Z-Cars

Melbourne's late-1970s punk scene provided the setting for Z-Cars, an Australian punk and power pop group whose short career revolved around vocalist Russell Street, guitarist Trevor Perrin, bassist Craig Russell and drummer Craig Pressnell. The band was named by Rob Griffiths, associated with The Fiction and Little Murders, after the British television police drama "Z-Cars". Street, whose real name was Russell Diggins, put the group together in 1978, although some accounts give 1979 as their starting year. 

 
Their repertoire combined original songs such as "Barbie Doll", "Jump In Line", "Bernhardts", "People Look At Me" and "Seventies Survivor" with covers of material by Australian punk pioneers The Saints. Z-Cars regularly shared bills with fellow Melbourne group Zorros, playing approximately 54 gigs at venues including the Exford Hotel, the 475 Club, Seaview Ballroom, Champion Hotel, Hearts, Martinis and the Duke of York Hotel. Their performances and deliberately rough approach attracted some decidedly unenthusiastic reviews, including a particularly memorable assessment in Juke magazine describing their guitar sound as possibly the worst ever put on record.

 
In 1980, Z-Cars released their only record, the 7-inch single 'This Is Z-Cars', on Melbourne independent label Au Go Go Records. Recorded at Crystal Clear Studio and engineered by Ken Stephenson, it featured "Is There Someone Out There?" and "Girls Aren't Just Girls", with production credited to Dave Douglas and Simon Smith, formerly of The Virgins. The original pressing reportedly consisted of 500 copies. Both tracks subsequently found their way onto Australian punk compilations, helping preserve the group's small recorded catalogue. 

 
The original lineup changed during 1980 when Craig Russell left to join Zorros. Mick Mordaunt took over on bass, while Simon Smith moved onto drums. Other musicians passing through the group included Steve Fusezi, also associated with The Virgins, Cal McAlpine of The Chosen Few and drummer Mark Ivey, another former member of The Virgins. That same year, several members of Z-Cars and The Virgins' manager Geoff Martyr were involved in a serious car accident. The group eventually split up in 1981, with Russell Street, Trevor Perrin and Mick Mordaunt subsequently playing together in Odious Comparison. Four decades after its original release, 'This Is Z-Cars' received its first reissue in 2020 through Canadian label Mean Bean, in a limited edition of 400 copies.