Littlehampton steel band pounds out record-breaking Olympic farewell

And at the same time the TLA Steel Band played its part in setting a new world record for the largest steel band performing together.

The band joined 15 others from as far away as North Tyneside and even Jamaica, playing “Brasil” on a total of 1,000 steel pans at the Mayor’s Thames Festival lasts Saturday (Sepetmber 8), to mark the passing of the flame from London 2012 to Rio 2016.

With the London Eye as the backdrop, the record was achieved in the Jubilee Gardens on London’s South Bank, on a weekend which brought down the curtain on 100 spectacular days in the capital during the hosting of the Olympics and the Paralympics.

The festival attracted an estimated 800,000 people over 
the weekend.

Lee Nelson, music subject leader at the Academy, said: “To have been part of this successful record-breaking attempt at this unique time in London was a fitting end to the band’s year.

“After playing at Disneyland Paris and by Notre Dame Cathedral, and with the senior band touring Germany and Switzerland, this certainly was the icing on the cake. The location, the carnival atmosphere and weather were all perfect, and I’m proud of the way we performed, considering all the musicians got together only as one large band on the day with only a couple of hours to rehearse.

TLA band member Joe Northeast said: “It was amazing to be part of this record-breaking attempt at the festival in London, and meet up again with so many of our steel band friends.

“It was really special to have the link with the Olympics, where so many records were broken – this, and the atmosphere, made it a truly memorable day for us all to be a part of.”