The Rapiers first got together in 1981.All the members had been with other bands prior to joining and were hoping that they could make it on the rock and roll circuit.
They started off having practice sessions in the Railway Inn pub,a few of the regulars suggested the landlord sport them their first gig.He agreed and the lads wishing to impress doned suits for their performance,which turned out to be a huge success.
This led on to them being booked by other local places,then further afield,and they soon became very popular and had a regular following.
The line up then was Jim on rhythm guitar,Mick on lead guitar,Ray on bass guitar and Phil on drums.
After a few years together the drummer decided to leave,so they quickly auditioned and filled the gap with a guy called Alek.He hadn't played much of this kind of music before,so he tended to sound like he was building a shed on some numbers at first.But the lads soon tamed him down and the sound was back to original status once more.
Over the years that followed there was to be several splits,disbands etc,but none for very long.
There were however a few changes of drummer,after Alek came Mark,but it wasnt really his kind of music so he didnt stay long.After Mark came Nick,he stayed for a while but had to leave due to other commitments.They were then joined by Tony,he stayed for quite a while but in the end couldnt juggle all his commitments either.
So for a while Andy Dakin,session drummer helped fill in,but they desperately needed a permanent drummer.Then they met Paul.
Paul fit the bill perfectly and brought new life into the band.Once again they were filling pubs and clubs.
Unfortunately though in september 1998,Paul was diagnosed with lymphoma.After a few short months and extensive treatment he sadly passed away.This was a huge loss to not just the band,but to the many friends he'd made on the circuit.
The band decided with the help of jims wife to hold a charity night in Pauls memory and to raise money for the hospital.They raised £550,and a cheque was presented to Nottingham City Hospital.
With a new drummer,Will the band went on until 2004,when yet another and their now present drummer Terry joined.
The L/E Rapiers have now been together for 26 years and are still going strong.They still play on a regular basis at pubs and clubs,weddings and parties etc.
Heres a few pics showing the band over their many years together;
