Larry McKay

Full name:  Larry McKay   Born:  November 11th, 1946
Hometown:  Christchurch, New Zealand
Instruments Played:  Guitar, Vocalist
Career Began:  1959 (The Vigilantes) at age 12
Other Groups:  Detours, Beam, Page One, Friar Tuck, Larry and Peter, Opposition, Icebreakers, Soul Agents
Residencies:  Laredo Nitespot, Pride Of Place, Thunderbird Inn, Mon Desir, Redwood Hotel, Sandridge Hotel, Russley Hotel, Papanui Tavern
Tours:  South Island Tour with Craig Scott (Page One)
TV:  Free Ride (1974)

Larry joined The Vigilantes at an early age.  The band played weddings and 21sts in dance halls, which included a regular but short-lived gig in Timaru (replacing The Downbeats).  The Vigilantes hit the big-time when they became the second band at The Laredo Nitespot (with Johnny Campbell and The Detours, and Les Stott) around 1963.  The band stopped playing at The Laredo in 1965, but continued making records, accompanying The Southerners on hits such as South Wind, and making a few records, most notably Come Tomorrow and The Cruel Sea.

The full line-up for The Vigilantes was: Brian Thomas (lead guitar, band leader and occasional singer), Larry McKay (rhythm guitarist and occasional singer), Dixon McIvor (vocalist), Derek (Willy) Withers (bass guitar and occasional trumpet), Tony Mason (drums), Bob Wilcock (tenor saxophone).  The Vigilantes were resident second band at The Laredo Nitespot from 1963 to 1965, and subsequently appeared on The Des Britten Coca Cola Show  A tour to Pohara Beach Motor Camp was an epic, and the band played lots and lots of dance halls and church halls.  Spencer Street and the reek of Old Spice is a particularly strong memory.  Recording was very demanding and nerve wracking, but yet strangely satisfying.

The Vigilantes in concert at ROCKONZ 2007