Dads who formed a rock band during pandemic lockdowns prepare for major London gig

A group of dads who formed a rock band during the Covid lockdowns are preparing for their first major London gig at O2 Academy Islington.

Brandon Keenen, 49, a tech marketer who lives in Crowborough, East Sussex, had never sung before becoming the lead singer of his band, SuperZero, in 2020.

Brandon, who has two children: Charlie, 20, and Jordyn, 18, said: “I’ve always been around music, I’ve played drums my whole life, but I’ve never actually been in the band. It’s just been one of my goals that has always eluded me.

“I became the singer of the band despite having never sung in my life and the very first time I was ever on stage was in front of around 4,000 people at a local festival. Nobody could believe that was my first experience on stage.”

He said: “I think lockdown gave a lot of people a chance to start thinking about what’s important. We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle, and I think lockdown just kind of stopped us from doing everything.

“I stayed home, almost completely isolated, for six months and it made me realise that life is short.

“There’s so many more things I want to do and I just thought the one thing I’ve never done that I’d wanted was to join a band.

“I realised that I didn’t know why I had been waiting this long, we don’t have much time on Earth so we might as well do it.”

Brandon searched online and found a website, called Join My Band, for people looking to join bands.

“Then, me, the guitarist and the bass player decided we were going to do our own thing and form a new band.”

Leaving to form their own group in spring 2020, SuperZero was born, made up of lead guitarist Neil Abnett, 50, a gardening business owner; bassist Sam Aflatt, 38, a nuclear power plant supervisor; and drummer Martyn Cheesman, 44, a drug rehabilitation supervisor.

The group were able to practise while social distancing in a Maidstone studio when lockdown restrictions eased in the summer of 2020.

Brandon said: “Because we were formed during Covid, we were going to call the band Patient Zero until we decided to combine it with Superhero.

He added: “I spent most of 2020 doing lessons with a vocal coach over Zoom which became a good way to stay occupied and productive while stuck at home.”

The band’s first gig was at Crow Fest, a local Crowborough festival, in July 2022.

“Somehow we made the cut. We were on on Sunday, two slots before the headliner, and did a 45-minute set.

“It was literally the first time we’ve every played to a crowd in our life. It was just crazy.

He added: “I think some of them had come out of sympathy but afterwards everyone was raving about our music, which gave me a lot of confidence.”

Now, SuperZero are preparing for their first major London performance, as a support act for alternative rock group Pulled Apart By Horses at O2 Academy Islington on February 4 2023.

“It’s a major event for us and we’re really excited. We want to get a coach for our friends and family coming from Maidstone to drive them all to London.

“I have a friend who’s flying into town from Arizona to come see it, so this is a big deal for us, this is our World Cup.”

He said: “I set myself a few goals such as playing a side stage for a big festival, going on a mini tour and cutting a vinyl album.

“I collect vinyl and I’ve always thought it’d be cool to have my own record with my vinyls. One of the things I was thinking about during lockdown, and as I get older, is my legacy and wondering what I will leave my kids behind.

“When you’re younger, everyone thinks about making lots of money and when you get older, you start to think, ‘okay I’m probably not going to make lots of money, but you know what, we’re just going to have fun here.’”

He added: “Now, I think that giving my kids a vinyl album that one day my grandkids or great grandkids can listen to would be really cool.

“At the end of the day, this is just really fun for us, it’s our passion project.

“For mental health, the band has saved us in a sense because it’s given us something to be really excited about.

“The world is grim and there are a lot of things going on, but this has given us a really good outlet and we’re all very excited to see where it goes.”

For tickets to SuperZero’s show, visit www.seetickets.com/event/inpop-presents-pulled-apart-by-horses/o2-academy-islington/2488594?src=superzero.