Youngblood BrassBand - something a little bit different

[geordiecolin]

I attended a concert last night. It wasn't an ordinary concert by any stretch of the imagination....

Most concerts don't start at midnight and only last an hour....

You see Youngblood Brass Band aren't a Brass Band in the strictest sense of the term, for a start they have a sax player...

Youngblood Brass Brass are a "New Orleans Style" Brass Band composed of 2 Tenor Troms, 2 Bb trumpets, a Bb Tenor Sax, a Sousaphone and two percussionists.

Last night they played Sheffield Uni Union's Tuesday Club to a great reception and it was indeed a great performance.

The crowd had been warmed up from 11pm with some extremely funky hip-hop played by the Tuesday Club's resident DJ before the Band appeared bang on midnight, instruments in one hand, Stella in the other.

They immediately launched into a lively set which oozed energy, passion, sweat and pure funk. Playing a unique mix of fusion jazz and Hip-Hop they blew everyone away. Take Tower of Power, fast forward them 20 years and you're kinda getting close to what these people are all about. The trombone players carried most of the melodic leg-work and certianly earned their pay. The trumpets were used more sparingly with Maynard Fergusonesque flourishes of frankly ridiculous pitch and power. The poor Sousaphone player..... I take my hat off to him. He put in a sterling performance whilst dealing with technical difficulites regarding his mike. This guy was awesome, never stopped playing and even mangagd at one point to play his Sousaphone and bang a drum simultaeneously. What got me though was his uncanny ability to perfectly immitate a record being scratched, truly awesome. Throw in some lively percussion and a bit of rapping and you can begin to get the picture. The conditions they were playing in weren't ideal either, hot, dark, sweaty, smoky, small room, low ceiling and a ridiculous amount of weed was being smoked too, but they pulled it off.

Youngblood are doing a sterling job, dragging brass playing by the scruff of its neck into the 21st Century. These lads, not much older than myself aren't just in it for the money, they also have an active schools partnership scheme in the States and whilst in the UK are happy to visit local schools if teachers contact them. I manged to have a word with the Sousaphone player after they had finished and he was a quality bloke. We talked about Sousaphones, standard Tubas, bore differences, mouthpieces, New Orleans Bands, British Brass Bands (I quote "I really dig that s**t man, its awesome!!"), George Bush, the UK, the price of fish and England's threadbareness at Centre-Half (Ok maybes not the last 2 then...) I can only wish him, and the rest of the band best of luck in the future, they are ambassadors to brass players world over.

Their UK tour continues and if you get the chance to see them, go! You can't help but move your feet, the quality of playing is exemplary and the soloing is fantastic. A bargain for a fiver!!

My only gripe was with the crowd who started chanting "Tubaaa, Tubaaa" at one point.... ITS A B*****Y SOUSAPHONE!!

www.youngbloodbrassband.com

[BoozyBTrom]

Just visited thier website and had a listen to some of thier choons.

They sound excellent. i can see one of thier albums on my xmas list.

Only wish i had seen them live.

[dyl]

Agreed! Some great sounding stuff on that website.

[Seedhouse]

Enjoyed listening to that! :D
Cheers for the link!
Hope to hear them live at somepoint...!

[neiltwist]

it was on a while ago, just everybody besides me seems to have missed it!

they're in leeds on 28th May!

[Steve Marcus]

The regular sousaphone player for Youngblood BB, Nat McIntosh, is a real kick-ass player! He's great with the licks for Youngblood. But I also heard him play a very fine "straight" classical tuba in a Master Class with Roger Bobo at an ITEC a few years ago. I think Nat is on sabbatical from Youngblood, so I don't know if it is he who is touring the UK with Youngblood.

[geordiecolin]

As far as I am aware it was Nat who was playing for them on Tuesday... He did tell me his name but by this point I had consumed several alcoholic beverages so have forgotten what he said. :oops:

[nickjones]

Aye the sound is class.....new , interesting....much better to listen too than "Les Preludes" etc......
not exactly the same , but if you can get hold of some of the stuff by Ole Edward Antonsen ( Norway ), Tour de Force...you can hear the original version of " Vite Lux "...bringing brass playing into the 21st Century..brilliant...

[timbloke]

For anyone interested they are back at the Tuesday Club on 14th March. I for one will be going along as I missed it last time. Check out the Tuesday club web pages:

www.tuesdayclub.co.uk (http://www.tuesdayclub.co.uk)

The phrase "...like a Grimethorpe Rage Against the Machine." has sold it to me.

:)

[TheMusicMan]

Maybe someone could mention tMP to them...:)

[timbloke]

I'll see if I can find a feedback card in one of their CDs...

"How did you first hear about YBBB?"

"Through a recommendation on the highly acclaimed brass band discussion forum that is tMP, a forum that promotes open and varied discussion about all things related to, and many uinrelated to, Brass Bands and all things Brass - perhaps you should check it out."

[TheMusicMan]

yeah right... try reeling that off word perfect after a few pints of the hard stuff...:)

[HANNAH]

They sound pretty good. I will admit I am a fan of the New Orleans style brass band, especially The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

[Jan H]

They sound pretty good. I will admit I am a fan of the New Orleans style brass band, especially The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
they were on the Belgian national tv a couple of weeks ago. great!

[Shaggy]

Blimey!! you people on drugs??? what wrong with the old fashioned proper sound of a real brass band? bring back hanging I say! and the old money, I knew where i was with thruppence halfpenny and ten shilling notes.You cant beat a good pair of proper cloggs, a knotted handkerchief on yer head and a trusty whippet by your side as you wonder down to the Crown and Cushion for a pint of mild.

[midwalesman]

Glad you brought up the concert. There are a load of "brass" bands that perform throught the UK and don't have the (what we define as brass band "sound"). I have listened and have a load of CD's and LP's of these, including the maiden release from The Dirty Dozen, there is of course the ****ywood Brass band tradition, a CD called Blowers from the Balkans, released by Topic (TSCD 922), Cabaret Voll II (released by Teatri/Felmay FY 8096), not to mention the dazzling skills of Boban Markovic and his orchestar. Many years ago I heard on tape a jazz group called Loose Tubes and they were awesome and reached a whole new audience.

If anyone has interest in these New Orleans Brass Bands, there is a book by Mick Burns on the original New Orleans bands and their history (which is close to the ideas behind the origins of our bands!!) and ethnologies of leading bands and soloists like Leroy Jones, the lead trumpet on the Harry met Sally soundtrack and soloist with the Harry Connick Jnr. band.

Its a great read.

[TheMusicMan]

Yes... very interesting Shaggy... keep taking those pills eh!

[dikkezeug]

I have heard of the Youngblood Brassband. Got a track of them somewhere. Good band and fist in with my other favourite New Orleans style bands like Dirty Dozen and Rebirth Brassband.
Went to see a Dutch Funk & Soul band a few years ago. They were called "De Broeders". Great sounds and they certainly got the audience on the dance floor. Ever seen a bright red Sousaphone? Shame they're mot together anymore. Can't buy their music anymore neither as they published their CD's themselfes.
They made a great song called Funky Tuba! I got the album if anybody is interested?

Another good band resides in Bradford which is more of a streetband really called Piece Artists. Also fun to listen to.

Wouter

[Shaggy]

Hey dead right there Music man! we are all on medication of some sort at Barnstonworth, we are mostly on day release from various institions, but its a happy band if you can manage to ignore the self harmers.

[geordiecolin]

For anyone interested they are back at the Tuesday Club on 14th March. I for one will be going along as I missed it last time. Check out the Tuesday club web pages:

www.tuesdayclub.co.uk (http://www.tuesdayclub.co.uk)

The phrase "...like a Grimethorpe Rage Against the Machine." has sold it to me.

:)



bleep bleep bleep

bleeping week of bleeping reheasals before bleeping area bleeping contest.

bleep.



:(

Would have taken wednesday off work and come down especially for it, but will have rehearsal on tuesday night :(

Will be interesting to see how the band are shaping up as I believe Nat McIntosh has left and I think many will admit as band leader and sousaphone player he led from the front. There is a recording on the Live. Places. album of the new lineup, but to be honest in my opinion i believe it is the weakest track on the album, although still of a high standard.

I also await the new album with anticipation...

Note other live UK dates:

March 10 - Wardrobe, Leeds
March 11 - Fat City, Manc
March 12 - Fibbers, York (early show), Zanzibar, Liverpool
March 13 - Charlotte, Leicester
March 14 - Tuesday Club, Sheffield
March 15 - Cargo, London
March 16 - Club Iforbach, Cardiff
March 17 - Arches, Glasgow
March 18 - Vibraphonic festival, Exeter
March 19 - The Social, Nottingham
March 20 - Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich

Alas, no Newcastle date this time :(

I cannot recommend Youngblood highly enough. They are genre defying, a bit New Orleans style but doing Hip Hop. To quote the band themselves:

"...rhyming over New Orleans rhythms, horn solos over hiphop beats, a Madison take on the Afro-Cuban concept of clave, samba-esque melodies that morph into hard funk, spoken words over post-modern jazz - its all there"

An interesting mix but it works and they are techinically good and most importantly tight as ****. Even if you don't fancy a live gig, stop by their site and listen to the sample tracks. Any brass combo that can boast album tracks with Talib Kweli, Mike Ladd, DJ Skooly and Frank Zappa's voaclist - Ike Willis deserves a listen to. Personally I would recommend that every tuba player should listen to the track "The Trilogy vs DJ Skooly" on the Unlearn album at least once in their life - its insane!

[timbloke]

I am very very very tired. I got to bed last night (this morning) at 3:30am and was up again 4 hours later. I am now living (and working) in a slight haze, where everything is muffled, and all I can smell is the red bull that sits beside me in an attempt to encourage life in my otherwise silent body...

...but it was well worth it.

Went last night to the Tuesday Club, first time I've been since Mr Scruff two years ago, and the only disappointment was the fact that we had to wait until 1:30am until Youngblood came on. But on the first sign of a sousaphone walking onto stage, you could sense a curious excitment amongst the Drum n Bass faithful. Their hour long set took the band through samba, hip-hop, big band, jazz, and some amazing trumpet, trombone and sax playing. I doubt the two trumpeters would have struggled on that infamous "top c" in Voyage, that'd be a low note for them.

I'm too tired to really think about how amazing it was, but i stayed until the end, and even bought 2 CDs so I could continue to listen. I am now.

Would I put up with being tired for a day in order to see them? Too right I would!! I may even be prepared to put up with the rath of Yorkshirepuddin who, understandably, was not best pleased when I woke her up at 3.30 in the morning to inform her about my wonderful time.

Thank-you to tMP for being the site that first introduced me to the band.

[baribari]

My brother introduced them to me a few months ago - they used to have a track on their web page which was a cover of Killing me softly. It was fantastice - dont know if its still on there. Hope to see them thursday night after band at Clwb Ifor Bach.

[tinytimp]

Grrrr why do the Regionals have to clash with so many things? :mad:

I suppose I'll just have to talk somebody into driving straight back to Cardiff from band and hope they haven't finished! A friend saw them a few years ago and said how great they were so I don't want to miss out.

Might be a mission...wish me luck!

[geordiecolin]

My brother introduced them to me a few months ago - they used to have a track on their web page which was a cover of Killing me softly. It was fantastice - dont know if its still on there. Hope to see them thursday night after band at Clwb Ifor Bach.

The Killing Me Softly Cover is the last track on the Live. Places album.


Tim - Which albums did you get?? Is the new one out yet? Glad you enjoyed yourself. If it wasn't for a certain area contest I would have definitely come down to join you at the old Tuesday Club...

[Jen]

I saw them at Womad last year, they're fab!

[timbloke]

Tim - Which albums did you get?? Is the new one out yet? Glad you enjoyed yourself. If it wasn't for a certain area contest I would have definitely come down to join you at the old Tuesday Club...

I got the Centre:Level:Roar and Is that a riot? (which is the new album and was out on Monday. Me like them both.

Incidentally (and with regards your text about the Sousa player) wasn't the same chap you'd have seen, was a great chap for generating some life in the crowd/band, but didn't do any beatbox/singing down the instrument which is on the other album.

[geordiecolin]

Incidentally (and with regards your text about the Sousa player) wasn't the same chap you'd have seen, was a great chap for generating some life in the crowd/band, but didn't do any beatbox/singing down the instrument which is on the other album.

Didn't think it would have been (see earlier post), pity he doesn't to the tricks Nat McIntosh used to do. That was fantastic live.

[timbloke]

Just been messing around on a generic mp3 download site featuring all of them...

Did a search for Brass to see if there were any band albums available, and found a group called Coolbone who had an album in 1997 called Brass-Hop. Well worth checking out if you like Youngblood/Dirty Dozen etc. and can track down a copy.

[cornetshell]

My friend sent me a few tracks about a year ago of these guys- at the time you couldn't get the CD in th UK, only by mail from the US, even in Virgin&HMV they wouldnt ship it over for me! I'd love to go and see them live, they do have such a tight brass section!!

all you budding "tubists" should have a listen to "warrior comes out to play" its a mulitphonic mad solo sousaphone piece....which i have heard a friend play a good rendition of on the euph...hehe!

nice to see its not just "traditional" brass band talk on here!

x

[brassyboy]

Youngblood are back! (http://www.brassfestival.co.uk/artist08.php?artistid=12)
The Youngblood brass band are still bringing the house down and will be returning to the UK this summer. High powered performances by these young brass players.
Date: 20-07-2008
Time: 19:30:00
Venue: Gala Theatre Durham City
Price: £10 (£8 concession)
book tickets via the gala theatre or their website
Hope this helps those who have expressed interest in them in this thread!
I will be interested to see your reviews after the Durham Show to see what you think.

BB

[Courtenay! :)]

Youngblood are amazing.
Their concert at the Durham Brass Festival this year will be immense :)

My friends who I play in bands with etc formed a band last year, which has been heavily influenced by Youngblood. They won our college's and area's Battle of the Bands and have just recorded their EP. Check them out :D
http://www.myspace.com/266183737
They don't take it very seriously but thats what's great about them :)

[emziesonic]

My friends who I play in bands with etc formed a band last year, which has been heavily influenced by Youngblood. They won our college's and area's Battle of the Bands and have just recorded their EP. Check them out :D
http://www.myspace.com/266183737
They don't take it very seriously but thats what's great about them :)

I'm not surprised they won their competition they sound really good!:clap:

[youngblood]

The Hornosexuals a young band made up of members of traditional brass bands played after the Youngblood concert and did a great job! My wife thought they were beter than Youngblood and they did sound darn good to me!

Great these guys are out there doing there thing Keep it up and well done, who knows maybe you will have your own concert at BRASS next year! I hope you got to meet the Youngbloods!

Bellowhead that sold out also have members from brass band roots showing the influence of brass bands is strong in ways the public may not expect. It all feeds the reasons why brass bands should be supported and bringing it to the public's attention is no bad thing.

Did you see Hypnotic Brass on the Wednesday Courtenay? They were amazing! Mind you so were Brighouse & Rastrick and Canadian Brass and of course the Hornosexuals!

[Courtenay! :)]

The Hornosexuals a young band made up of members of traditional brass bands played after the Youngblood concert and did a great job! My wife thought they were beter than Youngblood and they did sound darn good to me!

Great these guys are out there doing there thing Keep it up and well done, who knows maybe you will have your own concert at BRASS next year! I hope you got to meet the Youngbloods!

Bellowhead that sold out also have members from brass band roots showing the influence of brass bands is strong in ways the public may not expect. It all feeds the reasons why brass bands should be supported and bringing it to the public's attention is no bad thing.

Did you see Hypnotic Brass on the Wednesday Courtenay? They were amazing! Mind you so were Brighouse & Rastrick and Canadian Brass and of course the Hornosexuals!

I'm glad you liked them =D lol I'll let them know =) lol
You probably saw me there, I was the one in the Hornosexuals t-shirt =) lol
Ste, the bari sax player from the Hornosexuals, is here now and he says thank you =P lol

Yeah we got to meet Youngblood! It was amazing =D
We swapped them a Hornosexual's tshirt and CD for their CD's ! =)
That night was the highlight of my life so far lol

Me, Temple, Sam and Ste (Tuba, trumpet and bari sax from Hornosexuals) did a private workshop with Hypnotic Brass on the Wednesday and they gave us free tickets for the concert =D So yeah we were there lol
They're amazing as well =) and they were reallyyyyyy nice people as well lol

And I was at Brighouse and Rastrick with my sister and they were class XD lol

But clearly the Hornosexuals were the highlight of the whole festival :P lol That's the best they're ever played to be honest lol Keep an eye out for their gigs at www.myspace.com/thehornosexuals (http://www.myspace.com/thehornosexuals) =)

I've just helped Ste write a new song as well, so look out for that :P lol

Courtenay + Ste xxx

ps. thanks again for thinking we were good on Sunday =D from ste lol

[Pythagoras]

Got a couple of CD's of New Orleans brass bands from my brother when he went there on a work trip (this researching Deep South literature seems a bit of a doss!). Soul Rebels and Rebirth Brass Band. Really good. Couldn't find any websites, but there are some videos of rebirth playing on their facebook page.

[geordiecolin]

I thoroughly enjoyed Youngblood on Sunday night. A much changed line-up from that which I first saw 3 years ago, but still delivering to a similarly impressive standard. (See the very first post in this thread)

Only two real downsides;

1) If they ever come back to the festival, the Gala should take all of the seats out of the theatre. You can't watch Youngblood whilst sat down, its not fair on the band and far too british... Unfortunately a large portion of Sunday's audience were like wet fish and even once their view was obscured by the people who were standing at the front, they still refused to stand up!

As the band so eloquently put it: "There's no obligation to dance.... but there's no obligation to sit down either!!"

2) A longer set please!

Was also very impressed with Nick Pride and the Pimptones pre-gig and Hornosexuals post-gig. I noticed some Youngblood numbers in their set, which took some nerve given most of Youngblood were at the bar at the time, but they pulled it off. Well Done!

I was also told by one of the Youngblood trumpeters that a new album is on the way, so look out for it!

[winterman]

Ooh, I have been a fan of Youngblood for a fair few years now, "Warriors come out to Play" Tuba Solo has been one of my ringtones since my first phone which supported mp3!! Absolutely awesome! Shame I missed them at Durham this year :(

Maybe this could be the start of a great TV feature, getting the likes of Youngblood, and their inspired masses and Mnozil and so on and do a series or special feature for the telly. Would certainly open a few blinkered eyes to what brass can really do, me thinks. :)

[Courtenay! :)]

I thoroughly enjoyed Youngblood on Sunday night. A much changed line-up from that which I first saw 3 years ago, but still delivering to a similarly impressive standard. (See the very first post in this thread)

Only two real downsides;

1) If they ever come back to the festival, the Gala should take all of the seats out of the theatre. You can't watch Youngblood whilst sat down, its not fair on the band and far too british... Unfortunately a large portion of Sunday's audience were like wet fish and even once their view was obscured by the people who were standing at the front, they still refused to stand up!

As the band so eloquently put it: "There's no obligation to dance.... but there's no obligation to sit down either!!"

2) A longer set please!

Was also very impressed with Nick Pride and the Pimptones pre-gig and Hornosexuals post-gig. I noticed some Youngblood numbers in their set, which took some nerve given most of Youngblood were at the bar at the time, but they pulled it off. Well Done!

I was also told by one of the Youngblood trumpeters that a new album is on the way, so look out for it!

The Hornosexuals were a bit worried what Youngblood would think if they did a cover of them. But when we met them afterwards the trumpeter described it as "interesting" and the sax player said he enjoyed it =) lol

[hornojim]

I'm not surprised they won their competition they sound really good!:clap:


The Hornosexuals a young band made up of members of traditional brass bands played after the Youngblood concert and did a great job! My wife thought they were beter than Youngblood and they did sound darn good to me!

Great these guys are out there doing there thing Keep it up and well done, who knows maybe you will have your own concert at BRASS next year! I hope you got to meet the Youngbloods!

Bellowhead that sold out also have members from brass band roots showing the influence of brass bands is strong in ways the public may not expect. It all feeds the reasons why brass bands should be supported and bringing it to the public's attention is no bad thing.

Did you see Hypnotic Brass on the Wednesday Courtenay? They were amazing! Mind you so were Brighouse & Rastrick and Canadian Brass and of course the Hornosexuals!


Hey thanks for that, its always cool to gain new fans. If you can make it to any of our gigs again, it would be mint!

The brass gig has to be the musical highlight of my life, mainly due to the fact that it was my first youngblood gig and i got to meet them etc. they are just regulkar down to earth guys which is what makes them so much better. and chuffed that the hornosexuals went down welll....

[MissRepiano]

they sound great! Never read this thread before...it's great to hear brass instruments used in a different kind of way!

There's another band called 'shoot the moon' that I heard at a local festival about a month ago.

You can find them here: http://www.myspace.com/shootmoon

[youngblood]

I love the fact that BRASS bring's acts like Mnozil, Youngbloods, Hypnotic, Canadian Brass, Brazz Brothers etc to perform here alongside traditional bands and that they support young musician with workshops and helping the likes of the Hornosexuals to perform and meet top acts is also being valued.

It was a good night at the Youngblood gig and maybe if they have them back, a different venue may be the answer to Geordiecolin's comments, Student Union? I thought the open air concert was good a couple of years ago but with the rain it might not be wise.

Hypnotic Brass were a Wow in the Methodist Church especially when people got up and danced on the pews, all it needed was James Brown and the Blues Brothers to come tumbling down the isle.

That concert was meant to be at the Gala but changed and I for one am glad it did! So maybe a venue change would sort it.

As an aside:
I was interested to find that the brass players in Bellowhead started in a traditional brass band and some of their fans attended the DLI Contest which is great.

To those that attended any of the 'BRASS' events I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did, it was full of surprises and above all great brass playing, I just wonder who they will be getting next year?

I am on their mailing list on info@brassfestival.co.uk as I wan't to make sure I get my Mnozil tickets as soon as they are released!! I can't wait to see who else is going to be on and they promised to mail out any acts as soon as they book them.

I know they were after Dirty Dozen and Rebirth Brass Band last year as well as Tower of Power and Grimethorpe so hope they follow through with these this year.

[youngblood]

Got a couple of CD's of New Orleans brass bands from my brother when he went there on a work trip (this researching Deep South literature seems a bit of a doss!). Soul Rebels and Rebirth Brass Band. Really good. Couldn't find any websites, but there are some videos of rebirth playing on their facebook page.

Info on Rebirth

Check out the BRASS myspace site: http://www.myspace.com/brassdif

It has a great friends list including the myspace site for rebirth and I think it has a link to their own website. Jjust search the BRASS friends list, there are some great bands on it and well worth looking at!

Hope it works I am sure I have seen them on there, best of luck!

[geordiecolin]

I know they were after Dirty Dozen and Rebirth Brass Band last year as well as Tower of Power and Grimethorpe so hope they follow through with these this year.

Tower of Power would definitely be a sell out!