Punk rock and its community are the subject, and the perspective comes from someone who has been in it for forty-six years. Paul Gott started the Montreal band the Ripcordz in 1980 thinking he was already too old for it.

Seventeen albums, three thousand shows, and a view of punk that starts with the crowd. In punk, the crowd is the show. They are also the promoters, the basement venue operators, and the sixteen-year-olds booking their first gig. Paul Gott recently published a full list of Canadian punk houses.

The genre found a new generation through COVID. Paul Gott says if the Ripcordz were only playing to people his age, they would have stopped. They are not stopping.

Topics: punk rock, Montreal punk, DIY punk, punk community, The Ripcordz

GUEST: Paul Gott | ripcordz.bandcamp.com

Originally aired on2026-05-27