Black Friday Part 2
After traversing the fabric of space and time itself, it is with a joyous and uplifted spirit that I put pen to paper (in a virtual sense you understand, actually I’m clacking away on the keys at 40WPM 84% accuracy, thank heavens for the backspace key etc Etc EiTC… After having subcontracted the main MiB review out to the Stranglers Original Derby62 – (see - Black Friday Part 3), there was a need to provide a separate account of proceedings leading up to the aforementioned… So here goes…
A plasma storm in the time stream forced me to put down in Brixton south London in the year of 2017. Previous commitments meant there was no chance of making it early enough for Straighten Out at the Hope & Anchor (i.e. Black Friday Part 1). So we nipped into the Beehive where we rendezvoused with Sib and Son, Willy, Keith and Dreadinblack. The place was rammed to the rafters with friends and family in black.
An incoming communique from Karl told us he was in the priority queue, sensibly getting in early to setup a vantage point for the evenings events. Without further ado we ventured forth to join him in the good company of Greg and Pidge a quick hello with Author John Dewhirst (who reported on Lincoln, the first night of the tour for this very blog) among others, then we settled near the front by the lovely Andrea longhair.
And before you could say “somethingverylongwindedifitsleftuptomeetcEtcEiTC!” Boom! Ruts DC took the stage.
After a quick hello to the packed auditorium they kicked off the set. In titular deference to the tour of which they are partaking, we were treated to a set of classic Ruts and a healthy smattering of Ruts DC (modern classics)!
The capacity crowd were largely in early to see them too and they responded with gusto. There followed a kind of symbiosis as the crowd and band seemed to feed off each other becoming something more than just entertainers and audience – in some magical Gestalt kind of way!
Once more as per Guildford there was barely room to pack a rizla in the 45 minute slot. However, Segs and Ruffy still managed to have a laugh and a joke with the audience while Leigh was lapping it up especially when he was teasing us on the intro to the magnificent Staring At The Rude Boys. Wonderful!
The musical interlude of In A Rut went in a definite Dr Feelgood kind of direction, perhaps a nod to the company they were keeping the night before in Southend (i.e. Wilko).
All too soon it was all over and we headed off out…
Oh no we didn’t, we stayed put in anticipation of the MiB but that will be dealt with in Black Friday Part 3.
Over…
Videos: Andy Miller.
Segs Photo: Karlos Antrobus.
Words and Photos: Matthew Elvis Brown.
Bonus:
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