchange on the handlebar allowed this. To a knowledgeable rider, it was a dangerous practice.

Even as more and more lights and mirrors were being added to the scooters, others were creating naked ones, with all the factory fitted paneling removed. The engines were being tuned, and to those not enamoured of scooters, this was a pathetic attempt to make something (competitive) out of nothing. To those that rode them, the capability of at least getting past 70mph made an exhilarating experience out of the ride on their preferred machine. Out of all the contentions and differences between Mods and Rockers, the one thing the Rockers had which held them superior, in their own eyes at least, was greater speed. So Rockers on less powerful motorcycles could be shamed if a scooter overtook them. Scooters were for pose; bikes were for riding.

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The early Mod females wore seamless stockings, pointed toe stilettos and used other Italianate fashion. They, with the males, presented a smartness that academics allege signified aspirations to get away from their working class position. Their thirst for the latest fashion and expenditure in the record shops was a race into the future, a future minus their class trappings. This compares starkly with the biking passion, which had no class over or undertones. If more cash was desired, it was to buy a better bike, not a better life (there could be no better life than biking). Beyond the record shops, there were now shirt and bra stores supplying a burgeoning consumerism. The later female Mod style used the denim and needle-cord Wrangler and Levi jean-jacket combinations, also popular with the men. As the men’s hair went into the close-cropped suede and skinhead styles, the females had similar top and sides, while long hair fell from the neck and in front of the ears. The film Quadraphenia (by The Who) included a song with the lyrics that said: “The kids are all right.” To themselves, the Mods were all right. They viewed the Rockers as dirty and ignorant. Some Rockers in turn regarded Mods as pansies.

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Dancing and just having a good time were favourite occupations among most Mods. It was not a frequent occurrence among Rockers, but did happen fairly regularly. At one end of the Biker spectrum, dancing was uncool, yet roots in rock and roll allowed the ultimate frivolity. Extremes of dancing were usually shrugged off by the less exuberant, but among the touchy types, and especially towards out-of-towners, it was reason enough for a fight, whether they be of the same or from a different youth faction.

While the emergent beats were experimenting with mind-altering drugs, some Mods discovered the use of pharmaceutical stimulants, which allowed them to feel good and dance all night. It was such drugs as amyl-nitrate (used for heart conditions) and others collectively known as uppers or speed that gave rise to the juke-box leaping myth. It was alleged (especially in the press) that youths had taken to jumping over the record-playing machines as part of their wild image. Any actual attempt probably failed. Due to the infusion of stimulants, when any social abrasion occurred between the drug-using Mods and any other party, tempers were rapidly lost.

Besides the shared hang-outs, there were separate enclaves, often pubs or youth clubs, where either party should not, would not enter. This is commonly regarded as the atmosphere in which we learn violence and evil ways, but the pubs were actually safer than the youth clubs, even with their attendant minders. Among older youths and adults, teenagers were safe from peer pressure or attack. Life was more interesting at the biking venues - because people owned and rode bikes, rather than pissing around winding people up. Youth clubs had become more than just places of entertainment. They were now attempting to peacefully integrate youth society. Most normally adjusted youths were already happily integrated, and to them, the idea of inviting opposite camps with a history of mutual dislike under one roof was a recipe for disaster.

People often knew their assailants, who were usually notorious trouble-makers prior to their gang days; others had been on sociable terms. Suddenly they had something to live up to, which was founded in fear. Within the bullying hierarchies of schools, those lower down were afraid of being beaten up if they didn’t hit out at members of opposite camps. Get them on their own, and they reverted to being friendly. Staying outside of this routine was physically dangerous, especially for those who had no fighting reputation. They were easy targets. This stupidity faded away beyond school-leaving age, yet some never quite left it behind.

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The social environment was often dictated by an area’s economic condition. The more run-down an area was, the greater the chance of any public disturbance. The mining villages and steel-working towns were examples of this hardness, and the local newspapers would report on incidents noted in police records. Convictions ranging from drunk and disorderly to grievous bodily harm were regular occurrences. The harder the area was, the fewer motorcycles and females were present at some biking-type venues. It was perhaps due to financial hardship that there were fewer bikes, however the lower female numbers were due to their dislike for antisocial behaviour. It’s true that some girls followed the bikes and would do sexual favours in exchange for the kudos of a ride. (It is also sad that some couples were forced to marry, while some girls from either faction spent the next eighteen years bringing up a child - a steep price for twenty minutes on the back of a scooter or bike).

Because of the violent tendencies among some males, the Rocker females would go off with the Mod girls to the discotheques. That was innocent enough, but sadly, some of the disco occupants resented the presence of Rockers of either sex. If they acted anti-socially towards the Rocker girls, it could bring retribution on the entire disco. It was appalling enough for anyone to fight. Even worse to hit a female, but the ultimate crime was for a Mod or Rocker to inflict damage, verbal or otherwise onto a female member of the opposite camp. Contention for the leadership or other higher positions within the Mod and Rocker gangs led to distrust within units that were supposed to be tightly run and composed of loyal members. Gang stability could be threatened if seniors mishandled a situation. Peer pressure meant that for example, a threat to a Rocker from a Mod (or vice-versa) had to be dealt with in kind, if not more firmly.

Academic studies into youth culture have noted that once young people have formed themselves into highly visible groups, they are regarded as problematic. Greg Dawe is a Youth Worker and Biker who has studied sociology. During his studies, he compiled some work based round the question: “Is it possible to identify and characterise a separate youth culture?” His work affirms the ideas of living Bikers, many of whom recall their antics as part of youthful mischief rather than a desire to blast the establishment or change the world. Greg notes the influence of the media on society, with its negative news values, and also regards the teenage consumer, who found example and role-models in publications and other entertainments aimed at youths. They contributed to the manufactured rather than genuine appearances of the day.

Greg also observed that youth culture has its own identity and is important, if only as a relief mechanism for emotional expression. He says: “It is a bridge from the dependency of childhood to the responsibility of adulthood.” Faced with the responsibility society thrust upon individuals, it can also be viewed as a choice between freedom and enslavement. Those that achieve a compromise have survived the turmoil that Greg describes as: “A need for an identity.”

Greg also noted that in a social context: “The creation of an identity with its own special and different characteristics is the beginning of a new youth culture.”We have seen this occurring, within the Teds, Rockers and US Outlaws, even though they weren’t all youths. New identities also figure in new or modified cultures, including alternative ones.

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It is fair to say that the media, both in entertainments and informational services, are sometimes unjustly blamed for their indiscretions. A person whose appearance was Biker, even if they weren’t one, was hard enough to detect from inside, let alone outside the fraternity. Mistaken identities due to the adaptation of the Biker image among others were a common issue. But despite any lessons anyone had learned, during the age of the Mod/Rocker debacle, stereotyping ruled like an old git. The media caused panic, with headlines like one in the Sheffield Star, stating that Biker gangs were: “Living by slaughter and rapacity.”

Incidents like the fighting at Clacton and other sea-side resorts made suitable media material on the youth phenomenon. Local traders at Clacton complained of poor takings, blaming the youths. But during the first incident there, the weather had been bad. No seasonally affected business can expect much trade when it’s cold. Subsequent mêlées were non-events, beyond a few damaged deck-chairs and windows. No matter what the weather, ordinary people flocked to the seaside just to watch the spectacle of Mod/Rocker fights. There were some youths whose egos were flattered by the attention and sought out other fighting factions.

Most people living in their fifteen minutes of fame aren’t professional spokespersons. Exaggerations concerning the number of people in a fight would give the press what the youths thought they wanted. They also provided an opportunity for a joke, as some exaggerations were deliberate. This kind of stumbling block distorted reportage, even before the media could fabricate it into something else.

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The fact that drugs and alcohol were more affordable to some often lead to over-indulgence. But events arising from this never had the same hard edge as in poorer areas. The realisation among youths that societal nuances were invading their culture caused them to take on a more forceful and responsible role in their own development. Something more meaningful than just gangs was becoming important to young people. They had ideals and principles through which they wanted to make improvements to the society that condemned them - not just because of that condemnation, but because of their own emergent ideals. Witnessing the violence of their peers was enough to make many re-think their lifestyle.

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As each generation reaches a crucial age, their influence comes to the fore, and greater attention is paid to new situations. In the 50’s and 60’s, this was tainted by a media generated ephemeral, a foreshortening of reality, created by the media-driven pop charts and associated fashions. Even by the 1950’s, the music scene was being strongly ruled by the record companies, collectively known as the music industry. The Teeny Bopper market was founded in produced artistes rather than natural music careers. Typically, it caught up with fashion just as it was changing or had changed. The trend-setters tried to absorb and re-sell Rocker ideals with songs like one called Terry, by a female artiste known as Twinkle. She sang of the night she’d argued with and was then unfaithful to her boyfriend. He rode off in a fit of pique and was killed, presumably an act of suicide. It made a slushy hero of Terry, and more songs by other artistes later enjoyed some popularity with bike-oriented music, like Leader of the Pack, by the Shirelles. Some genuine Bikers bought these records, but their chart-oriented construction was despised by others. It was this commodification that created other marketable materials (Tee-shirts, posters, etc.) for the culture copiers to acquire and at least appear to be in with the crowd. These people were visitors to certain life-styles, and became known as pseuds or pseudos, formerly the phonys.

If the celebration of youth is the celebration of life, that would explain why some people appear trapped in the past. Younger people always have their own way to celebrate, and the generation wave rolls on. In Biker culture there is a combined effect, because there is also a historical acceptance of the basic beliefs by the later, younger biking subcultures. Both the best and the worst people have been associated with bikes, as biking histories have pointed out. But because of Bikerdom’s even greater growth during the 50s, 60s and 70s, disparate factions were more apparent.

Youth culture of any kind might be considered as a barometric reading of society at large. Whatever contentions or beliefs youths rebel against definitely exist. If people with problems can find a niche that seems safe, they will unquestioningly follow its lead. Thus one dominant yet directionless person can hold sway over others. Some people found themselves identifying with Biker culture because it made them feel that they belonged to something.

Eventually, as the Teds and early Rockers were leaving their teens behind, many were settling into regular work and marriage. The cost of accommodation and child rearing often signaled the departure of the motorcycle from their lives, except where an arrangement concerning a sidecar was possible. The fashionable phase was wearing off for some. It was time for a new generation. For others, it was just another societal gear-change that had nothing to do with their motorcycling.