An Unusual Performance by Hackney Colliery Band at Woolwich Works

Photo by Ananth Sathyanath

On the 14th of October, the newly launched performance venue at Woolwich Works presented the Hackney Colliery Band, a brass collective from East London. The band is a combination of brass, reeds, and percussion, including some less-seen instruments like the sousaphone. Unsurprisingly, the sound of Hackney Colliery Band was rich in texture, and their performance at Woolwich Works fully showcased this funky blend. Though Hackney Colliery Band’s music has its roots in jazz, the band also covered a large range of non-jazz artists spanning from Nirvana to Kanye West. Because of this, the band’s music is enjoyable for a wide range of audiences, even those who are not necessarily jazz enthusiasts.

The performance was modern in its presentation, too. The unique venue provided the audience with a spacious area in the middle to dance. While it is rare to see people appreciating brass band music through dancing, the crowd that night did so whilst manifesting an air of energy and creativity. They stepped and swayed with complete freedom, making it an absolutely inspiring sight. The crowd was even more excited when the band stepped off the stage to join them, blurring the lines between audience and performers. The night at Woolwich Works was surely a cool and novel experience.

Photos by Ananth Sathyanath

To keep up to date with Hackney Colliery Band, you can check out their website, Instagram, or YouTube.

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Edited by Josh Aberman, Music Editor