Editing Primitive Calculators (section)

===First era===
Primitive Calculators were formed in 1978 in Melbourne as an electronic music group by Stuart Grant on guitar and vocals, David Light on bass guitar and keyboards, Frank Lovece on drum machine and vocals and Denise Rosenberg on keyboards.<ref name="McFarlane">{{cite book | last1 = McFarlane | first1 = Ian | authorlink1 = Ian McFarlane | title = [[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]] | chapter = Encyclopedia entry for 'Primitive Calculators' | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040821133407/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=652 | chapter-url = http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=652 | year = 1999 | publisher = [[Allen & Unwin]] | location = [[St Leonards, New South Wales|St Leonards, NSW]] | archive-date = 21 August 2004 | isbn = 1-86508-072-1 | url-status = dead }}</ref> The members had met as teenagers in [[Springvale, Victoria|Springvale]], a working-class outer suburb of Melbourne,<ref name="Pat">{{cite news|title=Calculated moves|url=http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/calculated-moves-20131206-2yvmn.html|access-date=19 December 2013|newspaper=The Age|date=6 December 2013|author=Patrick Emery}}</ref> in the early 1970s.<ref name="Warbie">{{cite web |url=http://thedwarf.com.au/news/tribute-to-frank-lovece-of-primitive-calculators |title=Tribute to Frank Lovece of Primitive Calculators :: ''The Dwarf'' |first=Carrie |last=Warbie |website=The Dwarf |date=6 January 2018 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20190304181404/http://thedwarf.com.au/news/tribute-to-frank-lovece-of-primitive-calculators |archive-date=5 March 2019 |access-date=25 May 2024 }}</ref> The four moved together in 1977 to [[St Kilda, Victoria|St Kilda]], then the centre of the local [[punk rock]] scene, where they formed the Moths.<ref name="Warbie" /> Despite socialising with [[Nick Cave]] from [[The Birthday Party (band)#The Boys Next Door|the Boys Next Door]] they remained outsiders of that scene.

In 1978 the Moths moved to [[Fitzroy, Victoria|Fitzroy]] and renamed themselves as Primitive Calculations for recording.<ref name="Warbie" /> They found like-minded friends, [[Ollie Olsen]] and [[John Murphy (musician)|John Murphy]] of [[Whirlywirld]]. They drew influence from [[proto-punk]] acts like [[The Godz (NYC band)|the Godz]], [[the Velvet Underground]], Texan 1960s psychedelic punk, [[James Brown]], [[the Silver Apples]] and Australian band [[Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs]].

The band were instrumental in organising a series of gigs named "[[little band scene|Little Band]] nights", where hastily formed bands would play for 15&nbsp;minutes each;<ref name="McFarlane" /> this led to recording a compilation [[extended play]] (EP). They became known for their use of a screeching [[Mosrite]] Ventures model guitar, primitive [[synthesizer|synthesisers]] (a Wasp and Roland SH2), an electronic organ played via effects pedals and an extra fast drum machine ([[Roland CR-78]]). Their live show in 1979 at The Hearts hotel, Carlton was recorded; they had been supporting the Boys Next Door.<ref name="McFarlane" /> Late that year they issued an independent single, "Do that Dance".<ref name="McFarlane" />

The Primitive Calculators played their last gig in March 1980, though their self-titled live album came out in 1982.<ref name="Fish">{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/2018/05/cyclic-selects-stuart-grant-primitive-calculators/index.html |title=Cyclic Selects: Stuart Grant (Primitive Calculators) |first=Bob |last=Baker Fish | website=Cyclic Defrost |date=28 May 2018 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20181010175246/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/44041/20181011-0000/www.cyclicdefrost.com/2018/05/cyclic-selects-stuart-grant-primitive-calculators/index.html |archive-date=11 October 2018 |access-date=25 May 2024 }}</ref> It was from the 1979 show at The Hearts hotel.<ref name="Fish" /> The band reformed briefly in 1986 to perform a version of their song "Pumping Ugly Muscle" in the [[Richard Lowenstein]] film ''[[Dogs in Space]]'' (they later appeared in Lowenstein's 2009 documentary ''We're Livin' on Dog Food'').<ref name="Pat" /> According to music journalist, [[Clinton Walker]], "[they] delivered a raw, savage, kinetic sound that could only be compared with" the New York [[no wave]] scene.<ref name="McFarlane" />