Steve Balbi
| Steve Balbi | |
|---|---|
Live at the Vanguard
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stephen Vert Balbi |
| Also known as | Vern |
| Born | 3 October c1964 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts |
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| Website | facebook |
Stephen Vert "Steve" Balbi is an Australian musician and record producer. He was the founding bass guitarist in pub rockers, Noiseworks (1986–92, 1999, 2004, 2007–08, 2011, 2015-present). He formed a psychedelic pop group and production duo, Electric Hippies (1993–96) with fellow Noiseworks member, Justin Stanley. Balbi issued his debut solo album, Black Rainbow, in October 2013.
Steve Balbi was born in the mid-1960s and grew up in a Maltese family in Newtown, Sydney. He first performed publicly, with his uncle's band, at age 6, on a tambourine. In 1976, at the age of 12, he was in a band, the Apaches, with his cousins, which performed "Fox on the Run" on a TV talent quest, Pot of Gold. He performed in Rufus Red. During the mid-to-late-1970s he was a bass guitarist for a blues, funk rock band, Rupert B. Other members were Mick Buckley on drums, Rohan Cannon on guitar and vocals, Guillermo Mayer on saxophone and Mick Thornton on slide trombone and trumpet.
In mid-1982 Balbi, on bass guitar, joined Kevin Borich Express alongside Borich on lead guitar and lead vocals, John Annas on drums and Andy Cowan on keyboards (ex-Madder Lake, Ayers Rock). By 1984 the line-up of Balbi and Borich were joined by Adrian Cannon on drums (ex-Full Circle). At the end of that year Balbi also joined hard rockers, Rose Tattoo, and left both groups in 1985.
Back in 1984, while still a member of Kevin Borich Express, Balbi had guested on bass guitar for fellow Sydney-based band, the Change's single, "Forever Young", alongside that group's Stuart Fraser on lead guitar (ex-Feather, Smith), Kevin Nicol on drums (ex-Dial X) and Jon Stevens on lead vocals.
Early in 1986 the pub rockers, Noiseworks, were formed in Sydney with the line-up of Balbi on bass guitar and backing vocals, Justin Stanley on keyboards with the Change's Fraser, Nicol and Stevens. Stanley explained to Simon Moy of The Canberra Times how the group had formed "[Balbi and I] heard [Stevens], [Fraser] and [Nicol] were doing a little writing and playing around so we just got together one day down at the pub, got pissed and got on and that's how it went."
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Wikipedia