Mod rockers Taking the Fifth

11:11am Thursday 14th August 2008

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Dodgy, The Charlatans, The Jam and Makin’ Time have all had an influence on Midlands band The Upper 5th.

The four-piece release their debut album next week, having had it produced by Dodgy frontman Nigel Clark and earlier in the year they supported Bruce Foxton and Rick Bucklers from The Jam.

Singer Mark 'Syd' McGounden was in 1980s Mod band Makin’ Time alongside Charlatans bassist Martin Blunt, with many songs on Take the Fifth strongly influenced by those days.

The album includes new tracks as well as ones from the bands previous stint together in the early naughties and guitarist Mick Couch explained that working with Clark and supporting The Jam had been great experiences.

He said: “Supporting the Jam was the first gig back for us and it was phenomenal. We got it through a promoter who knew us from the time we were together before. He found our new myspace and said we were the band he had been waiting for. For our first gig back after having a few years off it was fantastic.

“I knew Nigel through a band I played with in the 1990s that did a few dates with Dodgy. He built a studio near to where I live and is a wicked bloke. His musical taste and vocal harmonies, which we have got splattered across the album, are excellent.

“We knew if we took our work to Nigel he would understand what we are about.

“We have never really properly recorded our songs before. It’s Mod-influenced but with a 1960s feel. It’s quite eclectic too, there’s some rock songs and some acoustic ones.”

• The Upper 5th, Filthy’s, Red Lion, Heath Road, Twickenham, August 20, 8pm. Visit myspace.com/theupper5th