A band, who Chris Evans has dubbed the ‘legends in Lederhosen’, are holding a residency at a Parsons Green bar.
A band, who Chris Evans has dubbed the “legends in Lederhosen”, are holding a residency at a Parsons Green bar throughout February and March.
Oompah Brass, who cover pop songs in the style of the German brass band sound, will be performing at the Octoberfest Pub on Fulham Road every Saturday evening until the end of March.
The five-piece, made up of classically trained and accomplished musicians, count the likes of Jimmy Carr, Frank Skinner and Stephen K Amos as fans.
They have played at events including the Snowbombing Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, Belgrade Beer Festival and the Durham International Festival of Brass.
Octoberfest Pub Team Leader Nathan Gee said the nights are regularly sold out, with each show providing a different comedic element.
He explained: “There is always a stand out moment every weekend, whether it is all 200 guests singing happy birthday to someone the band have bought up on stage, or the teams celebrating a win in the band’s Bavarian Olympics.”
Formed in 2006, the London-based band started out as a traditional German style Oompah ensemble, playing all the famous waltzes, polkas and marches.
However, they soon started to arrange well-known pop songs with a Bavarian twist, realising the audiences had more fun listening to something that they could sing along to.
Playing what they call Oompop, Oompah Brass can be heard covering everything from Take On Me by A-Ha and 9-5 by Dolly Parton, to Ace of Spades by Motorhead and Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin.
Sam Pearce, French Horn player in Oompah Brass, calls their sound full-on and energetic.
He said: “The rhythm is provided by the tuba, and the rest of us playing fast beats when we don’t have the tune.”
The band, dressed in traditional German attire, also get the crowd singing Oktoberfest-style drinking songs as well as inviting people up on stage to take part in activities.
He added: “We love interacting with the crowds and hope that we can make their evening memorable. We quite often do dance-offs, which are usually brilliant. Last week a guy did a back flip!”
Octoberfest Pub has been open for eight years, and holds the longest running Oktoberfest event in the world.
Steve McMurray, 26, from Roehampton, who attended last Saturday initially came to try the pub’s array of German beers and cuisine, but thoroughly enjoyed the evening overall.
He said: “I knew it’d be a guaranteed good atmosphere because of Oktoberfest.”
Next month the pub will also be hosting an Irish Oktoberfest in honour of St Patrick’s Day.
Festivities will include the biggest Guinness you can buy in the UK, brass band performances and a prize for the best dressed leprechaun.
For information see: www.oompahbrass.com and www.octoberfestpub.com
