The Exploited
Discography
This is an interview stolen from 'New Mania' no. 6. (1982)
It's mid-afternoon and The Exploited and some of their friends
wander aimlessly around the ZigZag Club in West London. This is one of
the last dates on the band's "Troops Of Tomorrow" tour, to promote the
new LP of the same name. Whenever anyone wants to interview The
Exploited they always collar Wattie Buchan, so for a change I decided
to plump for Big John, the guitarist.
I was hoping for a long meaningful conversation with the man but after
a while we were completly drowned out by the 'sound' (I certainly
wouldn't call it music) coming from the, mainly electronic, video.
Anyway, this is the result. I know it's not a very long one so perhaps
I'll do a proper one in No. 7.
How have the gigs been going on this tour?
There's been pretty good crowds and good reactions, although the worst
crowd is always in London. They are mostly interested in beeing seen at
the gig rather than going to see the bands.
So the reaction you get from crowds are better up north?
The reason it's better up north is because there aren't as many bands
to go and see. So when a band does come they react better.
Your following seems to have grown since you were on Top Of The Pops.
It's not really because we done "Top Of The Pops" that the following
has got bigger. It's just because we've been gigging a lot and most
people like us and come and see us.
You seem to be drawing a younger audience all the time.
That's right. It's just more and more kids with nothing to do.
What do you see as the main difference between the "Punk's Not Dead"
and "Troops Of Tomorrow" LP's?
It's the same ideas but musically it's better. We had more time to work on it than
we did the first LP. Better conditions to record it in. Like, the first
LP we done in three and a half days and it cost six hundred pounds. It
wasn't very good.
The sound of the new LP seems a lot heavier. Is this a heavy metal
influence creeping in?
It's not so much an influence of groups. That sound is caused by my guitar
and it's just the way I like to play. My own style is coming through
more on the new LP. The production on this new LP is really good.
Yes, I was going to say about the poor sound on your first few
records.
The guy who produced the first two singles was the same guy that done
the first album. After we done "Punk's Not Dead", we were relatively
pleased with it and he took the master tapes and remixed it himself.
When we heard it again we weren't very pleased with it.
Would you say that some of your newer songs seem to have a more
drum-based sound?
There's more accentuation on the drums now and the guitar is a lot
heavier.
Are The Exploited playing the same venues as before?
Basically the same but there's a couple of new places, like Nottingham
Boat Club.
You've played a lot of foreign gigs, haven't you?
Yes, Holland, Germany, Finland, Denmark and Sweden.
How do foreign gigs compare with those in Britain?
There's not really much difference. The only difference is that they
speak different languages. They know the words to all songs and they
jump about. The audinces in Europe aren't as young as they are over
here because most of the places we played had bars in them so younger
people couldn't get in. We are planning to go to America sometime. It's
been set up three times and we've been given the dates but each time
it's fallen through.
You don't play in Scotland much, do you?
No. When we done the "Gathering Of The Clans" at Glasgow Apollo it was
our first Scottish gig for a year. We'd like to play gigs in Dundee,
Aberdeen etc, but we can't get gigs there. The promotors won't have us.
Why do you think that is?
I couldn't tell you. All our fans in Scotland realise the problems we
have getting gigs up there. It's not our fault. We are trying hard to
get gigs but it's proving difficult.
Is this just for The Exploited or for punk bands in general?
It's like this. I've only lived in Edinburgh for two and a half years
and when I moved there was for punk venues. Now there's not even one.
They've all turned into futurist venues.
Do you feel any responsibility now when you are regarded by many as
the top punk band?
Personally, I don't think we're any different from a lot of groups. It's
just that more people like us and we're playing bigger halls. That's
all.
What do you see happening to The Exploited when the punk revival
dies down?
We won't change musically. The Exploited will always the The Exploited.
We're not going to move off in a another direction of music. As it dies
down the band will probably split up and everybody will go their own
way.
By sticking rigidly to the same formula don't you think you are in
danger of repeating yourself?
(Editor's note: This was the point where the loud music drowned us
out and the most important question remained unanswered. Woe is
life...)
Discography:
7"s:
Army Life / Fuck The Mods, Crashed Out
The Exploited Record Co. (EXP 1001), 1980
Wattie (vocals)
Dru Stix (drums)
Hayboy (guitar)
Mark (bass)
Exploited Barmy Army / I Believe In Anarchy, What You Gonna Do
The Exploited Record Co. (EXP 1002), 1980
Wattie (vocals)
Dru Stix (drums)
Big John (guitar)
Gary (bass)
Dogs Of War / Blown To Bits
Secret Records (SH 110), 1981
Wattie (vocals)
Big John (guitar)
Gary (bass)
Dru Stix (drums)
Dead Cities / Hitler's In The Charts Again, Class War
Secret Records (SH 120), 1981
Wattie (vocals)
Big John (guitar)
Gary (bass)
Dru Stix (drums)
Attack / Alternative
Secret Records (SHH 130), 1982
Wattie (vocals)
Big John (guitar)
Gary (bass)
Dru Stix (drums)
Computers Don't Blunder / Addiction
Secret Records (SHH 140), 1982
Wattie (vocals)
Big John (guitar)
Gary (bass)
Dru Stix (drums)
Rival Leaders / Army Style, Singalongabushell
PAX Records (PAX 15), 1983
Wattie (vocals)
Big John (guitar)
Billy (bass)
Willie (drums)
12"s:
Jesus Is Dead
Rough Justice (12 KORE 102), 1986
Side 1: Drug Squad Man, Privacy Invasion
Side 2: Jesus Is Dead, Politicians
Wattie (vocals)
Nig (guitar)
Willie (drums)
Deptford John (bass)
War Now
Rough Justice (12 KORE 103), 1988
Side 1: War Now
Side 2: United Chaos And Anarchy, Sexual Favours (dub version)
Wattie (vocals)
Nig (guitar)
Willie (?) (guitar and drums)
Smeeks (bass)
Albums:
Punk's Not Dead
Secret Records (SEC 1), 1981
Side 1: Punk's Not Dead, Mucky Pup, Cop Cars, Free Flight, Army Life
(Part 2), Blown To Bits, Sex & Violence
Side 2: SPG, Royalty, Dole Q, Exploited Barmy Army, Ripper, Out Of Control,
Son Of A Copper, I Believe In Anarchy
Wattie (vocals)
Big John (guitar)
Gary (bass)
Dru Stix (drums)
Troops Of Tomorrow
Secret Records (SEC 8), 1982
Side 1: Jimmy Boyle, Daily News, Disorder, Alternative (remix), USA,
Rapist, Troops Of Tomorrow
Side 2: UK 82, Sid Vicious Was Innocent, War, They Won't Stop, So
Tragic, Germs
Wattie (vocals)
Big John (guitar)
Gary (bass)
Danny (drums)
(It was actually Steve Roberts, from the UK Subs, who played drums on
all tracks except Germs.)
Let's Start A War
PAX Records (PAX 18), 1983
Side 1: Let's Start A War (Said Maggie One Day), Insanity, Safe Below,
Eyes Of The Vulture, Should We Can't We, Rival Leaders (re-mix)
Side 2: God Saved The Queen, Psycho, Kidology, False Hopes, Another Day
To Go Nowhere, Wankers
Wattie (vocals)
Karl (guitar)
Billy (bass)
Willie (drums)
(It was actually Big John who played guitar on the album.)
Horror Epics
Konexion (788012), 1985
Side 1: Horror Epics, Don't Forget The Chaos, Law And Order, I Hate You,
No More Idols, Maggie
Side 2: Dangerous Visions, Down Below, Treat You Like Shit, Forty Odd
Years Ago, My Life
Wattie (vocals)
Karl(guitar)
Wayne (bass)
Willie (drums & guitar)
Death Before Dishonour
Rough Justice (JUST 6), 1987
Side 1: Anti UK, Power Struggle, Scaling The Derry Wall, Barry Prossitt,
They Don't Really Care, No Forgiveness
Side 2: Deathe Before Dishonour, Adding To Their Faces, Police Informer,
Driving Me Insane, Pulling Us Down, Sexual Favours
Wattie (vocals)
Nig (guitar)
Tony (bass)
Willie (drums & guitar)
The Massacre
Rough Justice (JUST 15), 1990
Side 1: The Massacre, Sick Bastard, Porno Slut, Now I'm Dead, Boys In
Blue, Dog Soldier
Side 2: Don't Pay The Poll Tax, F*** Religion, About To Die, Blown Out
Of The Sky, Police Shit, Stop The Slaughter
Wattie (vocals)
Gogs (guitar)
Smeeks (bass)
Tony (drums)
Beat The Bastards
Rough Justice (JUST 22), 1996
CD: Beat The Bastards, Affected By Them, Don't Blame Me, Law For The
Rich, System Fucked Up, They Lie, If You'r Sad, Fight Back, Massacre Of Innocents, Police TV, Sea
Of Blood, 15 Years, Serial Killer
Wattie Buchan (vocals)
Jamie Buchan (guitar)
Jim Gray (bass)
Willie Buchan (drums & bass)
(Willie played bass on all tracks except 15 Years.)
Fuck the System
Dream Catcher (CRIDE 39), 2003
CD: Fuck the System, Fucking Liar, Holiday In the Sun, You're a Fucking Bastard, Lie To Me,
There Is No Point, Never Sell Out, Noize Annoys, I Never Changed, Why Are You Doing This To Me,
Chaos Is My Life, Violent Society, Was It Me
Wattie Buchan (vocals)
Robbie (guitar)
Mikie (bass)
Willie Buchan (drums)
Some compilations of interest:
The Exploited have a great number of compilations, live albums, and tracks
on various comps. Usually with the same tracks repeated over and over
again. This is out of The Exploited's control, thanks to a lifetime
Warner Bros contract, that Wattie signed when he didn't know better.
Some of the records are however worth picking up:
On Stage, their first live album. The Exploited Record Co. (EXP
LP 2001), 1981. Original pressing in clear vinyl.
Don't Let Them Grind You Down, split 7" with the Anti-Pasti.
The Exploited Record Co. (EXP 1003), 1981. Tracks from 'On Stage'.
Fools Gold, Konexion (KOMA 788032). Another "best of" album,
with one previously un-released track 'Race Against Time', from the
Horror Epics recording session.
Britannia Waives The Rules, compilation 12", with Exploited,
Chron Gen and Infa-Riot. Secret Records (SHH 136-12), 1982. The Exploited
track is 'Y.O.P.'.
It Was 10 Years Ago Today, comp. Konexion (KOMA 788021). The
previously un-released Exploited track 'Propaganda'.
Oi! the Album, including the Exploited
tracks 'Daily News' and 'I Still Believe In Anarchy'.
Back to Oi! the Web Site.