Morlocks Scooter members of team - Interview (Berlin)

Dear Morlocks Scooter members of team!!

I hope you are doing great!!

Many thanks for the interview.

I am new to the scooter scene and all I know is that it has close ties to the mod / beat scene.

Well, you guessed right. The whole scootering (/scooterboy) scene originated from the (2nd mod revival) scene in the early to mid-eighties.In a way, the split from the "original" mod scene mirrored a development that took place in the late 60ies, when one part of the mod movement drifted towards hippiedom, while another part kept away from beads, paisley + long hair, and strived to go back to the sharp, clean-cut image of the early mods - those were the early mods, quickly to be dubbed "skinheads" by the yellow press.

Anyway, yes - the Gang is deeply rooted in MODism as well. The "Berliner Rollermods" were the core cell in 1984 of what later became the "Morlocks Scooter Gang". (Which makes the Morlocks Scooter Gang one of the oldest scooter clubs in Germany). Until 2 years ago, when we changed our colour (which is to say: when we got a new design for our logo + back patch) the old patch still read "ex Berliner Rollermods". Another Berlin gang that was sucked into the Morlocks Scooter Gang were the "Smart Boys Berlin - GangMods and Scooterists".

So, MOD – yes.. Beat - no. Beat is, was, and forever will be for paisley mods. The musical diet for scooterists is strictly SOUL. Maybe with a pinch of ska thrown in for additional flavour... ;)

Basically, I am wondering what does it actually mean to be a Morlock Scooter Member?

You are not only a member of a gang - back patch, club outings, parties etc. - but also a member of a very German "Verein". Since this year (after more than a quarter of century of club history) we are officially an e.V.,that is an "eingetragener Verein". So there are certain rules and regulations that apply to the Morlocks as to any other "Verein", as well as the gang code. Basically, were all scooterists, that is we own several each and ride at least one scooter. Which means no automatic, no plastic - Vespa or Lambretta. We're no scooter commuters (though we use every possibility to ride) but scooterists, spending as much time as possible on our scooters.

How do you spend your time as a gang and make it as unique and fun as possible

We meet at least once every month, although most of the club members are pals that spend part of their spare time together anyway. But we aim to meet at least once a month.Unofficial club home ist the Wild Style tattoo studio in Berlin-Neukölln, owned by Roland, our club president. Apart from that, there are the mentioned outings. And: We organize parties, concerts and niters. This started in connection with the annual "kick-down" on the 1st of May, when hundreds of scooters meet at the Winterfeldplatz and then take to the streets of Berlin.

At the moment, we try to establish events on a monthly basis - with bands or niters - at the Cortina Bob in Kreuzberg. We started in September with The Moving Sound (SWE) and newcomer Mods The Riots from Russia on the 21st, followed by the annual Morlocks party celebrating the end of the scootering season on the 28th. In October, we had a niter with D.J. Mario Montgomery (Downtown Soulville) on the 12th.

The next opportunity will be the 9th of November, where we'll have another niter, hosting D.J. "Screaming Jay" Füg, himself a scooterist, and one of the very few German soul D.J.s to be mentioned in David Nowell's "The History of Northern Soul - A Definitive History of the Dance Scene that Refuses to Die".

The last event this year will see another band - nearly all-girl punk/power-pop combo The Twitchblades on the 7th of December.

All events at the Cortina Bob, Wiener Str. 34, D-10999 Berlin.

Which are your favorite spots in Berlin?

Neukölln. Kreuzberg. Parts of Friedrichshain. Don't ask me to be more specific - or everybody else would rush there...;-)

What kinds of jobs do your members have at an event?

It varies. Of course, there is much more to do when you have a live gig than on a niter. We do have an experienced stage technician among us, so that brings a lot of proficiency into the whole process of organizing such an event. Apart from that, a sub-part of the gang ist the (in)famous "Morlocks Konflikt Team" - the name itself a pun on the police de-escalation teams. The Morlocks Konflikt Team provides security. Full stop. Mmh. Yes. Leave it like that...

Do you invite people from other clubs to your events? How is your international network set up?

Yes, we do. Meeting other scooterists is an essential part of a scootering lifestyle. We try to visit as much runs organized by other clubs as possible, and, of course, we invite others to our events. Unfortunately, Berlin was quite isolated during the 80ies, when the whole scene formed, so even today it's quite hard work to get other scooterists to come to Berlin. By now, there are some close ties to other clubs, especially from the north. But as a matter of fact, some of our closest friends are from Austria - we have close friendships with several Austrian clubs, out of which several personal friendships developed.

Do you have a lot of musicians, journalists and event promoters on your team?

Yes. Yes. No, perhaps. Seriously: We have people from all kinds of backgrounds. We have nearly everything - chef, tatto-artist, kindergardener, architect, engineer, stage-technician, builder, and, yes, even a journalist (me). Markus, who works as a stage technician, is also a professional musician - so, as I said, that brings a lot of professionalism into the process. Most other members have connections to the music business as well, and some experience when it comes to setting up events.

What does it take to be one of your members - what are the requirement for becoming an official member of The Morlocks Scooter gang?

The main thing is: You'll have to fit into the gang. I can't put it any other way. It doesn't matter who you are, or where you come from. No matter what sex, creed, or colour. Of course, you'd be required to ride a Vespa, Lambretta, or other non-automatic, non-plastic scooter. But that's it, mainly. For everything else will show. That is why everyone who applies for full membership is required to spend as much time as possible with the gang for at least six months, that is take part in every activity during that time - to give us a chance to see if the person in question fits in with the gang, and to give the person a chance to back out before it's too late... ;-)

Do you have some sort of code of honor which guarantees the members` loyalty to the club?

A: Yes, we do. We have a rule book - one of the requirements for being registered as an official organization - where all this is detailed.

But basically, there are two main reasons why people can be expelled from the club: First, in case someone acts against the clubs interests, which includes, for example, a certain kind of behavior that reflects badly on the club as a whole. Second: You never leave another Morlock in the ditch.

That's it.

I am aware that it is harder to attract women into the scooter scene. Do you have any explanation for why ladies are a bit more reluctant at joining in?

Well, a lot of clubs were reluctant to accept female members. For them, the stress lay on scooterBOYS. Some still are. That's why girls-only clubs like the HORNY NUT LOOPS formed in the early nineties. (Or SCHÖNE AUGEN SC today, or female racing teams like FAST FURWARD).

On the other hand, it's not a lifestyle that applies to many girls. Runs are noisy, drunken, dirty + sweaty events. The style itself (the uniform of sensible boots, MA1 bomber jackets + denim or leather vests loaded with patches) are not every girls - ahem - cup of tea. It's not the smart suits, flowing scarves of the parka-clad scootering mod...

So perhaps it's due to reluctance on both parts.

Markus, thank you very much for your answers. I hope to meet you guys soon on one of your fabulous events!