The New Untouchables (NUTs) are an international organisation based in London, England that promotes Modernist & 60s-culture World-wide through our events, magazine and website newuntouchables.com
This includes club nights like Crossfire and Mousetrap, compilation albums ‘Le Beat Bespoké’, fashion shows, weekenders, visuals, art exhibitions,
scooter competitions and cruises, bespoke films, live bands and festivals, including the hugely successful Modstock, Le Beat Bespoké and Euro Ye Ye.
Some of the bands we have had the honour of working with include: STAX feat Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn and Eddie Floyd, The Sonics, The Libertines, The Action, The Mystic Braves, Mystery Lights, Kenney Jones, The Rifles, The Mummies, The Undertones, The Strypes, Eli Paperboy Reed, Yardbirds, The Horrors, Allah Las, Night Beats, Creation, Wolf People, King Khan & The Shrines, Buzzcocks, Little Barrie, Pretty Things, Arthur Brown, Arthur Lee & Love, Nick Waterhouse, Jim Jones Revue, Martha Reeves, James Hunter, Brenda Holloway, The Velvelettes, The Remains, The Fuzztones, PP Arnold, Maxine Brown, Dean Parrish, The Flirtations, The Prisoners, Herbie Goins & the Nightimers, Brian Auger, Zoot Money, Rupert’s People, The Poets, The Sorrows, Chocolate Watchband, Billy Childish and Kaleidoscope.
Time flies when you’re having fun…!
The New Untouchables team was set up to maintain the standard of earlier groups, with a new spirit of openness and approachability, welcoming an array of interested people. In 1997, the Britpop scene was at its apex and people who had become interested in the music through this new genre often found they were interested in Mod. Having done their research into the influences of Britpop which was inspired by 1960s Beat and Pop groups, and further along, the Rhythm and Blues artists that had inspired the original Brit Pop groups. The time was just right for a new surge of Mods and 1960s fans and The New Untouchables were there to encourage them with newsletters, club flyers, club nights, national and international weekenders, scooter runs, clothes and record markets plus the relatively new medium of the internet. The best thing about the NUTs was the constant good humour that prevails to the present day. NUTs have never been afraid to try new ventures. Locations were altered from time to time, coastal resorts changed and even dropped in favour of London weekenders, the coastal constant being Scarborough in the North and the August bank holiday event changing from The Isle of Wight, to Margate then to Brighton. New bands and DJs have always been actively encouraged and supported with some going onto to achieve mainstream success like the Strypes and the Horrors. The media has been assisted when the inevitable Mod stories have been the flavour of the month, the scooter flag was kept flying, extras have been rounded up for period productions on TV and in films- Not to mention the number of weddings and future young modernists because of our events.
A brief history of a very Nutty time:
1997 – New Untouchables established by Rob Bailey and Jason Ringgold. The first event an alldayer at the Dragon cave club with Downliners Sect, Voodoo Boiler and the Aardvarks live plus the ever-present DJ team of Pid, Lee Miller, Chris Dale, Speed, Gav Evans, Nick Hudson and Mark Ellis. Paul Owers joins early
1998. John’s Children play for the New Untouchables at the magnificent Notre Dame Hall, London.
New Untouchables Newsletter begins circulation.
Yardbirds play at Hastings Easter weekend.
Regular London club nights include the Purple Pussycat, Hipsters and the Mousetrap spawning a new generation of young Mods and 60’s fanatics.
1998 – Doug Bannon joins. New Untouchables.
Rob reforms legendary sixties Mod band THE ACTION to play at Ryde Theatre, Isle of Wight to 750 lucky people see the complete original line-up of The Action for the first time since 1967. Yardbirds and Quant also play.
Rupert’s People play at Hastings and in London, Circle records release a Rupert’s People compilation.
Brian Auger plays in London.
New Untouchables co-promote Euro-YeYe in Gijon, Spain with Spanish ‘Trouble and Tea’ organisation, convoys drive from England with vans and scooter escorts. These rallies are a wonderful experience, likeminded people from all over the World meeting in sunny Spain for allnighters, live bands including the Downliners Sect, The Action, P.P Arnold, James Taylor Quartet, Billy Childish, Masters of Groove, Crazy World of Arthur Brown and many more. Many feels this is the best international event of the year.
NUTs co-promote ‘Autumn Stone’ Mod rally in Cattolica, Italy with Smart Drivers organisation.
1999 – NUTs & UGLY THINGS magazine promote ’6699′ weekender in San Diego USA with John’s Children, Quant, The Chocolate Watchband, Nick Rossi Set, Loons & The Conquerors.
Rallies and events are held at Hastings, Brighton, Bournemouth, Scarborough, Birmingham, Clacton, Weston-Super-Mare and in London, NUTs DJs also support events across the UK and Europe.
Steve Garland joins NUTs team.
2001 – Jason Ringgold returns to USA. Mary Boogaloo joins NUTS team and takes over the magazine and design. New Year 2000/2001 celebrated in Clacton-on-Sea with a cameo appearance from NUTs’ Paul Owers as Elvis singing a raucous version of ‘Suspicious minds’ and ‘Bossa nova’ with the Elephant band.
James Quinlan joins NUTs team.
Jon Godden joins NUTs team.
Zoot Money Big Roll Band and Herbie Goins and The Night Timers play IOW rally, incredibly well received by audience.
Nick Rossi Set and The Elephant band play 2000 IOW rally.
The usual Xmas fancy dress night extends to Thames River cruise-hilarious outfit’s order of the day.
2002 – Isle of Wight rally replaced by Margate weekender, featuring allnighters and hotel doubling as the venue. Herbie Goins and The Creation featuring Eddie, Bob and Kenny.
Mary Boogaloo returns to Italy and Barry and Denise of Pip! Pip! assist with ‘new era’ brand creation, ideas, events’ design, media, art direction, video, website and newsletter. Dickie Lewellyn and Angie Smith also join NUTs team.
2003 – Crossfire was born at 229 The Venue in January 2003. The idea was to bring together the key promoters from 60’s London club nights a couple of times a year for a huge party celebrating the great diversity and uniqueness of the London scene. Still going strong in 2017, each event attracts hundreds of music lovers from all over the UK and beyond.
2004 – Brighton replaces Margate August bank holiday. Brighton being the symbolic destination of Mod-the original annual pilgrimage is born. Ellie and Bertie join the NUTs team.
Modstock on Whitsun bank holiday 2004 was the NUTS most significant event to date. The first event celebrated in Saarbrucken, Germany ten years earlier. The London event held at the Rocket celebrating ’40 years of Mod’ not from its birth but a pinnacle year in its history was an enormous success with over four thousand people attending the weekend from all corners of the World. Live acts included the Action, The Creation, the Prisoners, the Pretty Things, the Aardvarks, Solarflares, Les Cappucino’s (Japan), Gene Drayton Unit, Fur Delux and the Apemen (Germany). Allnighters with international guest DJ’s with 3 dancefloors. Guest club nights, a fashion show and film commissioned for the event ‘Ready steady sew’ by Sean Wilson, Angie Smith and Pip! Pip! A scooter run, vintage market and three days on non-stop partying in the capitol of Modernism.
A compilation album of rare underground 60’s dance club winners was tailored for the event called ‘Le Beat Bespoké’ out on Sanctuary records compiled by NUTS DJ and head honcho Rob Bailey to critical acclaim from major magazines and radio station DJ’s. Volume two came out on Circle records in 2006, the third followed for Le Beat Bespoké 4 event in 2008. The series is now on Volume seven.
In 2005 a New London event was born, Le Beat Bespoké (with Pip! Pip! Firmly on-board creatively as early co-promoters) followed closely along the lines of Modstock but with a wider variety of vintage musical tastes catered for. The legend Arthur Lee played his last ever London show accompanied by fellow Love legend Johnny Echols in a magnificent show. Other bands included US garage band the Chocolate Watchband plus the Fuzztones, Yardbirds, Billy Childish and the Loons to name a few. Over four thousand music lovers came from all over the World to enjoy one of the most successful events so far.
Carla joins the NUT’s team and starts the New Untouchables myspace page.
2006 – ‘Le Beat Bespoké 2’ festival saw the Remains from Boston, USA play their first ever show on UK soil. The Remains were picked by Sir Paul McCartney to support the Beatles on their last ever tour, playing venues like Shea stadium. The weekends bands included Mastica (Italy), The Horrors, Circulus, Doll squad (Australia), the Victorians (Italy) and the Frank Popp Ensemble (Germany).
2007 – Le Beat Bespoké 3 saw seminal 70’s punk rock band The Buzzcocks headline with Vincent Vincent & the Villans, the Sugars, the Ripps, Five Aces, the Urges, Thee Exciters, Dutronc and the Hollywood Sinners live at new Central London location. The Venue changed to www.229thevenue.co.uk opposite Regents Park, and home of leading London club night Crossfire.
2008 – Our NUTTY New Year’s Eve event is born at 229 and runs along similar lines as Crossfire with Northern Soul in the ballroom + a Mod/R&B room and the Beat Basement with live bands, go-go dancers and groovy garage and psych sounds.
‘Le Beat Bespoké 4′ the biggest and best NUTS event to date. The first ever performance outside of their native America garage gods the SONICS rocked London and brought all the tribes together for one incredible three-day party in London over Easter 2008. Other artists included the Horrors, the Jaybirds, the Staggers, the Excellos, the Phantom Keys, the Good Time Charlies, Los Chicos and the Branded! Plus, a DJ line-up from around the globe spinning discs from dusk until dawn.
Three new club nights started in 2009 Timebox at the Strongrooms in the buzzing Shoreditch area, Zoo Zoo at new Camden venue the Blues Kitchen and Volcano at Charlotte Street Blues W1. A bestselling book entitled I’m One-21st Century Mods featuring photos from Horst who had spent over a decade travelling all over the UK documenting the modern mod scene at our events. Comment from Pete Townsend, Paolo Hewitt and Rob Bailey completes the book.
Weekenders included Hotwax in Leeds, Le Beat Bespoké 5 in London feat Pretty Things performance of SF Sorrow, The Flirtations and the fantastic Montesas amongst others. Brighton weekender gathers momentum with a sell-out crowd of sharp folks on Saturday and Sunday. The official launch of I’m One-21st Century Mods exhibition adorned the walls of Sealife in Brighton with 20 x 15 foot canvas prints. Whitsun bank holiday was the Buckingham Palace Scooter run attended by over 300 scooters. A startled public looked on in amazement as we weaved out way past tourist hot spots and great London landmarks finishing with an alldayer at the Strongrooms with live bands, DJ’s and a hot barbeque. 2009 saw many new faces from the Capitol join our annual pilgrimage to Spain for Euro Ye Ye and experienced a wild weekend.
2010 – started with a bang and another super NYE party was quickly followed up by Le Beat Bespoké 6 festival featuring the return of the mighty Sonics to UK soil this time at 229. Also on the bill Punk pop favourites the Undertones plus James Hunter, The Polecats and a wild performance from Wau Y Los Argggs. The fourth volume of the acclaimed compilation series also entitled Le Beat Bespoke. Buckingham Palace Scooter run and Brighton Mod Weekender were all sold out events again.
2011 – saw the Mousetrap celebrate its 20th anniversary at the same venue with the same owner, an incredible feat in the fickle word of club land. A fantastic amount of scene fave rave records started life at the club and went on to become hits on the scene and beyond including television adverts. Terrific NUTS servant, Circle records MD, ace DJ and all round good guy Speed hang up his DJ boots and went out with a bang.
Another all start line-up for Le Beat Bespoké 7 with Eli Paperboy Reed, King Khan & the Shrines, The See See, Flamin’ Groovies 1st UK show and the Dragtones feat members of the Hives and Luis & The Wildfires. An amazing atmosphere all weekend at our annual Brighton event on the August bank holiday, with sell-out crowd all three nights this year at the fabulous Komedia Theatre. New Untouchables hosted the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London’s Southbank for the Vintage Festival celebrating the 60th anniversary of the ‘Festival of Britain’ in July. Talking of July Euro Ye Ye was phenomenal once again and featured the fantastic Maxine Brown & the Pepperpots, King Khan & The Shrines, The Bongolian and an appearance of the newly reformed July who performed most of the favourites from the 68 album with great authenticity to a very appreciative audience. The end of the year saw our online magazine NUTSMAG launched and a new chapter in NUTS history begins.
2012 – Despite all the doom and gloom on the news everyday 2012 proved to be a seminal year in NUT’s history. Firstly, I would like to thank Eron Falbo for all his help editing the NUTsMAG over the last year and wish him well in Brazil. We welcomed two scene stalwarts to the Magazine both with considerable pedigree, our new editor Scotch Martin and reviews editor Graham Lentz of “The Influential Factor” book fame. We also welcomed another new member to the NUT’s family our social media man David Savage. Le Beat Bespoké 8 was arguably the strongest line-up ever featuring a heavyweight bill of original artists including July, Arthur Brown and The Electric Banana Aka The Pretty Things on Friday for the “8 hour technicolour dream”. The fantastic Jim Jones Revue kicked off the weekend Thursday with maximum rock n roll and on Saturday The Trashmen finally made their UK debut after a fifty-year wait. Sunday saw legendary Scottish band the Poets make their final UK performance after the sad passing of lead singer George Gallagher later the same year. Brighton was a massive success with the Komedia selling out two months prior to the weekender and a second venue was added and sold out on the Saturday. Young Irish lads The Strypes grabbed the scene by the scruff of the neck and shook things up making a big impact on their London debut at the Timebox weekender in May at 229. The lads got a similar reaction at Euro Ye Ye in Spain and at 229 again at Crossfire. New Untouchables celebrated fifteen years in the business of human happiness last November with a fantastic dinner followed by a wild night at Mousetrap where the last record was spun at 7.45am. NUTSMAG club night at Blues Kitchen, Camden featuring up and coming bands and the occasional overseas act launched with Nick Waterhouse UK debut. The god of hell fire, Arthur Brown, rounded the year off with another magical performance at our Nutty New Year Ball.
2013 – Went by in a flash. Mousetrap celebrated 22 years in March. The Strypes continued their meteoric rise with a sell-out show on Friday night at Le Beat Bespoké 9 and released the first album which went top 5 in the autumn. Wild Records revue featuring Gizelle, Omar & String Poppers and the Rhythm Shakers went down a treat to the sell-out crowd on the Saturday night. Jacco Gardner and The Beatroots rounded off another hugely successful LBB in style on the Sunday. The Buckingham Palace scooter run organized together with Bar Italia had over 500 scooters in attendance and was a total buzz. NUT’s were asked to perform directly after the Rolling Stones at Glastonbury in late June and Dr Roberts DJ set went down a storm. Summer events Euro Ye Ye and Brighton were a massive success again with both venues selling out and a fantastic turnout of vintage scooters for the weekend. Crossfire 23 was one of the best in our twelve-year history with a fantastic atmosphere right to the very end. The NUTSMAG went from strength to strength with over sixty articles published in 2013. Several new authors joined the team giving the magazine greater appeal and variety. Bazden took over the editor’s role in November. We would like to thank Martin for editing the magazine. If you have the skill and passion to write for NUTSMAG please drop us a line.
2014 – Without doubt MODSTOCK festival held in London where it all began over fifty years ago was the highlight of the year. A sold-out weekend with a stellar line up of talent that featured a Tamla Motown Revue starring Brenda Holloway and the full original line-up of the Velvelettes. The Saturday night focused on British legends Kenney Jones (Small Faces/Who/Faces) and Eddie Phillips (Creation/Mark Four) appearing with the Stone Foundation. Our Mod revival night got things underway with Secret Affair and Squire together with the only band to play all three Modstock festivals, Germany’s Apemen. The other bands from all over the globe showed us what great 21st Century talent is around. The scooter run around town was organized by our friends Bar Italia S.C. A fashion show was curated by A Dandy in Aspic and Adam of London and NU made an album and film specifically for the festival. The entire event was filmed and we hope to release it one day. New club night Shoreditch Got Soul at brand new Blues Kitchen venue starts with live Soul revues and Dr Robert on DJ duties. Other 2014 highlights included another sell out Brighton weekend with a new venue added for those of the paisley persuasion. New club nights Shoreditch Got Soul, Phoenix Got Soul and Maximum R&B were added to the club portfolio and the Mousetrap celebrated 23 years.
2015 – One of the best NYE parties yet got us off to a great start to the year. Le Beat Bespoke celebrated a decade of delights at 229 with another stellar line-up starring some of the best new talent with Purson, Wolf People, Gizelle, Rhythm Shakers and Les Grys Grys, Magnetic Mind, and Fogbound performing alongside Masters Glenn Campbell’s Misunderstood, Peter Daltry’s Kaleidoscope and the Loons. Wild all-night parties followed with discs from our international DJ team and guest clubs. A new event was added to the calendar at the rejuvenated seaside town of Margate. NUT’s together with Olby’s venue have the vision to turn this town into a vintage playground and for a first year we got off to a promising start. Small Fakers, Graham Day & Forefathers & James Taylor Quartet headlined with The Faithkeepers, Sonic Jewells and The Turning playing outside on the Piazza during the day. The biggest attendance yet at Brighton with well over five hundred scooters during the daytime, three sold out venues every night and a fantastic atmosphere. Timebox closed its doors after six years, many thanks to Dean and everyone at the Strongrooms for so many good times. The new Le Beat Bespoké 6 album was released on Detour Records, Easter 2015 to rave reviews. New Orleans Soul legend Betty Harris headlined Euro YeYe and fellow American artists played Euro YeYe and a warm up show in London for NUTSMAG. Finally, the new NUTSTORE was launched November 2015 with a 20% discount on all orders to members of the NU network.
2016 – A bespoke photo shoot in the FUTURO space age home on the roof of Central St Martins art college for LBB11 festival artwork was sensational. The program included a Thames Riverboat party and live shows from The Stairs, Bo Ningen, Jim Jones, Graham Day & Forefathers, Hidden Charms, Little Barrie and Cat Black. Mousetrap celebrated an incredible twenty-five years at Orleans with the traditional FREE 45. New club night Brixton Got Soul starts in January at the brand Blues Kitchen venue with live Soul revues from Gizelle Smith, Gino Washington, James Hunter, The Fantastics and Gemma & The Travellers. The weather was kind in Margate and our daytime action on the seafront piazza was magical. Live highlights were The Rifles, Les Grys Grys and Big Boss Man. Euro YeYe moved to new venue Casino Asturias in the centre of town with fantastic live show from Marta Ren who made her UK debut at Brighton and Shoreditch Got Soul. Another sell-out crowd for Brighton with record number of Scooters in attendance. Crossfire celebrates fifteen years with another epic allnighter.
2017 – Mousetrap celebrated an incredible twenty-seven years at Orleans with the Psych nights attracting a whole new audience joining our loyal regulars. We also reached the twentieth Mousetrap 45 release for the FREE anniversary 45. The latest album in the Le Beat Bespoke series number 7 was released to critical acclaim as the best one yet. Le Beat Bespoke 12 Festival featured a youthful line-up including Lovely Eggs, Novella, New Candy’s, Corduroy, Los Retrovisores, Arrogants, The Pacers, The Stags and Eliphant. Margate highlights were magical performances from Pretty Things and James Hunter and great sets from Bongolian, Beatniks and youngsters The Galleries. Euro YeYe was epic with performances from Allah Las, Tito Ramirez, Melange, Las Munjitas Del Fuzz, Fogbound and Les Darlings. The Pool Party, Allnighters, Cocktails and Seafood were the other highlights. Brighton continues to grow bigger with seven hundred plus scooters this year and some magical moments at the evening events at Komedia. A great set from Flare Voyant and a killer show from The Baron Four at our new venue for NYE kicks of a new era of The New Untouchables.
2018 – saw some amazing live gigs from The Rifles, Wolf People, Brenda Holloway, Mystic Braves, The Mummies, The Mystery Lights, James Hunter, Tito Ramierez, Les Grys Grys, and The Pretty Things. Talking Pretty Things Rob DJ’d in the 02 for the bands last ever electric show, a truly memorable night with special guests Van Morrison and Dave Gilmour joining a very special band. August is always a busy month, Euro YeYe was held at a fantastic new venue just off the seafront with balcony, big dancefloor and cocktail glasses the size of a football. The fun continued during the daytime at the pool party and is still one of our favourite events of the year. Brighton Mod Weekender continues to grow with a fourth day added after our SOLD OUT Thursday night show with the Rifles at the Komedia. The Competition and rideout were cancelled for the first time in fourteen years due to torrential rainfall. The Komedia was buzzing all weekend, with the Friday night our favorite this year.
Buckingham Palace Scooter Run and Alldayer was one of the busiest one’s yet. No doubt the glorious weather helped persaude the drivers and the drinkers out to the Strongrooms for the alldayer. Mousetrap celebrated an incredible twenty-seven years at Orleans with a FREE 45. Paloma Faith recommended Mousetrap as her favourite night in an interview for the Evening Standard. We ended the year in a brand-new venue Paper Dress Vintage for our SOLD OUT ‘Rock and Roll Circus’ party and starting a new era of the New Untouchables in 2019.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has worked behind the scenes and make it all possible and apologies to anyone I may have missed.
Barry & Denise at Pip! Pip!, Carlo Sesto (social media), Jason Ringgold, Paul Owers, Doug Bannon, Steve Walsh, Walshie, Mary Boogaloo, Horst R Friedrichs, James Quinlan, Big Jon, Dickie Lewellyn, , Eron Falbo, Roberto Russo, Angie Smith, Stevie B, Ellie Eames, Carla Alvardo, Kolorz, Graham Lentz, Iber Ortiz, Doug Sturrock, Phil Lawson, Gary Milan, Big Dave, Gary & Jo. All those who stuffed thousands of newsletters in envelopes Jayne, Clara, Karin, Jack and Nikki… you are all stars.
Thank you so much, Rob Bailey
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