The Echophonics, Southland supergroup of the 1960s, hadn't performed together for more than 40 years, but yesterday at the Southland Musicians Club it was business as usual as the reunited band tore into rehearsal for tonight's Stars of the Sixties Revisited Show at the Invercargill Workingmen's Club.

It was as if the years had rolled back as the band members cracked a few jokes about arthritis and started thumping through a set of classic rock 'n' roll, with only a few minor issues on the stops and starts.

"On the night we'll come right," rhythm guitarist Dave Kennedy said.

The five band members are scattered throughout Australia and New Zealand, and at least two of them, lead guitarist Dave Wells and Ian Kennedy, hadn't touched their instruments in decades.

"Can't you tell?" asked Ian Kennedy.

The members learned the 20 songs for tonight's set off tapes, but "we all learned the songs in different keys", Wells said.

It was no problem to the reunited musicians, though, who kicked in hard where they left off, sounding surprisingly tight and powerful after 40 years apart.

"We just want to have a good time," Dave Kennedy said.

Wells: "Invercargill gave us our start, so we owe them this." Six Southland veteran rockers – Evan MacIntosh, who will also perform with the Echophonics; Bryan Gerrard, Warren "Bricky" McLew, Chris Self, Alan Russell and John Kennedy – will be inducted to the Southland Musicians Club Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame at tonight's show, which sold out its 900 tickets weeks ago.

Reunited '60s bands the Drifters, Echophonics, the Vision Mk I and II and the Answer are on the bill.

By Chris Chilton - The Southland Times | Saturday, 29 September 2007