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). Allen would go onto become a member of several bands in the Sydney alt-country scene in the 1990s, including all-girl outfits Ghost Ranch and The Cheryls, and alt-country stalwarts, The Parwills. 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. 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.

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. O'Connell and Willsteed were both members of the Apartments. They have reformed for gigs since then, initially in 1986.

Members

  • Irena Luckus– vocals, keyboard, guitar <small>(1978–84)</small>
  • Chris Anderson– guitar, vocals <small>(1978)</small>
  • Peter Adams– guitar, vocals <small>(1978)</small>
  • Debbie Penny– drums <small>(1978)</small>
  • John Hunt– bass guitar <small>(1978)</small>
  • Barbara Hart– saxophone, flute <small>(1978)</small>
  • Jude Clarkin– bongos <small>(1978)</small>
  • Vic Allen (aka Nicki Nought)– guitar <small>(1979)</small>
  • Deborah Thomas (aka Debbie Zero)– guitar <small>(1979)</small>
  • John Willsteed (aka John e)– bass guitar <small>(1979–84)</small>, vocals <small>(1980–84)</small>, guitar and keyboards <small>(1981–84)</small>
  • Lindy Morrison– drums <small>(1979–80)</small>
  • Robert Forster– guitar, vocals <small>(1979)</small>
  • Michael O'Connell– guitar, vocals <small>(1979-1980)</small>
  • Clare McKenna– drums, bass guitar, vocals <small>(1980-1981)</small>
  • Mal Skewis– vocals <small>(auxiliary live musician, 1980-1981)</small>
  • Gary Warner– vocals, soprano saxophone <small>(auxiliary live musician, 1980-1981)</small>
  • Colin Bloxsom– guitar <small>(auxiliary live musician, 1980-1981)</small>
  • Steven Pritchard– drums <small>(1981-1982)</small>
  • Tony Childs– bass guitar <small>(1982)</small>
  • Tony Milner– guitar <small>(1983)</small>

Timeline

<timeline>

ImageSize = width:700 height:auto barincrement:20

PlotArea = left:100 bottom:80 top:10 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 <small>(as Xiro)</small> cassette EP (independent, July 1980)
  • Religious Wars <small>(as Xiro)</small> cassette EP (independent, July 1980)
  • Lust in the Dust <small>(as Xero)</small> 12" EP (M-Squared, 1982)
  • Xiro Live at the Cement Box Theatre CD (Ten of Cups, 1998)

References

;General

  • Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
  • Contributors to Project BNE - a book and music archive of Brisbane independent electronic music production 1979-2014
  • Band entry on Inner City Sound
  • Playlist for 15 December 2005 on local Brisbane radio station 4ZZZ