Bad Brains Unearth Mythical First Demo Tape

Legendary D.C. punks Bad Brains are issuing their long sought-after first demo tape. Recorded in 1979 at Arlington, Virginia’s Inner Ear Studios and newly remastered by Ian MacKaye, Are You Ready: The First Studio Recording (Inner Ear - March 1979) will be available on vinyl LP, cassette, and digitally come November 6 via Trust Records. Below, hear the early studio version of Bad Brains’ debut 7”, “Pay to Cum,” accompanied by footage of the band performing at CBGB’s in October 1979.In a press statement, Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer said, "The riff for ‘Pay to Cum’ started as a stream of punk rock vibes fueled by the Ramones, The Damned, and Return to Forever. It was a gift that served as a springboard into our sound - sheer, straight-ahead three-chord mayhem with a few breaks and a stop. The title actually meant nothing to us; it was just a fun-loving play on words.”Bad Brains put out their last album, Into the Future, in 2012. The years since have seen various band members plagued with health issues: Dr. Know was hospitalized for cardiac arrest, Paul “H.R.” Hudson underwent brain surgery, and, in 2020, Bad Brains’ original singer, Sid McCray, passed away. The release of Are Y...