Vice Squad


Vice Squad are an English punk rock band formed in 1979 in Bristol. The band was formed from two other local punk bands, The Contingent and TV Brakes. The songwriter and vocalist Beki Bondage was a founding member of the band. Although there was a period of time when the band had a different vocalist she reformed the band in 1997.

History

Original band

Vice Squad was formed in 1979 with an initial line-up of Beki Bondage, Dave Bateman, Mark Hambly and Shane Baldwin, and played its first gig at Bristol University's Anson Rooms on 12 April 1979. Bateman and Baldwin had previously been members of the TV Brakes. The first release by TV Brakes was the track "Nothing", which was included on the 1979 compilation Avon Calling. Members of the band were involved in setting up the Riot City label with Simon Edwards, the label becoming one of the major punk labels of the era. Vice Squad took some time to make further impact, only playing six gigs in 1980. Its first single, "Last Rockers" in 1981, was well-received, selling over 20,000 copies and spending almost forty weeks in the UK Indie Chart, reaching number 7. The follow-up, "Resurrection", reached number 4, and the band undertook a tour supporting UK Subs. The singles received airplay and support from BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and the band went on to record two sessions for his show, in 1981 and 1982.
In 1981, the band signed with the major label EMI, prompting criticism from many within the DIY punk scene. Their first album, No Cause For Concern, was released in late 1981, reaching number 32 in the UK Album Chart. A second album followed in 1982, and the band embarked on a tour of the United States and Canada. On returning from the US, Bondage announced that she was leaving the band. She went on to front Ligotage and later Beki and the Bombshells, and, without her, Vice Squad were dropped by EMI. The band carried on, however, replacing Bondage with a new singer called Lia. The new line-up, also including the band's manager Mark "Sooty" Byrne on second guitar, signed with Anagram Records, and recorded a session for David Jensen's BBC radio show. Indie hits continued with singles such as "Black Sheep" and "You'll Never Know", but sales dwindled, and the band split up in 1985. Dave Bateman died in 2007.

New band

Bondage formed a new version of Vice Squad in 1997, along with former members of The Bombshells, after being persuaded to perform the old material at the Holidays in the Sun festival. The line-up was initially Bondage on vocals, Paul Rooney, Stilton and Pumpy. The rhythm section was replaced by Michael Giaquinto and Tony Piper in late 1999/early 2000. This new line-up recorded several albums and toured Europe and the United States. In 2006, they released the album Defiant, produced by Rooney.

Back to "old school punk"

2008 was spent recording the album, Fairground for the Demented which was shelved as the band decided the finished collection of songs did not represent the 'Old School' punk sound that the band wanted to achieve. This collection of songs is currently released in digital form with retailers such as iTunes and Napster. The gritty punk style was eventually realised in 2009 when Vice Squad released the London Underground album which was co-produced by Bond and Rooney. Released on their own Last Rockers Label, London Underground has received rave reviews on the Studs And Punks website and songs such as "Punx United", "Old Skool" and "Sniffing Glue" form a major part of the band's live show.
Vice Squad returned to America in 2009 on an 18 date tour of the western states promoting London Underground with the American drummer Nick Manning, and Wayne Cotton on Bass with support from The Lower Class Brats.
The album Punk Rock Radio was released in 2011.
In 2014 The band's new album, Cardboard Country is completed and is released on the band's own Last Rockers Records label on with funding from fans via the band's first ever Pledge Music Campaign.
The first 500 copies of the album came with a 6 track EP.
During 2018, the band started recording their forthcoming album, Battle Of Britain, which will be released on their own Last Rockers label through Cargo on 1 May 2020. Six singles/EPs have been released prior to the album's release, including two versions of Ignored To Death.
On 11 April 2020, due to the lockdown in the UK, The Beki and Lumpy Show was launched on Facebook, featuring Beki and Paul, with videos, chat and quizzes, broadcasting every Saturday evening.

Discography

Studio albums

Track Listing:
A Side: Resurrection / We're Still Dying / Coward / Young Blood.
B Side: The Times They Are A Changing / 1981 / Change The Record / Saturday Night Special / Sell Out.