Hackney didn't need a coal mine to start a colliery band
183 views · Published 10 December 2014 · 1:55 · Indexed 23 October 2026
Channel: London Live · 2014 · Entertainment
They've been everywhere from the Olympics to Nijmegen: London Live caught up with the Hackney Colliery Band. Blending afro-beat, hip hop and Balkan brass with East End jazz, the Hackney Colliery Band is one of the more unusual acts performing in London today. The nine-piece are making waves around the world, having played a 45 minute set at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Their name, a reference to brass groups from coal-mining towns, takes a little explaining. “It’s partly a homage to British brass traditions and also partly to imagine what it would be like if there was a traditional brass band in Hackney, how would it represent the diversity of music that goes on there”, said band leader Steve Peters. Having played dates in Berlin, Brussels and Nijmegen earlier this year, they returned to the capital for a performance at the Jazz Café in Camden this week. “The live scene in London is so exciting and there’s so much going on here, whether it’s in an experimental music night in a café in Dalston or huge pop acts at the O2”, Steve said. “It feels incredibly vibrant and really important to our sound”. The Hackney Colliery Band are currently recording some new music and are booking their festival slots for 2015.
