In a fantastic event that brought the community together for a night of good music, the Melville Theatre was proud to present the return of The Hadron Colliders for this year’s Mayor’s Charity Concert on Thursday October 20

Abergavenny Mayor, Councillor Tony Konieczny is supportting three charities this year including Seven Corners and Cwtch Angels; both of which, deliver amazing work aiding vulnerable residents. However,the event at the Melville Theatre was a stand-alone fundraiser that aims to provide Humanitarian Aid for the people living in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

A large group of Ukranian families which is being hosted in Abergavenny have family and friends who continue to face hardship in Kharviv and local woman Helen Buhaenko, feas for the safety of her cousin, who is involved with Civil Defence in the Ukranian city. In efforts to aid both her family and the people of Kharviv, Helen has secured a 4x4 vehicle with the hope of filling it with equipment that is so vitally needed. The proceeds of the concert will be used to buy these necessities that will then be transported to Ukraine.

To achieve this, mayor Tony called on the help of his band, The Hadron Colliders.

The Hadron Colliders was first formed in 2018 when Tony was approached by bass guitarist, Simon Birch with the proposal of joining forces. At this point, he was already very experienced, having played with number of artists from across the country with his longest stint being the in a band called the Jiverholics which he worked with from 2007-2020.

“I have been extremely fortunate to have met and worked with a number of immensely talented individuals,” he said.

The Hadron Colliders are no exception as it has since welcomed the musical talents of David Price (keys), Julian Miles (percussion) and finally Emily Games as the lead vocalist. As lead guitarist, Tony praised his bandmembers, saying “it is a privilege to play with such accomplished and gifted musicians.”

Growing up, music had always been something of a fascination to Tony. He recalls being thirteen years old and riding his bike past a neighbour’s house. He overheard two older boys playing The Shadows.

“I was immediately intrigued. I remember going over to them and asking if I could stay to listen.”

Following this, Tony went on to learn the guitar, before progressing on to the mandolin and ukulele. The Shadows continued to have a major influence upon Tony, amongst other artists like Chuck Berry and later, Eric Clapton.

His varying musical preferences is mirrored in the songs The Hadron Colliders perform. Known for their eclectic taste in music, The Hadron Colliders pride themselves in covering niche songs that are – more than often – overlooked by cover artists.

Tony explained “There’s a challenge aspect to it... We like material that inspires us. When you are passionate about what you are playing, the audience can see it and that is what gets them engaged.”

Their list of covers has something for everyone, ranging from the up-tempo beats of Streetlife and Love Sneakin’ up on You to slower numbers including Joan Armatrading’s The Shouting Stage and A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke. The diverse nature of the gigs makes The Hadron Collider’s music widely accessible, whilst also having the ability of opening the audience up to songs that may not have been on their radar.

Over the years, The Hadron Colliders have performed across Abergavenny, delivering a string of well-received gigs. “We love performing and try to do it as regularly as we can,” Tony commented.

“It can sometimes be a juggling act, working with such talented individuals. They obviously have their own music projects and get called away to work with other artists, but we do as much as we can.”

One of their most recent gigs took place at the King’s Arms Hotel in April. The band performed in a popular benefit that saw £1200 being raised for Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine.

They are delighted to once again contribute to such an incredible cause.