XL Capris were an Australian indie-punk band formed in Sydney in 1978 by Julie Anderson (aka Nancy Serapax), Tim Gooding (aka Errol Cruz), Johanna Pigott (aka Alligator Bagg), and Kimble Rendall (aka Dag Rattler).
XL Capris made two albums, Where Is Hank? (March, 1981) and Weeds (October, 1981) both produced by Todd Hunter of New Zealand/Australian band Dragon and released on their own label Axle Records. Hunter later joined XL Capris as guitarist and subsequently married Pigott; they became a successful songwriting team: cowriting "Rain" for Dragon and "Age of Reason" for John Farnham.
Prior to forming the XL Capris, Gooding was a film and television screenwriter (The Aunty Jack Show; Wollongong The Brave/Kev Kevanagh: Beyond The Infinite; Heatwave). He and Pigott worked together creating the 1984 ABC-TV series Sweet and Sour which chronicled the activities of a fictional band, The Takeaways, and their efforts to succeed in 1980s Sydney Pop music scene.
Links to Peel[]
Their best known single was a punk version of Tommy Leonetti's "My City of Sydney" (1979). This single was the only Australian disc found in legendary UK DJ John Peel's "battered wooden box" of 142 favourite records when, following his death in 2004, the contents of the box were revealed to the public in a 2005 Channel 4 television special.
Shows Played[]
- 17 March 1980: My City Of Sydney (7") Axle
- 27 March 1980 (BFBS): My City Of Sydney (7") Axle
- 06 May 1980: 'My City Of Sydney (7 inch)' (Axle)
- 06 September 1980 (BFBS): My City Of Sydney (7") Axle
- 29 September 1980: My City Of Sydney (7") Axle
- 11 October 1980 (BFBS): My City Of Sydney (7") Axle
- 1981
- 19 February 1981 (BFBS): My City Of Sydney (7") Axle
- 25 October 1981 (BFBS): My City Of Sydney (7") Axle
- 1982
- 06 October 1982 (BFBS): My City Of Sydney (7") Axle
- 1995
- 03 June 1995 (BFBS): 'My City Of Sydney (7")' (Axle)
- 2000
- 03 August 2000: 'My City Of Sydney' (Single) Axle