Kevin with the La De Da's at Sunbury 1972

"La De Da Legend released March 1975…their last album, it contained on side one 6 tracks, mostly from non-album singles (GONNA SEE MY BABY TONIGHT, MORNING GOOD MORNING,  I GUESS I’LL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU, etc..)…plus 4 killer cuts on side two from their last recording sessions, including a fantastic version of“All Along The Watchtower” – in which, Borich’s guitar playing is PHENOMENAL!!! "


KEVIN BORICH - LA DE DAS - KEVIN BORICH EXPRESS

Trevor Wilson (bass), Brett Neilsen (drums) and yours truly were "The Mergers" jammin at Rutherford High School. Phil Key joins, Trev's mum calls us the La De Da's, we hate the poofy name but go with it cause it's weird enough. We play around Auckland and Bruce Howard (keyboards) joins, we have hit singles and hit albums and loving fans. After coming to OZ the band was akin to the 10 Little Indians (I ended up the last Indian).

Roll Call - Bryan Harris (drums), Keith Barber (drums) - stuck with me up to "Rock n Roll Sandwich", Reno Tehei (guitar), Ronnie "Rockwell" Peel (bass), Peter Hardinge (aka Roberts) (bass). All helped forge my musical style especially Bruce, Keith and Reno. Great guys, Great times, we were so hip (well we thought so).

"Gonna See My Baby Tonight" was written coming back from touring Queensland in Swampy's famous dual wheeled, aeroplane seated, Ford Transit van. I heard it on the radio going to a show, great feeling (that kid feeling). Still get it.

Best show - Jamming with Carlos Santana at Calder Park Raceway Victoria in front of 60,000 plus people.
Worst show - Mittagong Hotel - Bikies smashed up another mob (a payback).

Thanks to Harry Brus (bass), Barry Harvey (drums),Tim Partridge (bass) and especially John Annas (drums) who've been in the early Kevin Borich Express.

It's been 30 years playing this guitar. I love it and it's only because of you that I have had such a long and exciting career. Like at the Bramble Bay Bowls Club the other night, a Dad introduces his 17 year old son to me after the show. " You shit on all the bands I listen to!" he gushed. I had to hug him.


KB's first gig at Kumeu NZ

"Kevin was brought up on a tree farm (orchard) in the Huapai district, New Zealand.
Neighbours on the farm were Judy and Sue Donaldson,
they were children singing as the Dots (later becoming 'The Chicks').
Kevin's Mum took all three for a private recording to Ascot Studios where they made a couple of acetates for Astor.
Kevin was 12, Judy 11, and Sue 9.
Borich was now firmly entrenched as Australia's guitar hero supremo; his superb rendition of Jimi Hendrix's workout on Dylan's `All Along the Watchtower' became a signature, and the band was never allowed to finish a gig until delivering it.
Ian McFarlane
“1975 and Oz rock was coming alive and attracting a worldwide audience. Bands like Air Supply, AC/DC and virtuoso musicians like Kevin Borich were capable of electrifying performances as well as top selling records. They put paid to the idea that the only true music megastars came from the northern hemisphere.”
Phil Jarratt – 'Aussie : Australians at Play'

Kevin Borich Express turned in a ripper performance.
Borich is 'boogie n blues' and arsey 'rock n roll', an inspired maniac warped into monster amps.
Raging though 'Celebration", 'Snowball King', KB's Boogie', 'Ten Years' and more up to the raging wall of feedback 'She's a Lover' featuring Little Goose Harveys tight drum solo.  Zoom concert NSW Uni Roundhouse '74

  


Carlos Santana and Kevin


Rockarena Calder Park Raceway 1977

Kevin Borich Express opening for AC/DC

L.A. USA 1978

 


KB and John Annas Rockarena 1977

I have been a fan of Kevins for almost 30 years. Over that time i have seen him live on many occasions including several performances here in my home town of Warrnambool Vic. Venues such as the Lady Bay Hotel (now demolished) and the Caledonial Hotel(with Matt Taylor)spring to mind.In fact, I still have a tattered poster of the event (Tues. July 30 91 I think).If my memory serves me correctly,there was a furore at the Lady Bay one night in the late 70's when the management cut off the power late in Kevin's set resulting in uproar all around.I also saw him in Perth with The Party Boys and Joe Walsh. However the biggest concert of course was "The Rockarena" at Calder Raceway Sunday 13 Nov.1977... Garry Dalton

 

"....saw you in 1985 at Bankstown RSL with Joe Walsh & The Party Boys and heard the two best guitarists in the universe "DUEL".
It was one of life's special moments,
Thank You .."

Kevin with Joe Walsh

 

KB
Royal Antler Hotel Narrabeen
NYE 1980

"It was a good night, but that is about all I can recall"
Warren Ross

 

 

KB and Angry Anderson 2000

 

well i will miss the upcoming boat cruise as to it being sold out....but last night at the DY RSL club with the big daddys kev just bought back a lot of good memorys...i first seen him play back in about 1974 at the curl curl dance hall, i was 14 years old and bought him a guitar pick for a kind of dumb present from a kid......and i have seen him play every year since then, and supported him at a few gigs in my own now defunct blues band, now i'm 42 years old and kevin is still the king........there just isnt anybody doing the good guitar rock n blues like kevin....so i'm looking forward to the next gig at the manly leagues club with the party boys....tony sheedy

GIMME TED

The Ted Mulry Benefit Concert

Friday 9 and
Saturday 10

March 2001

 

"I am SOOOOO damn glad I went. This was a truly incredible night and hats off to all.
One in a million." DunK



KB & Harvey James[Sherbert]
Garth Porter[Sherbert]
& Elle McFeast
KB & Rob Riley
[Rose Tattoo]
TED MULRY
 Johnny Dick [John Paul Young]
Tony Mitchell [Sherbert]		 Gimme Ted Benefit Concert

Backstage and after at the party my jaw was aching from laughing and talking to faces I haven't seen in years. I came away from that weekend on a mixed emotions rollercoaster.   Knowing that we'd done our best for Ted and hope and pray that he would kick that demon cancer out of his temple.
GIMME TED The Ted Mulry Benefit Concert Friday 9 & Saturday 10 March 2001

Kevin Borich Express was another classic reunion, with Harry Brus on bass and the great John Annas on drums -- without doubt the second of the night's big highlights. Folks I'll say it again -- this guy is hot hot HOT -- one of greatest performers in this or any other country. Happily, as his set started, they seemed to finally get the mix sorted out and from there on the sound was pretty near perfect. Kev's set included one of his newer numbers, Heartstarter, plus a joyous, rocking version of the La De Das classic Gonna See My Baby Tonite, which had the crowd bopping. A truly incendiary Voodoo Chile includes his customary digression into James Brown's Sex Machine. It's a brilliant touch by Kev that beautifully illustrates the funk undercurrrent of so much of Hendrix's work, and shows that Kev is pretty damn funky himself. And he let fly with some blistering lead guitar on on this one that had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. Switching from Strat to his venerable Gibson Explorer, Kev whipped out the slide and played Goin Downtown, which was white hot. What a total rock god! - still in awesome physical shape, and barely looking a day older than in his 70s heyday, Kevin is a consummate performer. This guy can play the arse off anyone on earth. Australian venue owners are idiots for not booking this guy. (And why hasn't he been on Studio 22??)   Duncan Kimball

LWTTT Arena Concerts August & September 2002
I heard this strange guitar sound/blues/Hendrix/almost feedback - huh, what's this I thought - then the mighty Kevin Borich walked up the stage steps playing his Strat - great.
One song later & Kev's gone. Ah f**k, I thought. KB, only one song - don't damn well tease me!
I'm looking forward to the next LWTTT show to further check it out & absorb the music, and I suspect, I will really enjoy the next full nite's entertainment by one of my favourite bands at a regular venue.
Thanks to the people who put the show on & to the performers! Oz Rock rules !!
Cheers, Chris


Melbourne International Music and Blues Festival 2003


RAY CHARLES !!!!!!

Matt Perin ~ Christian Dunham ~ KB

The Goulburn Blues Festival is sure coming of age with some great local acts pleasing the crowds. We performed three times. The acoustic band set late on Friday night, me solo Saturday arvo and then the electric band set late Saturday night. All went great, even my solo set which I don't do that often, it was packed and they loved it.
We finished up the electric set around 2:15 am loaded up the gear and headed off into the night for The Melbourne International Music and Blues Festival.... we were to be on stage Rockin at 3:45 pm that afternoon.....got there around 11:30am, shagged? Yeah!
Checked into a groove hotel ...I had The Imelda Marcos suite complete with Jacuzzi, gold taps etc... this IS hilarious cause at Goulburn they had us at the sheep station????? My two new players Matt and Christian sure looked confused......Shower...shave ..etc.... back in the shuttle.. [this one still goes] ..and off to the show.

Ushered to our change trailer...geetars out, cool one in hand [ mates Lovely Son and Steve set up for us]..and we wait to go on....Girl comes by, sticks a sticker on the door...it says.. RAY CHARLES..."What!!!!!! Rays gonna be sittin in that chair, look out plonk! there I park it,...its as close as I'll ever get to Ray....then she says "try that one, BOB. ..[as in Dylan] sat there last night...Wow plonk!! I GO ......KEVS ARSE BRUSH WITH FAME ...how good does it get.

Time to go on and away we go...I'M THE SNOWBALL KING and beyond ,,the set goes on up and up we go, pulled, willed on by all those smiling faces down there in front, loud applause whistles and much yelling kicks my ego into realgo and .. then ..all to soon ....I get the “windup now Kev”, look from the side... Downtown into Going Somewhere..and I'm going off.. I mean I went OFF.. but now I'm really off..like backstage..its over..
we killed it, slayed em, karved up bigtime.....
Yeah that's what I call a gooood gig...............
Then to top it off, Gentleman of the Blues John Mayall comes striding over smiling and shakes hands saying great to see you again...he remembered that I had supported him many years back...top bloke John.

John Mayall and KB

Melbourne International Music & Blues Festival
So on the way back we stop off in Canberra to do a Benefit for the bushfire victims organised by Aussie Music Lover Tony Southwell, at the Irish Club, who had donated the venue for the night. Tony's got some of his favourites to come and play, Matt Taylor, Dutch Tilders, Stevie Wright, local boys - Calum Howarth, Renaissance, The Van Veen Trio, and Yours truly. It was A FANTASTIC NIGHT, Stevie wanted to do Evie..and nailed it completely. My boys Matt and Christian were over the moon backing Matt and Dutch [see they didn’t know, I hadn't said a word] $18,000- was raised.

 

Hard Road Concert

KB + Max Merritt

'KB looked like he was havin’ a lot of fun, he played so well and obviously felt happy to be paying this tribute to Stevie. '

KB ~ Russell Morris ~ Harry Brus - Hard Road Concert

Blues Hall of Fame Mercury Lounge Melbourne
Kevin Borich, with over 30 years in the music industry, showed why he is one of the best guitarists/blues musician in this country.
He was outstanding and the crowd couldn't have agreed more.
Kevin was rewarded for his lifetime of contributions to the Australian Music Culture. He was presented with the 2003 Hall of Fame Award from the Australian Blues Foundation and had the legendary Lobby Lloyd there in support .
This was well deserved recognition for a truly great Musician.
Congratulations Kevin
Lea Hand

Blues Hall of Fame
Mercury Lounge Melbourne 2003

 

 

 

Keith Barber + KB

 

Want to say how much I enjoyed seeing Kevin at this year's Byron Bay festival. It was uplifting and exciting, a brilliant performance by a musical treasure. For my money, despite all the big names, the best acts of the entire festival were the Aussies - Kevin Borich, The Others (wow) and John Butler. Never stop doing what you do, let them pry that guitar from your cold, dead hands.
...people asked me about festival highlights....and for me there were many greats but after the festival concluded the performances that still give me a warm feeling were Kevins, then Toots & The Maytals and steve Earle. KB was fantastic as usual...heaps ofenthusiasm and passion and a very visceral performance.. no one does it better and i too noticed how the tent began to fill as the crowd felt the groove coming out of JAmbalaya...good on you all