View Full Version : Celebrity Brass players
Did anybody see Melanie Sykes on tv christmas eve playing christmas carols on her baritone. She made quite a passable job of it. I bet quite a few of us wish she were in our band.
I thought she was just a bit of eye candy :shock: and never knew she had such talents. It got me thinking are there any other famous people out there hiding banding talents :?:
stephen2001
04.01.2003, 20:23
Victoria Wood plays trumpet/cornet.
Ewan McGregor used to play French Horn before he became famous.
Celebrity Chef, Brian Turner plays Tuba.
Thats 3 just off the top of my head, but I'm sure theres others!
IckleSop
04.01.2003, 20:42
Gareth gates Plays Cornet and very well i hear
I saw one-time Nottingham Forest 'keeper, Steve Sutton, at the North West Area at Blackpool and I seem to remeber someone tell me he used to play.
Wish I'd seen Melanie Sykes though! :wink:
I think Steve Sutton was Principal Cornet for someone if my memory serves me correct.
satchmo shaz
05.01.2003, 09:07
he used to play for thoresby band who are top section
NottinghamFlorist
05.01.2003, 13:42
Whey Hey! Come on u reds. I remember Steve Sutton playing for Forest in the early 80's he was a vey good goal keeper and one of the fans favourites being a local lad. Brian Clough fell out with him and wouldn't play him again despite him being the best keeper by a mile. I wasn't into brass bands then but I seem to remember seeing him in the papers/tv playing a horn/bari/euph shaped instrument not a cornet. But I may be wrong.
engelbert humperWink
05.01.2003, 15:48
I seem to remember "sutty" playing baritone but not full time due to commitments with Forest and then Derby County Also when it was his testomonial year Leylands came to Nottinghams Albert Hall and sutty did a bit of conducting to boot!!
I also remember hearing Emmerdales Zak Dingle (dont know the actors name) is a big bandie-not sure if he plays tho.
TheMusicMan
05.01.2003, 16:37
... btw... If anyone has any pics of celeb's doing brass, playing, or conducting - and you don't have your own space to host them - just send them on to me at john@themouthpiece.com & I'll format/resize them & put them up on this thread :D
I'm sure this would add an interesting slant to the topic...
I seem to remember "sutty" playing baritone but not full time due to commitments with Forest and then Derby County Also when it was his testomonial year Leylands came to Nottinghams Albert Hall and sutty did a bit of conducting to boot!!
I also remember hearing Emmerdales Zak Dingle (dont know the actors name) is a big bandie-not sure if he plays tho.
Certainly saw him in the bar at the 2001 Open.
he's always about with some of his """"celeb"""" mates at whit fri too
Steve Halliwell (AKA Zack Dingle) is a big Brass band fan though not a player. About 8 years ago he wrote a play for M6 Theatre Company which toured schools in the North West. It featured a lad whoplayed the cornet.The story was about a couple of unemployed guys who search for antique "pot lids on slagheaps and Victorian rubbish dumps.
I cannot remember the title,unfortunately,but it concluded very movingly with the finale of Resurgham. Steve played one of the two guys and the play was partly autobiographical if I remember rightly. He was at the time a not very wealthy jobbing actor.
How times change eh!
hornblower
07.01.2003, 12:02
I remember Ewan McGregor playing the tenor horn for real in the film brassed off and asking why everyone was laughing at him... apparently he was really bad!!! bless at least he tried!!!!!
http://www.thespiannet.com/actors/M/mcgregor_ewan/brassedoff1.jpg
sparkling_quavers
07.01.2003, 12:59
http://www.thespiannet.com/actors/M/mcgregor_ewan/brassedoff1.jpg
I don't mind if he wants to join our band 8)
hornblower
07.01.2003, 13:30
I know... and he's scottish...pphhwwooorrrgghhh! :lol: :lol:
dave jake
07.01.2003, 15:30
Too much hair ,it can t be healthy :(
I have to agree with Hornblower and Sparkling Quavers.
There'd be a fight if he put his name on the 'positions wanted' list!!!!!
sparkling_quavers
07.01.2003, 16:13
I have to agree with Hornblower and Sparkling Quavers.
There'd be a fight if he put his name on the 'positions wanted' list!!!!!
Yeah and I would win! :D
Scottish men are nice and irish as well! Shame about most of the English blokes :?
hornblower
07.01.2003, 16:52
too true my blokey is scottish :lol: :lol:
twigglet
07.01.2003, 17:51
lets not forget harold bishop here, an excellent tuba player by anyones estimations
lets not forget harold bishop here, an excellent tuba player by anyones estimationsAh, good old Harold...
Didn't Tara Fitzgerald actually learn how to play for Brassed off too? She was far better looking than that Ewan fella... :wink:
If she had learned to play she didn't look too convincing on her flugel solo..sorry, can't spell it!!
On the otherhand I don't suppose you men were looking at her valves eh??????
I don't suppose you men were looking at her valves eh??????
You are correct of course... :oops:
Roger Thorne
08.01.2003, 09:03
If she had learned to play she didn't look too convincing on her flugel solo..sorry, can't spell it!!
On the otherhand I don't suppose you men were looking at her valves eh??????
She looked more convincing than Stephen Tomlinson playing Trombone! . . . and I did glance up to look at her valves :lol: but only for second :wink:
TheMusicMan
08.01.2003, 09:10
I have to agree with Hornblower and Sparkling Quavers.
There'd be a fight if he put his name on the 'positions wanted' list!!!!!
Yeah and I would win! :D
Scottish men are nice and irish as well! Shame about most of the English blokes :?
Hey sparkly... what about Welsh fella's then... are they not nice ...?? :?:
I have to agree with Hornblower and Sparkling Quavers.
There'd be a fight if he put his name on the 'positions wanted' list!!!!!
Yeah and I would win! :D
Scottish men are nice and irish as well! Shame about most of the English blokes :?
Hey sparkly... what about Welsh fella's then... are they not nice ...?? :?:
Good question!
I remember reading in brass band world ages ago about melanie sykes being a former baritone player, and it also said that the actor Max Beesley used to play percussion for the National Youth Brass Band!
His mum was also the woman who sang in the shake and vac tv advert, what a claim to fame!
Helen
hornblower
08.01.2003, 12:12
I don't think tara played... afterall she wore lipstick whilst playing...impossible!!!!!
haha i dont think the grimey boys would be happy to hear they were accompanying a woman *cough, splutter* oh the politically incorrectness of it all!! *sighs*
did anyone notice that allan hobbins (current briggus sop plyr) made it on to practically every scene in the film too!!!
Aidan
cornetgirl
09.01.2003, 18:57
I don't think tara played... afterall she wore lipstick whilst playing...impossible!!!!!
Too true, she mimed!
How do I know this? Well, she was taught to mime by none other than Jim Shepherd who happened to teach me at the time (and very excited about the whole shebang he was too!!!!) Can't say much for Jim's acting in the film though... :lol:
foxyflug
09.01.2003, 21:37
Sutty is a friend of Alan Wycherley......he used to play baritone and do a spot of conducting too more recently (somewhere in the Midlands).
I met "Zak Dingle" at the Open (when it was Les Preludes), apparantly his uncle was Harold Moss who wrote The Nightingale.
Max Beesley used to play for Faireys on percussion. I remember him being hyper ALL the time!
The guys at Grimey aren't too bad Aidan......they didn't seem to mind accompanying THIS girl at York University a couple of years ago!!!!
:wink:
Foxy
Hi there,
I was a pupil of Jim's at the time too and he was certainly very proud - think he considered it his major claim to fame!
Are you the same rachel that used to play for Bradford Youth Brass Band/Brad Met Band?! If so you may remember a little kid sitting on 2nd horn? :)
Helen
cornetgirl
13.01.2003, 21:41
Hi there,
I was a pupil of Jim's at the time too and he was certainly very proud - think he considered it his major claim to fame!
Are you the same rachel that used to play for Bradford Youth Brass Band/Brad Met Band?! If so you may remember a little kid sitting on 2nd horn? :)
Helen
Yes, that was me! I do remember you, and all the fun that band had.... London.... being carried back onto the bus past geoff.... Jim and Geoff buying Catherine and I Bacardis at the Albert Hall.... why did that band have to go? ****** instrumental music service :(
Hi everyone ...new member here - a welsh lad oop north!!!!
Now I'll probably amaze everyone with my stupidity!!
Was just wondering if there was any family connection between said Mel and Steve Sykes. I am sure I remember an interview where she said her family were very well known in the banding world?! Just a thought- u never know!!!
Great site by the way!
Singapore Northern Lass
22.01.2003, 02:45
I seem to remember Richard Gere plays the cornet quite well, I know he's getting on a bit but I'm 40 next week-AAARGGHHHHH!!!!!! :( and he can sit beside me anyday and hold my mute! :o oooer Mrs!
markyboy
21.07.2003, 00:18
Just for a change I'm going to give Pennine Brass a mention, but a former back row player Ruth Piggott at our band was in a Vodafone commercial which ran on tv for a few months. The sound track was 'Bohemian like you' by the Dandy Warhols and she was one of the girls in the back of a limo when the caption comes up 'Were georgous'. Ruth is person who gave me the name Markyboy. She is now at Crewe Uni doing a degree in flirting with blokes twice her age, as I can vouch for. I also have every confidence she will pass with flying colours.
If your reading this Ruth, hope you are well.
Mark. XX
Talk about name-dropping !
Did'nt Bill Clinton play Alto Sax ?
www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk
This sounds like a great idea for one of those really rubbish filler programmes that are shown on ITV like "After they were famous" which are shown at the same time as Eastenders coz they no no-one will watch it.
"Famous brass bandsmen of our time". Matthew Kelly could host it. They could get a guest band to accompany our famous soloists.
Colin.
(PS - I seem to remember they've done something similar where Englebert Humperdink played darts against Eric Bristow, and someone was good at painting. Can't remember)
The guys at Grimey aren't too bad Aidan......they didn't seem to mind accompanying THIS girl at York University a couple of years ago!!!!
:wink:
Foxy
aye, was only jesting ;)
didnt you do a cd with them one time??
Hi everyone ...new member here - a welsh lad oop north!!!!
Now I'll probably amaze everyone with my stupidity!!
Was just wondering if there was any family connection between said Mel and Steve Sykes. I am sure I remember an interview where she said her family were very well known in the banding world?! Just a thought- u never know!!!
Great site by the way!
yup she is his niece :)
phwoaaar ;)
craigyboy1
21.07.2003, 11:41
I seem to recall that Jimmy Hill played cornet??
You know... the one us Scots love to hate?
did anyone notice that allan hobbins (current briggus sop plyr) made it on to practically every scene in the film too!!!
Do you mean all those sop arpeggios, even though there's not an instrument in sight? :?
Euph-Bari
21.07.2003, 12:02
he the guy with the big chin?
Doesn't Jim 'Bully' Bowen play Trumpet/Cornet? I think he only knows one tune 'Oh my Papa'.
You get nowt for two in a bed. What a load of bully...
I seem to recall that Jimmy Hill played cornet??
You know... the one us Scots love to hate?
I've seen him on tv attempt to play the trumpet...well he blew in the right end anyway.
And... it's not only you Scots...
Doesn't Jim 'Bully' Bowen play Trumpet/Cornet? I think he only knows one tune 'Oh my Papa'.
You get nowt for two in a bed. What a load of bully...
he did a compare job for us ages ago, so i spose he might have...
did anyone notice that allan hobbins (current briggus sop plyr) made it on to practically every scene in the film too!!!
Do you mean all those sop arpeggios, even though there's not an instrument in sight? :?
no, it was in his Bb days, he just seems to be in the background of every scene! :D
PeterBale
22.07.2003, 15:00
Talk about name-dropping !
Did'nt Bill Clinton play Alto Sax ?
www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk
Sorry, Charley, it is tenor he plays!
stephen2001
22.07.2003, 17:34
This sounds like a great idea for one of those really rubbish filler programmes that are shown on ITV like "After they were famous" which are shown at the same time as Eastenders coz they no no-one will watch it.
"Famous brass bandsmen of our time". Matthew Kelly could host it. They could get a guest band to accompany our famous soloists.
On the various "Before They Were Famous" style of programmes, they normally playing a clip of Ewan McGregor playing French Horn.
People have forgotten the obvious one (to me) of the now departed Roy Castle..... I can remember he did try to break a world record of getting lots of young musicians together to play in a massed band too. Not sure how it went but can remember one of the learners from the band I was with going along to it.
As for Tara Fitzgerald, if my memory serves me she could read music as she had played flute but needed to learn the right valves to press down on the flugel.
Mel Sykes would be a welcome member of our band as I think she has the right attitude to be on a bari/euph section!!!
Here's one for the Oldies, Jimmy Edwards.
For those who don't know who I'm talking about, he was a famous comic and actor who used to play Trombone and Tuba as part of his stand up routine.
Follow this link to find out more.
http://www.4barsrest.com/articles/2003/art327.asp
Also, let's not forget the late, great Spike Milligan, who in his younger days was a brilliant Trumpet player.
Eric Cantona used to play trumpet whist at Manchester United.He had lessons from one of the guys at the Halle.
Even turned up at some of there concerts!! :wink:
Max Beesley played percussion for Faireys and NYBB.
Used to be seen on opening/closing sequences for the Word.
All the best.
Frosty
Eric Cantona used to play trumpet whist at Manchester United.He had lessons from one of the guys at the Halle.
Would you tell him that he hasn't practiced enough from last time and you're disappointed with his progress :shock:
All that gaelic flair and flying feet...
And the cryptic excuses...seagulls, trawlers and I don't know what??
gaelic flair
I wasn't aware he was Irish... ;)
Big Fella
24.07.2003, 17:16
Melanie Sykes Father, Bob, plays Euphonium, and sometimes conducts Mossley JW Lees band.., she used to play in the band as well..
Sutty, used to play Solo Baritone at Thornsett Band
Jimmy Edwards also played the piccolo trumpet.
Cantonian
24.07.2003, 22:48
Jimmy Edwards also played the piccolo trumpet.
until he lost it in that massive handlebar moustache.
he meant "garlic"
Hmm...garlic...*Homer Simpson drool*
Cornishwomble
25.07.2003, 14:37
he meant "garlic"
Hmm...garlic...*Homer Simpson drool*
yeah and I have to sit next to you and smell your breath!!
Mike Saville
25.07.2003, 14:51
he meant "garlic"
Hmm...garlic...*Homer Simpson drool*
yeah and I have to sit next to you and smell your breath!!
. . . and I had to live with him for 16 years! :wow
twigglet
25.07.2003, 15:00
apparently Kylie is ace on the Bb tuba! :D
Mike Saville
25.07.2003, 15:06
apparently Kylie is ace on the Bb tuba! :D
and Robbie Williams sings about as well as he plays the Cornet!
Did you know HRH Prince Charles plays Cello ?
Please, no 'scratching it between the leg' jokes !
CB
geordiecolin
26.07.2003, 15:23
Newcastle Utd's Nolberto Solano is an accomplished Trumpeter specialising mainly in Salsa and Samba!
Nolberto Solano playing the Trumpet (http://www.officialplayersites.com/multimedia/photographs/0003.jpg)
perhaps someone should tell him it helps if you actually put your lips to the mouthpiece though!!
As nearest band to St. James Park - shall we offer Nobby a chance to play with us?
Be a good idea!!
geordiecolin
30.07.2003, 18:00
Would he then add the title of "First Peruvian Registered with BBBA" to his "First Peruvian to play in The Premiership" title??
If you did ask him join, I would hope for your sakes that his form on the trumpet was slightly more consistent.............................
Dave Payn
26.11.2003, 13:41
Yes Jimmy Hill did (don't know if he still does) play the cornet, there was also that little bald chap who was frequently on the Benny Hill Show in the 70s. I remember one sketch (might not actually have been on a Benny Hill SHow) where he played the Swan from Carnival of the Animals and when it got to the top note, knowing he couldn't reach it, he took the instrument off his lips, sang (or rather 'shouted') the note and carried on playing immediately afterwards! It's one of those visual things I suppose but to me, it was absolutely hilarious!
Dave Payn
26.11.2003, 13:42
I should have added about that bloke on Benny Hill Show... he played trombone.
does gareth gates play cornet?? i have a pic of him holding a cornet with a couple of dyke but dunno whether he actually does?!?!
Believe the celebrity chef Brian Turner( Ready Steady Cook, This Morning) used to play in his younger days. Think he was a member of Chalk Farm SA band.
Ray Collins
does gareth gates play cornet?? i have a pic of him holding a cornet with a couple of dyke but dunno whether he actually does?!?!
Don't know if he plays cornet. But I know he once went into a newsagent to buy a Mars bar and came out with a packet of M & M s
:?
On the Graham Norton show tonight, Chris Lowe from the Pet Shop Boys mentioned he used to play trombone in a brass band ...... till he could afford a trombone apprently!
On the Graham Norton show tonight, Chris Lowe from the Pet Shop Boys mentioned he used to play trombone in a brass band ...... till he could afford a trombone apprently!
i heard this although i missed half the conversation!!! meaness to gareth gates noooooooooooooooo :x :P
meaness to gareth gates noooooooooooooooo :x :P
Not standing up for the spikey one are you leisa? :shock: Tut tut... :? :evil:
I am sure I read somewhere that Will Young play's the oboe!!!!!! (shameful joke, i know) :roll:
I know that Billy Hartmann, who plays Terry in Emmerdale, used to play the cornet with West Calder band in his younger days.
That's about it for me though, West Lothian ain't great for famous people.
Trom41821
30.11.2003, 16:54
Did you know HRH Prince Charles plays Cello ?
Please, no 'scratching it between the leg' jokes !
CB
Must be in the family then. If "I've got news for you" are correct the Queen Mum played Harmonica and Bongos!!
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