Mike Sandbrook Eulogy
by Alun Edwards
Everyone in this church will have their own memories of Mick but I would
like to share some of mine for a minute or two.
Michael Clive Anthony Sandbrook, Yeah that took me by surprise as well,
I knew about the Clive but not the Anthony.
What can you say about Mick Sandbrook, well, he was obstinate, stubborn,
bloody minded, always thought he was right, and he had a great gift of
always making a mountain out of a molehill, having said that, Mick had
a heart as big as a football, a family man who loved Margaret, his kids,
and Lily his Granddaughter with all his heart.
He would do anything (if he could) for his friends, asking nothing in
return, in fact in the past when he had done jobs for me and others I have
had to buy him cartons of cigarettes, anything really because he wouldn't
take payment for anything, he used to say, "If I can't do it for a friend,
then it's time to pack it in," but that's the type of guy he was.
I have been friends with Mick for 35 years, we met in 1978 when the
band I was in, "Desperado" and there are some members here today, advertised
for a new bass player and Mick got the job, in fact, he ended up doing
several jobs in the band, bass player, van driver, sound engineer, and
rehearsal venue arranger, the thing was, Mick was always happy to be responsible
for things, he always said, "If I do it I know it's done right".
He always had this characteristic when he did any job, whether it was
putting in a socket, light switch, wiring or balancing a P.A. system, and
the lads here will know what I mean. Years ago, there used to be a show
on the telly starring David Jason of Fools and Horses fame, it was called
A Sharp Intake of Breath and it always reminded me of Mick, because no
matter what job it was, he would go, "--------------- I don't know who
done that, but don't worry, I'll put it right (He was our hero). He lads?
He was also a very talented musician, self taught, started on trumpet,
on to ukulele, six string guitar and bass guitar and also a bit of piano.
I have worked with some fabulous musicians over the last 44 years, to mention
just a few on keyboards, Tony Tester, Ian Sidgwick and Alan Clarke. On
drums, David Usher, Norman Smith and Denis Johnson. On guitar Kevin Bateman,
Mike Frankland, John Gingell, Colin Bradley, Merrick Hamilton and John
Whittingham. On bass guitar John Green, Eddie Giles and the wonderful Mick
Sandbrook.
Mick could literally make a bass guitar sing. I don't think I appreciated
just how good he was till the first time I listened to his stuff in the
recording studio. It just blew me away, you know, Mike loved making music,
as you know, Mick didn't have any sisters or brothers and I know he wouldn't
have admitted this, but I believe he regarded us, his band mates, as his
brothers.
I always remember vividly what he once said to me about music and being
in a band, in one of our many conversations about making music, he said
to me, "You know Al, when you are in a band, it's like a marriage, you
have your ups and downs, you fall out and you kiss and make up, sometimes
it's not so good and you wonder why you are doing it, but most of the time,
when the music is sweet, and the harmonies just flow, and the audience
is living it, it's like flying" and I said, "Flying?" and he'd say "Yeah
you k now, walking on air, just like flying."
You know Mick Sandbrook was my buddy, and I loved him and I'll miss
him, and finally, I'm sure everybody here, especially Merrick, Dennis,
John and Myself, his band mates and his brothers wish Michael all our love
and best wishes as he flies one last time, towards the sky.
