New exhibition to The Jam opened by Rick Buckler

The legendary drummer of the band was there to open the exhibition that documents the iconic band’s six-year career from 1977 to 1982.

Rick said to the Brighton Indy: “The exhibition looks really good. There are a lot of album covers and magazines exerts and they’ve got my drum kit and suits. There’s also a lot of digital displays of photographs which saves a lot of space.

“There is obviously still a lot of interest in the band, which I think is fantastic and that wouldn’t happen if that interest wasn’t there in the first place. It’s amazing how it’s sort of crossed generations.”

The Jam, which also included Paul Weller and Bruce Foxton, played their last ever gig at The Brighton Centre on December 11, 1982. Over the course of six years, the three-piece released six studio albums and 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom.

The band were seen as the centre of mod revival culture during the 1970s to the 1980s and inspired many other great bands in the 90s and noughties such as Oasis, Blur and The Libertines.

Rick said: “We had a very good relationship with the fans at the time. It was a deep enragement between the two of us. That seems to have carried on and I wish you could bottle it. I pinch myself every morning that people are still interested and the records are still selling.

“I think it’s absolutely fantastic. It was a very exciting era and I wonder if we have reached the point of nostalgia for a lot of people.

“I think the mod thing sort of overrides the importance of The Jam. We did our last show here because of it and it has become sort of a spiritual home in some ways.

“I’m not sure what people will take away from the exhibition I try and get into the heads of people who come and see it.

“Maybe they were involved and came to the shows and bought the records at the time. But there is a lot of people that weren’t born at the time and there experience will be completely different.

“It was a very exciting time and I think it’s good to look back and reflect on what was going on at that time.”

The exhibition, presented in collaboration with About The Young Idea, runs everyday from 10am to 5pm until October 2, 2022 and is free for members and residents of Brighton and Hove.

READ MORE

Bonobo at The Brighton Centre: Review