The Sousaphone
What the hell is that?!
It's a Sousaphone.
OK... What is it?
It's essentially a tuba that wraps around your body so you can play it while you're marching.
Marching?
Yes. It was originally developed for military bands, but it was adopted by jazz tuba players for New Orleans style parades.
Who's idea was it?
John Philip Sousa - the chap who wrote the Monty Python theme tune amongst other things.
Is it easy to play?
No. I play things with strings, so making music by blowing spittle through a tube is... a bit of a challenge, to say the least.
What does it sound like?
At the moment, mine sounds like The Titanic coming into dock, but I'm working on it.
I've never heard of them... are they a new thing?
No. They've been around since the late 1800s but you don't see many of them in the UK - they're really popular in the USA.
What's with the wacky get-up?
I was playing for a Border Morris side, which is a bit like morris dancing for goths.
Who's the other feller?
That's Mark. He's lovely.
Are you mentally ill?
Very probably.