I’m pleased to have written a short introduction to this rather gorgeous 36-page photo book put together by Ronald Gurr featuring a selection of photographs of XTC in NYC at the end of 1980 by Virginia Turbett.
When Turbett took this set of pictures in and around Madison Square Garden in December 1980, XTC were on a roll. Four albums in, they’d been playing alongside such heavy hitters as The Police, Oingo Boingo and, now, The Cars. The year had kicked off with a handful of dates in New York and they’d subsequently played Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Australia, as well as repeat trips to the US.
Captured here in a chilly NYC, they are unguarded and relaxed – if, perhaps, exhausted by their relentless schedule. We see Terry Chambers larking about with woolly hat pulled over his face; Dave Gregory, never so happy as when he’s got a guitar round his neck; Andy Partridge giving every shot its visual interest; and Colin Moulding, all mop-top, cheek bones and shy good humour. The four of them are as much a unit on the Central Park tourist trail as they are lined up on stage, demanding the crowd’s attention.
Pre-order now: https://hangingaroundbooks.com/products/travels-in-nihilon-1980-xtc-in-new-york
