Z-CARS

Formed by vocalist Russell Street [Russell Diggins] in 1978 with Craig Russell (bass), Trevor Perrin (guitar) and Craig Presnell (drums). They were dubbed Z-Cars after the English television drama of the same name, by Rob Griffiths (The Fiction, Little Murders).  The band played a mixture of original material ''Barbie Doll'', ''Jump In Line'', 'Bernhardts'', ''People Look At Me'', ''Seventies Survivor' and covers by bands such as The Saints.

Z-Cars played regularly on the same bill with the other 'Z' band Zorros and played 54 gigs, mainly at the Exford Hotel, 475 Club, Seaview Ballroom, the Champion Hotel, Hearts, Martinis, and the Duke of York Hotel. The band released one single in 1980 through Au Go Go Records called 'This is Z-Cars' which consisted of the tracks ''Is There Someone Out There?' / Girls Just Aren't Girls'' which was produced by Dave Douglas and Simon Smith. Reviews of the band were almost unanimously bad, a situation the Z-Cars reveled in: "Possibly the worst guitar sound ever put on record“ - (Juke magazine review of single).

After Craig Russell left to join the Zorros in 1980, Mick Mordaunt was recruited to play bass and Simon Smith (ex-Virgins) took over on the drums. Steve Fusezi (ex-Virgins) and Cal McAlpine (ex-Chosen Few) also had brief stints in the Z-Cars as did Mark Ivey (ex-Virgins) who briefly played drums with the band, and along with several members of Z-Cars as well as Virgins Manager Geoff Martyr, ended up being in a bad car accident in 1980. Z-Cars broke up in 1981 with Russell Street, Mick Mordaunt and Trevor Perrin all going on to play in Odious Comparison. Forty years later in 2020, the first-ever reissue of their classic single was released on Canadian label Mean Bean in a limited edition of 400 copies.

Members

Russell Street [Russell Diggins] (vocals), Trevor Perrin (guitar), Craig Russell (bass), Craig Pressnell (drums),Simon Smith (drums), Mick Mordaunt (bass), Steve Fusezi (bass), Cal McAlpine (drums), Mark Ivey (drums).

SINGLES
''Is There Someone Out There? / Girls Aren't Just Girls'' 1980 Au-go-go 

References

http://www.punkjourney.com/z-cars.php

INTERNATIONAL EXILES

International Exiles was a Melbourne band formed in 1979 by Rob Wellington (ex-Fiction). They soon recorded ''Mini-skirts In Moscow'' as a double band single with The Jetsonnes (soon to split up and reform as Hunters & Collectors). The track was a cover guitarist Rob Wellington discovered in a secondhand record shop and rearranged. Their close friend Groper, sound engineer for much of the scene, recorded it in a bedroom. It was great! They gigged every week at Melbourne's famous Crystal Ballroom, the 475 Club and the Exford Hotel in the city. Before long they were signed to Missing Link. The Boys Next Door/Birthday Party were the only other act on the label. Drummer Paul Hester was replaced by David Adams before they recorded the single ''Let's Be Sophisticated / Note To Roger''. Produced by Keith Glass it sat at the top of the Indie charts for a few weeks, but the band split up before recording anything more. Original drummer Paul Hester would go on and join Crowded House with great success. On 26 March 2005, aged 46, Paul Hester died by suicide.

 
Members

Rob Wellington (guitar), Laine Macready (vocals), Adam Learner (bass/keyboards), Paul Hester (drums), David Adams (drums), Andy Calendar (keyboards)

SINGLES
''Miniskirts In Moscow'' 1980 Missing Link 
''Let's Be Sophisticated / Note To Roger'' 1980 Missing Link 

NUVO BLOC

Nuvo Bloc formed in 1980 when members of Adelaide groups Terminal Twist, The U-Bombs and Lemme Caution grew tired of playing straight-ahead punk rock. With Vonni Rollan on vocals, the six-piece band quickly attracted a large audience and released their self-financed a three-track single ''Atomic Fiction / Ratsrak / Kidney X-Ray'' later the same year on EMI. The dark new wave sounds of the single could almost be an entirely different band to the tribal stylings of ''Never Mind'', released on 5MMM’s 'Compilation Album of Adelaide Bands 1980' by the local public radio station.

“We figured that because it was so different from our other songs, people would remember it,” says drummer Roy Erzinger about ''Never Mind''. “In 1980 there was a void left by the demise of punk, and there seemed to be a sense of anything goes. Using a combination of Macedonian riffs and African rhythms, basically recorded ‘live’ in the studio, ''Never Mind'' should almost be considered an ‘anti-pop’ song.” Frustrated by music industry disinterest, the band soon splintered, with three members heading to Sydney to continue briefly as an electronic trio.

Members

Roy Erzinger (drums), T. Powers (guitar), Peter Telsa (keyboard/guitar/vocals) Nick Filips (sax), Nigel Sweeting (bass), Vonnie Rollan (vocals, synth, congas)

SINGLES
''Atomic Fiction / Ratsrak / Kidney X-Ray'' 1980 EMI [Custom Pressing] 

References

http://www.last.fm/music/Nuvo+Bloc

THE METRONOMES

Synth-Pop band The Metronomes first appeared in Melbourne in 1979. Members were rock journo-synth player Al Webb, bass player Andrew Picouleau and synth-pioneer Ash Wednesday (ex-JAB). The band was picked up by Cleopatra Records and they recorded with them until 1985. The first single, ''Saturday Night / Sunday Morning'' in 1980 with guests Maurice Bund on guitar and Pete Rich on saxes were added. The following single ''A Circuit Like Me / Closed Circuit'' soon followed. Robert Kretchmer (ex-Parachute) was invited to play on ''Closed Circuit''.

1981 saw the release of their first album 'Multiple Choice'. The band took a break with Picouleau joining The Sacred Cowboys. In 1985 they recorded the album 'Regular Guys' (1985, Cleopatra). This LP featured the next generation of synthesizers allowing the instrumental tracks to be recorded direct to tape, a process which almost entirely eliminated tape hiss. The group took another break and pursued other interests but in 2016 they recorded the album 'Going Somewhere' . All three members continue to make music. A compilation album on the Nice Noise label was released in 2014 titled 'Time Keeping (1979-1985). Andrew Picouleau died in 2024.

Members

Andrew Picouleau (bass, synthesizer), Ash Wednesday (synthesizer), Al Webb (guitar, synthesizer)

SINGLES
''Saturday Night / Sunday Morning'' 1980 Cleopatra 
''A Circuit Like Me / Closed Circuit'' 1980 Cleopatra 

ALBUMS
'Multiple Choice' 1981 Cleopatra Records
'Regular Guys' 1985 Cleopatra 
'Going Somewhere' 2016 It Records

References

http://lostbands.blogspot.com.au/2006/09/metronomes.html

THE DAGOES

Every so often a lost nugget of a band comes along and has you asking yourself, “How have I not heard this before?” Likely for the great lot of music foragers, The Dagoes was one of those bands. Active from 1978 to 1983, this motley group of Adelaide scene makers (at one point reaching nine onstage members), propelled by a crafty songsmith in Tony Rome [Neil Perryman], were the godfathers of the city’s burgeoning music scene. Infamous for their spirited and unpredictable live shows and brandishing comical, pseudo-Italian monikers, The Dagoes raised the rock n’ roll roof, with their own brand of ’60s garage, ’70s bohemian rock and British punk.

The band released their first single ''We Sell Soul / Little Blackie / Let's Liquidate'' in 1980 on Adelaide label Greasy Pop. The lineup was Tony Rome [Neil Perryman] (guitar/bass), Doug ''Frankie'' Thomas (guitar), Dick Dago [Richard Cant] (vocals), Lilly Pointless [Lucy Potter] (vocals), Turk Nancarrow [Geoff Short (drums), Lou Ouiji [Ian List] (bass) and Johnny Tomato [Beau Kostyszyn] on (drums/keyboards).

Gino Earthquake [Nigel Sweeting] replaced List on bass and that lineup which now included Arna Terrazzo [Arna Eyers-White] on backing vocals recorded a six track EP titled 'Double EP'. Phantom Records in Sydney reissued two tracks from the B-sides (''Ten Years On'' and ''Somehow'') on a single in August 1981. Cant and Sweeting left in late 1981 and the lineup of Rome, Thomas, Tomato, Nancarrow, Dean Martin [James Tizard] on bass and Di Palma (vocals) released the single ''Daunting / Blood On My Face'' in August 1982. Geoff Pin [Geoff Simpson] replaced Martin on bass, but the band broke up at the end of 1982. Members of the group recorded and performed as The Assassins and The Spikes.

In 1984, Tony Rome, Richard Cant and Johnny Tomato re-formed The Dagoes with Peter Roth (guitar), Phil Hannaford (bass) and Andrew Griffiths (drums). That lineup was short-lived but they did record the single ''Heartbeat / Hey Man'' for Greasy Pop in August 1984. The Dagoes reformed with Doug Thomas in 1988 for a series of 10th-anniversary shows. In 1990 Greasy Pop issued the single ''Vatican Stomp / I Can Do What I Want'', and in 1994 Ian List and Neil Perryman compiled all The Dagoes’ material on the CD collection 'Hot & Tasty Supreme'.

Members

Tony Rome [Neil Perryman] (guitar/bass), Doug ''Frankie'' Thomas (guitar), Dick Dago [Richard Cant] (vocals), Turk Nancarrow [Geoff Short] (drums), Lou Ouiji [Ian List] (bass), Johnny Tomato [Beau Kostyszyn] (drums/keyboards), Dean Martin [James Tizard] (bass), Di Palma (vocals), Geoff Pin [Geoff Simpson] (bass), Rickie Gee (bass), Lilly Pointless [Lucy Potter](vocals), Arna Terrazzo [Arna Eyers-White] (vocals), Gino Earthquake [Nigel Sweeting] (bass), Peter Roth (guitar), Phil Hannaford (bass), Andrew Griffiths (drums), Lou Arge (guitar/bass)

SINGLES
''We Sell Soul / Little Blackie / Let's Liquidate'' 1980 Greasy Pop 
''Ten Years On / Somehow'' 1981 Phantom 
''Daunting / Blood On My Face'' 1982 Greasy Pop 
''Heart Beat / Hey Man'' 1984 Greasy Pop 
''Vatican Stomp / I Do What I Want To Do'' 1990 Greasy Pop 

EPs

'Double E.P.' 1981 Greasy Pop 

ALBUMS
'Oh Yeah' 2008 Hammerville
'Oh No' 2010 Hammerville

MICROFILM

Emerging from the 'Little Bands' scene via Junk Logic, Microfilm was an avant-garde post-punk band featuring the non-nonsensical vocals of Lisa Gerrard, who would later achieve fame by being part of Dead Can Dance with Brendan Perry. The band released one single in 1980 which was released by Unforgettable Music, a label founded by Melbourne post-punk icon Ron Rude, and consisted of the tracks, ''Centrefold'' and ''Window''. It was issued individually as well as packaged in the 'Cardboard Box' set along with the two other singles in Unforgettable's catalogue - Ron Rude's ''Piano Piano'' and The Fabulous Marquises. ''Summer House'', another Microfilm track, was included on Rude's 'From Belgrave With Love' compilation (Cleopatra Records 1981). ''Centrefold'' can also be found on Chapter Music's 'Can't Stop It 2' CD.

Members

Lisa Gerrard (piano, strings, vocals), Marshall Butters (guitar), Nique Delaney (bass), Shane Brown (drums), Gordon Pitts (guitar)

SINGLES
''Centrefold / Window'' 1980 Unforgettable Music 

References

http://www.punkjourney.com/microfilm.php

SYSTEMATICS

Australian minimal wave band from the late 70's - early 80's. It was started by Patrick Gibson in his bedroom on Sydney's Northern beaches then expanded with the addition of guitarist Michael Filewood and keyboardist Fiona Graham. They played their first live show on December 13, 1980, at a birthday party for John Blades. In 1981, they supported The Cure at the Capital Theatre. They released a single an EP and a couple of albums. Their final live performance was at The Trade Union Club on New Year's Day 1982. Patrick Gibson, Michael Filewood and Fiona Graham would go and join Ya Ya Choral. In 2008 a compilation album 'What We Did In The Afternoons' was released. Gibson died May 3rd, 2019 aged 57 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Members

Michael Filewood (guitar/keyboards), Patrick Gibson (synthesizer, drum machine, vocals), Fiona Graham (synthesizer, drum machine, vocals)

SINGLES
''Pulp Baby / Nuts To You / Product'' 1980 Doublethink 

EPs
'My Life In The Field Of Cows' 1982 M Squared 

ALBUMS

'Rural' 1980 M Squared

'Stall' 1982 M Squared

References

http://www.discogs.com/artist/169535-Systematics

THE MAKERS OF THE DEAD TRAVEL FAST

The Makers of the Dead Travel Fast were formed in Sydney in 1980 as an experimental music group by Greg Addison on guitar and vocals; David Bullock on percussion; Steve Couri on bass guitar; Shane Fahey on synthesiser and vocals; Peter Richardson on piano, percussion and vocals; and Tim Schultz on saxophone, vocals and percussion. The band's name is a quote from Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, felt they "created evocative washes of electronic soundscapes punctuated by all manner of percussion, eerie vocals, fluttering guitar and delicate sax." They signed with M Squared late in 1980, which was a label and studio set up by Scattered Order's Mitch Jones and Michael Tee. Jonathan Green of The Canberra Times observed that the label's music "has been fundamentally electronic, always different and often very good... that lay well to left field and would have been too risky, adventurous or good for other established companies."

The Makers of the Dead Travel Fast issued their debut single, "Tael of the Saeghors", in December 1980. McFarlane stated that it "became something of a cult hit, and the band made its first live appearances." Bullock had left before the single appeared. In February 1981 another The Canberra Times correspondent opined that they "released a rather remarkable single last year and should prove interesting," when recommending their gig at the Australian National University.

Phil Turnbull of No Night Sweats felt that "Tael of the Saeghors" was "one of the best songs I've ever heard: Floating, watery sounds made by synths and bubble-makers lead into a lilting, gorgeous two chord progression in 3/4 time and pseudo pirate verse ('ay, capn', et al) followed by a late-night busker sax melody that takes the place of the chorus. I've never heard anything remotely like it before or since."

'The Vessels', the group's debut album, appeared in 1981, which McFarlane described as having "mixed atmospheric, uncluttered sound textures with understated dynamics. The music drew certain parallels with the work of Brian Eno and the second side of David Bowie's Low." They followed with a four-track extended play, 'Why Won't We Wake?', at the end of that year. The group went into hiatus for about a year. The Makers of the Dead Travel Fast returned to the recording studio in 1983 to work on their second album, 'Zoom Is Less than Man' (styled as Zoom < Man). They disbanded by the end of that year. Shane Fahey later joined Scattered Order. A retrospective compilation, by the group, 'G'arage D'Or', was released on the Extreme label in 1991.

Members

Peter Richardson (piano, keyboards) Greg Addison (guitar) Steve Couri (bass), Tim Schultz (saxophone, bongos) Shane Fahey (synthesizer, loops)

SINGLES
''Tael Of A Saeghors / The Dumbwaiter'' 1980 M Squared 

EPs

'Why Won't We Wake?' 1982 M Squared

ALBUMS
'The Vessels' 1981 M Squared
'Zoom < Man' 1983 M Squared

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Makers_of_the_Dead_Travel_Fast

PRIMITIVE CALCULATORS

The Primitive Calculators are a post punk band formed in the 1970s. They met as teenagers in Springvale, a working-class outer suburb of Melbourne, and moved together in 1977 to St Kilda, then the centre of the punk rock scene. The band in its initial form was Denise Rosenberg on keyboards, Dave Light on bass, Frank Lovece on vocals/drum machine and Stuart Grant on vocals/guitar. Despite socialising with the likes of Nick Cave from The Boys Next Door they remained outsiders to this scene, and in 1978 moved to Fitzroy.

In Fitzroy, they settled on a four-piece lineup for recording and found like-minded friends, such as Ollie Olsen and John Murphy of Whirlywirld. They drew influence from proto-punk acts like The Godz and The Velvet Underground, Texan 1960s psychedelic punk, James Brown, and The Silver Apples, as well as Australian bands like Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs.

The band were instrumental in organising a series of gigs named "Little Band Nights", where hastily formed bands would play for 15 minutes each; this led to the recording of a compilation EP. They became known for their use of a screeching Mosrite Ventures model guitar, primitive synthesizers (a Wasp and Roland SH2), an electronic organ played through effects pedals and an extra fast drum machine (Roland CR-78). The band played at many venues including the Crystal Ballroom, All Saints Hall in Fitzroy, Hearts in Carlton, Exford Hotel in the city and the Champion Hotel in Fitzroy.

The Primitive Calculators played their last gig in March 1980, though their self-titled live album came out in the early 1980s. The band reformed briefly in 1986 to perform a live version of their song "Pumping Ugly Muscle" in the Richard Lowenstein film Dogs In Space (they later appeared in Lowenstein's 2009 documentary We're Livin' on Dog Food.

In 2001, a 1979 live recording of "Pumping Ugly Muscle" was included in 'Can't Stop It', a compilation of Australian post-punk bands from 1978 to 1982, released by Chapter Music. The title of the CD was taken from the Calculators' only studio recording, made in December 1979, which was a 7-inch single of the songs "I Can't Stop It" and "Do That Dance". This led to a renewed interest in the band that led to the 2003 release of the 'Glitter Kids' EP, which featured three live recordings from 1979, by Meeuw Muzik in the Netherlands.

The Primitive Calculators' album was reissued on CD by Chapter Music in 2004, with the inclusion of extra tracks from related projects (their first band The Moths from 1978 and other live recordings from 1979). In March 2007, Chapter Music released 'Primitive Calculators and Friends, 1979 to 1982', a CD that contained the only studio recordings of the band (the 7-inch single from 1979), the "Little Band" single, also from 1979, and live tracks from Little Band nights. It also contained other recordings from bands the members formed after 1980, such as a song called "Zye Ye Ye" (recorded in London in 1981 with Olsen and Murphy), and bands formed after the return of some of the band members to Australia from Europe, in 1982.

In January 2009, the band reformed for the inaugural Australian All Tomorrow's Parties music festival, curated by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and held at Mount Buller in Victoria. The band subsequently commenced the recording of a new album, called 'The World Is Fucked', released in 2013. Stuart Grant explained the album title in a December 2013 interview: ''The album is called The World is F---ed because that's what we believe. The world's not any better now – in fact, it's worse. I can remember when the hippopotamus and rhinoceros weren't endangered species. I can remember when there was opposition, and when Chicago School economics wasn't a naturalised reality of life. And the anger in our music is because it doesn't need to be like that – and we don't need to be this nasty society''.

Grant revealed that the band intends to record another album and stated: "I want to make a psychedelic-space-folk record about taking hallucinogenic drugs." Midway through recording their third LP Primitive Calculators were invited by Genjing Records and Split Works to play Jue Festival 2015 in Beijing and Shanghai. The band toured China also playing Xi’an, Yiwu and Wuhan and released a tour edition split 7-inch with activist noise artist Torturing Nurse. In 2016, it Records released ''On Drugs'', a single from Primitive Calculators forthcoming album by the same name. ''On Drugs'', a boogie-rock soul inspired track, focused around the central character, Stuart Grant, signalled a change in the band's direction. The album was released in 2018. Frank Lovece died in 2020.

Members

Stuart Grant (guitar, vocals), Denise Rosenberg (keyboards), David Light (bass), Frank Lovece (vocals, drum machine)

SINGLES
''I Can't Stop It / Do That Dance'' 1979 EMI [Custom Pressing]
''Pumping Ugly Muscle / Do The Icepick'' 1987 Chase
''Sick Of Myself / Cunt Life'' 2012 Chapter

ALBUMS

'Primitive Calculators' 1982
'The World Is Fucked' 2013 Chapter Music
'On Drugs' 2018 It Records

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primitive_Calculators

ESSENDON AIRPORT

Formed in Melbourne, Essendon Airport began as an instrumental electronic music duo in 1978 by Robert Goodge on lead guitar and David Chesworth on Wurlitzer electric piano and a homemade drum machine, bought via the Trading Post. Both members lived in or near the suburb of Niddrie and took the name of Essendon Airport which since 1971 was no longer an international terminal (replaced by Melbourne Airport in Tullamarine). Goodge had studied jazz guitar under guitar legend Bruce Clarke. Chesworth had studied music at Latrobe University

The duo version released a four-track extended play, 'Sonic Investigations (Of the Trivial)', in May 1980 on Innocent Records. The duo described the EP's tracks, "songs which combine many of the most facile and insipid kinds of music in a redeemingly dignified manner... creating new trivia out of old. All this takes place along with a kind of pedantic fetishism for small-repetition games - the music travels in circles, spirals and solid blocks of sameness and difference." The label, Innocent Records, was co-owned by Chesworth and Philip Brophy (of performance group, → ↑ →).

Essendon Airport followed with a single, "Talking to Cleopatra" (September 1980), with Anne Cessna (AKA Anne Sanger) on lead vocals. Sanger later recalled working with the duo, "we were sitting around one night when Robert and David were tossing around the idea of recording a single with a vocalist. But who should that be? I said I'd do it. I was partly being facetious. I wasn’t at all sure I could sing. Neither were they." According to the Music.com.au's writer, "it went on to be something of a cult favourite among the Melburnian alt-music scene of the early 1980s." This manifestation of Essendon Airport is less well known than the later ones but played memorable performances around Melbourne including the Clifton Hill Community Music Centre and supports at the Crystal Ballroom in front of bemused audience members waiting for bands like Midnight Oil or Jimmy and the Boys.

Late in 1980 Essendon Airport became a four-piece, adding Ian Cox on saxophone and Paul Fletcher on drums. They performed around Melbourne's newly emerging post-punk inner-city venues such as The Crystal Ballroom, various galleries such as the George Paton, and the Clifton Hill Community Music Centre (CHCMC), a venue for experimental music, performance and film during this time. They worked closely with → ↑ →. Embellished with Fletcher's rhythmic drumming and Ian Cox' sweet, brittle saxophone, the four-piece provided a range of styles from extreme minimalism to plundering the hidden resonances in the popular song. Examples can be heard on the debut studio album, 'Palimpsest' (Innocent Records), which appeared in May 1982. The group also made recordings for Fast Forward cassette magazine and a disc give-away for the Art Network magazine.

Adding bass player, Barabara Hogarth (ex-Government Drums), the group developed material with a funk feel and performed head-lining shows at the Jump Club, and Crystal Ballroom, and toured to Sydney. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described the five-piece line-up, "they played a hybrid of modern jazz, rock and funk." No recordings by the quintet were released until 2011, when the 2× CD verson of 'Palimpsest' included live and studio tracks, including a live-to-air performances on 3RRR FM from the Crystal Ballroom which was their final performance. The group disbanded in mid-1983.

In 2003 a compilation CD was released via Chapter Music entitled 'Sonic Investigations of The Trivial', comprising live and studio recordings of the duo from 1978-1980. Following this release Essendon Airport have given occasional performances in their original duo guise. They perform their original music having painstakingly transferred the drum machine sounds from old tapes onto computer and have also added some new pieces. Graham Lee (ex-The Triffids) has been accompanying them on pedal-steel guitar. 

In 2011 Chapter Music reissued 'Palimpsest' as a 2× CD with additional live tracks, and a four-piece version with Chesworth, Fletcher and Goodge were joined by Phil Bywater to perform live in support of the release. Bywater stood in for original saxophonist Ian Cox. In September 2022, the group released the double-A 7" single "Agua Por Favor / Ten Thousand Steps", featuring vocalist Anne Cessna, and artwork by Paul Fletcher.

Members

David Chesworth (keyboards, vocals), Robert Goodge (guitar), Ian Cox (sax), Paul Fletcher (drums), Barbara Hogarth (bass), Graham Lee (pedal steel guitar), Phil Bywater (sax), Anne Sanger [Anne Cessna] (vocals)

SINGLES
''Talking To Cleopatra / Lost In Madagascar'' [with Anne Cessna] 1980 Innocent
''Agua Por Favor / Ten Thousand Steps'' [with Anne Cessna] 2022 Chapter

EPs

Sonic Investigations (Of The Trivial) 1979 Innocent

ALBUMS

'Palmipest' 1982 Innocent

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essendon_Airport_%28band%29

THE PASSENGERS

The Passengers appeared in Sydney following the demise of Radio Birdman. Among the many bands who blazed bright in the post-apocalyptic era at the turn of the decade, The Passengers stood alone. Their music was compelling and different, and their following was fanatically dedicated. The Passengers were born from the Sydney inner city punk culture in 1979. They were the first band released by Phantom Records recording ''Face With No Name / Girlfriend's Boyfriend''. Taking their name from an Iggy Pop song, the band was fronted by Angie Pepper, and also included former Survivor and future New Christ Jim Dickson on bass, with Jeff Sullivan (later of the Flaming Hands) on guitar and Steve Harris on keyboards. Peppers vocals and the sixties girl-group nature of the lyrics made an instant comparison to Blondie inevitable, but Harris's electric piano sound was substantially different from Blondie's approach. Unfortunately, the band was short lived, and they disbanded at the end of 1980.

Angie Pepper recalls her time in the Passengers: “It was wonderful. There wasn’t one gig I didn’t enjoy – I don’t think I’ve ever felt so good as when I played gigs with the Passengers. As far as the performances go, I was very much aware of the audience, but I wasn’t afraid of the audience. When I was singing those songs with the Passengers, I meant every line I sang. and the band played with a lasting conviction that made it possible for me to really sing from my heart. I felt that I was revealing a very personal side of me that would be impossible for me to reveal in any other circumstances. Even though there were hundreds of people watching me, it felt okay to be that raw.” In 1990 French label Revenge Records released an album full of unreleased demos titled 'The Passengers with Angie Pepper'.

Members

Angie Pepper (vocals), Jeff Sullivan (guitar), Jim Dickson (bass), Steve Harris (keyboard), Gerry Jones (drums), Alan Brown (drums)

SINGLES
''Face With No Name / Girlfriend's Boyfriend'' 1980 Phantom

References

http://stripedsunlight.blogspot.com.au/2008/05/angie-pepper-passengers-its-just-that-i.html

MIGHTY LITTLE

The members of late 70s band Mighty Little all moved to Sydney from Dunedin in New Zealand. The band split shortly after their debut single was released. Barry Morgan died in 2019.

Members

Myles Madigan (vocals), Robert Semke (keyboards), Barry Morgan (guitar), Steve Hudson (drums) Chris Hudson (bass)

 

SINGLES
''Listenin' In / Burning Sands Of Bondi'' 1979 Phoenix 

VICTORIA NICOLLS

Victoria Nicolls (born 1954) is an Australian actress and television personality. Nicholls is well remembered by viewers for appearing in the Australian version of the game show Sale of the Century as a hostess from 1980 to 1982. She is also noted for her dramatic roles, such as Raeleen Archer in The Restless Years in the late 1970s, and as officer Heather Rodgers in Prisoner in 1984. In 1995 she was a leading cast member of short-lived soap opera Echo Point. Her short recording career produced one single ''Midnite Rendezvous'' (1979) that was produced by ex-King Fox member Paul Radcliffe. The single did reasonably well. A children's album 'Frizzle Frazzle Frozzle' followed in 1981.

SINGLES 

''Midnite Rendezvous (#57) / Until Then'' 1979 Arrival

ALBUMS 
'Frizzle Frazzle Frozzle' 1981 K-Tel

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Nicholls

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/

SPUTNIKS

The Sputniks formed in Adelaide around April 1979 - Dave Graney, Steve Miller and Liz Dealey having moved there and met up with Clare Millionaire (AKA Clare Moore) on drums and Philip Marks (ex-Foreskins) on guitar. Over the next year, before a move to Melbourne, they proved themselves extremely hardworking and put together an impressive list of achievements. Starting with a first gig in June they toured down south to Mt Gambier and Naracoorte, plus a Spencer Gulf tour with the Accountants, playing Whyalla, Port Augusta, and Port Pirie. Funded by proceedings from these tours, and live work in Adelaide, they recorded a single at Noumenon Studios in October. ''Our Boys / Second Glance'' was released in December.

Early 1980 saw the band getting a residency at the Union Hotel, where they endeavoured to get other bands to play, reportedly with mixed success. Live they played mostly originals, mixed in with Doors, Bowie, Buzzcocks, and 13th Floor Elevators covers. Moore took front of stage for a version of ''In The Midnight Hour'' which was always popular. Admirably they had at least one new original every time they played. March 29, 1980, saw their last Adelaide show, and in early April they moved to Melbourne. Gigs aplenty followed, amongst them The Bottom Line, The Exford, Paradise Lounge, Hearts and the Duke of York. Despite the year of hard work, the foundations of the band proved shaky and by October Marks and Dealey had returned to Adelaide and the rest became The Moodists. Liz Dealey died in 2025.

Members

Dave Graney (vocals, guitar), Clare Moore (drums), Liz Dealey (bass), Phillip Marks (guitar), Steve Miller (guitar)

SINGLES 
''Our Boys / Second Glance'' 1979

References

http://wallabybeat.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/it-never-ends-sputniks-our-boys-7-no.html

THE SHARKS

The Sharks were a well-known punk band in Brisbane. Mark Dadds and John Downie were two Melbourne lads who moved north from Melbourne in the late 70s and formed the band with Cecily Childs, Paul Worfield and Phil Giffard. They released one single, ''Freud / Lobotomy'' on the EMI label in 1979. During their short tenure it wasn't uncommon for police, both uniformed and Special Branch plainclothes, to regularly break up concerts by the Sharks, who were considered among the more subversive and threatening local talent. Mark Dadds later played in Perfect Strangers with Cecily's brother Tony Childs, and the Husbands of Susan Renouf, and Strange Fruit. John Downie later played with JFK and Cuban Crisis.

Members

Mark Dadds (vocals, guitar), John Downie (bass), Cecily Childs (keyboards), Paul Worfield (drums), Phil Gifford  (sax), Tony Childs (bass, drums), Nya Murray (violin)

SINGLES 
''Freud / Lobotomy'' 1979 EMI [Custom Pressing]

BLEEDING HEARTS

The vibrant Melbourne music scene of the mid to late Seventies saw the emergence of many great bands who would go on to have long and distinguished careers (The Sports, Paul Kelly & The Dots, Models, Jo Jo Zep - just to name a few). One of the bands that everybody thought would be part of this wave was Bleeding Hearts. When they imploded, it came as a great shock and disappointment to their many fans. Bleeding Hearts broke up in August 1977 and the Melbourne scene lost an important band. One of the great bands, as it turned out. A band brimming with so much potential, a band capable of writing songs that captured the zeitgeist of the times with perfect vision, a band overflowing with talented musicians.

The Bleeding Hearts was formed in 1976 by Martin Armiger on guitar and lead vocals. Other members were Eric Gradman on violin and vocals; Rick Grossman on bass guitar; Keith Shadwick on saxophone and backing vocals (ex-Sun); Huk Treloar on drums; Laurie Tunnicliffe on bass guitar; Geoff Warner and Chris Worrall on guitar (ex-Pelaco Bros). The band appeared at local venues, including The Kingston Hotel, and The Tiger Lounge (Hotel), where Armiger played a white Fender Stratocaster. In August 1977 the group broke up but left enough material for a posthumous album, 'What Happened?', which appeared in the following year on Missing Link Records.

The Hearts had it all in many ways. So then maybe that’s the answer to the question they posed in the title to their album, 'What Happened? There was no way a band could have stayed together with so much talent bouncing around within its epicentre. There was literally too much happening. And the bonds weren’t strong enough to prevent the band from splitting asunder. Martin Armiger would join The Sports, Eric Gradman would form Man and Machine, Rick Grossman would later wind up in The Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus, Chris Worrall would join Paul Kelly and The Dots and Huk Treloar would join Little Heroes. Martin Armiger died in 2019. Chris Worrall died in 2024.

Members

Martin Armiger (guitar vocals), Eric Gradman (violin), Rick Grossman (bass), Keith Shadwick (sax), Huk Treloar (drums), Laurie Tunnicliffe (bass), Geoff Warner (guitar), Chris Worrall (guitar)

SINGLES 
''Boys / Hit Single'' 1979 Missing Link

ALBUMS 
'What Happened?' 1978 Missing Link

  

References

http://www.aztecrecords.com.au/products/bleeding-hearts-what-happened

TEENAGE RADIO STARS

James Freud (born Colin McGlinchey) and Sean Kelly were school friends, and both shared an interest in the current music scene. Freud and Kelly initially played together in a school band called Sabre (alongside drummer Ian McFarlane). After hearing the Sex Pistols' song 'God Save the Queen' in 1977, and with a residual love of glam-rock, Freud and Kelly formed a full-time band at the first opportunity upon leaving school (Freud was 16, Kelly was 18). They recruited bassist Graham Schiavello, and drummer Peter Kidd, and dubbed themselves Spred. After first performing together at a birthday party for James Freud's sister, Spred played their debut professional gig on New Year’s Eve 1977 alongside fellow punk-rock outfits Babeez, and The Boys Next Door. The occasion was labeled ‘Punk-Gunk’, and the venue was a prestigious footpath, in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton.

By January 1978, Spred had been re-dubbed Teenage Radio Stars (well they were still teenagers, and aspiring radio stars), and recruited a new rhythm section, comprising Pierre Voltaire (real name Peter Sutcliffe) on bass, and Dave Osbourne on drums. Soon after this new line-up signed with the Suicide label, adding two tracks ''Wanna Be Ya Baby'' and ''Learned One'' to the 'Lethal Weapons' album compilation (1978). ''Wanna Be Ya Baby / Sweet Boredom'' was also released as a single in April 1978 through Suicide and, although credited to James Freud and Sean Kelly, it was actually a reworking of the song ''Baby Baby'', by British punk band The Vibrators.

The release of this single earned Teenage Radio Stars a slot on the ABC’s Countdown - an opportunity much valued by up-and-coming acts - and alongside label mates The Boys Next Door, Teenage Radio Stars were paving the way for future post-punk/new wave artists to break into the commercial mainstream. Shortly after their Countdown appearance, the line-up had changed to Freud, Kelly, Mick Prague (bass), and Mark Graeme (drums). Previous bassist Pierre Voltaire had elected to hook up with JAB, though it would prove a short-lived association, as the band were entering their death throws. Meanwhile, previous drummer Dave Osbourne went on to play with popular pub rockers Fastbuck. By August of 1978, Sean Kelly and James Freud found themselves on different musical frequencies, and Kelly parted ways with the Teenage Radio Stars to form Models.

Tony Harvey came on board to replace Sean Kelly, and since none of the band’s members were any longer in their teens, Freud opted to shorten the band’s name to The Radio Stars, followed soon after by James Freud’s Ego. Neither new moniker evoked any sense of positive direction for the band, and by the end of 1978, Freud had taken the decision to break-up the band. By early 1979, with ex-members of band Colt, he formed James Freud and the Radio Stars. They signed with Mushroom Records and their debut single, ''Modern Girl'' was released in May 1980, which peaked at #12 on the Australian Singles Chart. In 1981 Freud disbanded the group and by the beginning of 1982 he had rejoined Sean Kelly in his band Models.

Members

James Freud (vocals/guitar), Sean Kelly (guitar/vocals), Graham Schiavello (bass), Peter Kidd (drums), Pierre Voltaire [Peter Sutcliffe] (bass), Dave Osbourne (drums), Mick Prague (bass), Mark Graeme (drums)

SINGLES 
''Wanna Be Ya Baby / Sweet Boredom'' 1978 Suicide

References 

 http://www.punkjourney.com/teenage-radio-stars.php

THE SURVIVORS

The Survivors, a southern suburbs Brisbane band, had a mutual admiration for 1960s music but originally, they named their band Rat Salad after the Black Sabbath song. They changed their name in 1977 to The Survivors still mostly playing parties or occasionally hiring a hall, where they had to "watch out for the noise vigilant cops", "until the Curry Shop venue began supporting local punk acts in the heart of Brisbane on Sundays.

Whilst known for their energetic versions of other group’s songs, they managed to release one stamped sleeve seven-inch single on the Real label. The A-side ''Baby Come Back'' flirted with 1960s music but also had a strong stylistic sense of original New York City punk. They encountered condemnation from punk circles for being too close to Sixties covers music as Jim Dickson recounts, "Criticism was often levelled at the Survivors for their lack of original material. The band were able to exist in those punk snobbery times because their energy was equal to anyone's and purely dedicated to the music which transcended the transient social commitments of the time."

Mushroom Records subsidiary label Suicide Records reissued the seven-inch single and added both songs onto the 'Lethal Weapons' compilation album in 1978. This was the extent of their output when they were still in existence. The band broke up in late 1978 but did manage to do shows in Sydney later on including a show with The Visitors. The band members Jim Dickson and Bruce Anthon formed The Sleepers and then The Shakers.

In 1979 Jim Dickson went on to record with Sydney act The Passengers, whose singer was Angie Pepper later known for The Angie Pepper Band and the single ''Frozen World''. Jim Dickson also went on to play for profile bands that included The Barracudas, The Deniz Tek Group and Radio Birdman amongst many others. According to Jim Dickson, "Bruce and Greg had been busy in '79 with the Credits, who recorded a single, ''It's You / Fazed Dazed'', for the Rocking Horse Record Shop label". Drummer, Bruce Anthon, went on to play with numerous other groups, including bands that did jazz or blues.

In 1988 the band managed to retrospectively release an album recorded live in August 1978 at the Rex Hotel, Kings Cross, Sydney, called 'Worse than Perfect'. The original recording of ''Baby Come Back'' had also been included as part of the 2015 CD Compilation called 'Stranded, The Chronicles Of Australian Punk'. This CD was a wide retrospective of Australian punk, officially released by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Four by Four label.

Members

Jim Dickson (bass, vocals), Bruce Anthon (drums, vocals), Greg Williamson (guitar, vocals)

SINGLES 
''Baby Come Back / Mr. Record Man'' 1978 Suicide

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Survivors_%28Australian_band%29

RAZAR

The Brisbane punk movement took off following 1978. A lot more bands formed and were given airtime on Community radio station 4ZZZ, with it being said that 4ZZZ FM DJs Michael Finucan, Tony Biggs, Bill Riner, Mark Bracken, Phil Cullen and Andy Nehl were influential in playing the new music. One of the bands that benefited from 4ZZZ airplay was Razar with their song ''Task Force''. From the sleepy Brisbane suburb of Mt Gravatt in the mid 70s, a high school garage band comprising of 18-year-old Greg Wackley (drums) his 16-year-old brother Robert Wackley (bass), Marty Burke (vocals) aged 17 and Steven Mee (guitar) aged 16 burst onto the Brisbane Punk scene in 1976 as Razar.

In an oppressive and politically corrupt climate under the Premier Joh Bjelke Peterson regime and with attitude to burn, anarchistic Razar wrote of their disdain for the police, mocked conservative culture of the day, and soon started to chart their way into punk history after playing their first gig at The Atcherley Hotel in Brisbane. Venues were scarce except The Curry Shop, the odd hotel and hired halls, which made bands susceptible to the scrutiny and reach of the law. Razar quickly attracted the notice of the local Task Force, a division of the Police Force and heavy arm of the Joh regime. Playing around the suburbs and city at same time were punk icons The Saints and The Leftovers, also holding Brisbane’s sceptre in punk sovereignty for a proud Australia counterculture. 

With few opportunities to advance in Brisbane musically, Razar like many others took the trip south to Sydney in a transit van, stayed in dodgy hotels around Central Station and made little money but still ended up being able to cut their first single ''Stamp Out Disco / Task Force (Undercover Cops)'' released in 1978. 1000 copies were pressed. In 1979 they recorded a four track EP for EMI. In 2012 Don Bartley remastered ''Stamp Out Disco / Task Force (Undercover Cops)'' for LMCR Records and the label issued 300 copies. This single was also released in the USA under the Sing Sing banner.

As stated in the 'Behind the Banana Curtain' CD, Razar's ''Task Force'', released in 1978, referred to Brisbane's notorious undercover police. Razar was like a beacon to the local constabulary, as were most high-profile Brisbane punk groups, often receiving intense scrutiny from the local cops. Dave Darling, 4ZZZ's and (later) an independent concert promoter, recalled such events, "We encountered problems with police just like everybody else did that tried to run a venue...9 out of 10 of them I don't think ever made the final song...and disguise them from Task Force knowing they were on, but eventually in the course of the night one of them would find out and next thing you know you had all of them there''. Bob Wackley went on to join the Screaming Tribesmen. Razar reunited for a one-off show in 2018 celebrating that city’s punk rock history.

Members

Steve Mee (guitar), Marty Burke (vocals), Bob Wackley (bass), Greg Wackley (drums)

SINGLES 
''Stamp Out Disco / Task Force (Undercover Cops)'' 1978

EPs

'Razar' 1979 EMI [Custom Pressing]

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisbane_punk_rock

ALEPH

Although based out of Sydney beginning in 1974, and later on the New South Wales North Coast, Aleph’s connection with the Northern Tablelands was through Ron Carpenter, Dave Froggatt and Dave Highet, all of whom were former members of the Armidale band Bogislav. Aleph was initially a six-piece outfit which performed an all original repertoire. Utilising Mellotrons, moogs, Oberheim synths and elaborate guitar effects, along with traditional rock instruments, the band’s music during the early years has been described as full-blown, complex symphonic rock in the vein of Yes, Genesis and King Crimson. In this respect the band, along with Sebastian Hardie, helped pioneer the art/prog rock genre in Australia.

At the end of 1974 Aleph recorded six songs at Sydney’s Albert’s Studios. Another band recording its debut album there at that time was AC/DC. Interestingly a connection existed between the two bands through Ron Carpenter. The drummer had only recently left AC/DC after having spent much of 1973 and 1974 playing in several of its early line-ups (AC/DC and Aleph later even played a gig together at the Sydney Haymarket ca. 1976). By late 1974 Aleph had also begun playing gigs around Sydney, and over the next few years steadily built a following through its consistently high level of musicianship. The band also secured a contract with Warner Brothers around this time.

Although Aleph’s reputation as one of the country’s leading art rock bands was building, these early years were quite difficult, with a number of factors conspiring against the possibility of national success. The most serious was the band’s 1976/77 national tour which unfortunately resulted in a significant financial loss. The recording quality of the debut album, 'Surface Tension', was also deemed unacceptable by the band and they subsequently asked Warner Brothers to allow them to re-record the songs. Warner denied the request, however, and went on to release the LP in 1977. This eventually led to the band and record company terminating their association. Aleph then lost lead singer Joe Walmsley to illness in 1978, and that same year had its custom PA repossessed as a result of being $400,000 in debt. The band was also forced to abandon its touring for several months after Ron Carpenter was asked to fill in as temporary drummer for Cold Chisel. Carpenter also spent much of 1979 pouring his energies into the band First Light, which recorded and released a self-financed album that same year.

In 1979, Carpenter convinced the remaining members of Aleph (and their families) to relocate to Byron Bay where the band subsequently based itself. Over the next few years, however, the line-up whittled down from a five piece to quartet and finally a trio, with Carpenter eventually taking on lead vocal duties. Although conceived as an all-originals band, Aleph had by this stage been forced to play a selection of covers – with these ranging from punk and new wave to electronica and classic rock. The creative decisions in this area worked well and the band managed to secure almost nightly gigs throughout Northern NSW and the Queensland Gold Coast through until 1983. Carpenter has since recalled that the band also eventually managed to pay off most of its previous debt. Along with Idol Minds (Lismore), Aleph is considered to have been one of the most popular and hardest working bands to come out of the NSW North Coast during the pub rock era.

Members

Mary Jane Carpenter (keyboards), Ron Carpenter (drums), Dave Froggett (guitar), Mary Hansen (keyboards), David Highett (bass), Joe Walmsley (vocals)

SINGLES 
''Little Games / Of The Essence'' 1977 Atlantic

ALBUMS 

'Surface Tension' 1977 Atlantic

References

Dr Clay Djubal.
Have Gravity Will Threaten (havegravity.com).

SAGA

Canberra has had its fair share of groups. Saga was one of the longest serving groups that went along changing and evolving but never really having a big break out hit. They started with founding member Jeff Gallimore (drummer) who had been in the group Abbe Gail ca.1971. Saga kicked off in 1972 and they were still churning out music a decade later. The band released their debut album 'Knee Deep' in 1976 on the Showboat label. By 1976 Saga were involved in a charity recording subsidised by the Fairfax Media Group who owned the Canberra Times newspaper amongst others. Their remake of the Dr. Hook track "The Cover Of The Rolling Stone" was given a new OZ comedy slant. Saga's track was called "The Cover Of The Canberra Times" which went #1 in the nation's capital. It was not really a novelty track but a cute cabaret number in the same style as Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band. The band also had a hit single with ''12 Days of Christmas''. Both records appeared in the Top 100 Singles Chart on the Australian Kent Music Report in 1977 and 1978.

Bass guitarist Graham Patrick recalled the converted horse stable that was used to record Saga's hits. "We recorded out in a funny little place in Bungendore", he said. "It was quite an interesting recording session because there was no communication between the studio floor and the control room so it was a matter of people running in and out to ask if you were ready." Interesting to note is that Steve Kilby (who formed the successful band The Church) began his professional music career at 17 years of age when he joined the band in 1972. Saga reformed for a one-off gig in 2019 at the Harmonie German Club in Narrabundah.

Members

Jeff Gallimore (drums), Hugh Moran (keyboards), Hugh Packard (guitar), Graham Patrick (bass), Steve Kilby (guitar)

SINGLES 
''Cover Of The Canberra Times (#84) / The Frog Song'' 1976
''12 Australian Days Of Christmas (#84) / Christmas In Canberra'' [with The 2CC Announcers] 1978 2CC

ALBUMS

'Knee Deep' 1975 Showboat