Bone & The Aft will be playing the Hope and Anchor

IF you’re a rock music fan and have lived in Camden for the last 40+ years, the chances are you would have seen the brilliant Kentish Town guitarist Ian McKean play locally.

From rock and roll punks Twenty Flight Rockers to indie rock legends Balaam And The Angel and glam rockers Bad Detective to pub rock favourites The Runner Brothers, Ian, from Queen’s Crescent, has played just about every famous venue in the borough.

And next Sunday (March 30) locals will get a rare chance to see his latest band, Bones & The Aft, when they play the famous Hope And Anchor pub in Upper Street, Islington.

According to their growing following, the band who have released four albums but only play a handful of selective gigs a year, they are London’s best kept secret.

They are also almost impossible to pigeon-hole, forging such a unique sound augmented with breathtaking theatrics that they possibly have created a new genre of music.

To give you some idea of their sound, in the mix they have elements of the experimental rock of Captain Beefheart, avant-garde sax, spacey synth, flute playing, all set to the type of socially conscious poetic lyrics that suggest a modern day Ray Davies.

Ian McKean

Ian, a school guitar teacher by day, said: “I formed the band with my best mate John Bently, who I’ve known from school, and we really wanted to create something different that not only sounded interesting and fresh but was also visually stimulating.

“Some people have called it art-rock but I really don’t like putting a name to it. It’s certainly nothing like any of the rock bands I’ve played in over the years as it’s not beat driven but powerful and moving in an audio-visual sense.

“The theatrical element is an important part of the show and brings to life John’s lyrics which are inspired by the grittier side of London life – the have-nots rather than any high life clubbing scene.”

The band, which also features John’s son Arthur on sax, clarinet, bass and synth, Joe Tebb on drums and Mikey Kirkpatrick aka Bird Radio, have earned a growing cult following but until now have been selective in the venues they play.

“Our shows are as much about a theatrical performance as they are a rock gig and we like to create an atmosphere and ambience that our audience can immerse themselves in,” added Ian.

“As such we like to play venues that can add to that atmosphere and recent gigs have taken place on Sir Francis Drake’s famous ship, The Golden Hinde; the Tate Gallery, and various churches in central and south London.”

The stirring music and powerful lyrics can swing from pathos in describing the plight of the homeless and asylum seekers one minute to a rib-tickling Dickensian-style penchant for characterising the mundane and the bizarre. And generally all of it is inspired by London life.

I’ve seen the band several times now and the buzz around them is that pretty soon they’re going to get the big break. Catch them while they’re still playing great venues like the Hope And Anchor.