It has been 38 years since frontman Paul Weller shocked the rock world by splitting up the Jam. But a new exhibition will tell their story in Brighton

THE Jam, even though they broke up in 1982, remain one of the most influential bands in rock history.

Now an exhibition celebrating the band’s history is coming to Brighton and is bound to be a popular attraction, especially as they played their final gig in the city.

Entitled About The Young Idea it is a must-see exhibition with a huge collection of rare and mainly unseen material.

It will be accompanied by acoustic performances from bands of the Mod revival era, plus film screenings and guided talks in a pop-up location on Brighton beach.

There will be a modernist bar, with a selection of street and locally sourced food during the month-long homage for Jam fans and lovers of UK culture alike.

The exhibition takes its title from the Jam’s debut hit single In The City and charts the trio’s journey from Woking to superstardom until their split six years later following 18 consecutive UK top 40 singles and more than 14 million global album sales.

The exhibition will also feature frontman Paul Weller’s subsequent band, the Style Council with an additional room of never-seen-before memorabilia.

Following hugely-successful exhibitions in London and Liverpool, the personal archives of all three members of the band, Weller, drummer Rick Buckler, and bassist Bruce Foxton, plus the Weller family and music archivist Den Davis will feature prominently.

Fans will be able to see handwritten lyrics, original stage outfits, personal photographs, rare footage, unreleased music videos, early scrapbooks, letters, postcards, posters, fanzines, and the band’s instruments – it’s a completist’s dream.

After six years of success, as one of the greatest bands of their generation, frontman Weller decided to pull the plug on their time together.

Rick Butler, even 30 years on still remembers the moment when their dream was all over.

He said: “I didn’t really take it in at first. This was June or July, but we had six months of commitments in front of us. We had a massive tour which was going to finish at Guildford but then we added a final gig at Brighton (on December 11, 1982).

“It was like we were going to be driving over a cliff at the end of the year, and you keep thinking ‘maybe he’ll change his mind’.”

Of course he never did and it seems a reunion remains firmly off the cards.

At this pop-up event, fans can expect to wander through an Underground station to witness the band’s formative years, which no doubt inspired the classic Down the Tube Station at Midnight.

Then there is the Stanley Road room, including Paul’s own school books and archive family photos from the early years.

Each room will include items from each year of the band’s career with the ultimate vinyl collection together with a mass of memorabilia and the band’s instruments, including Paul’s Whaaam! guitar and stunning mod-wear flanked by customised Jam scooters.

Nicky Weller, sister of frontman Paul, said: “If you’re a Jam fan there’s every single thing you can possibly imagine. If you’re not a fan it’s still interesting as far as social history goes. If you’re just a music fan it’s just a noisy fun exhibition. I’m so excited that we will be taking About The Young Idea” to Brighton.”

The exhibition runs from August 1 to August 31 Brighton Beach, Volks Halfway Station