Band plays surprise gig after Eurostar breaks down

A band played a surprise gig for Eurostar passengers to lighten a stressful situation after their train broke down for more than eight hours.

Oxford indie folk band Stornoway were on board the 07:52 BST Brussels to London train on Sunday, which came to a stop about two hours into its journey somewhere outside Guînes, France.

With rising temperatures and no power, working toilets, or air conditioning, the band decided to take up their instruments and play a show outside the train to pick up flagging spirits.

Eurostar has apologised for the breakdown and said it was carrying out a full investigation.

Oli Steadman, a multi-instrumentalist in the band, told the BBC: "We were just on our way home and then suddenly there was an emergency stop.

"I turned to Tom, our trumpet player next to me, and he said 'I think we're going to be here for a long time'.

"He somehow knew it was not going to end well."

Steadman said emotions were starting to run high and the passengers were eventually allowed to get out of the train onto the sidings.

The band missed a day in the recording studio because of the delay, but Steadman "felt much, much worse for the others", which included passengers who were "very young and very frail".

"All of them were baffled by the lack of clarity from Eurostar," he added.

"Not once in the 11-hour journey did we have any official announcement... we just had a rumour mill from drivers to the buffet car."

Eventually the band picked up their instruments and played a setlist that included The Only Way Is Up by Yazz, opening with the new lyrics "We've been broken down for six hours long / Being on Eurostar, sure ain't no fun".

Steadman said: "What really helped on top of the music was a chaffinch and a couple of chiffchaffs in the beech wood that we happened to be stopped next to who chimed in.

"The sense that we were out in nature really helped plug people back into that sense that we're part of something bigger.

"We can all get along even in difficult circumstances, and it was a good thing we weren't stopped in a concrete jungle just outside of central Brussels."

The replacement train eventually arrived at St Pancras at 19:20 BST.

Eurostar said it would be offering compensation.

Stornoway formed in 2005 and had their first radio play on BBC Radio Oxford the following year.

They released their debut album Beachcomber's Windowsill in 2009.

Two more albums followed before a six-year hiatus and 2023's comeback album Dig The Mountain!

They celebrate their 21st anniversary with a gig at the Royal Albert Hall in March next year.

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