Ripping Yarns
Coventry three piece The Ripps are riding high on the back of their well received debut album 'Long Live The Ripps' and recent single 'Loco'. Tonight finds them at Manchester's Roadhouse and although there's a half decent crowd in the venue there can be no more than twenty in front of the stage for the band's set.
The Ripps are a quirky looking bunch featuring two brothers, Patch & Raul on Guitar/vocals and bass respectively and the forever smiling Rachel Butt on drums. New single 'Holiday' gets an early airing and even two songs into the set there's a real air of fun about the band. Everything comes across as very light hearted and good natured. Certainly early on the songs are quite light, although lively, and there's some friendly banter with the crowd, it's all good fun but lacking in real substance.
Mid way through their short twenty minute set come a few faster songs and these fair much better although the stage show fails to match the energy of the songs. During these tracks you can't help but draw comparisons to the Ramones and Graham Coxon. The Ripps get better as they move along and manage a decent cover of Billy Bragg's 'A New England'. 'Cov Song' is impressive with much more of an edge to it than the earlier songs and it's followed by the equally impressive 'Hypocrite' but just as they seem to be getting into their stride they finish. Another five or ten minutes would probably have sealed the deal, as it is they do a good job but even those dancing at the front (all five of them!) would be hard pushed to say this was a brilliant performance. Good, with plenty of promise but not quite the finished package just yet.