Queensburgh’s muso dad man enough to don a frock
A local Queensburgh couple planning their wedding this year was shown much encouragement by the father of the bride when muso dad, Neil Ford, performed wearing a frock at a local Malvern Pub in a gig entitled, "The Runaway Bride".
BASS guitarist, Neil Ford, will do anything for the love of his daughter.
He proved this in spades when he, and fellow Templar Funk band member, Ross Tapson, dressed up in satin and lace to perform at a special fund-raising gig at Malvern’s Musketeers Pub and Grill to help her pay for her wedding.
Regulars at Musketeers know the band well. The trio, Tapson, Ford and drummer, Steven Squier, perform at the local venue weekly.
“Templar Funk has played all over the sub-continent to enthusiastic audiences of all kinds, including bike rallies and private and corporate functions,” said Ford adding that while the band does have some additional members, the Tapson, Squier and he also form the core of a tribute band which performs under the moniker, In The Flesh.
As In the Flesh, the three pay homage to the music of great artists such as Pink Floyd, The Doors and Sting and The Police.
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Tapson joined Ford in drag during the fund-raising show much to the delight of audience members, many of whom are locals at the venue which is very popular in the Malvern area.
“We are developing a reputation for audacity as much as virtuosity,” quipped the otherwise soft-spoken Ford who comes out of his shell completely when performing in front of a live audience.
Asked how he came up with the idea of dressing up in drag for the show, Ford put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Tapson’s wife, Senta.
“It was all her idea!” he joked.
The event which was a surprise to daughter, Jade du Toit, who attended with her fiance, Kyle Moore.
Event organiser, Senta Tapson, was keen to thank everyone for their help. “It was a great successful afternoon at Musketeers in Malvern, ” she said adding that so many people contributed to the day’s success it was hard to name them all.
“The guys of Templar Funk, Ross Tapson, Neil Ford and Steven Squier were helped by Sharall Smith, Irene Ehrhartsmann, Marley Ford, Jade Du Toit as well as special guest artists, John Dijkman, Grant Lazenby and Andrea Gigilio.”
“Thank you for all our family, friends and the bar staff who made this day so special,” she said. According to Ford, just over R2 000 was raised.
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