Editing XTC (section)

===Formation===
[[File:David Murray John Tower, Swindon - geograph.org.uk - 281394.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A view of [[Swindon]] in 2007]]

[[Andy Partridge]] and [[Colin Moulding]] grew up on Penhill [[council estate]] in [[Swindon]]. Partridge jokingly characterised the community as being populated almost entirely by people with physical, mental or emotional defects.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=XTC: Ninjas of the Mundane|date=20 April 1989|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> In the 1960s, he was a fan of contemporary pop groups like [[the Beatles]], but was intimidated by the process of learning guitar. When [[the Monkees]] grew popular, he became interested in joining a music group. He recalled watching local guitarist [[Dave Gregory (musician)|Dave Gregory]] performing [[Jimi Hendrix]]-style songs at churches and youth clubs: "Sort of [[acid rock|acid]]-[[skiffle]]. I thought, 'Ah, one day I'll play guitar!' But I didn't think I would be in the same band as this kid on the stage."<ref name="Contrast1990" /> Partridge eventually obtained a guitar and taught himself how to play it with no formal training.<ref name="Contrast1990" /> At the age of 15, he wrote his first song, titled "Please Help Me",{{sfn|Rachel|2014|p=200}} and attracted the nickname "Rocky" for his early guitar mastery of the Beatles' "[[Rocky Raccoon]]" (1968).<ref name="Mojo1999">{{cite journal|last=Ingham|first=Chris|title=XTC – 'Til Death Do Us Part|journal=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|date=March 1999}}</ref> By the early 1970s, his music tastes had transitioned "from the Monkees to having a big binge on this Euro-avant-garde stuff. I got really in deep."<ref name="Contrast1990" /> One of his first bands was called "Stiff Beach", formed in August 1970.{{sfn|Gimarc|2005|pp=1, 10}} In early 1972, Partridge's constantly evolving group settled into "Star Park", a four-piece that featured himself with guitarist Dave Cartner, drummer Paul Wilson, and a bassist nicknamed "Nervous Steve".{{sfn|Twomey|1992|pp=37–39}}

In 1972, Partridge became closer acquainted with Gregory, a [[diabetes|diabetic]] then suffering from a bout of [[Mood disorder|depression]],<ref name="Mojo1999"/> while working as an assistant at the Bon Marche record shop in Swindon.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=xtcfans |last=Partridge |first=Andy |author-link=Andy Partridge |number=1090237415409762304 |date=29 January 2019|title=WIKI CORRECTOR-"Gregory was playing the Mahavishnu Orchestra's album The Inner Mounting Flame (1971), which he later called "one of the watershed moments in my musical education." No, I played Dave G the album when he came into the record dept of Bon Marche, where I worked.}}</ref> Gregory was playing the [[Mahavishnu Orchestra]]'s album ''[[The Inner Mounting Flame]]'' (1971), which he later called "one of the watershed moments in my musical education."<ref name="Mojo1999"/> Partridge met Colin Moulding at the Stage Bar on Swindon's Old Town's Union Row, later known as Long's.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=xtcfans |last=Partridge |first=Andy |author-link=Andy Partridge |date=29 January 2019|number=1090232147896659970|title=THE WIKI CORRECTOR "Partridge (guitar, vocals) and Moulding (bass, vocals) met at a record store in the early 1970s" No, I recall we met in the Stage bar on Swindon Old Town's Union Row. (now Long's).}}</ref> Moulding had been playing bass since 1970 "because I liked music [and] I thought that playing a bass, with four strings, would be infinitely easier than playing a guitar, with six strings. That was a horrible misconception!"<ref name="brenda">{{cite journal |last1=Brenda |first1=Herrmann |title=Colin Moulding: The Agony and the XTC  |journal=Bass Player |pages=14–16 |date=September 1992}}</ref> At the end of 1972, Moulding and drummer [[Terry Chambers]] joined Partridge's band, replacing Nervous Steve and Paul Wilson, and the group was renamed "Star Park (Mark II)".{{sfn|Twomey|1992|pp=37–39}} Other members would frequently join and leave the group.<ref name="Contrast1990" />