Not that long ago street art was considered a synonym for vandalism. Tags scrawled by young louts hanging from railway bridges when they ought to have been home at night and who didn’t respect the value of people’s property. Or at least that was one mindset. But things have changed (partly to Mr Banksy’s fame) and now the whole spectrum of street art, right from the scorned tag, through typography, paste ups, and murals can be seen on the streets of the world’s most celebrated cities.

On a street art walking tour through parts of Old Street, Shoreditch, and Hackney, with Emilie from Alternative London, I was shown an array of styles and forms, some playful and aesthetic, some a demonstration of identity, and others part of a social conversation and making challenge statements. And try as they might, the authorities can’t stamp it down. Just like Christiaan Nagel’s brightly coloured mushrooms made from expanding foam and popping up around the east, it keeps on growing.

Street artists are nothing if not innovative. Take Ben Wilson. You’re unlikely to notice his work. In fact, you’ll step all over it. Also known as the chewing gum artist, he creates works on discarded and dried up bits of gum, putting the view in front of him down on the sticky pavement. Some of the simplest work is deep in meaning, like ‘Stik’, the man who is a comment on the vulnerability of the disenfranchised homeless community.

Street art is no longer underground, displayed in galleries and selling for hundreds of thousands of pounds. We see pieces by Banksy, Thierry Noir (the first man to paint on the Berlin Wall), Connor Harrington, and a secret pop star who goes by the name of Bambi. Having soaked up inspiration from all the above and more, we wandered back to the studios (via a beautiful and intricate paste up mural from Lily Mixe) to create our own.

Emilie guided us through designing and cutting out multi layered stencils, and bravely trusted us to wield spray paint as we cast it on the walls, paper and bags to take away. Struggling to create the perfect A4 stencil, I’m in awe of the large and intricate pieces like that of French stencilist Tian.

But this form of art isn’t about competition. Instead it’s creative and expressive. Rocking my new bag and proud of my skills, as well as encouraged to look up, down, and really see what’s around me, I’ve got a whole new appreciation for art—wherever it happens to be.

With three courses, (There’s Frank – Putt Up or Shit Up; we were on Pedro – Polluted Paradise, although secretly wished we’d been allocated to Helga – In Da Club, mainly for singing opportunities) there’s plenty of inventive twists on the game. Lose a ball in the washing machine, just like your sock; walk along the plank to Steven Seagull’s mouth; play pool with your golf club; and navigate slides and climbing frames.

Of course you have street food on offer, craft beer, and a cocktail menu dripping in puns. It gets pretty busy, and very loud, so isn’t the best place to catch up with mates, but does offer the opportunity for fodder to rib them with in the pub afterwards.

Open 11am-11pm every day until the end of the year. Tickets from £8.50.

In the craft beer hub Brewhouse sophisticated electropop from New Zealand quartet Yumi Zouma has elements of rolling melodies, whilst jangle pop was there in all glory at arts studio Oval Space, with guaranteed good time Veronica Falls and Mollie Rankin’s from Toronto’s Alvvays  connective clamour.

Eleanor Friedberger persevered through a chatty crowd in the New Empowering Church, and playing with warm heart and soul endeared the crowd, as the delicate vocals of Swedish sweetheart Alice Boman had earlier.

The Laundry is certainly the heavy house, with the Cheetahs early set leaning to loud grunge rather than melodic shoegaze. It gets heavier for Leeds’ Eagulls, and shocktastic for Perfume Pussy. Andrew WK’s audience are there to party hard. Violent dancing, destroyed amplifiers, stage invasions and crowdsurfing, only ending as W.K’s microphone and piano were unplugged. Crazed carnage.

As frustrating as it us, when nearly all day major band clashes are on, it’s a sign of a stellar line-up is a good one. Whilst Perfume Genius played what I heard to be a deep, atmospheric and beautiful set Policia were haunting and slick as usual, there was the feeling that they may have been a bit weary after their string of festival performances.

Visions – I see a good future ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgeLb4QAC6M

Juxtaposition is a wonderful thing, which goes some way to explaining why Underground Rebel Bingo has been such a success. Bingo is not just the reserve of blue rinse ladies – the rest of us like it too, but we like it with loud music, strong drinks, DJs, dancing and cool prizes.
Back from a world tour, visiting New York, LA, Las Vegas, Ibiza, Beijing and Madrid, among others, Underground Rebel Bingo returns this weekend, Friday 14th and Saturday 15th, to a secret Shoreditch den, with all the above, and its eclectic music policy of punk rock, indie, old school hip hop, garage, 00s stuff, 90s stuff, 80s stuff.
A night out for rebels who like fun, or those who like fun and feel a bit rebellious, the creators of the night recommend that if you like if you like music, dancing, playing, laughing and maybe winning stuff this is the place for you.
To celebrate the return of one of the coolest nights out, we have two tickets to give away one of this weekend’s events. All you have to do is tweet or facebook ‘Bingo, I’m an underground rebel @IAH_music’  and we’ll enter you in to the competition! Closing date is Thursday, at 12pm, so be quick!