The Vigilantes
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The Vigilantes |
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  ROCKHAPPENZ Public Collection |
The Vigilantes - the original line-up |
 Bob, Larry, Brian, Derek and Tony with Dixon in front |
 Early Vigilantes Publicity Shots |
 Brian, Tony, Dixon, Larry and Bob with Derek in the centre |
Undoubtedly the Church Dance Scene in the early 60s was the developmental and proving ground for most of the budding bands of the era - and The Vigilantes were no exception whatsoever to that rule. They, like so many of their peers, were part of that circuit, and the first ever shot of the band (above) shows The Vigilantes original line-up on stage at an early Church Dance (venue unfortunately unknown). It is remarkable that most of these guys have remained friends over the years, still hankering to play with each other whenever possible - and still crowd pleasers. The publicity shots above show all six Laredo-era Vigilantes — Larry McKay (Rhythm Guitar), Dixon McIvor (Vocals), Tony Mason (Drums), Bob Wilcock (Saxophone), Derek Withers (Bass Guitar) and Brian Thomas (Lead Guitar). |
 Vigilantes - SSR concerts. Christchurch Cathedral, September 2006 |
 A new-look Vigilantes outfit complete with eye-candy — at The Hornby WMC |
Having won their spurs on the Youth Club and Church Dance Circuits of the early 60s, wedding dances and 21st shindigs widened their repertoire and drip-fed their appetite for increasingly expensive gear, but the boys "grew up" professionally when they began to score spots at top venues like The Dolphin Lounge, The Plainsman, and Spencer Street. Their biggest break came in 1965 with a residency, as understudies to Johnny Campbell and The Detours at The Laredo Nitespot, followed a year or so later by top billing at the Pride of Place in Chancery Lane. Two singles were released on the Robbins Label - a remake of The Beatles' And I Love Her // Everybody Come And Clap Your Hands originally by The Searchers, and their locally successful remake of the Manfred Mann hit Come Tomorrow // The Cruel Sea (the flip being originally by The Dakotas, Billy J Kramer's backing group. The Cruel Sea was also recorded by The Invaders on the Zodiac Label in 1965. The Vigilantes backed popular Christchurch vocal quartet, The Southerners on Don't It Make You Feel Good // South Wind and Endlessly // Unchained Melody. In their six-year life-span, The Vigilantes developed a strong following, but the pressure of day jobs finally saw them split up in the late 1960s. Members did go on to nationwide success in other groups - with Larry McKay joining Beam on TVNZ's Freeride programme. |
 The Vigilantes were once again re-united for the inaugural ROCKONZ Concert in The Christchurch Town Hall, March 2007 |
The Vigilantes reunited in September 2006 - (Friday 29th and Saturday 30th) - for the very special Spencer Street Revisited Concerts which were performed in the splendour of Christchurch Cathedral. On this occasion the original "core" of the group (Larry McKay, Brian Thomas, Bob Wilcock and Dixon McIvor) were joined by Murray Wood, Wayne Allen, Trevor Wright, and also Brian Thomas' son Marcus Thomas for one number. The following images were captured from a video recording of the Friday concert. The image to the right above was captured at The Richmond Working Mens Club, where the band had re-united for one evening. The Vigilantes also appeared at the 2007 ROCKONZ Concert in the Christchurch Town Hall, and the group was inducted into the ROCKONZ Hall of Fame the following year. |
 Dixon McIvor - Lead Vocals |
 Brian Thomas - Lead Guitar |
 Larry McKay - Rhthym Guitar |
 Bob Wilcock - Saxophone |
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 Murray Wood - Keyboards |
 Trevor Wright - Bass Guitar |
 Marcus Thomas - Guest Bass Guitar |
 Wayne Allen - Drums |
Additional Vigilantes information is available on the Johnny Campbell and The Detours official website ..... |
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