Interview with Kylie Johnson from Shit Ripper

Please introduce yourself, and tell us what bands you have been a part of?

Yo I’m Kylie Johnson I’ve been in Cinix, Kali Yuga, Shitripper, Thee Crockettes and Club Stupid

Tell us a bit about the Auckland hardcore scene in the 90s, your introduction to nzhc, and what bands were around at the time?

I was living up northland until 99 but I worked on both the warped tours which was rad being so young and getting to work on those and I would come down to Auckland for international bands whenever I could. Pre Internet it was so hard to find out about shows, I remember looking through the newspaper on trips to Auckland to see if I could find an advertisement for local gigs, lol so naive. In 99 I got a job working for global routes music, we distributed fat records, victory, revelation, and a bunch of other punk/metal/hardcore labels so through working there I met people and finally got to find out where local shows were haha It makes me laugh to think about those times.

Describe Dynamo Productions, who was a part of it, and the bands you bought over to NZ?

Dynamo was Dave from DSMs brainchild but being a couple and living together I became a part of it also. Dave did all the organizing, I did the hanging and door/merch and paste-ups. I loved doing paste-ups around the city at night, the Internet kinda stopped the need. In the beginning, most of the bands stayed at out house which was a one bedroom granny flat and there would just be boys and equipment everywhere. Until most precious blood came and there was finally a girl! We bought over.....

One King down

Shutdown

Hatebreed

Madball

Agnostic front

Sick of it all

Ringworm

Hope conspiracy

Slayer

Terror

Necro

Most precious blood

Dropkick Murphys

Lagwagon

Good riddance

There’s more but my old brain is failing me.

Later on legends Katie and Lucy aka Chicks that scream got involved and eventually took over.
It was a really fun time and I got to meet a lot of my hero’s at the time. Lots of late nights giggling after shows crammed in that granny flat eating snacks

Can you tell us about some band features you have been a part of and how that came about?

First was Missing Teeth, I feel I owe those guys a lot because without them asking me to sing on No way out I don’t know if I ever would of done my own bands. Those guys as cheesy as it sounds made a dream come true for me. I always wanted to sing so yeah shout outs to those boys. I then did a song on Tourette’s album and used to play live with him doing backing vocals. Dom if you read this make some more music cause your great at it!
Then I did a song with Angelo on the latest Bleeders record Enginehead. I also recorded a song with an Aussie band and I can’t remember what they were called.
Done a bunch on BVs on various albums and sung live with Evil priest, master blaster, distant fear I think that’s about it.

Some would say the scene used to be male-dominated, could you describe the vibe and what it was/is like being a female in nzhc, is there anything we can improve on?

Yeah it was totally a sausage party haha I think back and I don’t really have an answer to why it was so male-dominated, I always go into every situation thinking of myself as a human we are all equal and whatever the boys are doing I’m gonna do it and try do it better, that’s just how my brain works. I was always pumped when new girls would come along, lots didn’t stick around but some did. All the sports I have been involved in are male dominated also. All I can say is all the dudes in music and sports have always been rad to me, you get the odd jerk but jerks are everywhere in life. I just got in there, loved getting in the pit and smashing everyone, Rhys Owen piggybacks slamming into people. I loved it. It’s quite a strange thing to be into when you think about it but I used to be a very angry girl so maybe that’s why I was so into it.

Everything in life can always be improved on, I guess if you see a new face at a show go say hi oh and if you hear gossip about someone don’t cancel them out, go talk to them yourselves, the scene here is to small to hate on one another. I fucken hate this whole cancel culture bullshit. Sort your own shit out and move on, that’s my advice. I barely go to shows now because the last few years have been really shitty with people trying to cancel others out.

Favorite Nz show you attended, or played at, can you tell us why it stood out from others?

I think it would have to be the Hatebreed show at youth zone holy shit that was rad. There’s video footage of it somewhere. Just getting to see them in an all-ages small venue and it was jam-packed. Madball at the meteor was sick too. And of course Gorilla biscuits, I never thought I would get to see them so I was so happy and they were amazing, it was just sing along city.

Any memories or stories you would like to share with us?

When Madball played at the meteor I took them out to dinner at lone star and when we were walking back to the venue I saw a Puriri moth and me being a major nature nerd thought it would be super cool for them to see so I was grabbing it and Hoya said yo Freddy is terrified of bugs so I caught it and was like Freddy check this out, it flew out of my hand and he screamed and crouched on the ground actually terrified hahaha it was hilarious to see this tough guy squeal.

I have a lot of stories I should actually write down before I forget them

Favorite era of nzhc/nz punk and why?

DSM, Evil Priest, Coming of the new messiah, Missing Teeth, all those shows were super cool and I guess I was young and had no responsibilities really, rent was cheap as fuck, So life was just a lot easier and everyone would be hanging out all the time. It felt like a family in those days which for me was amazing. We used to have punk vs hardcore soccer games for fun on the weekends. It was just a really fun time.

Top 5 bands or albums that influenced you the most over the years?

So hard to just choose 5 but......

Gorilla biscuits - start today

Madball - hold it down (so many memories driving around with my friend Phili RIP singing to this album)

Damnation Ad- kingdom of lost souls

Hatebreed- Satisfaction is the death of desire

One king down - bloodlust revenge (prey to human silence stopped me eating meat for ever)

Any words or advice for the up and coming bands in nz?

Just do you and have fun, if you're not laughing then you're not doing it right. Keep it posi yo and punch all nazis in the face.

Would you like to give some final shout outs to end the interview?

Cheers to you guys for keeping the scene alive and documenting so much of the past. Shout outs to all the kids that have played shows, booked shows, documented shows, high fived at shows, come to shows etc etc hardcore has given me life long friends and hilarious stories and fun times I will always cherish. Cheers. If you see me come say hi