Members:
Dave Morris
Damien Lovelock
Kent Steedman
Paul Larsen
Jim Leone
______________________
Kent Steedman, Dave Morris, Michael Couvret, Phillip Jacquet and Ian Martin conceived the band in 1979 when they were still in high school. The band's name is believed to be inspired by (being a complete antonym of) the Sex Pistols.
Hot Records signed the band and reissued the EP in March, 1983. James Darroch (bass; ex-Trans Love Energy, Fifth Estate, Slaughterhouse 5) replaced Couvret (who joined Mushroom Planet) and the band issued its debut album, Sideroxylon (May 1983). As the album came out, Steedman joined The New Christs when that band supported Iggy Pop on his June 1983 Australian tour.
Couvret and Jacquet left the band in September, 1986 to be replaced by Rudy Morabito (bass; ex-Amused) and Paul Larsen (drums; ex-Funhouse, Gun Control). The band toured Europe and recorded Roman Beach Party in Holland during June, 1987. The album appeared in November. Morabito left in 1988 to be replaced by Jim Leone (ex-No Man's Land). By that stage, Couvret was playing with The Lime Spiders, and Jacquet had joined Voodoo Lust. The Rifles' last release on Hot Records to that time was a 12-inch EP featuring a cover of Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot" (May, 1988). The Rifles signed to True Tone and issued Blind Ear (April, 1989), which contained several of the band's best singles, the riff-happy "Johnny" / "El Salvador" (February, 1989), the rollicking "O Salvation!" / "Fish and Trees" (June, 1989) and the double 7-inch "Wonderful Life" / "5 Lamps"; "Where the Action Is", "She's So Fine" / "Hot Stuff" (March, 1990).
Hot closed its Rifles account with the double retrospective set Platters du Jour (October, 1990), a selection of rare early singles and EP sides with a limited edition 7-inch EP containing three unreleased tracks. The band members undertook various extra-curricular activities between 1988 and 1990. Lovelock had already written and produced a one-off single in 1984, "Summertime (All Round the World)" / "Sunnyboyfriend", for Australian world female surfing champion Pam Burridge (issued under the name of Pam and the Pashions during October, 1984). In June, 1988 he issued his debut solo album It's a Wig Wig Wig Wig World followed by the single "Disco Inferno"/"Sisters" (April, 1990).
In October 1990, Larsen left The Rifles to join The Screaming Tribesmen. Nik Rieth took Larsen's place. At the end of 1991, the Rifles signed to Festival. They issued the double album Heaven on a Stick (March, 1992), the single "Groovin' in the Land of Love" (December, 1991) plus the double 7-inch single "Where the Wild Things Are..." (March, 1992). The Rifles shared "Where the Wild Things Are..." with The Hard-Ons to coincide with a joint Australian tour the two bands undertook mid-year. The Rifles' tracks were "5 Lamps" and "Electric Flowers". Straight after that, The Rifles embarked on the Live Stick '92 world tour which took in dates across the UK, Europe and the USA. Festival issued a second, double 7-inch single from Heaven on a Stick, "Cold Wind", in May 1992.
1992 ended for the Rifles with Hot issuing re-mastered CD versions of the band's first five albums. The Rifles returned to Hot For Yizgarnnoff (a second live album) and SOFA (a 20-track `Best of' compilation) which came out in May and December 1993 respectively. In late 1993, Steedman and Rieth joined Deniz Tek to record his Outside album. Steedman and Rieth toured extensively with The Deniz Tek Group over the next few years and recorded a new album in 1996, Le Bonne Route. Spaceman in a Satin Suit (May, 1994) was arguably The Celibate Rifles' best studio album since Blind Ear. The band also contributed a cover of The Sports' "Boys! (What Did the Detective Say?)" to the various artists project Earth Music. "Boys! (What Did the Detective Say?)" appeared on the Earth Music CD EP (August, 1994) along with Died Pretty covering Laughing Clowns' "Eternally Yours" and Painters and Dockers doing Mental as Anything's "The Nips Are Getting Bigger".
In late 1996, Hot issued the mail-order only On the Quiet, a selection of acoustic reworkings of previously released material. On the Quiet came with a limited edition bonus all-electric CD EP of Australian covers.
Killing Time
The Celibate Rifles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lust for death his burning ambition
Killing time a blood lust occasion
Brand new form of socialization
Live for the moment
Live 'til there's nothing left
Live indestructible
Order on earth
British Empire's convict labour
Minor crime sent to Australia
Kill the blacks, inferior race
Killing time take over the place
Live for the moment
Live 'til there's nothing left
Live indestructible
New philosophy, new order on earth
Order on earth
British soldiers stand on the beach head
Exocet and 35 more dead
Are they going to die for the nation
Or the multin national corporation
Live for the moment
Live 'til there's nothing left
Live indestructible
New philosophy, new order on earth
Order on earth
The song "Killing Time" by The Celibate Rifles is a commentary on the destructive nature of humanity, both in the past and the present. The first verse paints a picture of a Viking soldier who is driven by a blood lust that stems from his desire to die in battle. He stands by the ocean, waiting for his opportunity to kill. The second verse references the history of Australia, which was founded by the British Empire as a penal colony. The convicts sent there were often guilty of minor crimes, but they were still seen as a threat to the British Empire. The song suggests that the British Empire saw Australia as a place to get rid of people they deemed inferior, including the Aboriginal people who were violently oppressed and killed. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "live for the moment" as a way of suggesting that this destructive behavior is driven by a desire to live life to the fullest, even if it means causing harm to others.
The third verse of the song brings the commentary closer to the present day by referencing the Falklands War. The song suggests that the soldiers who fought in the war were not necessarily fighting for their nation, but rather for the multinational corporations that stood to profit from the conflict. This verse serves as a reminder that the destructive behavior of humanity is ongoing and not limited to the distant past.
Line by Line Meaning
Viking soldier stands by the ocean
A warrior with a strong desire to die awaits by the sea
Lust for death his burning ambition
His intense longing for death drives him forward
Killing time a blood lust occasion
He seeks pleasure in taking lives as a way to pass the time
Brand new form of socialization
This behavior becomes a way for him to connect and bond with others who share his desire for violence
British Empire's convict labour
The British used prisoners to build their colonies
Minor crime sent to Australia
People were sent away to Australia for minor offenses
Kill the blacks, inferior race
The British colonizers believed they were superior and justified in killing Aboriginal Australians
Killing time take over the place
Violence and killing become a way for the colonizers to assert their dominance and control
British soldiers stand on the beach head
The British military is stationed on a strategic location by the sea
Exocet and 35 more dead
In the Falklands War, an attack from an Exocet missile caused the deaths of 35 soldiers
Are they going to die for the nation
The soldiers are sent to fight and die, supposedly for the good of their country
Or the multin national corporation
But they may actually be fighting for the interests of powerful corporations
Live for the moment
Focus on enjoying the present, disregarding the future
Live 'til there's nothing left
Keep living with reckless abandon until there is nothing left to give
Live indestructible
Have an invincible attitude, believing one can overcome anything
New philosophy, new order on earth
This way of living represents a new philosophy and way for the world to be organized
Order on earth
This new way of living can potentially create order on earth, but at what cost?
Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rodjohnson8953
RIP Damien Lovelock
@svobodasimon1185
great australia band. deserves more respect and recognition.
@aus80srockradio94
Sure do. They're much better than The $#x Pistols that's for sure.
@punkhead6774
One of the absolute great Sydney (Aust) bands of the 80's RIP Damien
@Jellybeantiger
Awesome band.
@KevKavanagh
Awesome! James Darroch (Eastern Dark) on bass!
@themillwall442
Fantastic song.
@santiagosanchezblanco9430
Esto es una banda de rockanroll atemporal.Magnificos.
@davidbee3704
Glad i saw these guys live back in the 80s.
Great band.
@alanstrom2221
Legends of The Northern Beaches, Sydney