Mi-Sex are back and sound as good as ever

Seventies band Mi-Sex are back with new lead singer Steve Balbi and a host of old favourites. Photo / John Snelson

The last time Mi-Sex keyboardist Murray Burns stepped into Napier's legendary Cabana it was 1978.

One year after cabaret singer Steve Gilpin, art-rock bass player Don Martin, drummer Richard Hodgkinson, guitarist/song writer Kevin Stanton and Burns began performing as a group.

"It was one of the places that really brought the band together," Burns said. "Don, Steve and Kevin were in Fragments of Time, they played frequently at The Cabana. When they invited me to join we changed the name to Mi-Sex."

They were young and just starting a career which would see them travel the world, producing hits such as Computer Games, Falling in and Out, Castaway and Blue Day.

But it was at The Cabana, during a six-week tour of the North Island that they stopped for three weeks to play and prepare for a journey to Australia that changed their lives.

"We spent time writing songs and getting ready for the trip to Sydney, it was good because we stayed on site, it was my first experience of travelling on the road."

By August 1978, they had moved across the ditch, finding success within six months of their arrival. The next year they landed a support slot with Talking Heads, and released their debut album Graffiti Crimes.

Mi-Sex recorded their best known single, Computer Games, that October which was aired on every rock/pop radio station in New Zealand and Australia, where it shot to No.1.

Another highlight was the Concert of the Decade at Sydney Opera House, where they performed in front of 160,000 people, alongside Australasian acts such as The Angels, Cold Chisel, Dragon, Split Enz, Max Merritt and Kevin Borich.

Shortly afterwards, CBS presented Mi-Sex with platinum records for Graffiti Crimes and Computer Games - it was a time Burns remembers fondly.

"Headlining our own shows in New York, The Cars and Blondie coming to see our show, I was 23-years-old," he said.

The world was adopting a "new wave" of artists, and fashion was transitioning from flared jeans and long hair to leathers.

Fast forward to 1992, when lead singer Steve Gilpin died and the band put aside any thought that they would play again.

"After losing Steve, Mi-Sex was just a great memory. Steve Balbi now sings for us, he also plays for a band called Noise Works, which is huge in Australia, he put his hand up and said, 'I will sing for you if you feel inclined to start up again'."

Remaining members decided to relive the glory days and air tracks which had not been played live for 20 years - 20 shows later they have not disappointed audiences.

"It's really exciting to listen to the songs and realise they are still quite current," Burns said.

"Mi-Sex always brought quite huge crowds ... we have done a lot of shows now and we haven't heard anyone say they didn't have a great time."