This years Brass Bands Laikin Title has been taken by a foreign outfit from across the seas. In a controversial break with tradition the English powerhouses were left wanting as a johnny foreigner waltzed off with £2,500 and the Hector Delacourt Trophy.
The atmosphere within the Architectural Carbuncle, Berwick-on-Tweed could not have been more dramatic if we hadn't written it ourselves. Audience and players alike were literally on tenterhooks at the announcement of the results of this contest that nobody really cares about except the bands actually taking part.
The question on everybody's lips this year was, "What the fuck do they want?" For this notoriously difficult to call and up-and-down contest may award you first prize for sticking with tradition, or may also award you top prize for going outside the box and doing something new and controversial. The fact that nobody really knows what they want, including the adjudicators, makes for an interesting day's contesting.
In the end it was the Pointneuf Orangina Band from France what took the title thanks to an inspired programme that was a bit traditional but also had some new stuff chucked in. They had called it just right with a mix of old and new. We thought it was shit to be honest, but now they have won the contest we can see just what an inspired programme it was and we won't hold back on telling you so!
The two English laikin powerhouses, Windermere Colliery and Emley Potatoe Works, were left licking their wounds. Despite two performances that we loved and ticked all the boxes and couldn't be split by a fag paper, the results were announced and we suddenly realised we were barking up the wrong tree and had to go with the adjudicators and triumph the French contingent.
