Have rally will travel; seemingly the scooterist’s motto, chatting to various friendly clubs nationwide, and individuals too, such as a dapper lone mod who rode up from Bridport on a three hour trek, while loitering with a pint of Thatchers in a field at Lower Farm on the Whistley Road. Overall, it’s more than fair to say, thanks to Devizes Scooter Club’s valiant and sedulous toil, Devizes is firmly on the map of must-do scooter rallies….
It would, without this blossoming national appeal have been a massively lesser affair; scooter culture being niche and though a blanket term retrospectively incorporating mod, skinhead and punk subcultures, isn’t, perhaps, appealing to enough locally to have successfully created something on this grand scale. Those local aficionados, or even with a passing interest in the scene therefore are truly treated, as Devizes Scooter Rally this weekend was spectacular.
There’s various reasons for saying this; a hospitable atmosphere throughout the event from attendees and organisers, a controlled and diligent attitude to structure, the underlying notion you’re not going to get ripped off at the bar or elsewhere, a donation to The Devizes & District Opportunity Centre, a worthy charity indeed, a calculatedly perfect site design from bar, venue to campsite, a wide variety of side stalls, and an apt music programme of talented bands and DJs, but mostly, it was the combination of them all which made it as fantastic as it was.
I spent the finale late night moments with some of the club’s valid members, as they reviewed an overall of the weekend, discussing rights against possible improvements. And with expandable site potential, just how far the annual rally could blossom before it becomes less congenial. As such they’ve set the date for 2024, 26th-28th July; if you missed this weekend put it in your diary, if you went I’d imagine you already have!
So, I rocked up to wet my whistle on Friday, eager to catch up with those Trowbridge rockabilly stalwarts, 41 Fords, and witness Brighton’s revitalised mod marvels Sharp Class. Being there was another day to come, and I wanted to see you there Saturday, I knocked up a quick review of it: HERE. Saturday though, I’m on Shanks’s pony and up for a party; which was delivered to me uncompromisingly.
Apologies, too late to catch The Butterfly Collective, but my arrival coincided with the Roughcut Rebels’ set. Haven’t seen them since Mark moved to pastures new, but Jimmy Moore makes for a great frontman stand-in for Finley, and it was business as usual for this locally renowned Britpop mod band who plucked covers, like Wonderwall, otherwise cliché if not delivered by such an enthralling group from their extensive repertoire.
Next up a rare treat, Cath and Gouldy concentrating rather on wider variated Day Breakers outfit, and folk duo Sound Affects, but to have them back under The Killertones guise both more apt for the occasion and a delightful return to their new-wave-two-tone covers set. It was as whatever guise they operate on, perfected and bewitching, with vast improvements from already proficient young drummer, Katy York.
There was me figuring they’d peaked too soon, after ska classics like Pressure Drop, to speed into uptempo two-tone, like The Specials’ Little Bitch and Rancid’s Timebomb, but a sublime set slid nicely into new wave, particularly adroit being The Chords’ Maybe Tomorrow; dammit if Gouldy didn’t go all Morten Harket on us with an offbeat Take on Me, such a rework finale left the crowd spellbound and me realising how much I’d missed these guys!
With Terry Hendrick’s Soul Pressure on the wheels of steel while the headliners set up, a fashion to see the rally into the wee hours, betwixt it regulars at the rally, the south-coast’s longest established ska ensemble Orange Street ripped the roof off.
I could’ve predicted it such, but it didn’t affect the show’s infectious appeal. At an eight-piece complete with brass section, Orange Street are a highly capable homage to Jamaica’s “first national sound,” which infatuated the youths of sixties Jamaica, and thereafter spread worldwide through era-spanning waves. The second wave most memorable to Britain through Windrush exports appealing to mods; the tsunami known as Two-Tone. And to which the band rightfully nodded to, but also provided original engaging material which fits like a glove into such a set.
The effect is akin to the attraction of the offbeat backwards shuffle, ska, which Prince Buster accidentally discovered during a recording session at Duke Reid’s studio Treasure Isle, not only reflects in the band name, the studio alongside Coxonne Dodd’s Studio One, both located on this legendary Kingston street, the equivalent of Nashville’s Music Row for reggae, but also in their performance which kicked off with a interlude of Madness’s Buster tribute, The Prince. Though it wasn’t long before the opening medley flowed neatly into the Specials’ Dog the Dog, and thereafter the whole spectrum of ska UK chart hits from Bad Manners to The Beat.
While other similar bands attempt to fuse later reggae styles, punk, or general electronica, Orange Street remain faithful to the roots and are therefore a premium choice for an event like this, cradled by a culture nostalgically devoted to it too. And in such, the event is so encapsulating there’s a jollity in the air impossible to hide. Coupled with the wider appeal outside the atypical scooter rally, with this extended and blossoming setup which had taken the Scooter Club weeks to set up, this is rather of festival proportions and equally as brilliant.
It only leads be to heartfeltly thank and congratulate The Devizes Scooter Club for bringing us another astounding event which offers diversity to our local music circuit, a jolly good beano, and also attracts nationwide fans to our area…even if I’ve been hearing their hairdryers zipping back and forth the dual carriageway all weekend!!
Trending……
Rosie Jay’s Debut Single Doesn’t Give a Damn!
With a rolling hook in the chorus, piano riff over acoustic guitar and a heartfelt narrative, here’s a promising debut single from Salisbury’s young singer-songwriter…
Land Ahoy! Jolly Roger Opens Devizes Arts Festival with Fire in the Hole!
Land ahoy me hearties! Devizes Corn Exchange was boarded last night by Cornish punk pirates Jolly Roger, for a frivolous and swashbuckling opening to Devizes…
LilyPetals Debut EP
One of many young indie bands which impressed me at Bradford Roots Festival, and proof there’s more than the name suggests at The Wiltshire Music…
Courting Ghosts Debut Album: Falling My Friend
Images used with kind permission of Pacific Curd Photography West Wilts and Somerset folk-rock collective Courting Ghosts are about to release their debut album, Falling…
Become part of a movement calling for Affordable School Costs for all
We’ve been chatting with the Community Organiser and Campaigns Manager of Devizes and District Foodbank, Alex Montegriffo, about an important free community conversation on Monday…
“Sister Act” at St. Augustine’s, Trowbridge May 29th-June 1st
By Ian DiddamsPhotos by Gail Foster In 1971 Ken Russell enchanted film audiences with “The Devils”, which incorporated nuns in the story – somewhat controversially.…
Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 29th May 4th June 2024
Here’s what we’ve found to do in the wilds of Wiltshire this coming week, heading in June, just like Terry! Everything listed here is on…
Homecoming Gig for Nothing Rhymes With Orange at the Three Crowns Devizes
Friday evening in the liveliest of Devizes pubs, The Three Crowns, with Devizes best upcoming band, Nothing Rhymes With Orange pulling a two hour set…
St James Devizes Vicar Keith Brindle Honoured as a Canon of Salisbury Cathedral
In recognition of his selfless ministry and leadership of St James Church, where the community and residents are at the core of everything, birthday boy…
Professor Elemental in Session with Madam Misfit and the Real Cheesemakers at The Barge on Honeystreet; 2nd August
It’s going to be all strawberries and cheese baps in pith helmets swinging in trouserland bedlam, with chap-hop shenanigans galore at the Barge on Honeystreet…