POLICE were called when a rock band asked by a vicar to 'turn it down' because they were disturbing a church service responded by belting out blasphemous rock classic Highway to Hell.
The bishop of Sheffield Steven Croft was addressing the congregation of more than 100 at Wombwell St Mary's last Sunday evening when band Coyote began performing across the road outside the Alma.
Rev Martjn Mugge said: "We couldn't hear very much of the service, so I went and asked if they could turn it down. The music was good, but it was very loud.
"They said they'd stop in ten minutes, so we carried on with the service, but then they played Highway to Hell, which I took to be a bit of a dig.
"I didn't think that was very kind to me or the church, but I'm not one to make a fuss. I did think they could have played Stairway to Heaven instead."
Lead singer Stuart Brierley said: "The venue has a licence for indoor and outdoor live music. I told him we'd be done ten minutes and then stop for a break but he said can we have ten minutes a bit quieter. We're a live rock band. You can't do it quietly."
He said Highway to Hell was due to be played anyway, but he admitted moving it forward.
"It was a little bit of a dig, but only because he came up and interrupted me on stage, mid flow. I'm sure he wouldn't have liked it if I'd done that to him.
"People joke that we'll never get to heaven, I suppose that's it now."
Alma landlord Jimmy Hardy said he would work with the church to make sure live music did not clash with services in future.
The council was due to visit the pub to investigate the complaint on Thursday.
