Following on from the success of the recent PSHE performance by Molly Warburton for Year 7 and 8 students, Mr Beale (Personal Development and Careers Lead) invited the band ‘The Mercians’ into school to perform for our Year 9 and 10 students as part of their PSHE curriculum. The band members were welcomed into school, where they set up full band equipment, including 2 electric guitars, bass guitar and drum set. Band members – Matt, Harry, Ben, Joe and Owen – performed some of their own creations, along with a range of covers of songs the students know well, including Arctic Monkeys ‘505’. The band have been together for 2 years now, and they are still enjoying touring the country, visiting schools to deliver a very important message on key topics of mental health, discrimination & misogyny.
Students were blown away by the sound and enthusiasm of this indie-rock band, enjoying bopping along to the songs they knew and listening to their own creations. The band spoke of their inspirations, and influences, and their hopes for the future. They spoke of their own struggles with mental health, the importance of speaking to those around us, reaching out for help. The band also delivered a key message regarding discrimination, tolerance for others and choosing respect over misogynistic values.
Mr Beale closed the performance with a thank you to the band members for their performance, and a recap on those core values. The students then had a chance to get a leaflet from the band members, who were waiting on the doors, to say hello and for some, a photo opportunity.
A selection of photos can be seen below, more info about the band and a couple of their music videos can be viewed by clicking the links. Many thanks to Mr Beale for this wonderful opportunity for our older students, and for all he does to promote the core PSHE values and teachings. An extra special thank you to our Year 8 student, Jack, who stood in as Photographer for this event, and I’m sure you’ll agree that he did an amazing job! The photos are fantastic and capture the enthusiasm of the band perfectly. Thank you!
More info about The Mercians –
Mercian – Noun – A native or inhabitant of Mercia, a former kingdom in central England.
“The Mercians are a group of Midlands-born indie rockers who are bringing back the raw, unfiltered sound that the region is known for. Think Sam Fender meets Catfish and the Bottlemen, but with a gritty, down-to-earth edge that sets them apart. Their music is a mix of politics, emotion and raw talent. The band’s sound is reminiscent of the British indie rock revival of the early 2000s, but with a fresh and modern twist. They have already sold out the O2 Leicester on their first headline tour date, have over half a million streams on Spotify and have been number 1 in the Alt Charts. The band have had their own issues with mental health growing up so they are looking forward to talking about these experiences, spreading awareness and also talking about treating each other fairly and respecting everyone around us for our differences, whether that be our gender, race or sexuality.”
Please find the link to their music videos below.
