A six-person orchestra from Poland amazed audiences who witnessed them on their journey through 10 countries in 10 days—on a bike.
Big Bike Orchestra was formed by six musician friends in 2019: Adrian Zasada, 45, vocalist and guitarist; Maciej Drapinski, 35, accordionist; Jedrzej Rochecki, 35, violinist; Krzysztof Biernacki, 35, clarinetist and saxophonist; Szymon Wicinski, 36, double bass; and Maciej Domagalski, 25, percussionist.
After a period of building their unique bicycle and rehearsing playing their instruments while on the move, the friends were all set for the trip of a lifetime.
Setting out from the Polish city of Bydgoszcz in the country’s north, the group visited the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
They performed their unique brand of “pop-folk” music to astonished audiences at iconic locations such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Charles Bridge in Prague, and the Atomium in Brussels, and while cycling across the bridges of Amsterdam.
“It was an incredibly demanding task,” accordionist Mr. Drapinski told The Epoch Times, “both in terms of planning and organizing the tour as well as during the actual execution of the project.”
Mr. Drapinski went on to describe some of the unforgettable—and at times humorous—moments that the friends experienced during their travels on the more than 13-foot-long bike, which they transported over great distances using a large bus fitted with a special trailer.
“While highway journeys are not too troublesome, navigating through mountain towns in the Alps or winding streets in city centers can be quite challenging,” he said.
“Regarding the performances themselves, unexpected situations are quite common. Occasionally, there are minor bike malfunctions, various weather conditions to contend with, and on one occasion during a performance, our double bassist accidentally hooked his instrument on a tree branch and fell off the bike. Fortunately, no harm was done.”
Earlier this year, in September, the sextet was performing on a scenic terrace in the Polish mountains when one of the boards they were riding over broke, causing the bike to come to a sudden stop.
Such mild calamities are amusing, but for Big Bike Orchestra, the most gratifying part of their adventures is seeing the joy on onlookers’ faces.
“The reactions from people in every place we visit are pretty much the same,” Mr. Drapinski said. “First and foremost, there’s surprise. One of the most common reactions from those who see us is reaching for their phones to capture the moment.
“Just imagine it ... you’re walking down the street or waiting in front of the stage for a concert, and suddenly you hear music behind you. You turn around and see six guys riding on one bike while playing instruments—a smile just naturally appears on everyone’s face.”
It was Mr. Drapinski who first was inspired to create the unusual and wildly popular musical act.
“When the crazy idea of creating a six-person bicycle and seating musicians on it emerged, I knew I had found the right people. Individuals who are daring, bold, and unafraid of challenges. The only thing left was to build this unique bicycle,” he said.
Each member of the band had already been an active, established musician before they came together, all crossing paths at various stages in their careers.
Initially, there were five participants, and the band went by the name Kontrabus for a couple of years, touring Poland and releasing two singles. Later, when the seed of the idea for Big Bike Orchestra was born, clarinetist Mateusz Szwankowski joined, but after a short time, he was succeeded by Mr. Biernacki.
Early on, just a few weeks after starting the project, the band was invited to take part in “Poland’s Got Talent” and succeeded in reaching the semifinals. Now, while writing and performing its own modern folk songs, the group has released three singles, played more than 100 concerts, and received countless requests to perform at festivals and events all over Europe and beyond.
Their “Maniana Tour 2023” is still ongoing, and Mr. Drapinski reveals that he and his friends, who touch on meaningful issues such as human freedom in their music, have many more plans.
“So far, we’ve exclusively performed our songs in Polish, but, in the near future, we plan to prepare English-language versions as well,” he said.
The six are currently using the second version of the original bike, which needed tweaking due to “the various experiences and adventures during performances.” Double bassist Mr. Wicinski took on the task of constructing the improved model. Due to the length of the bike and the need to accommodate six people, the design and the steering mechanism differ significantly from a regular bike.
“The driver has the big responsibility of ensuring everyone’s safety, but each musician is also responsible for stability, and even the slightest unwanted movements can affect the smoothness of the ride,” Mr. Drapinski said, noting that learning to synchronize riding with playing music took several months.
The experience of playing together can create strong bonds between band members, so how has the experience of performing and the additional closeness of riding and traveling together been?
“Frequent and extended trips away from home are indeed demanding for us and our families. It’s the nature of the work for active musicians,” Mr. Drapinski said, “and we try our best to manage both professional and domestic responsibilities.
“When we go in concerts, we are fully focused on our work delivering energetic performances. While on the bus, we discuss plans and ideas for the future. However, when we return home, we strive to fully engage with our domestic life. It’s not easy, but we do our best.”
Spending so much time together as a band results in a tight little community, he said.
“We create a musical family. Like in any family, there are better moments and moments of weakness. However, we handle these challenging times without any issues because we are very close friends, and everyone can count on each other,” he said.
Mr. Drapinski believes they wouldn’t be able to dedicate so much to touring life if it weren’t for one thing.
Watch them in action in these Instagram and YouTube videos!
There’s a debut album in the works, and concert invitations continue to flood in from various parts of the world. Their hard-working manager, Kamil Niezgoda, is busy organizing next year’s adventures, and the Big Bike Orchestra boys have big dreams.
“Our goal is to showcase our bike orchestra on every continent. We’re convinced our project would be wonderfully received in Asia or America, and a concert tour in the USA is one of the dreams we hope to realize soon,” Mr. Drapinski said.
