The 7th annual ‘March of the Mods’ event was held in Ryde on Saturday (26th March), raising vital funds for charity.
This year’s event was in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust and Tonic Music for Mental Health.
A whole day and a full night was spent listening, chilling, or dancing away to 60s Mod, Beat, Jazz, Boogaloo, and Funk, with the best of original 60s Ska/Reggae packing out venues across Ryde seafront. The popular event saw over 1,000 attendees visiting the Royal Esplanade Hotel, the Pavilion and the Marine Bar.
The highlights of the March of the Mods included the incredible, uplifting Tonic Ska Choir. The choir provide the opportunity for people to come together, and sing covers of the biggest ska tunes. It is an inclusive and welcoming group, open to new members of all abilities.
The other favourite of the day was the Out of Time Band: 4 local musicians with years of experience from several different bands playing an assortment of 60s, 70s, and 80s Classic Rock and British Invasion.
March of the Mods supports the Teenage Cancer Trust because of the great work they do in supporting young people with cancer, as well as their impressive music reputation. The charity is now 31 years old, and with patrons like mod icons Roger Daltrey and Paul Weller, this is a great cause for the March of the Mods community to get behind.
Tonic Music for Mental Health is a charity based on the south coast of England, which raises mental health awareness, challenges stigma, and promote mental wellbeing through music and the arts. The charity has a proud history and has helped many isolated and vulnerable people in the community.
Event organiser Steve Robson has said:
“It’s most definitely been our best MOD event to date! It’s been great to see so many people out enjoying not only the incredible music, but the sunshine too, and all for two amazing charities as well. We’re currently still totting up the total, but we’re expecting to have raised between £4,000 and £5,000.”
