Images from the weekend on 4br

[Bayerd]

Anyone else thinking it was a mistake taking photos of the MDs where you can clearly see the audience behind them?......

[brassneck]

Makes you wonder how many people are actually interested in listening to other bands, eh?

[Hells Bones]

When we (Delph) played in the 3rd section, the hall was by no means full, but there was a decent sized audience there. The picture looks like we were playing to no one but the adjudicators, but that wasn't the case at all.
I've played to far less at other contests that weren't as drawn out as the Nationals weekend.

[Bayerd]

When we (Delph) played in the 3rd section, the hall was by no means full, but there was a decent sized audience there. The picture looks like we were playing to no one but the adjudicators, but that wasn't the case at all.
I've played to far less at other contests that weren't as drawn out as the Nationals weekend.

I stand corrected, however it does look like the audience turned up disguised as chairs. As I question, is it a mistake to publish photos that give that illusion?

[Owen S]

The unavoidable problem is that if you want to present the results in the same hall, you need somewhere that can hold all or most of the players who are competing in a single section. There are unfortunately few brass band contests that attract a big enough audience to compare with the number of players there, and set-test contests suffer more than most, as do all contests that insist on charging players for entry.

That said, you can see no-one at all in the seats behind Gareth, yet when we first sat down I looked around the hall, as I often do. At a guess, I saw fifty to a hundred people in there.

[Hells Bones]

I stand corrected, however it does look like the audience turned up disguised as chairs. As I question, is it a mistake to publish photos that give that illusion?

Very true, but the angle the pictures were taken from (of the ones I've seen) show the seats to the far right of the stage (As you look at it) and no one would sit there unless the hall was full.

I've been to BBCNOW gigs in St David's Hall where there have been literally hundreds of people watching, but banks of empty seats to the sides because people don't want to watch from the side unless they have to.

[Baritonedeaf]

Shame that there are no pictures of the Midlands first section champions! At least there is an apology. Disappointing, but imagine the photographer could not get a clear shot due to the motion blur from our playing... or something (!)

[worzel]

Hah, somehow we got our MD's picture in there with the winners despite coming 8th (3rd section retro). I knew that suit had a purpose Simon.

[KMJ Recordings]

I sat through a fair chunk of the 4th Section....it was fairly empty from where I was sat....

I was chatting with Paul Hindmarsh and I think we were in agreement (at least some of) the facilities of the hall make it attractive but it generally looked empty, isn't a particularly nice place in which to play and - from my perspective at least - not a nice place in which to listen.

[Laserbeam bass]

Hah, somehow we got our MD's picture in there with the winners despite coming 8th (3rd section retro). I knew that suit had a purpose Simon.

Band 6. Fulham Brass, Simon Jones, London and Southern Counties

MD enters in a white suit which makes him look like a cross between Dr.No and Randell & Hopkirk Deceased.

Not quite the impact he was looking to make

[Laserbeam bass]

I sat through a fair chunk of the 4th Section....it was fairly empty from where I was sat....

I was chatting with Paul Hindmarsh and I think we were in agreement (at least some of) the facilities of the hall make it attractive but it generally looked empty, isn't a particularly nice place in which to play and - from my perspective at least - not a nice place in which to listen.

I hope you were chatting with Mr Hindmarsh in the foyer

[KMJ Recordings]

I hope you were chatting with Mr Hindmarsh in the foyer

After a well earned comfort break....in Wetherspoons

[tubafran]

Was in the hall for 1st and 2nd sections on the Saturday and would say there must have been 100 to 200 people in there. Plenty of others mingling about in the foyer and trade stands too.

Though there were considerably more bandsman in Wetherspoons, that was heaving.

[Bayerd]

So, hands up if you think it's worth all the effort and weeks of practice and all the sacrifice many of the performers will have made to perform to 200 people.

[David Mann]

So, hands up if you think it's worth all the effort and weeks of practice and all the sacrifice many of the performers will have made to perform to 200 people.

Shureley you meant 2 people - in the box?