The Barmy Army star talks preparing for the Ashes 2025/26 after having headlined Glastonbury and having beer with Beyonce

If England are to secure just the second Ashes triumph in Australia this century over the next few months, they will do it to the soundtrack of Simon Finch and the Barmy Army.

They will be in safe hands. Anyone who has been at a Test during his tenure will know Finchy is no amateur but this is a man who has performed in a Glastonbury headline set, played with both Blur and a Gallagher brother, and even backed up, and shared a pint of Stella with, Beyonce.

With 3,000 fans travelling on Barmy Army packages and up to 40,000 expected in Australia across the series, Finchy's trumpet and the world-famous England cricket supporters club will be a constant this winter – firing off Jerusalem every morning and a varied songbook throughout the day at all five Tests – and in the hostile atmospheres down under, Ben Stokes' side will need them.

Michael Atherton, former England captain and well-respected journalist, has called it the greatest challenge facing an England player.

The numbers reflect that. You can count the English Ashes victories in Australia since World War II on one hand, while the tourists have won just one series since 1987 and have not even won a Test in the last 15 years.

But the feeling is that this England team and their aggressive BazBall approach can change that; the Barmy Army certainly think so.

"We've got a much stronger, more cohesive team to get behind," says Finchy. "It's still got some legends in it like Joe Root and Ben Stokes.

"I'm extremely confident. I can quite easily see it being 4-1 to England."

It's a bold prediction but the role of the Barmy Army trumpeter is not one he takes lightly.

"It's an absolute honour to do it," says Finchy. "Thrilled to be asked. It is the most amazing, wonderful experience of my life.

"I was nervous at first. I must admit, my first Jerusalem was probably the most nervous I've ever been playing the trumpet, apart from my first ever trumpet solo with the Hounslow Junior Wind Band in about 1985."

It cannot have been a future that his father expected when he bought his 10-year-old son a £25 trumpet in Hounslow, nor what Finchy himself imagined while he was earning his diploma at Leeds College of Music, his master's at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, or during his years in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

He is a self-confessed "massive Test cricket fan" and admits that it had "always been a secret hankering" of his.

“I didn’t know Billy Cooper (his predecessor) but I was aware of the trumpet at the ground," he says. “I thought to myself: ‘he’ll never step down from that; it’s the best gig ever’.”

But Billy Cooper did call time on his career with the Barmy Army in 2019 and after a push from his wife, Finchy fired off an email to enquire.

With a CV that includes playing with Beyonce and Jay-Z, Kanye West (he is one of the trumpets on All of the Lights), Kelis, Blur, and Liam Gallagher, as well as headlining Glastonbury with Florence and the Machine, it’s no surprise that CEO Chris Millard was eager to meet him.

Barmy Army chiefs convinced, within weeks Finchy was heading off to Sri Lanka on tour but Covid ensured he would have to wait for his live debut, which eventually came in June 2021 – England v New Zealand at Edgbaston.

“My first foray into it was Jerusalem live from my living room on The Barmy Army Facebook page," he explains.

“The following summer they said: 'Right, we’re going to use you live'. They had some other people in mind; they were going to share it out between a few of us. Then I did a couple and they decided to stick with me.”

The years since have seen him playing in cricket rounds across the globe, with no shortage of memorable moments.

"West Indies 2022 was my first tour," he explains. "The cricket was dreadful, two bore draws and then we got hammered in Grenada, Joe Root's last series as captain but it was my first tour. My wife and my son, who was three at the time, and it was fabulous.

"The Ashes 2023, Stuart Broad's last wickets at the Oval. He'd announced his retirement the night before and we all had headbands on.

"Steve Lovell, who goes to the Ashes matches dressed as the urn and is the graphic designer of the Barmy Army tour t-shirts, turned up with a bedsheet and was tearing streaks off for people to wear as headbands. Watching Broady steam in and take those final wickets was just amazing.

"Rawlpindi in 2022 is another one. The first time England went to Pakistan in over 20 years. That famous win. We made 480 on the first day and I played 'four more to the England' 71 times on that first day; that was how many boundaries they scored.

"Watching England win that, Jack Leach's wicket in the dark when there were 20 minutes to go. That was amazing."

Playing through an entire home summer or winter tour is an impressive feat of endurance. Keeping his chops in shape on tour is no issue due to how much he plays but he has to look after himself.

Professionalism is "his north star", which means eating well and knowing his limits – particularly during a Test. "I have fun but I'm steady with it."

Tours abroad are not without their hiccups, however, particularly where the trumpet is concerned.

The Barmy Army is one of the most renowned fan organisations in the world, bringing a lively atmosphere and injecting cash into the local area, and the trumpet is synonymous with it. That means special dispensation at most grounds and trouble at others.

"India was hilarious,' said Finchy. "The BCCI is a behemoth. They sometimes don't even answer phone calls from the ECB, I gather, they're that big.

"In Hyderabad, I had to go to the ground with the trumpet the day before and meet the chief of police, who checked that I was of good moral fibre. This panel of men would ask me questions and then talk to each other in Hindi. Then they pulled out a photo of that guy Jarvo and asked if I knew who he was."

It's not always the authorities that Finchy has to worry about; sometimes, it's the fans he's sharing the stands with.

"We were at Mount Maunganui in New Zealand, and my trumpet got grabbed, taken out of my hands and a guy ran off with it around the ground. We took chase and one of our bigger members managed to rugby tackle him to the ground.

"The trumpet got damaged, it got bent and squashed and was unusable, but the New Zealand cricket team very graciously paid for the repairs."

Finchy's years with the Barmy Army have bolstered an already impressive arsenal of brilliant stories. There was the time he had a pint with Beyoncé during rehearsals for a show at the Royal Albert Hall.

"We were at Terminal Studios in Bermondsey," he says. "There were a couple of songs the brass section weren't needed for so what do brass players do with half an hour off? We go to the pub, the Woolpack on Bermondsey Street.

"Four or five of us are sat in there, and then who should walk into this old London boozer in the middle of a rainy Thursday afternoon but Beyonce and her girlfriends. If my memory serves me correctly, she ordered a pint of Stella."

And, of course, when Damon Albarn's frustration helped him witness England's famous Ashes win at Headingley in 2023.

He says: “I was going to miss it but at the rehearsal, Damon decided the brass section were fired for the audacity of not playing as loud as he wanted.

"So I was called back to Headingley. If I hadn’t been fired, I’d have missed the great comeback at Headingley and I would so much rather have been there watching England beat Australia than been at Wembley playing for Blur, which sounds churlish but it’s true.”

Finchy's responsibilities down under will go beyond just the five Tests – breakfasts, charity matches and auctions, and Barmy Bingo in each of the five cities are among the numerous events put on for travelling fans – but it is in the stands of Australia's vast cricketing cathedrals that the Barmy Army can make their presence felt.

"I do feel that we make a difference," he says. "I feel like it's going to be like having a 12th man on the pitch, particularly in Perth at that first Test.

"The England team are great with us. Whenever we do Jerusalem, if they're fielding, to a man, all 11 will turn around and give us a round of applause, which is lovely to see.

"If they're in the field and they need a bit of juice, Joe Root and Mark Wood particularly, do it; they'll start waving over and gesture for us to start playing and singing. And we'll start because they want it. We do have a really strong relationship with them in that respect.

"English cricket are blessed with the Barmy Army because we are the die-hard travelling supporters. People are spending five figures to come out and watch England play cricket. That's not to be sneezed at by anyone who's involved.

"I feel incredibly proud to be part of it and to be the forward-facing member, the visual face of it. My job is to get the fans singing, and when the fans sing, the team love it."

The England team have spoken out about the impact and importance of the Barmy Army many times but Finchy is ready for a very different response from the locals.

"I'm expecting a bit of noise, a bit of barracking," he admits. "From what I gather from the really experienced tour members, the Aussie fans don't really like having the mickey taken out of them.

"They don't really like the humour, the banter and they can't handle their beer so I'm expecting a bit in the ground."

The Barmy Army's extensive songbook has been updated for the Ashes tour – though they are still inviting ideas for Jamie Smith and Josh Tongue – but one song stands out and for all the stars Finch has played alongside, still excites him hugely.

"The most satisfying to play, of course, is Jerusalem. It's got such a beautiful melody and there's a real sense of oneness when we sing it. Everyone is there just for the cricket, really, and that's an amazing thing.

"I can only imagine what it's going to be like in Perth on day 1, that Jerusalem. I'm getting tingles just thinking about it."

TNT Sports and discovery+ have exclusive live TV coverage of the Ashes, which can also be watched through Amazon Prime Video, while fans can listen to every ball of the series via Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.

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