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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Musicians appeared in Game of Thrones in several different ways: some performed songs as characters, some played background musicians, and others appeared as soldiers or wights. Wilko Johnson’s recurring role as Ser Ilyn Payne is a different case altogether. This guide covers documented notable appearances, with the season, episode and scene for each.
Musicians at a glance
| Musician | Season and episode | Appearance | Scene function | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilko Johnson (Dr. Feelgood) | Season 1, episodes 2, 9 and 10; season 2, episode 9 | Recurring acting role | Ser Ilyn Payne, the royal executioner | Recurring character across multiple episodes |
| Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol) | Season 3, episode 3, “Walk of Punishment” | Sings in-world | A Bolton soldier transporting Brienne and Jaime sings “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” | Brief scene |
| Will Champion (Coldplay) | Season 3, episode 9, “The Rains of Castamere” | Background musician | Drummer at Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey’s wedding | Brief appearance |
| Sigur Rós | Season 4, episode 2, “The Lion and the Rose” | In-world performance | Performs “The Rains of Castamere” at Joffrey and Margaery’s wedding | Visible as the wedding musicians |
| Bill Kelliher, Brent Hinds and Brann Dailor (Mastodon) | Season 5, episode 8, “Hardhome” | Wildlings and wights | Appear among the wildlings; the final scene shows them as newly made wights | Brief background appearances |
| Of Monsters and Men | Season 6, episodes 5 and 6, “The Door” and “Blood of My Blood” | Background stage musicians | Accompanies the Braavosi play “The Bloody Hand” | Seen during Arya’s visits to the play |
| Ed Sheeran | Season 7, episode 1, “Dragonstone” | Sings in-world | A nameless Lannister soldier singing around a campfire | Brief scene; he said he had two lines and mostly stayed in the background |
| Kyle Simmons and Dick Meredith (Bastille) | Season 7 finale | Reported wight appearances | Briefly visible as wights, according to retrospective coverage | Extremely brief; other planned appearances were cut |
Recurring acting role: Wilko Johnson as Ser Ilyn Payne
Wilko Johnson, guitarist for Dr. Feelgood, played Ser Ilyn Payne, the silent royal executioner. He appears in season 1, episodes 2, 9 and 10, and season 2, episode 9. Payne beheads Ned Stark, but Johnson’s presence in multiple episodes makes this a recurring character role rather than a fleeting musician cameo. TIME’s episode guide lists these appearances.
Musicians performing or playing in Westeros and Braavos
Gary Lightbody sings “The Bear and the Maiden Fair”
In “Walk of Punishment” (season 3, episode 3), Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody appears among the Bolton soldiers transporting Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister toward Harrenhal. He sings “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” as the group travels. TIME notes the song’s connection to Brienne’s later encounter with a bear. TIME’s guide identifies the episode and scene.
Will Champion drums at the Red Wedding
Coldplay drummer Will Champion is among the musicians at Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey’s wedding in “The Rains of Castamere” (season 3, episode 9). He plays drums during the celebration. The appearance is brief, and the musicians’ presence becomes part of the setting for the Red Wedding’s violence. TIME identifies Champion in the scene.
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Sigur Rós performs at Joffrey’s wedding
The Icelandic band Sigur Rós plays “The Rains of Castamere” at Joffrey and Margaery’s wedding in “The Lion and the Rose” (season 4, episode 2). Unlike a background musician hidden in the crowd, the band is presented as the wedding’s performers; Joffrey dismisses them during the scene. TIME reports that the performance also appears on the season-four soundtrack. TIME’s guide covers the appearance.
Of Monsters and Men accompanies a Braavosi play
Of Monsters and Men appear as stage musicians in “The Door” and “Blood of My Blood” (season 6, episodes 5 and 6). They accompany “The Bloody Hand,” the Braavosi play Arya watches. Their role is musical, but it is part of the play within the story rather than a standalone concert appearance. TIME lists both episodes.
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Ed Sheeran sings as a Lannister soldier
In “Dragonstone,” the season-seven premiere, Ed Sheeran plays a nameless Lannister soldier singing around a campfire when Arya encounters the group. The lyrics were written by George R. R. Martin for the novels, according to ABC News; Sheeran is singing an in-world song, not performing a promotional single as himself.
Sheeran described the part as small: “I say literally two lines in it, and then just kind of hang in the background, so I wouldn’t necessarily call it acting.” ABC News reported that he credited Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody with connecting him to the production. The casting was announced by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss at SXSW; TIME quoted Benioff saying, “For years we were trying to get Ed Sheeran on the show to surprise Maisie and this year we finally did it.” TIME reported the announcement, while ABC News reported Sheeran’s comments.
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Musicians cast as fighters and creatures
Mastodon members become wights at Hardhome
Bill Kelliher, Brent Hinds and Brann Dailor of Mastodon appear among the wildlings during “Hardhome” (season 5, episode 8). In the episode’s final scene, they are identifiable among the newly created wights. Their appearance is not a musical performance: they are part of the battle’s supernatural aftermath. TIME identifies the three in its appearance guide. The Independent reported that the band’s connection to the production began after Hinds met members of the crew while Mastodon was touring. The Independent’s retrospective gives that background.
Bastille: only two members reportedly visible
The status of Bastille’s appearance is easy to overstate. The Independent’s 2019 retrospective says guitarist Kyle Simmons and tour manager Dick Meredith can be glimpsed briefly as wights in the season-seven finale, while other planned appearances were cut from the finished episode. TIME’s 2017 article had described the appearance as rumored and not officially confirmed at that point. This is therefore best treated as a reported, extremely brief appearance by two people—not a scene featuring the whole band. The Independent and TIME describe the differing reporting.
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How to distinguish the appearances
- In-world singers and performers: Lightbody, Sigur Rós and Sheeran perform music as part of a scene in the story.
- Background or stage musicians: Champion plays at a wedding, while Of Monsters and Men accompany a play.
- Non-musical parts: Mastodon members appear as wildlings and wights; the reported Bastille appearances are as wights.
- Recurring acting role: Johnson plays Ser Ilyn Payne across multiple episodes, a more substantial role than the one-scene appearances.
This is a guide to documented notable appearances, not a claim that it catalogues every musician who may have appeared in the series.
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