Ferg's Imaginary Big Band + Sophie Speed
Saturday 24th May
Doors: 7pm - Music: 7.45pm
Presented by Howard Assembly Room
Tickets £18 (+£1 booking fee)
or Under 30s Members £10
The UK's biggest and best cult 26-piece music ensemble Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band, bring their cosmic jazz x punk & noise vibes to the Howard Assembly Room for the very first time.
Part of the buzzing left-field independent Leeds jazz and experimental music scene of the past decade, the ensemble’s initial aim was to bring big band music kicking and screaming into the 22nd Century. FIBB play rowdy and always huge sounding arrangements of an incredibly diverse selection of music, originally mainly other people's compositions by legends such as Duke Ellington, Sun Ra and Count Basie. However, since the release of their self-titled debut album in 2022, they now mainly perform original music composed by Fergus Quill and other members of the group.
Since their debut album dropped in 2022, they've played EFG London Jazz Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival, The Vortex Jazz Club London, plus gigs Birmingham, Nottingham and Lancaster (recording their second album "Live At Lancaster Jazz Festival", at the latter). FIBB's music has been played on BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and Jazz FM.
If you’re lucky to catch them at one of their rare live appearances, it’s less like a standard gig and more like a huge sound and vision experience. A place where fantastic musicianship and soloing meet theatrical drama and punk attitude, with a huge dose of humour binding it all together. There’s literally no other ensemble like this in the UK today. Not to be missed.
Support comes from highly rated tenor saxophonist and current National Youth Jazz Orchestra member Sophie Speed and her jazz quintet.
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Venue Information
14+ / Access info - The Howard Assembly Room is located inside Leeds Grand Theatre.
To access the venue, there are six steps from the street up to the Grand Theatre foyer or a wheelchair lift from the Grand Theatre Box Office to the foyer, and then lift access from the foyer (the lift is down the corridor to the right) up to the Howard Assembly Room (number 3 in the lift).
• There are two wheelchair spaces, but this can be increased if more are required. Please call the Box Office (0844 848 2720*) for more information.
• There is also lift access to the gallery (number 4 in the lift) from the foyer, and from the Howard Assembly Room level (number 3 in the lift). Request access from front-of-house staff before using it so they can arrange for someone to open the door from the lift into the gallery. Row A of the gallery is flat access but there are 3 steps to Row B and 6 steps to Row C.
• Accessible toilets are situated in the Grand Theatre foyer (down the corridor to the right, near the lift) and at Dress Circle level (number 2 in the lift).
• Support and guide dogs are welcome in the venue and can be looked after on request.
• Refreshments are available from the Emerald Grand Hall bar (at Howard Assembly Room level).