Following the success of their inaugural event in 2024, Skelmanthorpe Band's 'Brasstonbury' concert series returned with the Yorkshire band playing to two sell out audiences.

Bangers

By deliberately "abandoning all expectations of typical brass band programming", the audience revelled in a genre-bending, high-energy concert that delivered a set-list of chart topping bangers from the likes of Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, and Two Door Cinema Club, as well as festival favourites Paul Heaton, Simply Red, The Proclaimers, and TOTO.

The weekend culminated in a powerhouse headline performance of Oasis hits to send the crowd into a frenzy.

New audience

95% of the music was arranged by just five members of the band, with Band member and organiser Murray Preston telling 4BR: "I wanted to generate a new audience to come listen to what a brass band can do.

I also wanted to make it free for kids and hopefully inspire the next generation of learners by making sure we had plenty of bang-up-to-date music that little or few bands would think to arrange."

Gin and Ale

The result has been a clamour to out the event as soon as possible again, with more hits to be found on their next concert appearance at an annual Gin and Ale Festival, which will see the debut of the band's 9-piece ensemble, 'ShatFaced Brass'