The bank holiday weekend of May 1964 has gone down in British history as the infamous date of a colossal battle between two youth subcultures on the seafronts of various locations in England. The violence that broke out between the Mods and the Rockers made headline news in Britain and abroad. This was the first time that widespread violence had broken out between these two gangs, that represented two very different parts of the fed-up British youth.

The Rockers were known for riding motorbikes, most commonly the Triumph that was popular during the late 1950s. If you own one of these vintage classics today, be sure to have it looked after by a motorbike mechanic. Their fashion choice was black leather jackets and they listened to rock music, mostly white American artists including Gene Vincent and Elvis Presley. However, their rivals, the Mods wanted to appear more ‘modern’ and favoured Italian scooters, R&B music and even jazz. The Mods thought of themselves as more stylish, more modern and definitely more in touch with the times than the Rockers. In contrast, the Rockers thought the Mods were ‘girly’ and stuck up.

Interestingly, the origins of both subcultures came from the Teddy Boy culture that grew in popularity after the Second World War. The music, cars, bikes and fashion influences of the U.S can be seen in the Rockers, while the feelings of hope, modernisation and internationalism can be viewed in the rise of the Mod movement.

There was a lot going on in the youth culture of the 1950s and 1960s. Even though their fashion sense was very different, there were still many similarities between the two gangs. Most members of either subculture were working-class and that included the musicians who developed their craft during this time. Rarely were members of either gang from the middle-class, despite some claiming that they were. Perhaps it was the next generation’s reaction to the heavy impact of war and continuing rationing that had turned them into disenfranchised and angry young men.

Regardless of any similarities, tensions had been simmering and this culminated in the outbreak of violence in 1964. The two groups represented the huge divide felt in society at the time. Chaos erupted on the beach near the Palace Pier in Brighton on 18th May 1964. Fights broke out, deckchairs were launched into the air, fires were lit and passing pedestrians were threatened with knives. projectiles were thrown at the arriving police and then a sit-in ensued on the beach of around 600 young people. Around 76 arrests were made in Brighton and other seaside resorts and the event was immortalised in the 1979 film, Quadrophenia.

Tabloid newspapers said the country was being ruined by degenerate youths, but it wasn’t quite as sensational as the papers made out. In fact, the hype from the press could be held partly responsible for what ensued on that bank holiday. A cold and miserable Easter weekend saw approximately 1,000 youths from London descend on Clacton and cause some minor disturbances and trouble. The press went to town with the story though, claiming a rampaging invasion by unruly, delinquent teens was underway. Whilst unpleasant for local residents, it hardly represented a terrifying teen invasion. However, the stage was set, and the youth of Britain made the following bank holiday the stage for a battle, which ultimately became split along gang lines.