VIDEO PREMIERE - LONDON MICK

You can check out the fantastically groovy brand new video for LONDON MICK from WHERE THE ACTION IS now!

The video was shot by Mike in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park, where a group of rockabilly fans known as The Harajuku Strangers dance each Sunday to their favourite vintage rock-and-roll records. Mike writes:

THE HARAJUKU STRANGERS

Tokyo has a long tradition of rockabilly fandom, and since the 1980s groups of rockabilly cats have gathered every Sunday at the city's Yoyogi Park to dance to their favourite records.

When I was there a few months ago I went to see for myself. It was a cold day and about ten rockabilly cats were dancing while very loud vintage Japanese rock and roll played through an amplifier. There were as many women as guys, and all were dressed in black leather or blue denim, with red handkerchiefs dangling from their back pockets. Some had the name of the gang or club emblazoned on their jackets: STRANGERS. The guys had quiffs and long winklepicker shoes.

They did elaborate, demonstrative dancing, a cross between the twist and a rockabilly ballet with the guys doing splits, leaps, high fives and cool hair-slicking movements; the girls rhythmic steps and elegant, refined moves. A couple of grandees in expensive coats and frozen black quiffs watched, but never danced. As Iggy Pop said when he saw his band The Stooges for the first time, I was most impressed. Here was the original spirit and style of rock and roll, preserved, alive, magnificent.

I loved this gang, these "Strangers", instantly. I shot five minutes of film on my phone, shared a few words and a handshake with a tall, young bequiffed cat in blue, and a few months later gave the clips to my bandmate Steve Wickham, who synched his favourite bits to a rock and roll track on our new album, London Mick, itself a tribute to another embodiment of rock and roll, Clash and B.A.D. guitarist Mick Jones.

With the help of Shoe Nakamura from our Japanese record label, Traffic, we tracked down the Strangers, or more properly The Harajuku Strangers, named after the artistic area of Harajuku, bordering the park where they dance. They kindly gave permission for us to use the film, and told me a bit about their club and its history.

Strangers founder, Jess Yamanaka

The Harajuku Strangers were formed in 1990 by Jess Yamanaka, a rock and roll cat who moved to Tokyo from the provinces. The Strangers' inspirations included old rock and roll, American Graffitti and The Stray Cats, and like most Japanese rockabilly fans they were influenced by the Tokyo rockabilly culture shop Cream Soda (still trading in Harajuku). In those days as many as 2000 rock and roll fanatics would gather on a Sunday, guys in black jeans and girls in fifties' bell dresses. But The Strangers created a different style, with girls as well as guys wearing leather and denim jackets. Now only the Strangers have survived from those days and still carry the torch of rock and roll at Yoyogi Park. Their current leader is Kazuyo Inui (one of the cool, ponytailed ladies in the video), and as the film shows, the club includes young dancers as well as experienced, cool old hands. The generations of rock and roll flame-holders are still coming through.

We hope you dig them on the London Mick video and if you are visiting Tokyo you will find them at the Harajuku entrance to Yoyogi Park, rocking out every Sunday around 1pm.