Here's the basic info you need to be aware of to take part as a member of the band. Please ask at a practice session if you have questions or are having difficulty with any of the following.

How to find and learn the tunes

We have a set of specific tunes and breaks that we learn and practice each week. You can find them on the XR Rhythms Player

The player web app allows you to view every tune and break, listen to separate instrument parts, and also has the mnemonics to help you remember and learn.

Photos and Video Policy

We often take photos or record video at actions, and occasionaly at rehearsals. This helps raise awareness of what we do, the causes we support, and helps recruit new members.

As a member, there is some accomodation for opting out, but at public actions should assume that you'll be photographed or videoed by the public, CCTV, and the police. Read our full statement about photos and video here.

Funding and donations

We're entirely dependent on member donations, and we ask for donations each week at rehearsals which nominally is suggested at £5. However, any amount is appreciated, and there's no pressure to donate at all, no one will mind (or probably even notice) if you don't - we leave a hat in the middle during our mid-practice break.

This money is kept by a volunteer and is primarily for rehearsal room hire, but also goes towards other things like printing flyers, flags, and sometimes subsidising travel to important actions by train or coach.

What to expect at actions

Although the purpose of the band is to support these things, if you join us at rehearsals, there is never pressure to attend any actions, marches or protests. To attend anything is a personal choice and will not be questioned.

The best way to get an idea of what actions are like is to talk to us in person at a rehearsal, or browse through our youtube playlist of past actions.

If you you do choose to join us on actions, we do our utmost to give as much information in advance in terms of location, routes, accessibility, and risk level. We look out for each other and are generally cautious about what we do, but there is always some risk involved.

See our Protest Info Sheet for more information.

How we organise

We use the Telegram app for communicating and organising the band, including decisions about rehearsals, events, and more.

We are explicitly non-hierarchical, and we have an internal group of volunteers called "The Hive", who help organize the group, each with a specific role.

Our Hive volunteers manage roles such as: Bookings, Music Muse, External Coordinator, Internal Coordinator, Social Media, and more. We meet regularly to help guide the group's direction. We report back news and updates to the group via our Telegram chat channels.

The hive roles come up for new volunteer renewal every six months. Please consider volunteering if you're able!