The Exploited 1981 (vlnr: Big John Duncan, Dru Stix, Wattie Buchan, Beaker)
Introduction
On March 14, 1982, I turned 16. I celebrated my birthday with a party at my parents’ house. My childhood friends Hein and Klaas-Wim gave me the coloured vinyl edition of The Exploited’s exhilarating live album On Stage.
The Exploited
The Exploited are a Scottish punk band formed in Edinburgh in 1978. The band was frequently associated with the Oi! punk movement, which initially focused on working-class youth who felt unheard and invisible. The movement later became associated with racism and violence as far-right influences infiltrated it and gained a foothold. Oi! influenced the so-called UK 82 movement, a scene that The Exploited would come to define.
UK 82
UK 82 took punk to a faster level and was partly influenced by heavy metal, particularly bands such as Motörhead and Iron Maiden. Alongside GBH and Discharge, The Exploited were among the genre’s leading standard-bearers. Its defining characteristics included darker, more violent lyrics than those of earlier punk bands. These bands railed against the looming threat of nuclear holocaust, the Cold War, unemployment, the UK’s Conservative Party, and Margaret Thatcher in particular.
The Exploited – Punks Not Dead
Punks Not Dead
In 1980, The Exploited’s classic line-up was complete. It would remain intact until 1982. With this line-up, the band released their influential first two albums on their own label, Exploited Records. In 1980, they released the Army Life EP, which sold well within the UK’s thriving indie communities. Their debut album, Punks Not Dead, followed in April 1981. It was a major success and even made it into the UK’s official album charts.
On October 15, 1981, The Exploited did something widely considered unthinkable within the punk scene: they appeared on the English pop show Top Of The Pops. They mimed to Dead Cities, shocking countless British households. Fellow musicians, however, ridiculed the band, dismissing them as clowns. Many punks condemned them as well, accusing them of “selling out”. Singer Wattie later joked on several occasions that The Exploited were the only band in history to sell fewer records after appearing on national television.
The Exploited – On Stage
On Stage
On November 9, 1981, The Exploited released the live album On Stage. Recorded at the Nite Club in Edinburgh, the album captures the band’s atmosphere, aggression, and commitment remarkably well. The band races relentlessly through the 14 tracks, giving the audience exactly what it wants: excitement, loud music, and a punk attitude.
Review
Back then, I thought The Exploited were a decent little band, but I clearly preferred Discharge, GBH, Conflict, and, above all, Crass. To me, Crass embodied everything (anarcho-)punk ideally stood for: resistance, criticism, anger, but also a solution, a path towards something better, and a genuinely workable approach to DIY. The Exploited had no solution, just plenty of shouting. Fun, too, but limited in my eyes.
It’s hardly surprising, then, that The Exploited had an opinion about Crass. Their album and song Punks Not Dead were a response to Crass‘ Punk Is Dead, from their debut album/EP The Feeding Of The 5000. In the introduction to I Believe In Anarchy on On Stage, singer Wattie declares: “Any of you like Crass? Crass are a big bunch of wankers”.
As mentioned, I received the coloured (“clear”) vinyl edition for my 16th birthday, and I was delighted with it. I played it regularly back then. On Stage is hardly a masterpiece; musically, it’s too limited for that. What it does capture convincingly, however, is a slice of the punk scene in the early 1980s. The raw sound, which makes the record feel more like a bootleg than an official live album, creates a palpable sense of excitement and makes you feel as though you’re right there in Edinburgh’s Nite Club.
The Exploited – On Stage – Clear vinyl
Songs
All songs written by The Exploited.
- Cop Cars
- Crashed Out
- Dole Q
- Dogs Of War
- Army Life
- Out Of Control
- Ripper
- Mod Song
- Exploited Barmy Army
- Royalty
- S.P.G.
- Sex & Violence
- Punks Not Dead
- I Believe In Anarchy
Musicians
- Wattie Buchan – vocals
- Big John Duncan – guitar, background vocals
- Gary “Beaker” McCormack – bass, background vocals
- Glen “Dru Stix” Campbell – drums
The Exploited – Troops Of Tomorrow
After On Stage
In 1982, drummer Dru Stix had to leave the band after being sentenced to seven years in prison for armed robbery. Danny Heatley joined as his replacement, and in June 1982, the band released their best album, Troops Of Tomorrow, which featured the previously mentioned track UK 82. The song U.S.A. became particularly popular in alternative circles, thanks to its infectious chorus: “Fuck the U.S.A.” Another notable track was Sid Vicious Was Innocent, which was striking because pretty much everyone knew that wasn’t true. It was the final statement from the band’s classic line-up. In 1983, Big John Duncan and Beaker also left the band.
The Exploited continued to release music, but with diminishing success.
- Let’s Start A War… (Said Maggie One Day) (1983)
- Horror Epics (1985)
- Death Before Dishonour (1987)
- The Massacre (1990)
- Beat the Bastards (1996)
- Fuck the System (2003)
Throughout those years, The Exploited continued to perform live. Their fans, known as The Barmy Army, have remained loyal to the band to this day. The number of line-up changes is almost impossible to keep track of, but Wattie is still there.
Wattie Buchan – The Exploited – Original On Stage photo
In closing
What do you think of The Exploited? Let me know!
Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: The Exploited On Stage. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.
