Superfly Part One by Anthony Randall
relished the band. This event was going to be their biggest fundraiser to date, with around five hundred guests, prominent people and business types all suited and booted, and geared up to spend copious amounts of cash on the prestigious auction held during the evening; it had the promise of a rather lavish affair.
For ten years, during most of the nineties and into the new millennium I fronted and managed a seven piece function band called Superfly, initially performing locally (I hail from Watford in Hertfordshire) with 60’s soul and 70’s funk hits, we evolved to cover a wide spectrum of music catering for all manor of parties and weddings, pubs and clubs nationwide. The band had an ever shifting line up of seasoned musicians each with a vast and colourful history and as you can imagine we got up to some high jinks. Even though we endeavoured to keep it professional, life throws some curve balls at times. One agent once told me “You are the act on my books that gets the most complaints, but also by far the most compliments”.
My first set back during the week prior was that my keyboard player Paul couldn’t make it, which usually meant he’d had a higher paying offer come in, musicians can be such whores sometimes, so I turned to my ‘dep’ (deputy) list and rang around hoping to find someone who was free, it didn’t take long, Matt was available, a sound choice, he now writes and plays with the multi-million album selling funksters Jamiroquai. That was that sorted then, he knew all the tunes, sigh of relief.
One was the Henley-upon-Thames Roundtable Christmas charity ball of 2001, a large auspicious shindig held that year in a sprawling marquee in the grounds of Henley Town hall.
I was propagating a cold, nothing too devastating, I’d sung with all manor of bugs, sore throats and blockages and survived, I usually just took a couple of Sudafed an hour before going on stage and they would clear the airways reasonably enough to produce a nasally rendition of a set and have the bonus of giving me a little lift as well, but this cold got progressively worse and come the day of the gig I could hardly talk let alone sing. Nightmare, I couldn’t get a replacement singer who’d know our repertoire, especially with such short notice, besides it was nearly Christmas, and I really needed the dosh.
The event was organized by the lovely, bubbly Lisa, who had booked us on several previous occasions and really
If I relaxed, refrained from talking all day, took lots of medication and drank plenty of water, maybe it’ll be all right - 34 -
