I suppose you could say that I’ve been a Modernist since I was a teenager; ever since I first heard In The City by The Jam , which I bought from a school friend in 1977. Although The Punk Rock revolution changed my perception of the world and produced great records of incendiary importance and musical brilliance, it was the clean-cut, youthful idealism of the Woking trio; or more specifically Weller, that had such an impact on me. Cool, clean and hard, Weller, sartorially was spot on. Like many Jam fans I idolised him, and his Modernist instincts shaped my already burgeoning interest in art, politics and literature. My Art School portfolio was essentially an updating of Pop-Art and in particular the work of Roy Lichtenstein (Weller’s Whaam! customised Rickenbacker from 1980 is taken from one of Lichtenstein’s most famous paintings), whilst politically my stance was Left-of-centre: an Orwellian belief in common sense thinking and a loathing of the British Class system. I’d always loved the written word but it was not until the epiphany of first reading Weller‘s lyrics on the inner sleeve of the 1978 Jam album All Mod Cons that I was inspired to write and also to read: I discovered George Orwell, Ken Kesey, Allan Sillitoe, Robert Tressell, Barry Hines and Anthony Burgess, to name a few. To surmise, Weller had what is essentially at the core of Modernism - good taste. The records, books and movies he cited as inspiration were my education.

When Weller split The Jam, unlike many fans, I was with him; I shared his idealistic reasons for moving on and evolving. His next musical adventure; a mixture of Colin MacInnes cool, Jean-Luc Godard chic and soul-inspired agitprop was a stroke of genius. In fact the whole vibe was so intoxicating that following the release of arguably Weller’s finest 45 – The Paris Match, I sold my drum kit and all my records and left for France: it all felt so cinematic and cultured as I sound- tracked my escape by playing Le Depart on a little tape recorder as the ferry left Dover bound for Calais.

Almost two decades later, inspired by Weller’s phoenix-like return to form and with a degree in Graphic Design under my belt, I wrote, designed and published a magazine dedicated to Paul Weller called All Mod Icon, and ran a small ad with ordering details in Q Magazine. The response was astonishing and since then I’ve published 18 editions and the magazine has evolved into a glossy, full colour publication that is sold all over the world. Without doubt, the most rewarding aspect of producing the magazine is having become acquainted with Weller, who has always been witty, perceptive, down-to-earth and charismatic when I’ve been with him (I spent one memorable evening drinking in his company in the Grand Hotel in Brighton till 3am).

Since the first publication of All Mod Icon I have met and become friends with many people who still carry the torch and who share my Modernist outlook on life. Russell Hastings of From The Jam has been a close friend ever since I first met him over a decade ago when I was down in Surrey reviewing a gig. Others who have contributed to All Mod Icon, and of whom I have a kinship with, are Mark Baxter, Dennis Munday, Weller biographer John Reed, Gary Crowley, Iain Munn, author of Mr Cool’s Dream, and of course Paul, Bruce & Rick. Not forgetting, of course, all the people who have bought, followed and supported All Mod Icon since I first launched it over a decade ago. Respect, Drew Hipson, Editor, All Mod Icon.