IF you walk past the Irish Film Centre this Friday evening you will probably think yourself mysteriously transported through time and place to 1960s Brighton. The cult-classic Mod film of 1979, Quadrophenia is coming to town and there is little doubt the street outside will be packed with the ultimate Mod icons: ice-cream-coloured scooters, their chrome mirrors jostling for space.
It comes as no surprise to those in the know that Quadrophenia, which boasts The Who as its producers and musical directors, is being re-released in Ireland and the UK. The last couple of years have seen The Who re-forming to tour again; the star of Quadrophenia, Phil Daniels, featuring on Blur's 1994 hit album, Parklife; and the huge success of Paul Weller-wannabe bands such as Ocean Colour Scene; it all amounts to a massive interest in Mod culture.
There have always been Mods in Ireland in much the same way there have always been a few diehard punks and the teddyboys time forgot, but there are some indicators that we have new Mods, too. Mark Kelly of Makullas, the hip Suffolk Street clothes store remarks: "Typical Mod clothes like Ben Sherman shirts have been flying out of the shop and very British labels like Hope and Glory and Firetrap are also selling well. It's as though with the rise of Britpop, it's cool to be British."
Jack Nolan, Ireland's main distributor for Lambrettas and Vespas (both typical Mod scooters - when Jimmy goes over the cliff in Quadrophenia, it's a Vespa that takes him there), says there is now a new breed of scooter owners. "There's always been Mod enthusiasts buying Vespas and although there wasn't the expected increase in Vespa sales after Oasis started using them, there has been a big increase in newcomers buying the smaller scooters like Piaggios and Aprilias. They like posing on them.
If anyone in Ireland is qualified to pronounce on the new Mod scene it is perhaps Dandelion, the false-eyelashed DJ and doyenne of Se-Si, the retro clothing stores. "In a way we were the forerunners in Se-Si because we were so sure that this was the way fashion was going and we've been selling loads of Mod gear for the last two years. All the designers are latching on now and you can get new stuff - but the true Mod enthusiast will take any length of time to find original clothes."
Dandelion, along with her friend, Mivian, runs a Mod-influenced 1960s night at Bruxelles nightclub on Sundays. We've been doing it for two years now and it's just got bigger and bigger.
Everyone comes along to it - we've even had Blur and Oasis in when they're in town. It has been hard in the past to keep the Mod scene going in Ireland because it's so small, but now I'm seeing more and more newcomers. "I'm sure that Quadrophenia on Friday is going to be full of Mods - I can't wait."
