XTC – In Concert from The Marconi Club – Sydney, Australia – July 20, 1979 – 2Double J Radio – Australia –
XTC in concert to turbo charge what is looking like lockdown 2.0 – playing at The Marconi Club in Sydney, recorded on July 20, 1979 and all preserved for posterity by 2Double-J Radio.
Between 1979 and 1992, XTC had a total of 10 albums and 6 singles that reached the UK top 40, including “Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)” (1980) and “Senses Working Overtime” (1982). After 1982’s English Settlement, the band stopped concert touring and became a studio-based project centered on Partridge, Moulding, and guitarist Dave Gregory. A spin-off group, the Dukes of Stratosphear, was invented as a one-off excursion into 1960s-style psychedelia, but as XTC’s music evolved, the distinctions between the two bands lessened. XTC continued to produce more progressive records, including the albums Skylarking (1986), Oranges & Lemons (1989), and Nonsuch (1992). In the US, “Mayor of Simpleton” (1989) was their highest-charting single, while “Dear God” (1986) was controversial for its anti-religious message.
XTC’s principal songwriters were guitarist Andy Partridge and bassist Colin Moulding. Partridge, who wrote the majority of XTC’s songs, was the group’s frontman and de facto leader. He drove the band’s image, designed many of their record sleeves, and handled most of their interviews. His involvement with XTC’s record sleeves stemmed from his disappointment with the sleeve for the “Statue of Liberty” single, which depicted a poorly cropped photo of the statue and the XTC logo in red. He was less successful in his attempts to involve himself in the band’s music videos, as he said, the woman in charge of Virgin’s video department rebuked all his ideas, some of which other groups later adopted in award-winning videos.
For a reminder – here is a concert from a very productive period – crank it up and you’ll hear why.
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