A homage of a tribute: IT'S NOT MY FAULT - A Tribute to the life and legacy of Pat "Intrepid Fox" Begent.

By Sheri Bicheno

Sometimes, it's challenging to find the right words that will do justice for a narrative of a series of events, people, places and parts of life... So my aim is to cast some of my insight into the celebration of life of a man we all respected.

The Intrepid Fox whether at Wardour Street or St Giles was, to a lot of people, a safe space, a second home and worlds away from the heavy parts of life.

It was never "just" a rock bar. The Fox offered an escape and a place where you could choose your family and friends. It was a family for people from all walks of life.

I'd walk through the doors and if he was working, i'd be greeted with a cheerful "Alright, girl?" from behind the bar. Pat Begent was a mysterious chap, always very decent, with witty humour and usually the Captain at the helm of the bar and the lock ins.

Nevertheless, his close friends are the best ones to tell you exactly who he was.

Within the walls of The Fox, he ran one of the homes belonging to London's Alternative scene, creating an imperative space for artists and punters alike.

Some of which, to this day wouldn't be where they are now without that space, the opportunities that came with it nor the life long friendships made from it.

Pat's tribute was held on Saturday 29th June at The Underworld in Camden. This gave those who were part of such integral memories a chance to celebrate his life together and help raise money for Homeless Action In Barnet.

IT'S NOT MY FAULT - A Celebration of the life and legacy of Pat "Intrepid Fox" Begent was put together by one of London's most loved souls, Mick Wood, with an army of others contributing to the cause. With sets from Generation Graveyard, King Lizard, Mab and a union of musicians such as David Ryder Prangley, Niro Knox, Chris Nettleton and Santiago from days of The Intrepid Fox performing and a host of DJ's that used to play upstairs til the early hours were due to take the celebrations across to The Dev, this was always going to be like stepping back in time and reliving some of those moments.

The emotion bar was set high from the get go.

I got to The Underworld with a very close friend from the Fox days where Mab were already in full force. I walked in and was immediately hit with the atmosphere - people who as if never parted were in flow of catching up on old times, the bar was busy and the sound of atmospheric guitar riffs and Siren like vocals sweeping from the stage room spilled into the bar. In the corner, a merch table set up with new Intrepid Fox prints up for grabs on display, which was busy - and it's here where I started seeing some faces I'd not seen for perhaps ten years and had lost touch with over the years. DJ Schizo popped out of nowhere from the side of Mick whilst chatting at the merch desk and my heart almost stopped.

That was a moment that will stay with me a while.

So of course, that was my first tear filled experience of the night!

Checking out King Lizard for the first time in many years were fuelled by surges of rock styles and fusions of choppy, beautiful riffs and infectious uplifting beats catapulting the energy into the room.

Viva La Decadence - written for one of London's most prestigious rock clubs where people would frequent after The Fox had finished for the night, had the crowd moving and shouting "VIVA" back to the stage.

Some nostalgia settled in here and hyped up the audience to get ready for what's about to come next...

Headlining the evening, Generation Graveyard brought with them a raw and powerful performance that shifted the entire emotion of the room. With blends of hardcore, punk and rock absorbing the energy of the stage, blistering crunchy guitar riffs rolling into chuggy bassnotes melted faces whilst the heart thumping obscenity of the kit pulverised the ground beneath you.

Max's vocals are loud and in your face. He ranges between gnarly roars and trembling growls between elevated styles that don't suggest Generation Graveyard should be boxed as just punk and hardcore. There are technical elements to their sound that grab some fast paced but blackened corners of riffs. Max sits for a moment and blinking back tears, shares with the crowd a fraction of who Pat was to not just him, but to everyone and pays tribute to Pat, who did what he did for the good of keeping what he believed in alive.

"Our lives will forever be changed by what he did. No one asked him to do it. He just did it because it was necessary." Launching into Human Hive, Generation Graveyard ended The Underworld part of the evening with a thrashing and frenzied energy fuelled offering that had the whole of The Underworld headbanging and losing their minds along to them. Witnessing that, was a perfect send off for Pat that everyone could be involved in - Rock and Roll style!

With the afterparty at The Dev, featuring DJ sets by DJ's Alan Hixx, Darren Angel, Schizo and Ays Kura - all the notable sets played upstairs so long ago at The Fox, had the place heaving.

It was a wonderful opportunity of friends old and new to celebrate Pat's life and re-unite - and for those that couldn't be there, we all still have a piece of the freedom and community that Pat played a huge part in creating in London for so many years.

He put everything into it. Let's all be part of carrying him forward and keep his memory flourishing.

Thank you to Mick and his team for a beautiful evening that allowed us to pay our respects to Pat and to be part of something that reminds us all where we started.

It was for a great cause and I hope wont be the last.

Rest In Peace, Pat.