To even begin to write a personal tribute to you Max feels like the most enormous undertaking. To do it any justice I feel I'd be here for weeks. It still feels utterly incomprehensible that you are no longer here in person but my memories of you will be with me forever and I will try and take your wide-eyed enthusiasm into all my actions.
Some of the most memorable, enjoyable and special moments have been with you or due to you. At school you were the guy who loved singing even more than I did. I had to get to know you! You could hear Bono vocal lines being belted out around Court like some giant mating call or call to arms. One or the other. You loved U2 and Prince as much as I did. I loved your enthusiasm when I first asked you to join the band and the work that you'd put in learning lyrics and rehearsing, whilst girlfriends would wait patiently in their bedsits! I have hugely happy memories of you turning the tables and inviting me to join your band a year later and thereby introducing me to the great Sam Eastall on drums. Uncle Sam's Misguided Children was the best school band and the audiences knew it. I guess I loved the fact that in spite of you having so many admirers, friends and acquaintances, you managed to always keep everyone close and involved. You always treated me with the most enormous respect and gave me your priority time and for this you wholeheartedly won my loyalty and friendship.
I loved the Marlborough reunion that was Olly's stag do - one ongoing boy's night out. I think everyone involved in that holiday will agree that it was a golden time - for years after we threw about the idea of doing it again - but secretly feared for our livers. I have memories of singing on the beach, chain-smoking Camel Lights, staying out all night, then drinking Sangria and Gin and Tonics all day. We drank the hotel out of G&T, we smashed the mains water supply pipe up on the roof (well, you did, pretending to be Batman in cowboy boots!) What a blast! There won't be a holiday like that again I imagine.
It was around this time that I met Hannah and she adored you straight off. You were such a central friend within our relationship. You lit up Hannah's 30th birthday party and got the party swinging. At our wedding you got up on stage and knocked several shades out of Elvis' 'Hound Dog' - the band were rather stunned by the sheer volume and bravado. It felt like every week we had you round to our flat in Chelsea and then Battersea to tip back some wine and rattle through some songs. I loved all our rehearsals for both Winterwells and for France. Practising and performing was always such a laugh because we both shunned perfectionism for pure joy in belting out our favourite songs. The way it should be. Thank you to you and Jane for bringing Hannah and I to France - this will remain as another crystal clear, golden moment in life - everything came together to make the perfect evening and weekend.
Thank you for being extraordinary, for being full of positivity, warmth, inspiration and energy. You were there at the greatest of times. I'll always be your fan and your friend.
Lots of love, Raph
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