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Vice Squad were formed in
Bristol in 1979, from the remains of two local bands, The Contingent and
TV Brakes. The four-piece group comprised 15 year old Beki Bondage on
vocals (real name Rebecca, Louise Bond. The nickname 'Bondage' came from
school), Dave Bateman on guitar, Mark Hambly on bass and Shane Baldwin
on drums. Their music alternated between straight-ahead aggressive rock
and punk with Beki's more melodic singing. However it was her image that
would become a potent publicity vehicle for them along with their music.
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Beki in
particular allowed the rock media to portray her as punk's leading sex
symbol, and she did pose topless on one occasion in Sounds. In addition, Beki
was featured three times on the front cover of Sounds, as well as
twice on the cover of Melody Maker. Other cover features include Punk
Lives, Musicians Weekly, NME, Number One, Smash Hits and Kicks. She
was perhaps the most popular punk pin-up or her time. However to
balance that out she would always where possible as a professed
vegetarian speak out on the issue of meat eating. |
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Unable to secure a record deal during their early months of gigging,
the band ended up forming their own Riot City label, through which
they released their first single, 'Last Rockers', in December 1980
which went on to sell some 25,000 copies (Riot City went on the
produce other bands, one of the better known being Chaos U.K.)
This was followed
by the 'Resurrection EP', after which both the band and their label
were signed by the EMI Zonophone division. The album 'No Cause for
Concern' was subsequently released, receiving muted critical reviews
but selling reasonably well, reaching no. 32 on the UK album charts.
Seven months later, a second album, 'Stand Strong, Stand Proud' was in
the shops (it reached no. 47). |
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However, except for a brief chart action (a week at no. 68) with their
single 'Out of Reach' that was released between the two albums, the
group's Zonophone singles failed to build their commercial profile as
EMI had planned, and relations between the band and the record company
began to sour. Add to that poor management and unhappiness by the band
of the attention Beki was getting and something had to give.
Beki subsequently left
in 1983 to record the single 'Crime and Passion' for EMI with new
musicians, going under the name Ligotage. When she failed to toe the
EMI line, who wanted her glammed up and doing covers so they could
break her chart wise, she was dropped and the band folded and she then
spent a couple of years writing and even working with the robotic duo
Tik & Tok before forming the Bombshells. In the meantime, Vice Squad
recruited another female singer, Lia, and released their third album
'Shot Away', but it did miserably sales-wise and the band rapidly
faded from view after that. |
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But the story doesn't
end there. Vice Squad are currently reformed with a brand new line up
apart from Beki (the only member of the original band to have
continued playing live, writing and recording). The other members
include Paul Rooney on guitar, Michael Gianquinto on bass and on
drums.
Under their new line up,
the band completed their successful Social Chaos tour of Europe and the
USA in 1999, as well as additional tours of Europe and the States in 2000.
The new Vice Squad has released several new CD's since getting back
together. The latest, Defiant, sees them punky, rocky and bristling with
attitude and sass. In 2007 Vice Squad are very much a going concern. |
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This article is heavily
based on Barry Lazell's Vice Squad entry in his book Punk! An A-Z
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