My relatively new alter ego Steven Briggs, one-man-colliery-brass-band-slash-grime-mc came along on tour with me to India in autumn 2011 to check out the local aquariums (SB, omcbb/gmc ismascot obsessed with aquariums, you see). Steven is in the process of editing a short film about his experiences at both Ganpatipule and Mumbai aquariums which will be premiered, along with a live score composed and performed by Steven Briggs, omcbb/gmc, at gigs in 2012 and probably on YouTube too.  
 
 

As has now become something of an autumn tradition, I went back to India with the Bollywood Brass Band in autumn 2011 to play a couple of fun Bollywood gigs. The trip was much shorter than our trip earlier in the year but was still lots of fun, and I managed to tack on a few days at the end to have a little explore along the west coast, where I've not really spent much time.  

Look, here I am not blending in. 

Everyone loves trad jazz, right? Oh no, wait, sorry, make that ale-loving tweedy men with a penchant for straw boaters love trad jazz.  
 
 
 

I had a busy autumn of music gigs alongside the comedy bits and bobs that I was up to.

HCB were especially busy, with headline gigs at Scala (twice!), Queen of Hoxton and Dogstar alongside quite a few private and corporate gigs including a 2 different beer companies. They know us too well...

I was also quite busy with the Bollywood Brass Band, including a brief India tour, and a few extra bits and bobs like working with Darren Hayman and playing with the Mystery Fax Machine Orchestra at the Union Chapel in Islington. The autumn also saw the River City Stompers launched on an unsuspecting world, and I tootled for Dance Marathon at the Barbican.

Look, here I am dressed as a skellington playing with HCB at Scala for Halloween, amongst other things.

 

This autumn I've been doing a lovely series of gigs with ace singer-songwriter and ex-Hefner frontman Darren Hayman to launch his album The Ship's Piano and the single I Taught You How to Dance both of which feature me on trumpet pretty extensively.

Look, here's a bittersweet video that goes with it.

We did a couple of great intimate piano-and-trumpet shows at The Albany in Great Portland Street in October; as it happened I also had another gig there that week, doing silly comedy and musical things for The Forgery Club, which was a nice way to say goodbye to a superb little venue that has now sadly been turned into a posh restaurant.

I also guested with Darren's full band the Secondary Modern at Fortuna Pop's knees-up at Scala, which was a considerably more raucous gig, and no less fun for it.

We then did a Brighton show in the Unitarian Church on 13th November which had a perfect acoustic to play that material in. I've said it before, but I really like working with Darren; I think we really hit it off both on and off stage, and he really trusts his collaborators. Plus he has a lego model of his dog in his house, which is possibly the greatest thing ever. Look, he's even got him and his wife in the head driving it. Wow.

I had a ball (quite literally) doing this show at the Barbican in October 2011. It's a kind of update of the old dance marathons of the 1920s, only with some really fantastic contemporary dance choreography, fantastic video projections and some nice moments of theatricality thrown in. I was playing in the band but also found myself dancing more than I ever have before - normally for about 2.5 hrs per show. Think I was fitter than I've ever been after the run finished.

Bluemouth Inc were an absolute pleasure to work with, and was great to do a theatre show with so much improvisation; nice to be able to stretch musically as well as dancing like an idiot for a week.

I was asked to write a piece about Gil Scott Heron's work and politics for ace lefty magazine Red Pepper, so that's what I did. It came out in the August magazine, and here's the piece online. If you're interested in seeing the unedited version where I discuss more about his musical legacy, I've posted it on my blog here.

I've not done much journalistic writing for a while, so I enjoyed it muchly.

I did some session work for the ace Philip Jeays, presumably for his new album. I've been doing more and more home recording of late since I've now got some excellent mics and all the snazzy gear, and I recorded both myself and trombonist extraordinaire Magnus Dearness. I think it sounded pretty good; will post links when the tracks are released.

Hackney Colliery Band released our debut album, creatively titled 'Hackney Colliery Band' on 4th July with a big sold-out launch gig at the New Empowering Church on our home turf of Hackney. We played a 2 hour set straight through, which made faces hurt and bodies sweaty, but was great fun.

The album is available in all good record shops, and in high-quality digital download format online through iTunes or lots of other online retailers.

HCB have teamed up with our record label Wah Wah 45s to offer a free taster of our album, which is coming out on July 4th 2011. Hey, why don't you come along to the launch on 1st July to get your hands on a copy of the album? Or if you want it even sooner, sign up to our mailing list here.

Here it is: