La De Das return for brief tour

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33193, 5 April 1973, Page 5

La De Das return for brief tour

One of Australia’s' most progressive and popular rock and roll bands, the La De Das open a brief New Zealand tour in Auckland tomorrow evening. The New Zealand-born group will give one concert in the Christchurch Town I Hall on Tuesday evening. I The La De Das line-up has undergone considerable changes since they emerged on the national scene about six years ago. The group are now a trio with only one original member, Kevin Borich. remaining. The other members of the band are Keith Barber and Ron Peel. Borich is the lead guitarist and lead vocalist. He writes most of the band’s material. Barber is the percussionist, while Peel plays the bass guitar and assists with the vocal work. The band were a great success at the Ngaruawahia Music Festival and due to this Segat Promotions, Ltd. a Christchurch based firm, decided to bring them back for a national tour in association with E.M.I. The La De Das will bring two tons of equipment, including 18 different instruments, and a sound engineer with them. Each performance by the group will last about 90 minutes. Thirty minutes will be devoted to funky rock and roll, 40 minutes will feature acoustic using the 18 instruments, including Isitar, while for the final 20 minutes the band will concentrate on more progressive music. Changes Corban Simpson will tour with the group, while the Christchurch band, Baby, have been engaged for the; local concert. Since the main change in the La De Das last Septem-', ber, when original member Phil Key left with Peter’ Roberts, the band has flourished as a trio. They have progressed musically, expanded established material and injected new life and excitement into performances. They still play: their established songs and singles, but exhibit more of Borich’s songs, now Key has I left. Borich has written many songs for the new Le De Das and his guitar work has been j described as incredible.

giving them the lyrical, swinging jazz violin treatment one expects from this fine old campaigner. Dave Brubeck and Gerrv Mulligan are together again with a very big band of backing musicians — this time the Cincinnati Orchestra — on an album entitled Brubeck / Mulligan / Cincinnati (MAC 4954 This is the third album recorded with the orchestra and all numbers but one were written and arranged by Brubeck. He has the necessary technique to enhance the interesting scores he has written, and the orchestra itself has the bright sound one tends to associate with American orchestras, but I fear Mr Mulligan is playing out of his class. A good record for stereo buffs. Pearl Bailey is Jazz’s answer to Shirley Bassey. A young 53 when Pearl’s Pearls (RCA 4529 was recorded, this lady gives a dazzling display of the techniques of the show

I especially when using equip ment with a peak of well' over 1000 watts. Peel is recognised as the i best bass guitarist in Australia and produces creative and solid backing. He once played for Thunderclap Newman and One Ton Gypsy. Barber, the drummer, has been in the La De Das for two years and a half and his kit is linked into the 3000 .watt p.a. system consequently producing a very powerful sound. Barber has also written numbers used by the group.

I “Playing drums is like dancing to me. and I like to dance energetically and I like to play drums energetically." said Barhet. when explaining his aggressive drumming. The band’s basic musical influence is the rock and roll blues, although the trio believe their musical acceptance is now much wider than the previous band’s. Perhaps the group's best recently released hit single was “Morning Good Morning,” written jointly h\ Borich and Key.