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.
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.
Wattie Buchan
Vocals Big John Guitar Mark Patrizio
Bass Drew
Drums
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