Media Reviews

Craig Hearne  March 12, 2023 recommends Buffalo Drive, Good Time Aussie Rock – Adelaide Fringe 2023

Buffalo Drive is a band that proves Music keeps you young. From their own compositions to covers, Buffalo Drive will have you rockin’ in your seat, tapping’ your feet and singing along with music from a generation past but still much loved today. With their jovial in-band banter and great history of their journey and songs, you’ll have a smile that becomes etched. Fabulous music by a group of incredibly experienced muso’s who make rock n roll and everything in between look easy and sound like a rock concert !! When a group of people perfect their craft – this is what it looks like 👏👏👏🎉👏👏👏

ADELAIDE FRINGE REVIEW: THE EVOLUTION OF 
BUFFALO DRIVE…CONTINUES
About Upside Adelaide Ken Grady  March 8 2022

In the seventies, Adelaide band, Buffalo Drive, flirted with the big time. They had one of their singles reach the national Top Ten chart and were signed to a major label. Things did not go so well for the band after that, and like so many other bands before and since, they split up and each member subsequently pursued their different life paths and slowly drifted away from each other.
After a query from a local radio announcer during an interview a few years ago about how many band members were still alive, and with most of the band in their seventies, they all re-established contact and are back playing their catalogue with passion and a discernible joy at being able to share a stage together once again.
After their planned 2020 reunion gig fell through due to a certain virus rearing its ugly head, the band finally played a series of shows at last year’s Fringe to very positive reviews.
In the twelve months since then the band have been making the most of their rekindled passion for making music together – culminating in a new show; a live album of last year’s gigs released this month, and another album – recorded live in the studio – imminent in the next month or so.
This year’s performance, whilst retaining the same three set chronological overview of the band’s career, was not a mere carbon copy repeat of last year’s show. This time out, the band included a number of new songs, as well as tunes dusted off from the band’s heyday but that had not been given an airing in 2021.
There seemed to be fewer cover versions this year and those that were included proved diverse and interesting choices – some traditional folk tunes; songs from The Doors, Barry McGuire and Mary Hopkin, plus a wonderful acapella rendition of an old gospel tune originally sung by the Freedom Singers on Martin Luther King’s Freedom March.
Musically, the band are much tighter this year, obviously a result of a longer period of getting used to playing together again after such a long hiatus, and, given that most of the band are multi-instrumentalists, the sound they generate is varied and always engaging.
Along with the new songs, there is also a newer, more sophisticated, video and slide back drop to the show covering the changes in popular culture that have occurred across the decades since the band first formed. In fact, the multimedia element of this year’s show was quite elaborate. Along with the sound and vision coming from the stage, each table in the venue had colouring in activities for the kids (or the young at heart), paper sculpture templates, full colour fliers and business cards all based on the band’s emblem and logo. At the merchandise stall there were also band t-shirts and tote bags available, and they have even gone so far as to print their own Buffalo Drive currency!
The band will play one more show at this year’s Fringe and, given that the there would be few better options for local music fans to attend on a lazy Sunday afternoon, that show deserves to be a sell-out. Rating: 4 stars

THE EVOLUTION OF BUFFALO DRIVE…CONTINUES… Sunday 20th February @ Osmond Terrace Function Centre at Norwood Hotel
Reviewed by: Hush & Pandemonium on Three D Radio 93.7FM Review by Margaret Legedza | 22 February 2022

I had the pleasure of seeing The Evolution of Buffalo Drive at least year’s Fringe, and I was excited to see them return with a new show. Once again, the lads and Georgina, led us on a journey through the history and progression of local 60s/70s band, Buffalo Drive. The first set featured songs and stories of the original acoustic folk quartet, The Henchmen. The songs were enriched with beautiful harmonies, and featured the banjo, mandolin, guitars and double bass. With the addition of Rod’s sister, the band evolved into Genesis, which played original songs and popular covers. The second and third sets of the evening focused on the music of Buffalo Drive, with their electrified sound which featured a Hammond organ. Songs such as “Money Stride”, “Photograph Autograph”, “Woolloomooloo Lulu”, my favourite “Jumpin’ Judy”, and of course their hit “Life’s Been Good To Me”, were complemented by some covers including “Love Her Madly”, “Eve Of Destruction”, and Mary Hopkin’s “Goodbye”. Since last year’s Fringe appearances, the band has been busy not only releasing an album “Buffalo Drive Alive!” (recorded at last year’s Fringe), but also writing new music, and some of these new tunes were performed during the show. It was a wonderful evening of music intertwined with stories and anecdotes, and the projection of band photos, old festival line-ups and other scenes of the era, enhanced the experience as well. You could really feel the lifelong mateship between the band members and this spilled out into the audience, who really enjoyed the show and even participated in a cheeky sing-along. I loved every moment of the show and highly recommend it to all who want to learn about a slice of Adelaide’s music history. The band is currently working on a brand new album, so Buffalo Drive will definitely be back!! FIFTY FABULOUS YEARS OF BUFFALO DRIVE… CONTINUED! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️