1970-76 - Nick Mirbach
Nicholas Mirbach was one of the most talented and inspiring musicians I have ever known. Music was truly in his blood. We became close friends when we were very young, and Nick had an enormous influence on my growing passion for music.
He seemed able to turn his hand to almost any instrument, but guitar, keyboards and vocals were at the centre of his music. Playing with Nick during those early years gave me the opportunity to discover what it was like to make music with other people — something that would remain an important part of my life from then on.
My Very First Band
Nick Mirbach – guitar & vocals
Hylton Reiff – bass & vocals
Peter Haddow – drums
Our first group actually began with me playing piano and organ. After a few years, however, I switched to bass — the instrument that would ultimately become my musical home.
We practised wherever and however we could, using whatever equipment was available. Eventually we began playing a few local house parties around Bulawayo. They were hardly major gigs, but to us they were the real thing — my first experience of actually performing in a band.
Looking back at the old photographs, you can even see the Hi-Fi speakers in the background. Proper PA systems and amplifiers would come later!
Nick, Barry and Me
In 1972, when I was 14, Nick and I formed another small group with our good friend Barry Graham from Salisbury (now Harare). Barry was an excellent flute player, giving the group a rather unusual sound.
Nick Mirbach – guitar & vocals
Barry Graham – flute & vocals
Hylton Reiff – bongos & vocals
We even recorded some of our music on an Akai reel-to-reel tape recorder. Those recordings have survived, making them a wonderful reminder of a time when three teenagers were simply experimenting, writing, playing and discovering music together.
More than fifty years later, being able to listen to those recordings again takes me straight back to those days.
We recorded some of our songs on an Akai reel-to-reel tape recorder.
Remembering Nick
Nick's life was tragically short. He took his own life on February 7, 1981, at just 22 years old.
But my memories of Nick are overwhelmingly about his music, his talent and the influence he had on me. We were just kids when we started playing together, yet those years helped establish a love of performing and making music that has remained with me throughout my life.
Nick was there at the very beginning of that journey, and I will always remember him for it.
