Private School, Black Nylon and Bones Ate Arfa at the Sebright Arms

I happened to have a free night and looking for a gig to go to, this free gig for a band I had never heard of, Private School, popped up. Then I looked at the details and first support were Bones Ate Arfa, so I thought, am definitely on for that. 

Slightly more doubtful when my train was late, then more so when having got onto the delayed train it was announced it wasn't even going to stop at my stop, due to the delays. So, I went all the way through to Liverpool Street and then had to get train back again in the direction from which I had just come!

Not that it mattered as although information said 7pm doors open, actually nothing happened until 8.

Here are Bones Ate Arfa arriving on stage,. I was at the back next to the as yet not opened bar. And of course no one in between. The Sebright Arms venue is actually underneath the pub in a black painted room that would make a decent dungeon.

Obviously I moved down to the front and a crowd duly rushed in from the pub upstairs when they started to play 

Herbie, on drums above, came to stand next to me during the next act so I asked him about this gig and he said it was a surprise to them too - they only learned they were playing last week. He was standing there with his coke - he is still too young to drink. But only for another month he told me!

Black Nylon were ok. Lead singer had a surprisingly good voice which suddenly burst out after a quiet intro. Didn't get a decent photo of the lead singer as he liked to sing from right at the front of the stage, and the Sebright's rudimentary lighting didn't extend that far

Now I think it would be fair to say that Bones Ate Arfa are at the outer end of my taste range with their grungey style. Black Nylon were in similar place. But it was perhaps no surprise to find an act on the bill that were outside my taste range. That was Private School. An American trio consisting of drummer, bass player and vocalist, not singer. There was no singing. This was rap crossed with metal. Loud and committed.  

I got no clear shots of the bass player. He was essentailly a whirring ball of hair at all times - see below. Reminded me of the Slag Brothers in the Wacky Races (which reveals my age)

The lead vocalist was very committed, and frequently came into the maelstrom that was the audience. The floor was just one huge mosh pit. I avoided the mayhem by standing on a bench at the side.

He brought up an American friend who was both pretty and a very good singer, as she revealed with an impromptu Adele cover.

By this time the lead vocalist had taken the opportunity of his break to peel off his sweat soaked vest and his trousers - it was incredibly hot and sweaty and he was giving it 100%. As was his audience

I will briefly mention one bugbear of the younger generation. This young man has just turned 27 - as he told us - and has a fine slim physique - so why disfigure it with random collection of tattoos?

So I think I can appreciate what this stuff is about, even if I can't bring myself to like it. It is a release of youthful exuberance. The crowd are like a rugby match were someone had forgotten to bring the ball. Just a melee of youngsters charging into each other to the soundtrack of drums, bass and a lot of shouting and swearing. My youthful exuberance has long been released by 40 years in an office. There is none left to release, so this just wasn't for me. But an experience to watch from a perch, with ear plugs. I could feel drips down the wall behind me. Possibly from the air conditioning unit above me, possibly just condensation from....