Rip Rig + Panic

Rip Rig + Panic were a London-based post-punk band founded in 1980 that disbanded in 1983. The band were named after a jazz album of the same name by Roland Kirk. They were formed by Sean Oliver (bass), Mark Springer (piano, sax, vocals), Gareth Sager (guitar, sax, keyboards, vocals) and Bruce Smith (drums, percussion)—the latter two formerly of The Pop Group)—with singer Neneh Cherry. Other members included saxophonist Flash (David Wright), singer Andi Oliver, trumpeter David De Fries, and viola-player Sarah Sarhandi. Many of the members reformed as Float Up CP before that broke up in turn. The group used the post-punk Pop Group band’s sound as a stepping off point, mixing avant-garde elements with jazz and led by Cherry's innovative pop/soul singing style. Their second album, I Am Cold, included a number of tracks featuring jazz trumpeter Don Cherry (Neneh Cherry's stepfather). They also appeared with Nico on a BBC Radio session.