Sons of Selina – The Bistro, Rhyl
Sons of Selina set:
TRACK |
---|
Climb |
Anxiety |
Terminus |
Of The First Water |
Kalgan |
Life Is But |
4+20 |
For Want Of A Better Name |
On A Promise |
Four years, 3 singles, an album & radio one session after forming the Sons Of Selina play their 1st hometown gig. Why?
‘There’s a local band mentality in Rhyl which we avoid at all costs,’ explains Neil, ‘every town has it but you don’t notice so much when you’re from outside the area, which is why we didn’t play Rhyl & hardly ever brown-tongued the appalling local press.’
This bitterness may have been down to the running feud between Neil Crud and Paul Hammond of Psycho Sexual Sex Terrestrials after Paul ceremoniously sacked Neil from PSST on the eve of the release of their debut single.
‘I’ve not had much opportunity in the last couple of years to see any local bands,’ adds Neil. ‘There’s always a rivalry between local bands for some odd reason; why? What are we in competition for, what is there to win? The only band who I have seen recently & really enjoyed are The Fluff.’
A few days before this show Neil had expressed the wish to project a video he had compiled with Dave The Rave (ex-PSST) onto the stage over the band, this was going to be technically difficult to achieve on a Delerium Records type budget, so Bonehead suggested that they use TV screens set up behind the stage. So at the price of £37 an 8-way booster amplifier was set up & 6 TVs mounted behind the stage with wiring done thanks to Roger Bickley (ex-Zodiaque UK).
Steve Jones (one of many) – he of White Tygerz, Heroes On A Beach, Picture House & almost Sons Of Selina fame did the PA.
‘I remember the soundcheck being over by 9pm & we weren’t on for another 2½ hours,’ said Neil, ‘My biggest fear was that the lads were going to be pissed by the time we were due on stage, Robin was on his 2nd pint & I always remember the PSST incident when he found himself arrested on seven charges. So I took them all to my house for a couple of hours. It was nice to see over 250 people bustling around the place on our return to The Bistro, at £2 a head I make that £500, £170 paid to us mean’t a nice profit in the Trehearn’s back pocket.’
The reference to seven charges was when Robin (also, then a member of PSST) found himself pissed in the back of the band’s car and left abandoned in the middle of Rhyl High Street. Apparently the rest of PSST slammed on the brakes and got out out to have a fight and settle some old scores. Robin, trying to be sensible, attempted to move the car out of the way of other traffic, only to be arrested for drink driving. He subsequently went bezerk at the injustice of being arrested for ‘doing a good deed’ and assaulted the policemen and smashed up the poilce car. Amazing stuff..!!
SOS line up for this gig was Neil- vocals. Robin- guitar. Martin- guitar. Bonehead- guitar. Ken Mainardis- bass. Steve- keyboards. Cumi- drums.
The following morning the band were ousted from their beds by Delerium who insisted they did a photo shoot, the results of which now decorate their website.
The NME boasts an advert by the band trying to be too cryptic for their own good – SONS OF SELINA: AVAILABLE FOR WEDDINGS, FUNERALS & CHILDRENS PARTIES (WE NEITHER), in the small ad section as well as a ¼ page Delerium advert for their debut album Nour D’oui.