Zero - Live West End, Sometime in 1978

A rare a wonderful recording from David K,
the earliest known recording of this legendary
Brisbane band.
Posters come from Chuck and his archive of
Brisbane band posters.

Thanks David and Chuck,
now let me hand over to David.



This gig was held at AHEPA Hall in West End, Brisbane
(where Rio Rhythmics is now) some time in 1978 and this is
the first line-up of Zero (as they were spelled then).
It's interesting to note two things. One, they're
essentially a covers band, but doing a ridiculously eclectic set,
from Sonny Boy Williamson and Chuck Berry through
Patti Smith to the Sex Pistols and Junior Murvin
(I suspect via the Clash, though I wouldn't be surprised if it
was direct). The other interesting thing is that,
according to Barbara, who passed this on to me, they'd been
playing for what was literally a matter of a few months before
this gig, which surprised me, given the quality of the playing.
As far as Barbara knows, this is the only recording of that
first line-up. Enjoy.

Peter Adams - guitars, vocals on Anarchy In The UK
Chris Anderson - guitars, voice on Johnny Be Good,
bass on You Got To Help Me
Irina Lukas - vocals
Debbie Penny - drums
Sax + flute - Barbara Hart
John Hunt - Bass, harmonica on You Got To Help Me

Download Here

Xiro - Cassette releases - Half The Profits / Religious Wars

A re-post of Xeros 2 casette releases now I have the
art work thanks to Mat Mawson and Ian Thomson.
Ian to has copies of the JFK cassettes which I'm
really looking forward to.
Thanks guys.

Xero (also known as Zero, Ziro and Xiro) was a Brisbane band from
the early 1980s.When bands like Whirlywirrld and the Primitive
calculators were doing the electronic punk thing in Melbourne,
Xero were doing a similar thing here in Brisbane.
The band is said to be named after the character
Xero from the book The Atrocity Exhibition by J G Ballard
but that seems to be incorrect

I don' think the ballard reference is accurate -
it was zero as in the anarchist thing, and then
when we needed to change it it became the
shortening of xerox (the artists' friend of the early 80s).
then xiro was just indulgence i guess.
that's the way I remember it anyway . . .
JW

The initial lineup was Irena Luckus, Deborah Thomas, Vic Allen and
Lindy Morrison, soon joined by John Willsteed.
Lindy Morrison was later replaced on drums by Steven Pritchard.
The band split when Irena left Brisbane.
Lindy's involvement predates her joining the Go- Betweens,
and as far as I know this is the first band of note that
John Willsteed is part of, John goes on to join bands such
as the Go- Betweens and The Apartments
One of the most popular bands of the era,
they existed between 1978 and 1983.
The band went through many different phases:
starting off as an all-girl anarcho-feminist punk band doing
covers of Patti Smith and Slits songs, to developing their own
sound that echoed the likes of The Pop Group.
This was when the band were under the spelling of Zero.
As Zero folded after the Dayboro Music Festival show,
Irena and John came Xiro, releasing a cassette a week for two weeks,
Half The Profits and Religious Wars.
With the subsequent addition of Toe Suckers drummer
Clare McKenna, they became Xero. With McKenna's departure,
in 1981 they added a bassist in Tony Childs
and ex-Swell Guys drummer Steven Pritchard to
record for Sydney's M Squared label.
The end product became a 12" EP entitled Lust In The Dust,
the first independent Brisbane outfit to do so.
Sorry no artwork , if anyone can help.



Xiro
cassette compile 1980






"Religious Wars"
1. Say It Before The Music Stops
2. Behing The Chagall
3. A Little Slip Of Paper In Mid-Air
4. The Confessions...



"Half The Profits"
1. Just A Nite At Another Party
2. O.D
3. D.K
4. 2,4-D Pelaco

Their album Lust in the Dust has been posted a while back
so that leaves these two recordings to track down which
are talked of in some discographies.

• Leaving Home For The Party On The Roof cassette (independent, 1980)
• Xiro Live At The Cement Box Theatre CD (Ten Of Cups, 1998)

If you can help with this I'd be very happy

Matt has posted this video of the band live at Easts Leagues Club,
Brisbane, 1986, performing as part of the IMA's
"Know Your Product" retrospective

Download Cassettes here with artwork

Zip 4 - Zip-Eye-Ear Book and EP

The last in the Zip series is the 56 page Zip-eye-ear book
and the 4 track vinyl Ep that came with it.
Released in 1986 it is the complete professional
package. Many thanks to Matt Mawson for his
scans of the booklet and Chuck for ripping the
EP and compiling the booklet scans.


Tracklist
01a-johnny willsteed-its a wonderful life
01b-terry murphy/matt mawson-Impulse
02a-tim gruchy-jungles
02b-Irena Luckus-Zeitgeist


Download Here

Zip III cassette and booklet

The long awaited third installment of the Zip start series.
Released in 1984, limited to 400 copies. 45 minutes of
wonderful music and 2 2o page books a 24 page magazine
and 1 poster.

Tracklist
a 01-Xero-Beirut
a 02-Tim & Terry-We All Know
a 03-T T & Warner-Dogmattock
a 04-Matt Mawson-Subversive
a 05-Warner & Willy-Angels
a 06-Matt-Whats the word
a 07-John-e-Blue Lagoon
b 01-Matt-Regular Philosopher
b 02-Willy-Torque Torque
b 03-Matt Mawson-Fallout
b 04-Terry Murphy-Dwell
b 05-Tim & Michelle Andringa-Umbio
b 06-Tim Gruchy-One Ddub

The last in the series shall be coming soon thanks to the
combined efforts of Matt Mawson one of the original
Zip artists/musicians scanning the last book and Chuck who has
compiled the booklet into a PDF file and ripped the EP.
As for this the Zip III post all thanks to Chuck and
his hard work again!!

Download Here

Zip Start Cassette and Booklet 1st Issue

A very exciting post and just in time for Christmas.

Chuck has embarked on his most ambitious project
yet, to scan and rip the Zip Start cassette booklets.
Created in Brisbane in the early 80's, the Zip
project was a visual arts, experimental music
collaboration that was released in extremely limited
edition. This first issue numbered a mere 2oo copies
and of those only 100 had a cassette.



A 16 page booklet with 4 postcards, colour work
was all screen printed. Both John and Irena of
Xero were part of the project as well as others
whom I'm not familar with.
John has a long history of art/music of which this
is some of the finest examples.
Can't wait for the rest



But lets hear from Chuck,

The first of four zip projects.
The first 3 were cassettes with the final being
a four track 7inch ep with book



Lucky I have all 4 but i cant scan zip 4 as the binding of the book
prevents folding the pages flat for the scanner.
next 3 coming soon.... when i find the time for scanning :)


Track List
a1- Johnny Xero - El Dia De Muerto
a2- Irena Xero - Lady On The Train
a3- Matt Mawson - Is This Me
a4- Jaque Hammer - Tim Gruchy & Terry Murphy
a5- Tim Gruchy & Terry Murphy - Once Removed
b1- Matt Mawson - Open The Goddam Door
b2- Johnny Xero - Stunde Hinter Mitternacht
b3- Matt Mawson - Spanner-Eye Theme
b4- Tim Gruchy & Matt Mawson - Fast Eludes Me Pop

Download Zip Start Cassette and Booklet 1 Here

Pork Zines 1 and 2

More Brisbane musical history from Chuck,
2 magazines from the band pork, full of
interesting stuff and 16 pages long!

Lets hear from Chuck.

This is a zine from the pork ppl
I dont have any more pork than already posted on the
recent cassette posts, but i do have a post pork project
by Paul Newsome called "The he dark age"





Also have porker issue 2 ill send over later..
has a great indepth interview with john-e xero..
willsteed is listed as playing with pork in
"who's who aust. rock"

This also is a massive 16 pages of fasinating stuff,
the interview with John is great.
The photo below looks like the stage at this venue
in the valley whos name escapes me.
I remember seeing Xero there such a long time ago.
Maybe it was the same gig .
Thanks yet again Chuck


Download Pork Zine 1 Here
Download Pork Zine 2 Here

Castrak Cassette and Ratsak Fanzine

A double treat for this post,
first a cassette and the Fanzine it came from.
The cassette comes under the name Castrak,
circa 1983 with a fantastic collection of rare
tracks. Of special interest is the JFK tracks,
including a different version of Follow that car,
than the album. Also theres more Tex, pork,
a song from Xero and another from Other Voices.
Originally I didn't have the issue that this cassette
came with but Steve have kindly scanned his copy
and Chuck has turned it into a pdf file.
Thanks guys.
You have to see this mag it is fantastic!



Track list
01 - Other Voices - Scene Unseen
02 - Xero - Lofty Joins The Navy
03 - Dumbshow - Illustration
04 - My Three Sins - Stand Up
05 - Tex Deadly and the Dum Dums - This Here Country
06 - Pork - Sketch
07 - Doby Gillis Experience - When The Memory Is Gone
08 - JFK and the Cuban Crisis - Follow That Car
09 - JFK and the Cuban Crisis - Goodbye

Download Castrak's Cassette here
Download the Fanzine issue 3 here



Teaming this cassette which originally came from Bazzil
of prehistoric sounds fame,
is a issue 2 of ratsak, which Chuck has found
and dusted off so it can see the light of day again.
Heres what Chuck has to say about it

some great articles in this... tex interviews the kicks...
the start of the mystery of sixes balckban era .....
tsk tsk tsk interview and that fat pig Russ Hinze
on the cover...
what more could ya want !!!

Download Fanzine issue 2 here

Xiro Cassettes Half the Profits and Religious Wars

Xero (also known as Zero, Ziro and Xiro) was a Brisbane band from
the early 1980s.When bands like Whirlywirrld and the Primitive
calculators were doing the electronic punk thing in Melbourne,
Xero were doing a similar thing here in Brisbane.
The band is said to be named after the character
Xero from the book The Atrocity Exhibition by J G Ballard
but that seems to be incorrect

I don' think the ballard reference is accurate -
it was zero as in the anarchist thing, and then
when we needed to change it it became the
shortening of xerox (the artists' friend of the early 80s).
then xiro was just indulgence i guess.
that's the way I remember it anyway . . .
JW

The initial lineup was Irena Luckus, Deborah Thomas, Vic Allen and
Lindy Morrison, soon joined by John Willsteed.
Lindy Morrison was later replaced on drums by Steven Pritchard.
The band split when Irena left Brisbane.
Lindy's involvement predates her joining the Go- Betweens,
and as far as I know this is the first band of note that
John Willsteed is part of, John goes on to join bands such
as the Go- Betweens and The Apartments
One of the most popular bands of the era,
they existed between 1978 and 1983.
The band went through many different phases:
starting off as an all-girl anarcho-feminist punk band doing
covers of Patti Smith and Slits songs, to developing their own
sound that echoed the likes of The Pop Group.
This was when the band were under the spelling of Zero.
As Zero folded after the Dayboro Music Festival show,
Irena and John came Xiro, releasing a cassette a week for two weeks,
Half The Profits and Religious Wars.
With the subsequent addition of Toe Suckers drummer
Clare McKenna, they became Xero. With McKenna's departure,
in 1981 they added a bassist in Tony Childs
and ex-Swell Guys drummer Steven Pritchard to
record for Sydney's M Squared label.
The end product became a 12" EP entitled Lust In The Dust,
the first independent Brisbane outfit to do so.
Sorry no artwork , if anyone can help.

Xiro
cassette compile 1980

"Religious Wars"
1. Say It Before The Music Stops
2. Behing The Chagall
3. A Little Slip Of Paper In Mid-Air
4. The Confessions...

"Half The Profits"
1. Just A Nite At Another Party
2. O.D
3. D.K
4. 2,4-D Pelaco

Download here