Bruce Foxton... From The Jam

A backstage portaloo might be an incongruous place for a hatchet burial, but one of the most notorious rifts in rock 'n' roll was at least partially bridged in such a setting when the Who played Guildford last summer.

The vibes weren't exactly in fitting with the sunny conditions when former Jam mainman Paul Weller ran into his one-time cohort bassist Bruce Foxton – hardly surprising when you consider that Weller has barely exchanged a word with Foxton and drummer Rick Buckler since the demise of the Woking wonders in 1982.

However, after some serious awkwardness, the duo finally found some common ground in the privacy of the mens'. As Foxton tells The Skinny: "I was playing with my band, The Casbah, and Paul was there with Ocean Colour Scene. We were all sitting around backstage and the atmosphere between Paul and I was slightly frosty, to put it mildly. Neither of us really knew where to put ourselves. I went to take a leak and Paul came in right behind me. He basically just said 'good to see you man' and we had a bit of a hug."

The unexpected outbreak of détente may be a welcome development after years of rancour, but it seems that Weller's disinclination towards a full reformation is as strong as ever.

He is quoted as saying that he would have to be 'destitute' to even consider appearing alongside his former bandmates again and Foxton – who, with Buckler, singer/guitarist/Weller Doppelganger Russell Hastings and guitarist/organist Dave Moore will be touring under the moniker 'From the Jam' this summer – doesn't expect a change of heart anytime soon.

"I don't think he gives a monkeys to be honest," he says when asked about Weller's thoughts on the forthcoming tour. "He's made his thoughts pretty clear in the past. We've extended the invitation to him and that still stands but we're not holding our breath."

While Weller's intractable stance on the reunion is admirably steadfast when you consider the number of credibility-compromising comebacks witnessed over the past few years, it would be churlish to deny Foxton and Buckler their opportunity to dine out on past glories once more.

The pair were ruthlessly ditched by Weller at the peak of Jam-mania and their contribution to the band's sound (check out Foxton's jaw dropping bass work on classics such as Down In the Tube Station at Midnight and lesser-known album tracks like Happy Together and you'll see what we're getting at) has been somewhat overshadowed by the omnipotence of the erstwhile 'Modfather'.

It's also obvious from chatting to Foxton that there is nothing half-cocked about his and Buckler's commitment to giving the vast legions of Jam fans a stirring recreation of the halcyon times.

"When I first got back on stage with Rick (last May when he joined Buckler's own Jam tribute act, The Gift, for a couple of numbers) it was just amazing," said the bassist. "There was just a sea of happy faces.
"The level of affection there still is for the Jam is well known. There was a real bond there and that has lasted. There's also a younger generation of fans who have heard Paul's solo stuff and who are aware of other bands influenced by us."

So has he any fears of harming this legacy by his involvement in a reunion missing its most important third? "Nah... It's been exciting doing the songs again in rehearsal, we've got a great line-up, and we're playing some of the best material to have ever come out of Britain. We can't fail!"