Kevin Borich Express

Kevin Borich Express^[1] is an Australian rock band formed in 1976 by the New Zealand born Kevin Borich. After the demise of New Zealand's very successful band The La De Das Kevin Borich moved to Australia and formed the group Kevin Borich Express that featured Harry Brus on bass guitar (ex-Blackfeather) and Barry Harvey on drums (Wild Cherries, Chain) and they recorded a track "The End of Me" before the line-up changed and Reuben San Fiansco took up bass guitar and Gil Matthews replaced Harvey on drums. Subsequent line-ups were typically a three piece with a succession of bass guitarist and drummers. They released their debut single, "Goin' Somewhere" in October using Fiansco, and John Annas on drums and followed this up recording and releasing the bands debut album, Celebration! in 1977 replacing the bass part with riff master Tim Partridge (Mighty Kong, The Johnny Rocco Band). The album was critically acclaimed by the media and peaked in the top 30 on the.^[2]

In early 1977, Kevin Borich Express supported UK rock guitarist, Jeff Beck and later that year released second album Lonely One. This was followed in October with a Rockarena tour supporting Fleetwood Mac, Carlos Santana and Little River Band. Kevin Borich was invited by name to perform with Carlos Santana twice, a fantastic earn of respect for a then youthful Borich. Kevin Borich Express earned a support tour to the USA with Australian heavy rockers, AC/DC, The Express featured John Annas, Paul Christie Mondo Rock Tim Shafer with this line-up recording the album, No Turning Back which was released in March 1979 and featured the hit title track of the same name. No Turning Back first charted on March 19, 1979, peaked at 48th position in Australia and stayed in the charts for 9 weeks.^[3]

Tim Partridge and John Annas returned after Christie and Shafer moved on to other projects and together with Borich recorded another album Live! recorded by Australian broadcaster DoubleJJ which had recently acquired new mobile studio equipment and recorded two live performances in Melbourne Victoria and Wollongong New South Wales.

Kevin Borich Express toured the UK and Europe and put together an album featuring tracks from across The Kevin Borich Express recordings and released this compilation in Germany. After the tour, John Watson (Heavy Division) replaced Annas on drums and the band recorded, Angel's Hand in November 1979. Similar line-up changes continued into the early 1980s with Michael Deep replacing Partridge in April 1980. In 1981 this line-up collaborated with Australian blues guitarist Dutch Tilders to record Blues Had a Baby and They Called It Rock'n'Roll later released on RCA Records. Kerry Jacobsen from former ex-pat New Zealand band (Dragon) replaced Watson on drums and the new line-up recorded Shy Boys Shy Girls.^[4]

In 1982, John Annas rejoined the Express on drums and Noise Works Steve Balbi took up bass and for a short while Andy Cowan joins the now 4 piece band on keyboards. Later in 1982, 'KB' as he is warmly known in the music industry joined The Party Boys touring with this Australian super bands ever changing line-up and he recording on all the albums and until 1989, when they disbanded.

Kevin Borich Express slowed down though didn't stop performing during the Borich era helping to found, record and tour with The Party Boys from 1982 to 1989 with a reunion tour in 1999 ^[5] before steaming back into Kevin Borich Express to take-up full national and international touring again utilising varying arrangements of Australia's best musicians that included Harry Brus on Bass and his son Lucius Borich who would later himself form Progressive rock outfit COG ^[6] on Drums. Other line-ups would again feature John Annas with Ian Lees(ex-Moving Pictures) joining the rhythm section on bass guitar. John Watson was in and out of the line-up as required and during the 2000s South Australia's Chris Finnen and Frank Lang^[7] worked the rooms with Kevin for South Australian shows. Kevin Borich Express recorded and released, Live at the Big Kahuna in 1995 followed by another studio album in 1998 titled Heart Starter this time with son Lucius on drums and Ben Rosen on bass followed by the album Nomad In 2004 and in 2009 Kevin Borich, Harry Brus and Lucius Borich recorded, released and toured 'Live at the Basement', in Sydney's notorious The Basement venue in Circular Quay, a double CD & DVD under the banner Borich X Borich.^[8]

Borich recorded and released studio album Totem 28 May 2015^[9] which he currently tours in Australia with his current Kevin Borich Express line-up featuring Chris Gilbert on bass guitar and Jon Carson on drums and recently performed a successful season at Adelaide Fringe Festival in March 2017.^[10]

References