Ray Mondo


Raymond Taylor-Smith was a drummer for several notable British post-punk and gothic rock groups during the early 1980s. He is best known by his stage name, Ray Mondo.
Ray Mondo first appeared on the British music scene when he joined the Harrow-based post-punk group Ritual upon its formation in 1981. Mondo drummed for the group for nearly two years, appearing on both of their records, the "Mind Disease" single and Kangaroo Court EP. During this period, Mondo was going simply by "Ray".
In March 1983, Ritual dissolved. Mondo was recruited by Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy in April 1983 to drum for their newly formed group Death Cult. It was Mondo, now going by the moniker "Ray Mondo" and alternately "The Reverend", that suggested Jamie Stewart for the vacant bass guitarist slot. Mondo drummed on the group's eponymous Death Cult EP and during their summer 1983 European and United Kingdom tour.
By September 1983, the group had decided to eject Mondo. Astbury's reasoning was documented in a 1983 interview:
Mondo played his last gig with Death Cult on 19 September 1983 at the Brixton Ace in London. Shortly afterwards, he essentially "swapped" places with drummer Nigel Preston. Preston was drumming for Sex Gang Children at the time. Duffy recruited Preston as the new drummer for Death Cult and Mondo filled the vacated drummer's position with Sex Gang Children in September 1983.
Mondo remained with Sex Gang Children until January 1984, when he was deported back to his native Sierra Leone. His activities after that time, and his current whereabouts, are unknown.