When a gig only costs £3 to get in, you have no right to expect to see the finished, polished article. You might expect it to be a bit rough around the edges, a less than slick performance, maybe out of tune. However, all these expectations were confounded as I made my way into the dimly lit back room of the Victoria pub in Dalston to see Arthur Beatrice and Gabriel Bruce.
Gabriel Bruce, playing just his second ever gig, is a solo artist with band. His voice is somewhere to be found between Johnny Cash, Nick Cave and anyone else you care to mention in the box marked “Gravely”. One of the best front man performances I’ve seen for a long time, taking great command of the stage. I have only been taking photos for a short time, but this was one of the most enjoyable nights I’ve had with a camera. Energy, charisma, presence and with the songs to back it up. Take a listen to his debut release – “Sleep Paralysis”.
In contrast, Arthur Beatrice sound like they should be a solo artist but are in fact a four piece band. Interchanged boy/girl vocals and swapped keyboard parts, they reminded me of Canadian indie-outfit, The Dears. The multiple microphones and swapping about presented some photographic challenges as I couldn’t find many photos where a microphone wasn’t getting in the way!
Alphabet Bands 
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