User:Chriscolemanwiki/Terminal Twist

Terminal Twist

Origin:   	Adelaide, Australia

Genres:  	Rock, Post-punk

Years active: 	1978–1980

Labels:   	Nil

Associated acts:   	Warm Jets, Mu Mesons, Slub.

Terminal Twist were an Australian New Wave / post punk band of the late 1970s, known for a well-received self-produced EP and live career in Adelaide and Sydney. Their music was influenced by a wide spectrum of music : The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Brian Eno and 60s pop, as well as the tide of new music of the 1976-80 period : Ultravox, Devo, Blondie etc.

History

Formed as The Warm Jets (from the Brian Eno album "Here Come the Warm Jets") in early 1978, by Peter Tesla (vocals), Keith Newman (drums) and Chris Coleman (guitar). Tesla and Newman had worked together in the band Elysium, it was Coleman's first serious band. Michael (Mickey) Bahlij (keyboards) and Peter Koczberski (bass), also late of Elysium were added and rehearsals and demo-recording commenced. Four tracks from this period are available from Inner City Sound, compiled with much later material.

Before much serious gigging occurred, Bahlij and Koczberski were replaced by Malcolm McCallum (keyboards) and Jeffrey Urqhart (bass - ex of The Pensioners). This line-up established a strong live following in Adelaide over the following year, also winning support slots to The Angels, Flowers (later Icehouse), the Boys Next Door (later The Birthday Party) and others. In July 1979 a self-produced EP of four songs was released by the band, engineered and co-produced by Jim Barbour at Slater's Sound Studios. A first pressing of 1000 sold out and received positive notices in local music press. A second pressing also sold well.

In the same yrear the band won a Band Competition sponsored by local community radio station 5MM - the guest judges from interstate being Michael Gudinski (Mushroom Records) and Mike Rudd (Spectrum/Ariel), a television interview and a week of bookings in Melbourne resulted.

In September 1979 the band relocated to Sydney, vocalist Peter Tesla choosing to stay in Adelaide. Working as a four piece, the band were tentatively courted by Regular Records, performing many support slots with that labels main asset, Mental As Anything, as well as numerous other supports to overseas visitors such as UK Squeeze and locals like Midnight Oil. The band lost drummer Newman, who was replaced by Gye Bennetts, but the band dissolved before further recording was possible. The final line up left six demos, available at Inner City Sound.

Tesla continued with Nuvo Bloc and other bands in Adelaide and Melbourne. McCallum later played with Tactics. Urqhart spent many years as a mainstay of Jaimie Leonarder's Mu Mesons. Coleman played in the first (rocking) line up of The Slub, then retired to study academic composition.

Terminal Twist had four strong writers in their lineup, yet still covered a number of original songs by Arnold Strals, an under-rated Adelaide songwriter who was responsible for the musical setting of the 1973 hit version of The Lord's Prayer.

Citations

Terminal Twist   self published 7 inch Extended play vinyl, pressed by EMI Custom pressings with self produced covers and inserts : Common Knowledge (Strals), At the Front (Newman), Paranoia Pals (Newman), Wave Bye Bye (Coleman)

Spencer, Chris (1989). Who’s who of Australian rock. Fitzroy, Vic.: Five Mile Press.

Inner City Sound edited by Clinton Walker paperback, 192 pages, with 285 photographs new edition 1996 ISBN: 1-891241-18-4

External links

Entry in on-line version of "Who's who in Australian Rock" http://www.howlspace.com.au/whoswho/PHPTracks.php?Band_ID=213235

Inner City Sound - web archive and index :  http://www.innercitysound.com.au/

DNA Fanzine - Issue 20/21 : http://www.ozmusicbooks.com/_catalog_33089/DNA_-_issues_11_-_21

Rob Griffin's Australian post punk discography : http://members.ol.com.au/rgriffin/postpunk/T.html

Re Nuvo Bloc : http://www.royism.com/nuvobloc.html