Warrnambool says goodbye to Boyd Advincula

Warrnambool Standard 1st Aug. 2018 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 2018. All rights reserved

WARRNAMBOOL performer Boyd Advincula has been remembered as a “great musician”. On Sunday, Advincula lost his long battle with cancer. Advincula was a mainstay of the Warrnambool music scene for more than four decades. In the 1980s, he joined with Jo Villanueva to form an act that became a favourite at music venues throughout the city. A decade later, Advincula joined with another accomplished Warrnambool musician, Trevor McKenzie, to form Trevor and Boyd. This partnership thrilled audiences from its formation in 1996 until illness prevented Advincula from playing in 2014. McKenzie was lavish in his praise for his musical partner. “I don’t think people realised what a great musican Boyd was,” McKenzie said. “We played popular covers and he could play and sing anything that came up. “He was a great mimic, he could swing from sounding like Frank Sinatra to Bon Scott within a song. “The bass was his primary instrument but he also played guitar. “He loved listening to and, when he got the chance, playing jazz, funk and soul, he was a very talented man.” Advincula’s standing within the Warrnambool music community was evident when a Benefit for Boyd concert, to show support for his fight against cancer, was held in 2015. More than 450 people turned out for the concert. At the time, Advincula said he was overwhelmed by the community support. “I couldn’t believe the support that I had,” he said. “I am just a simple musician, I do my job and go home and that’s it.” Despite this modesty, McKenzie said Advincula had left a profound mark on the Warrnambool community. “He was just such a nice, gentle guy,” McKenzie said.“It is nice to know we were able to entertain so many people over the years, whether that be at the Grand Hotel or The Stump in Port Fairy or all the other places we played. And of course we did a lot of weddings, more than I can remember. Weddings are always a lot of fun, you are part of a special day in people’s lives. It was a responsibility we enjoyed, we knew we had a job to entertain, people booked us because they knew we always delivered, we didn’t have any off nights.”