The Mods vs. the Hells Angels
With roots on opposite sides of the world, the British Mod and the Hells Angels are both legendary cultural movements. While their choice of drugs and two-wheeled vehicles may differ, their behavior has none-the-less left an impact on the countries they hail from. Today we explore the history and background of both the British Mods and the Hells Angels.
The British Mods were an amphetamine-fueled sub-culture in England that grew in popularity from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s. Taken from the word “Modernist,” Mods were similar to the beatnik and bohemian cultures of the time. Mods were often seen hanging around coffee shops, discussing art and literature. For the Mods, existentialism, Jazz, and R&B were the main topics of discussion, and speed was the main source of pleasure. Mods were famous for their chosen form of transportation: the motor scooter. For Mods, scooters were an inexpensive, practical and sleek way to get around. Since Mods liked to stay out all night long, doing drugs and going to raves, scooters allowed Mods to get home even when public transportation was no longer running.
Mod Culture began to see its decline in 1966. Many cite the commercialization of the sub-culture as the reason for its collapse. Some of the Mod’s major influences, such as legendary rock group The Who, began to distance themselves from the movement, and fights with other sub-cultures such as the motorcycle riding “rockers” further fueled the culture’s decline. By the late 1960s, the movement was virtually dead, and many of the die-hard Mods that remained eventually became skinheads.
Mired in controversy and criminal behavior, the Hells Angles are an infamous multinational motorcycle club with a very colorful history. The club was formed in California in the 1950s by a man names Ralph “Sonny” Berger. Rapidly spreading into 100 chapters worldwide, the Hells Angels are one of he most widely known gangs in the country. The Federal Bureau of Investigation classifies the club as one of the “big four” motorcycle gangs, claiming that members are responsible for widespread violence, extortion, drug dealing, and the sale of stolen goods. Though the club is often thought to be exclusively American, the Hells Angels are known to be involved in crime rings worldwide. In the Netherlands, for example, the Hells Angles run most of the drug trade and are heavily involved in prostitution.
Joining the Hells Angels is quite a lengthy and difficult process. Before being considered, you must meet strict criteria, such as being white, male, having a motorcycle, and never having applied to be a police officer. If you meet this criterion, you may be allowed become a “hang-around,” which essentially means you can hang out at select events or parties. If the hang-around desires, he might be allowed to become an associate, a low-membership status which lasts between one and two years. After spending time as an associate, he might be asked to be a prospect, which entitles him to participate in most activities except voting. Further evaluation takes place, and if the entire chapter votes in his favor, he is finally “patched,” or granted full membership into the club.
