Ripcord, an intensely up-tempo hardcore band from the west of England, formed in the late summer of '84 purely out of disillusionment with what was being produced musically by the stagnant majority of the U.K. scene.
Looking back now, it seems as though many other groups of individuals dotted around the U.K. had the same idea as us at about the same time, because Ripcord was just one of a new breed of brutal hardcore bands to emerge at the halfway stage of the 80's.
Baz (guitar) and John (drums) were joined by Steve on bass and Buzby vocals in November '85. The band was soon ready for live shows, and played many gigs around the U.K. and Europe also releasing a flexi 7" and mini LP before Steve decided to leave the band (temporarily, as it turned out) in September of '87, only to be replaced by ex-Napalm Death bassist Jim.
Then began a change in the Ripcord "chemistry". With some of the old aggression from previous live performances and personal disagreements within the group, it wasn't long before Buzby was replaced in February '88 by ex-bassist Steve on vocals.
With Steve's return, Ripcord went from strength to strength and soon released a 6 song 7" which sold out within a few months of release. This soon spurred interest from John Peel and Radio 1 and the band was invited to record a "session" in the mid summer of '88.
Next came two successful tours. Ireland in late June, and then Belgium, Holland and Germany in September. Then home to rehearse and record a final full length LP.
In November 1988, Ripcord played their final show in the home town of Weston-S-Mare, thus ending just over four years since the band's formation.
Ripcord -
More Songs about...
1) Poetic Justice
2) Subconscious Thoughts
3) Starvation
4) Collision of Vision
5) Can´t you see
6) Subliminal Decay
7) Boiling Point
8) Barriers
9) Get away
10) Existence without cause
11) So strong
12) Aim to please
13) Collision of Vision
14) No Effort no Thought
15) Vivisection
16) Passer By
17) Intro
18) So strong
19) Aim to please
20) Get away
21) On the way down
22) No reason
23) Fools to persist
24) Collision of vision
25) Resolute
26) No effort no thought
27) Out of reach
28) Barriers
29) The vain
30) Passer by
31) Cross culture
32) Existence without cause
33) Overload
34) Passive Memories
35) Infiltrate
36) Censorship
37) Poetic Justice
38) Drug Shit
39) Never again
40) Furder
Tracks 1-7 from Harvest Hardcore 7" EP, recorded February/March 1988 in Whitehouse Studios, Weston.
Tracks 8-16 from a Radio session recorded July 1988, London.
Tracks 17-37 from Poetic Justice LP, recorded October 1988 at Whitehouse Studios, Weston.
Tracks 38-41 were recorded live September 1988 in Alkmaar, Holland.
All recordings produced by Martin Nichols & Ripcord except tracks 8-16, 38-41.
last night was the opening gig of the ex & brass unbound uk tour at the fleece in bristol and what a fuckin far out gig, it's probably been at least 10 years since i saw them last and they've not lost that energy or the ability to translate their avant/anarcho d-i-y jazz-core to a live enviroment, the set included early stuff, tom cora era tunes and some of their wonderful Ethiopian pop songs... so get yourself along to see them... and don't miss the mighty bristol band zun zun egui who are support for the tour.
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