The Benders were formed in 1980 in Sydney by Chris Abrahams on keyboards, Dale Barlow on tenor saxophone, Louis Burdett on drums and Lloyd Swanton on bass guitar.
[4][5] The Benders played at local music venues, including a residency at the Paradise Jazz Club, Kings Cross for three nights a week.
"[4] Jazz music writer, John Shand, remembered first seeing them in the early 1980s, "I was stunned by their originality and the rock-band-like intensity, energy and performance qualities.
Adrian Jackson of The Age described the group, "a very exciting band indeed, playing worthy original themes and improvising with plenty of abandon.
"[2] Jackson caught their gig at the RMIT in October 1983 and observed, "they have developed a firm group identity, playing aggressively and with a sense of purpose...