1978 – Forum
Patrick Canovi – guitar & vocals
George Ashley – keyboards & vocals
Hylton Reiff – bass & vocals
Terrance Lee – drums & vocals
In 1978, Adrian Bekker introduced me to guitarist Patrick Canovi, who was looking for a new bass player for his band, Forum. After an audition, I joined the group alongside keyboard player George Ashley and drummer Terrance Lee.
Soon afterwards, we landed a three-month residency at a hotel dance club in Bellville, Cape Town. It was a great gig and gave us the opportunity to play together night after night, performing a mixture of contemporary material and our own arrangements.
Forum was also loud — extremely loud! Terrance had an enormous drum kit consisting of more than 30 drums and percussion pieces. It was so elaborate that it reportedly took him two days just to set the whole thing up. I had a 120w Marshall amp with one 4x12" cab and had to get another speaker cabinet to increase my volume.
The newspaper clipping below announced my joining Forum and our upcoming three-month engagement in Bellville. It’s particularly special to me because, although no recordings of the band have survived, this article and photograph provide a lasting record of my brief time with the group.
A Piece of Musical History
Looking back, Forum was another important stage in my development as a working bass player. After the progressive-rock experimentation of Innisfree, Forum gave me the experience of playing a regular professional engagement and performing night after night as part of an established band.
Unfortunately, as far as I know, no recordings of Forum have survived — so this old newspaper clipping is the only record I still have of the band.
