XL Capris
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 in Sydney, Australia |
| Founder | Julie Anderson, Tim Gooding, Johanna Pigott, Kimble Rendall |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
XL Capris emerged as an Australian indie-punk group originating from Sydney in 1978. The founding members were Julie Anderson (known as Nancy Serapax), Tim Gooding (Errol Cruz), Johanna Pigott (Alligator Bagg), and Kimble Rendall (Dag Rattler).
Their most recognized track was a punk rendition of Tommy Leonetti's "My City of Sydney" released in 1979. Notably, this single was the sole Australian record included in UK DJ John Peel's cherished collection of 142 favorite discs, famously stored in his "battered wooden box," which came to light after his passing in 2004. XL Capris produced two albums: Where Is Hank? (March 1981) and Weeds (October 1981). Both records were produced by Todd Hunter from the New Zealand/Australian band Dragon and issued through their independent label, Axle Records. Hunter eventually joined XL Capris as a guitarist and married Pigott; together, they formed a prolific songwriting partnership, penning hits such as "Rain" for Dragon and "Age of Reason" for John Farnham.
Prior to establishing XL Capris, Gooding had built a career as a screenwriter for film and television, contributing to productions like The Aunty Jack Show, Wollongong The Brave, and Heatwave. In collaboration with Pigott, he co-created the 1984 ABC-TV series Sweet and Sour, which portrayed the challenges faced by a fictional Sydney band named The Takeaways during the 1980s pop music era.
Punk rock
During the early 1970s, Tim Gooding and Johanna Pigott pursued Architecture studies at the University of Sydney, alongside Angela Webber. Initial rehearsals for XL Capris were held in the front room of a rented house before relocating to a shed due to noise complaints.
Each member adopted distinctive punk pseudonyms: Pigott handled bass, vocals, keyboard, and guitar under the name 'Alligator Bagg'; Gooding played guitar, keyboard, and sang as 'Errol Cruz'; Anderson was on drums known as 'Nancy Serapax'; while Rendall contributed guitar and vocals as 'Dag Rattler'.
Their debut single was a punk-infused cover of Tommy Leonetti's "My City of Sydney" (1979), arranged by Gooding. The accompanying promotional video was filmed inside a Sheraton Hotel room once occupied by The Beatles during their Australian tour and depicted band members sharing a bed. Although it received airplay on independent radio stations, it did not achieve commercial success but remains significant for being one of 143 singles preserved in British DJ John Peel's personal record box.
The track "Skylab (Son of Telstar)", co-written by Gooding and Rendall, garnered radio attention in 1979 but was never officially released as a single or included on any XL Capris albums; it subsequently appeared on various independent band compilations.
Following this, their next single "World War Three" was released in October 1980. Produced by Hunter and written by Pigott and Hunter, it marked a new phase for the band. In January 1981, Rendall departed to form Le Hoodoo Gurus and later established himself as a director for music videos and films including the Matrix series. Hunter stepped in on guitar, Michael Chirnside joined on bass, Anderson exited with Michael Farmer taking over drums; Barry Blackler also contributed as a drummer.
Where Is Hank?
The band's first album, Where Is Hank? released in March 1981 and produced by Hunter, contained ten tracks primarily composed by Gooding with two co-written alongside Pigott. The album's title is a playful nod to Rendall’s German shepherd named Hank, cleverly referencing a popular chocolate bar advertisement from the 1980s.
Weeds
The band's second album, Weeds, produced by Hunter and released in October 1981, featured a collection of twelve tracks—six composed by Pigott and Hunter, including the single "Igloos," and six by Gooding. After Hunter rejoined Dragon towards the end of 1981, XL Capris dissolved in 1982. Subsequently, Gooding had a brief stint with Tactics and shifted focus to screenwriting, eventually creating the acclaimed country-western musical King of Country.
Poster art
Significant street poster artwork associated with XL Capris includes Toby Zoates' 1978 screenprint titled XL Capris, which was used as the B-side cover for the 1981 single "Red Bikini Runaway" ("K-Tel City") and illustrates the band participating in a TV game show. Additionally, Paul Worstead produced two notable 1979 screenprints: Settlement Dance - Scarlet, XL-Capris and XL-Capris, Settlement - Beginning of School Holiday Dance. The album artwork for both releases was crafted by Kent Whitmore.
Band members
Lineup 1 (late 1978 – April 1980, approximately 120 performances):
- Errol Cruz (Tim Gooding) – guitar and vocals
- Däg Rattler (Kimble Rendall) – guitar and vocals
- Alligator Bag (Johanna Pigott) – bass guitar
- Nancy Serapax (Julie Anderson) – drums
Lineup 2 (April–November 1980, roughly 60 shows):
- Tim Gooding – guitar and vocals
- Kimble Rendall – guitar and vocals
- Todd Hunter – guitar
- Johanna Pigott – bass and vocals
- Michael Farmer – drums
Lineup 3 (November 1980 – late 1981, about 50 gigs):
- Johanna Pigott – lead vocals
- Tim Gooding – guitar
- Todd Hunter – guitar
- Michael Chirnside – bass guitar
- Michael Farmer – drums
Lineup 4 (late 1981 – January 1, 1982, around 30 concerts):
- Johanna Pigott – lead vocals
- Tim Gooding – guitar
- Todd Hunter – guitar
- Michael Chirnside – bass guitar
- Michael Farmer – drums
- Barry Blackler – drums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| Where is Hank? |
|
89 |
| Weeds |
|
- |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "My City of Sydney" / "Dead Budgies" | - |
| 1980 | "World War 3" / "Dusty" | 98 |
| 1981 | "Red Bikini Runaway" / "K-Tel City" | - |
| 1981 | "Igloos"/"Elevator" | - |