Always Drinking Marching Band at BRASS 2011 – Outtake
Filming live performance at festivals often reveals magical, unexpected moments—and this unreleased gem from BRASS 2011 is one of my favourites.
It features a wonderfully cheeky slow-motion routine by Spain’s Always Drinking Marching Band, filmed during one of their unforgettable sets in Durham.
This clip didn’t make the official highlights reel or the BRASS Festival YouTube Channel—but that’s exactly why I’ve chosen to share it here, as a kind of unofficial ‘outtake.’
What I love about this moment—beyond the brilliant costuming and slow-motion choreography—is how it captures the joy and mischief which ran through so much of the the BRASS Festival programming in 2011.
It’s not just about music. It’s about atmosphere, experimentation, and letting loose in the streets of Durham.
I’m sharing this now in celebration of the announcement of BRASS Festival 2012, which will once again bring international brass acts to Durham this July. Keep an eye on brassfestival.co.uk for full programme details as they’re released.
🎬 Watch the clip above to experience what didn’t make the official edit—but remains unforgettable.
Filmmaking Note:
As a filmmaker, it’s moments like these—unpolished, spontaneous, unrepeatable—that remind me why I love documenting live performance. This clip was shot handheld, in the thick of the crowd, with no second takes. The energy and reaction are real.
Durham BRASS Festival 2011 and Its Legacy
BRASS 2011 was a standout year for Durham’s now-iconic music festival, which blends traditional brass band heritage with wild experimentation, street theatre, and international flair. Alongside Always Drinking Marching Band, audiences in 2011 were treated to appearances by eclectic acts including Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, and Mardi Gras-style street bands that brought colour and carnival to the heart of the city.
The festival’s ability to surprise and delight has been a hallmark since its inception. In 2010, audiences may remember the unforgettable appearance by the legendary Youngblood Brass Band, whose energetic fusion of hip hop and New Orleans-style brass left crowds buzzing. That same year, Oompah Brass put a tongue-in-cheek spin on pop classics, and there were intimate performances by the Fairey Band and other local favourites across Durham’s smaller venues and public spaces.
Going back to 2009, BRASS was already pushing boundaries with performances by Mnozil Brass, the Austrian group known for their virtuosic playing and deadpan theatricality, and Red Hot Chilli Pipers, who turned traditional pipe band music into a rock-infused spectacle. There were also family-friendly parades, music education workshops, and surprise pop-ups that transformed Durham’s squares, parks, and cobbled streets into musical playgrounds.
The BRASS Festival isn’t just about showcasing talent—it’s about how that talent transforms place. Each year, the sound of brass redefines Durham’s public spaces, turning stairways into stages and marketplaces into dancefloors. The spontaneity, humour, and cultural fusion are part of what makes the event unforgettable. Whether you’re seeing a world-class band or stumbling across a pop-up street performance, BRASS delivers musical moments that feel deeply rooted in community and surprise.
The festival has grown each year not just in scale, but in ambition—welcoming acts from across Europe, Africa, and the Americas, while supporting new commissions and local talent. It has built a community as much as a programme, bringing residents and visitors together to experience brass music as something vibrant, accessible, and alive.
For those who’ve never attended, BRASS is much more than a music festival—it’s an immersive, city-wide celebration of sound and spirit. And for those of us lucky enough to film it, every year offers moments that are joyous, spontaneous, and worthy of the archive.