
Deniz and Rob had to call it a day, as they felt there was no longer a critical mass of dedicated original members to work with. Rob stayed in Sydney where he formed The Other Side. Deniz relocated to Newcastle to finish his medical internship. He didn't play for about 6 months until the pain of withdrawal became too great and he began to collaborate with Mark Sisto, the old Birdman sidekick and bodyguard who had remained loyal even after being unceremoniously ejected from the British tour a year earlier.
It was from an intense desire to play that the energy came to form The Visitors, deal with the politics and old baggage, write the songs and do the rehearsals, then a three hour drive each way on what was one of the most deadly roads in Australia. The same desire fuelled the live performances and recording of the album.
From 1978 to 1979 The Visitors were Deniz on guitar, Sisto on vocals, Ron Keeley on drums, Pip Hoyle on keyboards and Steve Harris on bass. Their style was a dark mixture. The band being 3/5ths Birdman, including the chief songwriter, was almost like the next phase of Radio Birdman had that band continued on. At the same time, the sound of the band was more like the early Birdman days with the single guitar plus keyboard format.
There was much more technical ability this time around. The music was hard and heavy, while maintaining a melodic sense unusual in those immediate post-punk days. The band was crushingly loud, the guitar stage setup being two 100 watt Marshall Super Lead heads pushed through 16 twelve inch speakers. This in small clubs! But with the top end rolled off and compression applied, the overall effect was survivable for the audience. Sisto brought a strong Doors influence. Visually they were striking, combining black clothing and shades with various dada/surrealist accoutrements.
For further information, Radio Birdman biographer Vivien Johnson wrote the only definitive article on the band to ever appear.