Circa: 1963 – 1965
Home town: Bulawayo
Members:
- Victor Helsdinger – Vocals and rhythm guitar
- William Helsdinger – Lead
- Eldred de Vos – Bass and vocals
- Mike Swan – Drums
THE LINK were made up of four Bulawayo lads from various schools (amongst them, Northlea and Milton) in the city although they were based, and practiced, in a cottage in the Queen’s Park/Newmansford area. The band played all the popular hits of the day and were in great demand. On a number of occasions they made trips to places as far afield as Shabani and Mashaba. It was on one such trip to Shabani, travelling in a Taunus 17M with trailer attached, that they encountered a flooded river which they feared they were unable to cross. After a period of debate and consideration, however, they decided to take their chances and successfully, if somewhat stressfully, made the crossing. Best of all, nothing of any value or consequence was wet and the gig proceeded as planned.
As with so many bands, when the teenagers completed their schooling and were called up for the Army, their musical activities came to an end. In latter years, however, some of the musicians, of which Eldred de Vos is one, continued to be active on the music scene and are still gigging today. Eldred, for instance, went on to play with the GB Band, The Playmates and Jean Pierre And The Eiffels in Bulawayo, before relocating to South Africa and playing with outfits such as Twyce, Magnum 4, Flagship and Giggle.