The Barry Horns
The Barry Horns are an eleven-piece brass band, made up of fans of the Welsh national football team. Formed in 2011, the band's name is a homage to retired Welsh footballer Barry Horne. The band has a five-point mission statement called the Barryfesto, which notes that the band exists in order
- to unite Welsh football with the power of horns
- to put tunes on the terraces
- to bring hope where there is mathematical impossibility
- to replace plastic hooters with brass ones
- to win at life when we can't win at football.[1][2]
Musically the band play a variety of songs, many of which are associated with Wales and/or football, including "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", "Just Can't Get Enough" and "Pick Up the Pieces".
The Barry Horns' first public appearance was outside the Wales v England World Cup Qualifying match in Cardiff on 26 March 2011. They also appeared at the Welsh Cup Final in the same year,[3] which was broadcast on S4C.
Their other media appearances include performing on BBC1's flagship football programme Football Focus,[4] BBC Radio Five Live and in a short promotional campaign for BBC Wales' coverage of Welsh national football.[5] In December 2011, they were the house band on the Jamie and Louise programme on BBC Radio Wales, playing a variety of Christmas related songs including an interpretation of East 17's 'Stay Another Day'.[6]
In February 2012, The Barry Horns released a video for their version of the Rocky theme, which they recorded as the anthem for Wales's World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign.[7] The video featured members of the band in various training scenarios as a parody of the training montage from the film.
In December 2013, the band released a cover of the song "Only You", 30 years after the cover by The Flying Pickets had earned a Christmas Number 1. The recording failed to make the UK charts but proceeds were donated to the charity Prostate Cymru, with a dedication made to the Flying Pickets' lead vocalist, Brian Hibbard, who died of prostate cancer in 2012. A music video released on YouTube paid homage to the original Pickets video from 1983.
References
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2011/mar/31/barry-horns
- ^ http://www.thebarryhorns.com/barryfesto.html
- ^ http://www.faw.org.uk/news/FAW61265.ink
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/danwalker/2011/03/focus_on_the_road_and_up_the_h.html
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2011/mar/31/barry-horns
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017szyp
- ^ http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-in-wales/2012/02/27/supporters-band-barry-horns-gear-up-for-wales-world-cup-2014-qualification-91466-30417367/