Vice Squad - Everybody’s in a Band Today

  Formed in 1979, Bristol band Vice Squad were one of the biggest of the 2nd wave of punk bands in the UK, largely due to their frontwoman Beki Bondage (Rebecca Bond) who was both photogenic and vocally talented enough to ensure that she was a regular feature on the front cover of the era's music press. Like many young punk enthusiasts, I was the proud owner of their Last Rockers and Resurrection 7"'s as well as the debut album, No Cause For Concern. These were records that were as good as anything that was getting released back in the early 80's and proved that they were much more than a one woman band.

  Not sure why, maybe it was the band's sound changing, maybe it was my musical tastes changing a touch but I kind of lost interest after this and can't remember listening to them much after that initial enthusiasm. I do vaguely remember that Beki left and was replaced by a new singer called Jools but I wasn't really paying much attention.

  I next noticed them one drunken day in Morecambe when they appeared at the Holidays In The Sun Festival. I remember enjoying their set but I didn't really listen to any of the material that they put out during this second coming period. That is until a couple of weeks ago when guitarist Paul Rooney hooked me up with a copy of their 2014 album, Cardboard Country. A few listens and I'm impressed. This incarnation of the band (Bondage - vocals, Rooney - lead guitar/vocals, Wayne Cotton - bass/vocals, Django - drums, aren't a poor xerox version of a once great band, they are a very decent outfit in their own right.

  Cardboard Country has a lot to say about the state of Britain today, it's opinionated and relevant and makes me wish I'd paid a bit more attention to what the band have been up to these last few years. If, like me, you only remember them from their early "hits" then maybe you too should check out their latest release : http://vicesquad.co.uk/punkrock/discography/cardboard-country/

  This is a song that critiques the current state of the music industry and the influence over it of Simon Cowell and the seemingly endless stream of identikit wannabes that are hyped up, chewed up and spat out. Everybody's In A Band Today.....