Postcard from Edinburgh - Oompahbrass

So you’ve taken your show to Edinburgh.

But with thousands of shows on, you need publicity.

You could try adding your flyer to one of the leaflet totems dotted around the city, and hope that somebody notices it.

Or you could try and hand out your flyer to a disinterested public.

Or you could turn up at the Grassmarket, on a Sunday lunchtime, when everyone is settling down to a beer and some chips, make sure you are dressed in offensively pink shirts, and start unpacking brass instruments. Just when everyone’s terrified that this is going to be terrible, you launch into your act, which is great.


Ooompahbrass are a five piece band that play rock and pop classics on their brass instruments. They got good reviews but still did this impromtue gig to draw attention to their show, flog their CDs and busk for beer money.

The golden rules of getting noticed are:

Be relaxed


Be good enough to get, and hold, a crowd’s attention.


Don’t mind if people film you, they’ll spread the word


And always have a trumpet duel in the act.