Colin Koch

Chained to piano (and later clarinet) from age 6, Colin Koch pinched his big brother's guitar in 1963 at the age of 11 and has often looked back. After a few years' teaching himself classical guitar and messing with folk songs of the day, he took to finger-picking on a '67 Leo Fender 12-string. As a member of Cockatoo Lake with Alan and Dave, he contributed much to the band's all-original repertoire, which was sported round various folk clubs, concerts and campus shows and once nationally on ABC TV's Radio With Pictures. CL was followed by party-band Meet Café (with Alan) but Col turned to music promotion, running Sunday At The British, KJK at the Lord Melbourne and Musos Co-op at The Box Factory. Paul Kelly, Greg Champion, JJ Hackett and James Black were amongst those he presented at the start of their careers. In latter years he co-founded WOMADelaide and did much development work with Aboriginal musicians and dancers from APY Lands. A highlight was dinner and a jam session in '90 with Paco Pena, Joe Pass, John Williams and Leo Kottke, a bonus of his then job as marketing director of the Adelaide Festival. He wasn't asked to join the band. He plays a Variax electric, a '95 De Gruchy acoustic and occasionally the Fender 12. Now retired, Col has ambitions of returning to his swag of unfinished songs. Or - having worked the last seven years in APY Lands - just returning to his swag. Col provides lead vocals on a couple of numbers.