The Day ‘The Teazers’ Turned Down Supporting ‘The Jam’! (Part 1)
Social media is an incredible thing in both a good and sometimes bad way. However, earlier this year I met a lady on the software formerly known as Twitter - ‘X’, who runs a blog site called ‘Jill Webb Kindred Spirit Fanzine’. Jill is incredibly passionate about the band The Jam as I have been since 1978, and back in May this year she published the following post which has led to an unbelievable sequence of events.
I had been a huge fan of The Jam since early 1978 when This Is The Modern World was released, having been introduced to them by my best friend who taught me to play the guitar, David Harris, a fabulous musician who sadly passed away aged 38. I was a member of The Jam Fan Club and I used to look forward every month to my letter from Paul Weller’s sister, Nicky Weller about the latest Jam song, album, tour, literally any snippet of information I could possibly get. Paul Weller was my absolute idol and everything in my life revolved around The Jam. I used to get my suits made by the same tailors used by The Jam in Carnaby Cavern and paid for by my dear mum Vera who accompanied me with the cash! Jam shoes were from Shelley’s in Carnaby Street, and accessories were from Johnson and Johnson in The Kings Road, Chelsea. All shops used by Paul Weller. Life was timeless, days were long, we were young!
The Jam at Great Yarmouth ABC 18/11/1978
Above: One of the three ‘Gibson Heavy’ plectrums used by Paul Weller of The Jam at the Great Yarmouth ABC Theatre on November 18, 1978, collected by Paul Hopfensperger.
The first time I saw The Jam was on November 18th 1978, at The Great Yarmouth ABC on the All Mod Cons tour. I was only 15 and our bass player in our band “The Teazers”, Lee Jacobs and I were driven the 55 miles there by Lee’s dad and we were right at the front near the orchestra pit. When Paul Weller burst on stage with the opening riff of All Mods Cons followed by To Be Someone, I just stared at him unbelieving that he was no more than ten feet away from me. I remember vividly him looking at me and nodding. I can still see it to this day in my mind. At the end of one song, he flicked his “Gibson Heavy” plectrum up into the air and it landed in the orchestra pit. I pointed to it asking a bouncer to give it to me, but he just put it into his own pocket. I was furious! The next one I saw land, I made no mistake. I jumped over the barrier into the pit, grabbed the plectrum and was picked up and hurled over the barrier back into the crowd! I did this 3 times and came home with 3 of Paul Weller’s plectrums which I still have to this day. However, during the 3rd flight through the air back into the crowd, my blue “Jam trousers” from Carnaby Cavern (exactly the same style and colour as Paul’s suit and Bruce’s Jacket on the News of The World single cover) were ripped along the seam from knee to knee! It was a draughty rest of the evening in the gusset area I can tell you, but it was worth it - I had 3 of Paul Weller’s plectrums.
Above: The Teazers live @ The CENTA 1979: Paul Hopfensperger (16) Guitar/Vocals. Nigel Stemp (14) Drums. Lee Jacobs (16) Bass.
On December 2nd 1979, the then drummer in our band, Nigel Stemp and a few other friends had tickets to see The Jam at The Rainbow in Finsbury Park, London supported by The Vapors. After shopping in Carnaby Street, it was about 2pm so we decided to walk from Oxford Street Tube Station to The Rainbow by following all the tube station signs! It seemed to like a good idea at the time, but we had no idea how far it was. After many hours on foot, we arrived at the Michael Sobell Sports Centre in Finsbury Park looking for The Rainbow and I had worn a huge hole in the bottom of my Jam shoes from the 4+ hour walk! Suddenly, we were spotted by a group of leather clad bikers, and we all ran like hell! I didn’t stop until I reached The Rainbow totally out of breath. They didn’t catch us and boy what a concert! Girl on The Phone was the first track after a deafening introduction by The Jam’s manager and Paul Weller’s dad, John Weller.
Visiting Paul Weller’s Home 02/01/1982
Saturday January 2nd 1982, is a day I will never forget. The drummer in the second line-up of my band The Teazers, Pete Hawtin (16) drums/backing vocals, one of our roadies, Simon Williams (16) and myself, Paul Hopfensperger (18) guitar/lead vocals, were on our way back to Bury St Edmunds from Camberley in Surrey where we had gone to meet some friends, we had met skiing in December 1981.
On the way back from Camberley, I had a brainwave. From various sources in the media and Nicky Weller’s fan club info, I knew that Paul Weller lived on The Maybury Estate in Woking, but that was it. I suggested that we divert slightly to Woking and go and try to see where Paul lived and had grown up. As we found The Maybury Estate, my heart was racing. For four years I had been such a huge fan of The Jam, and here we were driving into the estate where he used to live. As we drove around, all the houses looked similar, and I had no idea which number he lived at. Then suddenly, I saw that one of the houses had all brand-new windows and front door, and there was a large Mercedes parked outside. I guessed that it just had to be the one. Hesitantly, we got out of my car, a gold Mk2 Ford Escort, walked to the front door and knocked. A man opened the door, and nervously I asked if Paul Weller lived here. “Not any more boys” said John Weller, Paul Weller’s dad! He lives in London now. Come on in and have a cup of Tea”. He said. I honestly couldn’t believe it! I was being invited into Paul Weller’s house talking to his dad and having a cup of tea at his kitchen table! Living the dream or what?
Above: The Teazers 1982: Paul Hopfensperger (19) Guitar/Vocals. Andrew Leong-son (17) Bass. Peter Hawtin (16) Drums.
I remember walking in the front door and to the right there were stairs with gold and silver discs from The Jam. It was incredible. We all sat around the kitchen table he made us a cup of tea and he chatted to us about where we were from, our love for The Jam, and our band. He then played us a demo tape of the next release by The Jam - a song called A Town Called Malice. Then came the moment which I have never forgotten and have regretted for the rest of my life! “How would you like to support The Jam at Leicester, De Montfort Hall?” said John Weller. “We haven’t got a support band and I’d be happy for you to do it” he said. I honestly couldn’t believe my ears. Had he really asked us that? Was he really asking our little band from Bury St Edmunds who he had never even heard, to support The Jam, the biggest band in the country? A band who had gone straight in at number 1 in the UK charts with Going Underground less that 2 years earlier. Really? I stuttered and came up with all the reasons in my head why we shouldn’t; I couldn’t get the time off work, I had college work to do, how would we get all our kit to Leicester, etc. But the biggest reason was that we looked like The Jam, we dressed like The Jam, we played songs by The Jam. We would be ridiculed by the audience for being The Jam mark 2 who would be followed on stage by – The [real] Jam!
After much discussion, we declined the very kind offer, but he said he would get in touch and ask us when The Jam played nearer to Bury St Edmunds. Just before we left, he gave us all a T-shirt, mine was a Down in The Tube Station at Midnight one which although is very well worn, I still have to this day.
A Lesson Learned - NEVER Negotiate with YOUR Dream!
As we drove back to Bury St Edmunds, and over the past 41 years, I thought to myself “What if I’d said yes to this?”. I still think this every day. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and through probably unwarranted fear I had said “No” to the biggest opportunity of my lifetime.
I have used this life lesson to grab every opportunity given to me ever since, and now I teach people to NEVER Negotiate with Your Dream! whatever it may be, whatever stage you are in your life, or whatever circumstances you may find yourself in. It’s never too late to start planning and achieving your goals.
The only limits you may have which can stop you achieving your goals, are the ones generated within your own mind - your own limiting beliefs.
Paul Hopfensperger
So why am I sharing this with you? Well, this article has started us (The Teazers) on an incredible journey which I will share with you in January 2024.
To be continued…
