Before the Jack in the Green, the town is full with different events for people to get into the spirit of the tradition.
During the Bank Holiday weekend, two local groups of drummers have a drum-off, Ceilidh concerts of bands arrive from across the UK and the Old Town gets the decorations ready for the big day on Monday.
Drum-Offs
“It’s about bringing people together and having fun.”
Two drumming factions gather at the Butler’s Gap in George Street, the Old Town: Section 5, a group which fashions black and red coloured costumes, which “evolved from the primal soup which was alchemically mixed with Sussex Bonfire, beer and a ‘caution’ under Section 5 of the Public Order Act”; against the more jovial, yellow clad group Sambalanco, the community samba band that plays “Brazilian carnival rhythms with a Hastings twist”.
On the day of the drum-off, with a whistle hung around his neck, drumsticks in one hand and a pint of Guinness in the other, Peter Hadron, the conductor of the band tells me how this tradition has become a part of the Jack in the Green celebrations. “It’s become a part of Hastings. The drum-off is part of the whole celebration of the Jack in the Green.
“We started… must have been around 20 or 18 years ago, and we started as someone who just joined in when Section 5 became a part of the Jack in the Green. […] Eventually we became part of the celebrations instead of just being in the middle.”
Sambalanco will play tunes using Brazilian instruments but will add a pop reference in their songs. “Sometimes we play the jingle of the Flintstones” says Peter, and he is quick to tell me they do this for the fun of it, because the drum-off isn’t really a competition with winners and losers.
“It’s about bringing people together and having fun.”
Watch the video bellow to get a first glance of the Drum-Off.
Music: Samba No Pe - Ruben Cortes.
Section 5 - Click to visit their website.
Sambalanco - Click to visit their website.
Ceilidh and Folk Music
“It’s one of those things that never goes away”
Jack in the Green is all about bringing traditions back into modern culture, so to think that a Jack in the Green wouldn’t have Ceilidhs is “unthinkable”, as Cath Watkins puts it.
Cath is a refugee advice worker from Southampton, but in her spare time she is the violinist for the music group ‘Jigfoot’, a group that plays traditional music for people to join in and dance, which was hired to play in Hastings, the night before the celebrations started.
As someone who comes from Barcelona, ceilidh is not a word I’m familiar with. She explains to me these are social events with Scottish and Irish origin, where a group will play music for people to join in … regardless of their talent.
“This is something people really enjoy, because it’s music they grow up with. That’s why some people will ask for bands like ours to play in weddings and other social events, because it’s music they know and it’s easy to dance to.”
However, she admits ceilidhs are becoming rarer because young people don’t enjoy them as much. But, in spite that, she remains optimistic these will still be popular with folk traditions like the Jack in the Green.
“It’s difficult to judge, but there are folk festivals all over the country and people come over to dance.”
“It’s one of those things that never goes away” – the band guitarist shouted jokingly from behind her.
Jigfoot - Click to visit their website.
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