Flashback:My 12 HOURS with Boney M
One of the stranger days I had on a show was the 12 hours I spent working a Boney M show. You know them as the singers of disco classics like “Rasputin”, “Feliz Navidad” and “Rivers of Babylon”, among others. Did you know they are also the #1 most- booked band for company holiday parties? Edmonton was no exception, and mega
construction company PCL flew them in for their holiday party in December 2002, where they played at, you guessed it, RED’S.
The day ran like any other; cables, catering, random superfans crashing soundcheck (which happens far more often than you’d think), and in the middle of it all, a strange, sweaty, Caribbean & Dutch short king named Bobby Ferrell,Boney M is a god damned MACHINE . After an epic 2 hour sound check and short dinner break, they took to the stage for no less than three hours…of playing the same 5 songs over and Over again including “Rasputin”, “Feliz Navidad” and “Rivers of Babylon”, which each got played at least 5 times . It was deeply confusing at first until I realized that it’s just … their thing…That’s just how they do it, and fans eat it up. Through every repetition the army of desk.
It was deeply confusing at first until I realized that it’s just … their thing . That’s just how they do it, and fans eat it up. Through every repetition the army of desk jockeys screamed their adoration. I think in the end they played “Rasputin” in particular EIGHT TIMES.
Feliz Navidad, indeed.