Review – The Ballbusters’
Ball
China White + IGNITE + guests
Jul-Aug 96
The Ballbusters’ Ball was a joint effort by the members and management of two bands in Sydney that resulted in four shows around the city featuring China White and IGNITE with guests Nitehaven at D.Joint, Liverpool on 21Jul and at the Waterloo Tavern on 6Aug; Medicine Man at the Peninsula Hotel, Manly Vale on 28Jul; Conspiracy at the Waterloo; and special guests from Adelaide Kickstart at the Forest Inn, Bexley, on 23Jul.
Nitehaven are your loud and heavy Deep Purple meets Van Halen glam-rockers with lead vocalist Doc O’Toole looking like Coverdale but sounding Gillan and a guitarist who is so Van Halen he actually does Eddie’s “Live Without A Net” guitar solo followed immediately by You Really Got Me on his BC Rich. The rhythm section are doing very well to maintain the image, sound and pace.
Alabaster are your guitar/keys pop rock outfit and, to be fair, they were playing sans guitarist on the night so to judge their performance, beyond proving that they will honour a commitment with or without the full deck, would not be fair to the band.
Medicine Man is a band that plays mostly out west and as such has the “turn it up… No! Up!!” mentality going with the screaming vocals to match. Their stage presence is very dynamic with everyone (I’m sure the drummer could if they had some sort of stick-sensor) walking about the place. They had most of the punters who bothered to turn up for that part of the show enjoying their act.
Kickstart are your Oz Anthem-rockers in the same vein as The Poor and ACDC. Their stage show and energy match the comparisons, with some Black Sabbath and Deep Purple thrown in for extra value. It all translates exceptionally onto CD, which is highly recommended if you can track it down.
The guys from China White always put on the best live music performance you will see in Sydney today: musicianship, soaring vocals – whatever the problem. Martin had a severe chest infection the night they played Manly Vale and despite the fact that their set was to go for an hour, the illness set that back to 25min, but not before Martin gave his all for the good of the band and those who had paid to see them.
Norbert (Nobby) Lehmann is the legendary guitarist behind the band. He plays with the same surety each and every time with a facial expression that rarely changes and backing vocals that chime in during few songs but adequately matched to Martin’s brutal range.
Steve Cook never plays with less than a 10-piece and rarely have I seen him break into a sweat. The Waterloo version of Grand Illusion was at least 20% faster than usual and still Stevo maintained the rage.
Gordon Kyd is possibly the best bassist I have seen anywhere in Sydney. He plays those cables like Nobby goes at his, and Gordon’s 5-string with a bottom-B is used to extra advantage more than once or twice. His stand-out performance would have to have been at Waterloo during the pacier Grand Illusion where he had absolutely no problem keeping up with the Steve and Nobby, despite Martin’s comment to the contrary.
Martin Martinez is the powerhouse vocalist in the style of Dickenson/Gillan
. Martin’s stature is exceeded only by his vocal power and range. Even during his flu-affected Peninsula gig he gave his all. Outspoken and brash, his stage presence gives way for the musicians when it’s time for them to strut their stuff. His outstanding performance was at D.Joint when he was all too willing to accommodate a fan’s request to lose his strides, and at the Peninsula where he battled on despite adversity.