Tour fears pay off for Andy Partridge and the XTC bandDavid Bauder
XTC initially rose to prominence during punk, but in truth, they were ambivalent about the movement. They admired its energy, but less so its musical strictures, as all four band members were confirmed fans of 60s pop and rock. In fact, Andy Partridge described the band’s 1978 debutWhite ...
XTC never were a punk band, but they were outrageous enough to suit the mood. The only problem was a sudden lack of a keyboard player - recent recruit Jon Perkins having left to join another band. Andy then spotted a notice in John Holmes' organ shop in Faringdon Road, saying simply: ...
Not a chance. XTC existed for nearly six years as a touring band, but the trio had been off the concert circuit for more than a decade when we spoke. Partridge suffered a mental breakdown during a 1982 tour and, although they did a few radio station promotional gigs in 1989, their perf...
About Me Members Andy Partridge, Barry Andrews, Colin Moulding, David Gregory, Terry Chambers
XTC were a ferocious live band. I was a starry-eyed fan at one of theirBlack Seatour dates at the Metro (now Avalon) in November 1980, when they opened for Joan Jett. Having grown up on the Beatles and gotten seduced by punk, I'd adopted XTC as my dream band. And now I have ...
Mummer, the first album the studio-bound XTC recorded, appeared in the summer of 1983; former Glitter Band member Pete Phipps recorded the drum tracks for the record. XTC refused to tour for the record, which caused some tension between the band and Virgin, and was presumably the reason ...
In addition to their new material as TC&I, Moulding and Chambers plan to play a selection of the songs from the XTC catalogue written by Moulding several of which have never been played live due to the fact that the band stopped touring due to Moulding’s co-frontman Andy Partridge’s acu...
XTC finally tabbed drummer Dave Mattacks ofFairport Conventionand he, in turn, recommended Gus Dudgeon, a veteran producer who arrived with a resume includingElton John,David Bowie,Queenand the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. (The latter convinced Partridge and coleader Colin Moulding.) Dudgeon also arr...
Even the numbers that could otherwise pass for yer average 70's punk/new wave band have this patina of weirdness about them. The Jam could have come up with the main riff of "When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty", but would they come up with that just-enough-off-tempo-to-be-...