The Early Days of The Jam + Rick Buckler Tribute with Steve Brookes & Holly Buckler

This week we present an episode in 2 parts - in part 1 we welcome Holly Buckler daughter of The Jam drummer Rick Buckler.

Holly has organised a tribute gig to her Dad who passed away in February 2025. The gig will take place at Woking Theatre on October 12th 2026 & you can buy any remaining tickets here.

The gig is in aid of the Same Beare Hospice in Woking.

The lineup includes: A Band Called Malice, Steve Brookes (founding member of The Jam), The Highliners, Pretty Green, Instrumental support from Stuart Prosser (Style Council, trumpet player), Steve Grainger (Played on Culture Club Album, saxophonist), Jody Smith (Worked with Van Morrison, Nigel Price and Bill Shanley, keyboard player)

Stories and memories from: Dennis Munday - Polydor Record Label, Peter Wilson - The Jam Producer, Bill Smith - Album / Sleeve designer for The Jam, Luke Morgan (The Highliners) - Life after The Jam

Exhibition pieces from About The Young Idea Exhibition in the foyer on arrival and during the interval. Some pieces have never been displayed publicly before!

Holly tells us about her plans for the gig & who will be there on the night, how the tribute concert came together, growing up with a former member of The Jam for a Dad & more.

We are also joined by founder member of The Jam, Steve Brookes.

Steve met a young Paul Weller at Shearwater School after moving to Woking in the early 70s. The pair became close & Steve spent a lot of time at the Weller family home on Stanley Road.

They began to play some lunchtime gigs at school & this was soon followed by their first gig at Woking Working Mens Club.

They were originally joined by Dave Waller & Neil Harris to round out the lineup before Rick Buckler joined as drummer.

Rick was perhaps more into heavier music at the time, but liked the fact the band had gigs & appeared to be on an upward trajectory.

Bruce Foxton has similar thoughts when he joined originally on guitar, with Paul Weller still on bass, before swapping roles shortly after.

A very early Jam track, Takin’ My Love later appeared as a B Side to the debut single In The City a few years later. Although it sounded drastically different in its original guise as the band had not yet taken in harder punk influences later important in defining their sound.

Paul was still quite shy at this early stage, with Steve taking on more of a frontman role in the very early days of The Jam.

Notable gigs take place with a residency at Michael’s in Woking.

Steve Brookes left The Jam in 1975 as he wanted to keep more of a Beatles influenced sound whereas Paul has begun to take in harder influences including Dr. Feelgood & the Sex Pistols.

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Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

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