Hackney Colliery Band have had a simply phenomenal few years, and they'll show you why when they rock up at MK11 on Saturday (June 30).
From playing a 45 minute set at the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics and sets at the MOBO, Brit and Mercury Awards to live sessions on BBC Two, BBC Radio 2, Jazz FM and worldwide airplay from many more, from collaborations with the likes of Amy Winehouse and Madness to headline shows at London’s Koko, and a tour schedule even taking in the Faroe Islands, these east London musicians haven’t stopped.
Part of the great appeal lies in their set list, which is as diverse as the London borough that gave them their name.
With influences as much from the world of contemporary rock and electronica as from jazz and global brass, they stand out in a music landscape increasingly populated by brass bands.
A New Orleans-style line up of trumpets, trombones, saxes, sousaphone and two drummers, and a name which pays homage to the British brass heritage demonstrate that Hackney Colliery Band are rooted in tradition, yet sound thoroughly modern.
A tour de force of trumpets, trombones, saxes, sousaphone, marching percussion and electronics, the band areas inspired by contemporary rock and electronica as they are New Orleans marching bands and the traditional British brass bands to which their name pays homage.
Formed in 2008 out of a desire to play music that appealed to the feet as much as to the ears, the band has rapidly gained an army of loyal supporters, including radio support fromGilles Peterson, Craig Charles, Huey Morgan, Jamie Cullum, Rob Da Bank and John Kennedy.
Since the release of their eponymous debut in 2011, the nine-piece have blown their way into the public consciousness with their energetic and passionate live shows, amassing fans worldwide and reinventing the brass band sound for the modern age - and now they are coming to Milton Keynes.
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