96 | Out of Hours
Working in the furniture industry can be incredibly demanding, yet many members of the trade find the time to pursue noteworthy avenues alongside the day job. In Out of Hours, we discover what some of the industry’s more colourful characters get up to in their spare time …
The funk singer “There are so many lessons from performance and being in a band which translate to business life” My name is Kate Hardcastle MBE, and I’m
It has not always been the kindest
caucasian Vandella for Martha Reeves –
a TV presenter otherwise known as The
industry – a lot of success is based on
that’s one of the stories I’m most looking
Customer Whisperer, a business adviser to
who you know rather than your ability,
forward to telling my grandchildren about.
UK and international businesses.
and auditions ending in rejection were a
Martha was the sound of Detroit and the
bitter pill to swallow at an early age. But
queen of Motown. Her music – Jimmy Mack,
Out of hours, I revert back to my original
every time I take to the stage for a keynote
Dancing In the Streets, Nowhere To Run, etc
career plan as a singer. I work with a number
now (I perform business seminars all over
– was played constantly by my mum on her
of function bands across the UK, signing at
the world, alongside the likes of former
vinyl records.
high-profile events and boutique festivals.
presidents of the USA and sports stars such
My career as a singer has afforded me the
as Michael Jordan) I am so grateful for
such a legend was more than nerve-racking.
opportunity to perform as the back-up
having an ability to deal with stage fright
Ms Reeves is a very experienced performer
vocalist to household names, and take to the
and having mastered the art of performance
and knows exactly how she likes her music
stage in huge sporting stadiums and appear
and reading an audience.
to sound. The band was incredibly excited
So, to be in a hotel room auditioning for
– so much so that at rehearsals we would
on TV. However, it is something I have kept very separately from my professional career,
It asks that I commit to pretty regular
nearly creep to the point of speeding up!
after a quite significant piece of advice from
practice sessions and gigs for my current
Thankfully, our brilliant drummer, and Ms
someone in the furniture industry!
function band, For Funk Sake.
Reeves’ own personal tambourine (which
Yet at one point, singing occupied every
she conducts the band with) kept us on track.
I became involved in this because I was a
moment of my life. A band I was in during
class geek and loved to study – something
my later teens and early 20s was hungry
that created a challenging school life for me
(literally) and ambitious - we had a great
with the likes of Candi Staton, Jaki Graham,
as I was bullied because of it (something
musical director, Matt, and a desire to get
Andrew Roachford, Alexander O’Neal, M
I discussed in later life on a Radio 4 series
our music actually on point. We would
People, etc. Some brilliant, some almost
called Fear of Failure, with Kate Silverton).
rehearse to the point of exhaustion and have
unbelievable – but most of them for after
days of double gigs.
the watershed!
I would attend any extra lunchtime or after-school class just to avoid the loitering
I have so many stories about working
The energy was fantastic, and whilst I
bullies. One of those classes was the school
wouldn’t change my career today, I am
Ten years down the line, I see myself
‘rock’ band – less Jack Black, more The
grateful for being involved with a band that
doing much the same thing. We’re looking
Commitments – and, with a grandfather
were so tenacious and taught me so much.
to do some more recording work with the brilliant band I’m in now – For Funk Sake
who was a passionate singer encouraging me, I auditioned for the band.
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I’m most proud of being the first-ever
is a beautiful mix of soul, funk and disco,
28/08/2019 16:08