You would be excused for thinking that a band who sing about kicking a Mod in the head to the tune of Jingle Bells, fronted by a very menacing ex-squaddie Scotsman with a towering Mohican hairdo, would be the band least likely to play on Top Of The Pops. But they did.
Based in Edinburgh, the band was fronted by vocalist Wattie Buchan, whose supporting cast changed several times since the group’s inception around the end of the 70s.
They released their first album – Punk’s Not Dead – in 1981, covering themes such as war, corruption, unemployment, police brutality and politics amid a chaotic melee of crashing drums and flailing guitar chords.
Their second album, Troops Of Tomorrow (1982), broke them through to another level, with its glorious array of hard-hitting anthems including Jimmy Boyle (about the Scottish gangster turned sculptor) and a beefed-up version of Daily News.
The title track was a Vibrators song slowed down to a marching beat, building to dark chords that bring Tony Iommi to mind.
The band gained a sizable hardcore audience in the UK for its anti-authoritarian stance and criticism of the government, particularly in the Reagan/Thatcher era.
Guitarist Big John Duncan and bassist Gary McCormack both left the band in 1986.
Big John ended up in America, where he worked as a guitar tech for Nirvana, and played guitar with them during their concert in Roseland Ballroom, New York City on 23 July 1993.
In February 2014, Wattie Buchan suffered a heart attack on stage during a performance in Lisbon.
Wattie (Terry Buchan)
Vocals Big John (John Duncan) Guitar Mark Patrizio
Bass Drew (Dru Stix)
Drums Stevie Ross
Guitar Colin Erskine
Bass Andy McNiven
Drums Karl Morris
Guitar Nigel Swanson
Guitar Wullie Buchan
Drums Jim Gray
Bass Gordon Balfour
Guitar Fraser Rosetti
Guitar Arthur Dalrymple
Guitar
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They released their first album – Punk’s Not Dead – in 1981, covering themes such as war, corruption, unemployment, police brutality and politics amid a chaotic melee of crashing drums and flailing guitar chords.
