Outline (Australian band)
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 in Sydney, Australia |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Outline was a rock group originating from Sydney, Australia, established in 1979. The initial lineup featured Phil Rigger on lead vocals and trumpet, alongside John Sammers handling guitar and vocals. They produced a single studio album titled Maybe It's a Game in 1982 before dissolving later that year. Their most notable song, "The Cicada (That Ate Five Dock)", earned a spot in the nationwide youth radio listener chart, Triple J Hottest 100, 1989.
History
The band Outline came together in 1979 with members Mark Azzopardi on drums, Harry Ladamatos playing bass, Alex Lakajev on keyboards, Mike Mead contributing trombone and vocals, Phil Rigger as lead vocalist and trumpeter, and John Sammers on guitar and vocals. Their early performances consisted mainly of jazz and rock covers influenced by Frank Zappa, eventually transitioning towards modern new wave styles.
By early 1980, Paul Ryan had taken over drumming duties from Azzopardi, while Jeff Barrett replaced Ladamatos on bass guitar. Their first single, "Cities," which was a collaborative writing effort by Lakajev, Rigger, and Sammers, was released in July. The band toured across Australia and commenced work on their debut album Maybe It's a Game with producer Peter Dawkins under Powderworks Records. Although they invested substantially in gear, critics provided mixed reviews.
Throughout 1981, Outline issued three singles: "The Cicada (That Ate Five Dock)" in April, followed by "How Can I Get Out of Here?" in August, and "Maybe It's a Game" in October. They also opened for the British rock band Gillan during their Australian tour and appeared on ABC-TV’s popular music program Countdown.
In early 1982, Mike Mead was succeeded by Danny Damjanovic on saxophone. Midway through the year, Chris Ford joined as bassist and Michael Gray as keyboardist. The album Maybe It's a Game was released in August but did not meet commercial expectations. Their last single "Stay with Me" came out in October before the group disbanded by the end of the year. "The Cicada (That Ate Five Dock)" achieved No. 99 on Triple J’s all-time best songs list in 1989 and was included on the compilation album Somewhere in Sydney – 30 songs from the Harbour City released in 2000.
Members
- Mark Azzopardi – drums
- Harry Ladamatos – bass guitar
- Alex Lakajev – keyboards
- Mike Mead – trombone, vocals
- Phil Rigger – lead vocals, trumpet
- John Sammers – guitar, vocals
- Jeff Barrett – bass guitar
- Paul Ryan – drums
- Danny Damjanovic – saxophone
- Chris Ford – bass guitar
- Michael Gray – keyboards
Albums
- Maybe It's a Game (August 1982) – Powderworks (POW 6000)
Extended plays
- EE-EE-EE-EE-EP (1981) – Powderworks (POWT2001)
Singles
- "Cities" (1980) – Powderworks
- "The Cicada (That Ate Five Dock)" (1981) – Powderworks
- "How Can I Get Out?" (1981) – Powderworks
- "Maybe It's a Game" (1981) – Powderworks
- "Stay with Me" (1982) – Powderworks