A.F. More Than A Gang

I wanted to take a moment to express my love and appreciation for one of my favourite bands. Idles. Their energy, their positivity mixed with rage, their brilliant songs and their amazing live show which blew me away when I saw them in Nottingham last year. But there’s something special about Idles. You get many bands with great energy, epic live shows and brilliant songs. But it is the sense of community centred around five shouty blokes from Bristol which is unique in both its unlikeliness and positive attitude. Sure, Talbot’s lyrics scream love and unity, along with his trademark anger, but it’s the members of the A.F. Gang who show such care for both one another and the band that make this group so special and close-knit. I remember when my elderly French bulldog, Boodles was very ill. I was certain It was her last night with us on this mortal plane and as we decided at the vets the next day, it indeed was. I reached out to the gang for support to get me through the night as I was up with her until my family woke up in the morning. Through tears and sickness, Boodles and I found comfort in the other members of the family that is the gang. Hundreds of likes and comments from people I’d never spoken to before. The kindness of others got me and, I like to believe, Boodles through the night. Every single day the kindness of close strangers supports both myself and so many others. I’m always seeing posts from people who have lost someone, who are trying to get over addiction or are simply having a tough day. And for every one of these posts there are tenfold A.F Gangers expressing genuine care, love, unity and sharing their own experiences. There are the positive posts as well, from memes to gig photos which brighten my day every single morning when I open Facebook.

The point is my readers, the A.F. Gang is so pure and genuine, so wonderfully human that I have to share the love with you. Though I am indeed terrified that the more people brought into the A.F Gang we might lose what makes us so close. But to share the happiness these people have brought me? It’s worth it. At time of writing there is 23,176 of us. Long may we continue. All is Love is our motto. We will not go gently.

Peace, Love and Cowbells,

Oscar