TBC

It’s not every day that we get a tour of a research lab after a gig! What a fun way to spend a Friday night 🤓

What do you reckon… should we swap the 🎷& 🎸for 🥼& 🔬?!

👋 It’s Meet the Band Monday 👋

This week we’re saying hello to Nicola, our vocalist 🎤 Hi Nicola 👋

🤓 Tell us about yourself, Nicola!

🎤 Coucou! I’m Nicola, a fellow Exeter grad, Francophile, tennis fan, cheese enthusiast, and lover of music in almost all forms 😃

🤓 How long have you been singing for?

🎤 I started singing in choirs (originally against my will!!) at the age of 9/10 and never looked back - it’s been an eclectic journey of psalms at evensongs, jazz a ca****la, and big band bangers, featuring a lot of dodgy choreography along the way 🕺🏻 Singing is probably the thing that brings me the most joy in the world despite it always making me ridiculously nervous!

🤓 Tell us about some previous fun singing experiences/gigs.

🎤 I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fact that I’ve been lucky enough to sing at Montreux Jazz Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe but to be honest, I’ve probably had the most fun performing with TBC recently because it’s such a great group of wonderful pals and musicians ❤️

🤓 What is your favourite song/piece that we play in TBC and why?

🎤 Up until recently I would have said our cover of Snarky Puppy’s Amour t’es là - a excellent way of practising my rusty French! - but now it’s probably Feeling Good (NYJO version) which may surprise the others! It’s such a fun variation on a classic and it’s become ridiculously enjoyable to sing as my confidence with it has grown ☀️

Thanks Nicola ❤️ we hope you’re all feeling good this evening! Stay tuned to meet more band members (yes there are more of us!!) soon 🤓

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to support us at our gig last night ❤️ It was a joy to play in front of so many friends and loved ones and we had an absolute blast 🌟

A huge thank you also to for hosting us 😃 what a great venue!

Stay tuned for some action shots and footage from the gig to come 😍

👋 It’s Meet the Band Monday 👋

This week we’re saying hello to George, our multitalented pianist 🎹 Hey George 👋

🤓 Tell us about yourself, George!

🎹 Hello, I'm George, another Exeter University graduate! I'm a lover of all things Jazz, especially more modern genres and try my best to see as much live music as possible.

🤓 How long have you been playing the piano?

🎹 I've played the piano since I was about 12, but started on the clarinet when I was very little, and also saxophone after that.

🤓 Tell us about some previous fun playing experiences/gigs.

🎹 Some of my favourite gigs have included the Cork and Montreux Jazz festival. I've also loved being part of various Pit Orchestras for musical theatre productions.

🤓 What is your favourite song/piece that we play in TBC and why?

🎹 My favourite piece we play is Song For My Father as it's one of the first Jazz Standards I ever played when I started learning saxophone.

Thanks George ❤️

Don’t forget that there are still a handful of tickets left for our gig at on Saturday - get yours at the link in our bio 😍

There are still a few tickets left for our upcoming gig on Saturday 4 Feb (next weekend!) at the Library on Cowley Road, Oxford! Don’t miss out on an evening of jazzy, funky, disco-y charts 🕺🏻Get your ticket here: http://shorturl.at/clsX4 🤩

👋 It’s Meet the Band Monday! 👋

This week we’re saying hello to Myles, our guitarist extraordinaire 🎸

🤓 Tell us about yourself, Myles!

🎸 Well hello there, I’m Myles! I’m a software engineer and general vibe enjoyer 🕺🏻

🤓 How long have you been playing the guitar?

🎸 I have been playing guitar since the ripe old age of six, starting off with 3/4 sized guitars! I’ve more recently picked up the flute and the trumpet, which is going very mediocrely 🎺

🤓 Tell us about some previous fun playing experiences/gigs.

🎸 My first gig was when I was 11, playing AC/DC Back in Black on the bass, along with my fellow cool 11 yr old band mates. My first standing ovation 🥹 I’ve always loved played in jazzy, funky, souly bands and TBC is the jazziest funkiest souliest of them all!

🤓 What is your favourite song/piece that we play in TBC and why?

🎸 My fave song is probably Atchafalaya by Snarky Puppy, a high energy, trombone heavy song with a shreddin diminished vibe guitar solo 🤩

Thanks Myles ❤️

Stay tuned to meet more band members over the coming weeks and to hear more exciting TBC updates 🤩

👋 It’s Meet the Band Monday! 👋

Today we’re saying a friendly hello to Ben, our human metronome and expert drummer 🥁

🤓 Tell us about yourself, Ben!

🥁 Hello! I'm Ben and I'm TBC's most recent Oxford resident, although we've been friends all through our uni life back in Exeter. I love music (shock), outdoors adventures and clean energy!

🤓 How long have you been playing the drums?

🥁 I've played drums for about 16 years and it's my only instrument currently - I've noncommittally dabbled in piano and clarinet for brief stints, but you just can't beat a bongo! 🥁🪘 That being said, I would be keen to give bass a go.

🤓 Tell us about some previous fun playing experiences/gigs.

🥁 I've always loved playing gigs through the National Concert Band Festival (NCBF) at school, as well as countless gigs with Exeter University Big Band and other smaller jazz funk groups - I think a recent favourite has to be our gig at the UK Atomic Energy Authority's Summer Ball, it was just great fun!

🤓 What is your favourite song/piece that we play in TBC and why?

🥁 My favourite song we play has to be Molasses by Hiatus Kaiyote - It's a great mix of technical playing and just a very chill vibe. I think we've all really enjoyed the challenge of learning this song over the last few months, so I'm excited to play it!

Thanks Ben ❤️

Follow us to meet more band members over the next few weeks and to stay up-to-date with all things TBC 😍

👋 It’s Meet The Band Monday!! 👋

Please say a friendly hello to our legendary bassist, Abi!

🤓 Tell us about yourself, Abi!
🎸 Hello, I’m Abi, mathematician (ish) by day, musician by night.

🤓 How long have you been playing the bass?
🎸 I actually started playing the bass pretty late - not until I went to uni and discovered jazz! I also play keys, guitar, and sing (to varying degrees…I actually failed my grade 8 piano exam….). I’d love to play the drums as my next musical venture!

🤓 Tell us about some previous fun playing experiences/gigs
🎸 I played in a big band for four years, including once at the Montreux Jazz festival! In Oxford I’ve been playing with several different jazz and funk bands for a couple of years. Highlight from last year was playing with my all female/non-binary funk band Sisters of Funk to a packed crown at Oxford Pride.

🤓 What is your favourite song/piece that we play in TBC and why?
🎸 I’ve really been loving playing Dance Dance Dance by Pbug because it has a very sexy bass build up and a lot of *slap*

Thanks Abi ❤️

Give us a follow to meet more band members over the coming weeks and stay tuned for a fun announcement 🤩

Wishing everyone a very 🎄 Merry Christmas 🎄and a ✨ Happy New Year ✨ with loved ones ❤️

(So great to get the whole band together for these festive photos 😄)

👋 It’s Meet The Band Monday!! 👋

Say hello to our next TBC member, our wonderful trombonist, Nick!

🤓Tell us about yourself, Nick!
🎶 Hi I'm Nick! I'm an electrical engineer that has lived in Oxford for the past couple of years.

🤓 How long have you been playing the trombone?
🎶 I’ve been playing trombone for 4 years but was playing the tuba as a main instrument since the age of 10!

🤓 Tell us about some previous fun playing experiences.
🎶 I’ve played in anything that would accept a tuba/trombones, from orchestras and brass bands to a jazz/funk bands like TBC! The best experience would have to be playing in a brass ensemble for 84 graduation ceremonies in Exeter over several years. Mainly did it for the canapés 😍

🤓 What is your favourite song/piece that we play in TBC?
🎶 Come on Eileen SKA VERSION

Thanks Nick ❤️

Give us a follow to meet more band members over the coming weeks and maybe to hear more about our version of Come on Eileen 🧐

👋 It’s Meet The Band Monday!! 👋

Say hello to our first TBC member, our very talented saxophonist, Sam!

🤓 Tell us about yourself, Sam!
🎷 I’m Sam, 28, neuroscientist by day, sax tooter at night.

🤓 How long have you been playing the sax?
🎷 I started playing sax about 16 years ago and my first ensembles were with Big Bands at College and University! I then picked up the trombone on my placement year so I could play in pit bands and orchestras (but I prefer the sax, sorry Nick!!)

🤓 Tell us about some previous fun playing experiences/gigs.
🎷 My favourite gig I've played is probably at the Montreux Jazz Festival with Exeter University Big Band, an absolute blast with great people! It was also funny because I had only been playing trombone for about 6 months at that point!

🤓 What is your favourite song/piece that we play in TBC and why?
🎷 My fave song has to be our ska rendition of Bad Guy (arranged by our talented bass player Abi!). It's a real crowd pleaser and it's not something you'd associate with this type of ensemble which makes a great surprise for the audience!

Thanks Sam ❤️

Give us a follow to meet more band members over the coming weeks 🤩

Hello!! 🌟 We’re TBC, an up-and-coming function band based in Oxford. Formed during the pandemic, we’re a group of graduates who met at university and have spent many years jamming together in various funk, jazz, and big bands before officially joining forces.

Our repertoire is a mix of funk, disco, ska, and jazz, and we love to try out new styles and arrangements! We can be flexible with what we play to cater to any event, whether you need get-up-and-dance college ball bangers, or quieter background jazz for a sophisticated garden party. Please get in touch to find out more about what we offer!

What does TBC stand for? See us play and you just might find out... 👀