EPIC honours late founder with bobblehead and big beats

HE may no longer be with them in the flesh, but Jesse Balfour is far from forgotten. Each time his former band performs, a bobblehead of the much-loved musician takes pride of place on stage.

Balfour, who formed EPIC in 2014, passed away last March at the age of 56 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

The group’s musical director, James Palmer, said his passing had a profound impact on the band.

“We paused shows for a few months,” he said. “When we returned, it was to honour his vision — with Greg Strong, one of Jesse’s closest mates, stepping in on bass and vocals to keep the flame lit.”

Strong had played with Jesse in the three-piece band SuperCheeze and understood the ethos.

Balfour’s brief was always to play the big, production-heavy songs that other cover bands shy away from, and that’s exactly what they do at every gig.

“We lean into the hard stuff most bands avoid — the tunes with strings, brass, synth layers, challenging guitar parts and demanding vocals — and we drag a serious PA and lighting rig into venues so the songs land the way people remember them,” Palmer said.

Their setlist includes iconic songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Bat Out of Hell, Africa, Stairway to Heaven, We Are the Champions, Don’t Stop Believin’ and Purple Rain.

“This repertoire demands musicianship and discipline, and the crowd can feel that,” Palmer said. “We also genuinely like each other — four good blokes having a crack at big songs and doing them justice.”

The band also dedicates the Midnight Oil song Hercules to Balfour at every show, as it was the first tune he brought to the band.

Alongside Strong, from Fernleigh, and Palmer from Brisbane on drums and vocals, the lineup includes Stuart “Stuie” Kent from Ballina on guitar and vocals and Dylan Curnow from Alstonville on keyboards and vocals.

EPIC regularly performs at venues such as the Beach Hotel and Railway Friendly Bar in Byron Bay, Lennox Hotel, Shaws Bay Hotel in Ballina and Hotel Brunswick.

They are eagerly anticipating their first gig at Coorabell Hall, a fundraiser for the hall scheduled for 7pm on Saturday October 25.

Tickets cost $45, including dinner, and are available via Humanitix.