By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

PELL CITY – During the first few weeks of the 2018 football season, Thompson High School’s Marching Southern Sounds have earned plenty of praise for fans who have seen their Birmingham-themed show. Now, they have some hardware to go along with it.

The Marching Southern Sounds competed against seven other bands in the AAAA class in the Pell City Marching Band Festival on Saturday, Sept. 22, at Pete Rich Alumni Stadium.

Thompson competed against Athens High School, Clay-Chalkville High School, Hueytown High School, Prattville High School, Austin High School, Chelsea High School and Weaver High School in the competition’s largest division.

This year’s Marching Southern Sounds field show “Iron Giant: A celebration of Birmingham” pays homage to the history of Alabama’s largest city, and the metropolitan area of which Alabaster is a part.

The show showcases Sloss Furnace and the Magic City sign while the band plays the Black Sabbath song “Iron Man.” The band then plays the song “Ecstasy of Gold” from the film “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” representing Birmingham’s famous color tunnel.

The band then plays the Metallica song “Master of Puppets” while showcasing Birmingham’s Vulcan statue before the show ends with functional smokestacks along the sideline in front of the “It’s nice to have you in Birmingham” slogan.

Thompson wowed the judges during the Pell City competition, as the band and visual ensemble earned the following accolades:

 

-All superior ratings

-Best in class drum major

-Best in class colorguard

-Best in class band

-Highest music score

-Most entertaining overall

 

The band will compete in the Lake Martin Invitational competition on Oct. 6 and in the Jacksonville State University competition on Oct. 20.