Friends of the Primitive Calculators used the bands equipment and practised in the front room of their house in Nicholson Street, North Fitzroy, for most of the day and late into the night. The Calculators decided to use their friends as support acts, as life was much simpler setting up only one band’s equipment during gigs and the Calculators only had a 30 minute set. An emphasis was placed on “disposable bands” i.e. play once or twice and reform into something completely different. All the Calculators formed their own little band or played in other little bands.
“Little Band” nights were occasionally held at the Champion Hotel and unknown people started turning up to play their 3 song or 15-minute sets. No major damage to Calculators equipment was experienced, except for the odd broken guitar string.
After March 1980, when the Calculators dissolved due to some members moving to Europe, little band nights were held in various venues, and organised by the band Use No Hooks (who were never a little band) but by the end of 1980 Little Band nights were gone but not forgotten.
North Fitzroy Beat interview with Alan Bamford, John Murphy, Greg Sun and Stuart Grant (Late 1979) – pdf *
Alan Bamford and Jim Buck talking about Little Bands (1981) – pdf
Frank Lovece and Jim Buck talking about Little Bands (January 5th, 1981) – pdf *
Tom Hoy and Jim Buck talking about Little Bands (February 17th, 1981) – pdf *
Arne Hanna and John Desailly talking about Little Bands (1981?) – pdf *
Jim Buck’s memories from Feb 3 1980 Little Band gig – pdf
Kate Buck’s memories of Little Bands (1996?)
Vikki Riley article about Little Bands in Vox (1981) – pdf
Interview with Denise and Dave talking about Little Bands (2005) – audio
Michael Buckley’s take on Little Bands (2021) – pdf
Mick Earls take on Little Bands (2024) – pdf
*From tapes transcribed by Alan Bamford.
Thank you Alan, RIP. Loved your work, always.
Info about Little Bands Part 2 here
Songs recorded by Alan Bamford on Soundcloud here
Dates of Little Band gigs from 1980 by Jim Buck
Little Bands Part 1 – August 1979 to early March 1980
The first Little Band formed in mid-1979 when Dave Light from the Primitive Calculators, formed a band with Lee Smith, from MYL, Mark Ryan and Jules Taylor, who was working at Climax Records and were called the Leapfrogs. They did not play live until September at Climax Records, then October 18th 1979, at a Primitive Calculators and Little Band night at the Champion Hotel, Fitzroy.
August 1979
September 1979
A Little Band performance in the back room of Climax Records, where MYL (Tom Hoy, Lee Smith and Mick McBride) would practice.
Early versions of little bands included:
The Take with Frank Lovece and Marisa Stirpe.
Ronnie and the Rhythm Boys with Denise Rosenberg and Stuart Grant. 96 Tears – I wanna be your girlfriend (Recorded earlier in practice room at Nicholson Street, North Fitzroy)
The Leapfrogs with David Light, Lee Smith, Jules Taylor, Mark Ryan and Jim Addison.
The Primitive Calculators and MYL played as well.
The audience included Robert Palmer (in Melbourne at the time) and Bob Starkie. Robert Palmer liked the Take, but not much else.
Thanks Max Robenstone for having a great record shop, letting us play there and pay for the pressing of our singles. RIP Max, loved your work.
October 1979
Thank you Janis Lesinsksi for taking the Champion Hotel photos below. Love your work.
Little Band gig supporting the Calculators.
December 1979
Little Band gig at Champion Hotel, Fitzroy.
Wednesday December 19.
Probably to launch the Little Bands EP.
Little Band gig at Heart’s,(Polaris Inn Hotel)
Nicholson Street, Fitzroy, supporting The Boys Next Door
Wednesday December 26.
Little Bands included:
Too Fat To Fit Thru the Door
Morpions
The Take
Ronnie and the Rhythm Boys
The Alan Bamford Musical Experience
Read Alan’s full interview and discussion with LB members after this gig here.
Little Band EP released December 1979
February 3 1980
Jim Buck’s memories from Feb 3 1980 LB gig – pdf
London 1981
Zye Ye Ye single
7″ single from July 1981, released in England, after Stuart and Denise spent 3 months living in Taghazout, Morocco (Dec 1980 to Feb 1981).
Loosely based on a song learnt from a Sudanese man living in Taghazout, named Mohammad. Read Denise’s memories from that trip.
Recorded and released in England with Stuart, John Murphy, Ollie Olsen, Marie Hoy, and other Australians living there at the time.