Coloured Balls

Emerging from Melbourne’s western working-class suburbs, the Coloured Balls quickly attracted a ready-made, overwhelmingly male following drawn from devotees of the cult film A Clockwork Orange. Those devotees likewise embraced the confrontational skinhead aesthetic of cropped hair, heavy boots, and braces, and the group mirrored that stance in both sound and presentation. At the helm stood Lobby Loyde (b. John Baslington Lyde, 18 May 1941, Longreach, Queensland, Australia, d. 21 April 2007, Box Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, USA), whose roots lay in the 1960s R&B and rock circuit through stints with the Wild Cherries, Purple Hearts, and the Aztecs. The original lineup featured Andrew Fordham on guitar and vocals, Trevor Young on drums, and Janis Miglans on bass. Their sets mixed Chuck Berry covers with original material built on the same rock ’n’ roll pulse, Loyde’s lead guitar slicing through at ear-splitting volume. Success remained largely confined to Melbourne; the band’s lifespan proved brief, running only from 1972 to 1974 before fading along with shifting tastes. Later members included Ian ‘Bobsy’ Millar on guitar and vocals plus Peter White on drums. Loyde subsequently launched a solo career, moved to the UK, and issued an album of experimental guitar work before acquiring production skills. Upon returning home he applied those skills to underground and alternative acts.