Xero (band)

Xero (also styled as Zero or Xiro) were an Australian punk rock and new wave band formed in 1978 in Brisbane, Queensland. They were fronted by mainstay member, Irena Luckus on lead vocals, keyboards and guitar before disbanding in 1983.

History

Zero were formed in Brisbane in 1977 with the initial line-up of Peter Adams on guitar and vocals; Chris Anderson on guitar and vocals; Jude Clarkin on bongos; Barbara Hart on saxophone and flute; John Hunt on bass guitar; Irena Luckus on vocals, keyboard and guitar; and Debbie Penny on drums. By 1978, now including Vic Allen, Deborah Thomas and Lindy Morrison, the band travelled across New South Wales by train, playing gigs in Canberra (in a large, very cold hall) and Newcastle (in a local pub). In 1979 the group settled as a four-piece with Luckus, Morrison, John Willsteed and Michael O'Connell, and among a number of significant gigs, opened for The Cure in support of that group's second album, Seventeen Seconds. The Go-Betweens Robert Forster was an occasional guest, and when Morrison left in September 1980 to join Forster and Grant McLennan, O'Connell also left, moving to Sydney to play in a number of bands. Zero then became Xiro, and decided on the Roland DR-55 as a suitable drummer replacement.

Xiro issued two different four-track extended plays, Half the Profits and Religious Wars, on audio cassette in mid-1980.<ref name="Pemberton">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They supported The Cure again in 1981, with guest and future Xero drummer Steven Pritchard. Luckus and Willsteed were then joined by Clare McKenna on drums to become Xero and entered a period of intense song-writing in their Fortitude Valley practice rooms, and performing at various Brisbane venues. In 1982 Xero recorded a six-track extended play, Lust in the Dust, at Basement Studios, Brisbane with the line-up of Luckus, Tony Childs on bass guitar; John Willsteed on bass guitar, guitar, casio keyboards and vocals; and Steven Pritchard on drums.<ref name="Lust Line-up">Template:Citation</ref>

Xero split in 1983 when Luckus left Brisbane to relocate to France. Later, Morrison and Willsteed were members of fellow Brisbane group, the Go-Betweens.<ref name="McFarlane TGB">McFarlane, 'The Go-Betweens' entry. Archived from the original on 29 August 2004. Retrieved 29 June 2016.</ref> O'Connell and Willsteed were both members of the Apartments.<ref name="McFarlane TA">McFarlane, 'The Apartments' entry. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 29 June 2016.</ref> They have reformed for gigs since then, initially in 1986.

Members

• Irena LuckusTemplate:Nbsp– vocals, keyboard, guitar (1978–84)
• Chris AndersonTemplate:Nbsp– guitar, vocals (1978)
• Peter AdamsTemplate:Nbsp– guitar, vocals (1978)
• Debbie PennyTemplate:Nbsp– drums (1978)
• John HuntTemplate:Nbsp– bass guitar (1978)
• Barbara HartTemplate:Nbsp– saxophone, flute (1978)
• Jude ClarkinTemplate:Nbsp– bongos (1978)
• Vic Allen (aka Nicki Nought)Template:Nbsp– guitar (1979)
• Deborah Thomas (aka Debbie Zero)Template:Nbsp– guitar (1979)
• John Willsteed (aka John e)Template:Nbsp– bass guitar (1979–84), vocals (1980–84), guitar and keyboards (1981–84)
• Lindy MorrisonTemplate:Nbsp– drums (1979–80)
• Robert ForsterTemplate:Nbsp– guitar, vocals (1979)
• Michael O'ConnellTemplate:Nbsp– guitar, vocals (1979-1980)
• Clare McKennaTemplate:Nbsp– drums, bass guitar, vocals (1980-1981)
• Mal SkewisTemplate:Nbsp– vocals (auxiliary live musician, 1980-1981)
• Gary WarnerTemplate:Nbsp– vocals, soprano saxophone (auxiliary live musician, 1980-1981)
• Colin BloxsomTemplate:Nbsp– guitar (auxiliary live musician, 1980-1981)
• Steven PritchardTemplate:Nbsp– drums (1981-1982)
• Tony ChildsTemplate:Nbsp– bass guitar (1982)
• Tony MilnerTemplate:Nbsp– guitar (1983)

Timeline <timeline> ImageSize = width:700 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:80 top:0 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1983 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1978

Colors =

 id:Lead      value:red        legend:Vocals
 id:Guitar    value:green      legend:Guitar
 id:Bass      value:blue       legend:Bass
 id:Drums     value:orange     legend:Drums
 id:Keys      value:purple     legend:Keyboards
 id:Sax       value:tan2       legend:Saxophone
 id:Perc      value:claret     legend:Bongos
 id:Backing   value:pink       legend:Backing_vocals
 id:grid1     value:gray(0.3)

BarData =

 bar:Luckus text:"Irena Luckus"
 bar:Adams text:"Peter Adams"
 bar:Anderson text:"Chris Anderson"
 bar:Allen text:"Vic Allen"
 bar:Thomas text:"Deborah Thomas"
 bar:Forster text:"Robert Forster"
 bar:OConnell text:"Michael O'Connell"
 bar:Bloxsom text:"Colin Bloxsom"
 bar:Milner text:"Tony Milner"
 bar:Hunt text:"John Hunt"
 bar:Willsteed text:"John Willsteed"
 bar:Childs text:"Tony Childs"
 bar:Penny text:"Debbie Penny"
 bar:Morrison text:"Lindy Morrison"
 bar:McKenna text:"Clare McKenna"
 bar:Pritchard text:"Steven Pritchard"
 bar:Hart text:"Barbara Hart"
 bar:Warner text:"Gary Warner"
 bar:Clarkin text:"Jude Clarkin"
 bar:Skewis text:"Mal Skewis"

PlotData =

 width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)

 bar:Luckus       from:start till:end        color:Lead
 bar:Luckus       from:start till:end        color:Guitar width:7
 bar:Luckus       from:start till:end        color:Keys width:3

 bar:Anderson     from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1978 color:Guitar
 bar:Anderson     from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1978 color:Backing width:3

 bar:Adams        from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1978 color:Guitar
 bar:Adams        from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1978 color:Backing width:3

 bar:Allen        from:01/01/1979 till:31/05/1979 color:Guitar
 bar:Thomas       from:01/01/1979 till:31/05/1979 color:Guitar

 bar:Forster      from:01/06/1979 till:31/08/1979 color:Guitar
 bar:Forster      from:01/06/1979 till:31/08/1979 color:Backing width:3

 bar:OConnell     from:01/09/1979 till:31/05/1980 color:Guitar
 bar:OConnell     from:01/09/1979 till:31/05/1980 color:Backing width:3

 bar:Bloxsom      from:01/06/1980 till:28/02/1981 color:Guitar
 bar:Milner       from:01/01/1983 till:31/12/1983 color:Guitar

 bar:Penny        from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1978 color:Drums
 bar:Morrison     from:01/01/1979 till:31/05/1980 color:Drums
 bar:McKenna      from:01/06/1980 till:28/02/1981 color:Drums
 bar:Pritchard    from:01/08/1981 till:31/12/1982 color:Drums

 bar:Hunt         from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1978 color:Bass

 bar:Willsteed    from:01/01/1979 till:end        color:Bass
 bar:Willsteed    from:01/06/1979 till:end        color:Backing width:3
 bar:Willsteed    from:01/03/1980 till:end        color:Keys width:7

 bar:Childs       from:01/01/1982 till:31/12/1982 color:Bass

 bar:Hart         from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1978 color:Sax
 bar:Warner       from:01/06/1980 till:28/02/1981 color:Sax

 bar:Clarkin      from:01/01/1978 till:31/12/1978 color:Perc

 bar:Skewis       from:01/06/1980 till:28/02/1981 color:Backing

</timeline>

Discography

• Half the Profits (as Xiro) cassette EP (independent, July 1980)
• Religious Wars (as Xiro) cassette EP (independent, July 1980)
• Lust in the Dust (as Xero) 12" EP (M-Squared, 1982)
• Xiro Live at the Cement Box Theatre CD (Ten of Cups, 1998)

References

General

• Template:Cite encyclopedia Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.

External links

• Contributors to Project BNE - a book and music archive of Brisbane independent electronic music production 1979-2014
• Band entry on Template:Webarchive Inner City Sound
• Playlist for 15 December 2005 on local Brisbane radio station 4ZZZ