Vice Squad

Vice Squad
Background information
Origin	Bristol, England
Genres	Punk rock Street punk
Years active	1978–1985, 1997–present
Labels	Heartbeat, Riot City, EMI, Anagram, SOS, Sudden Death, Rhythm Vicar, Last Rockers
Associated acts	Beki & the Bombshells, Ligotage, Chaotic Dischord, Sweet Revenge
Website	www.vicesquad.co.uk
Members	Beki Bondage Paul Rooney Wayne Firefly Django
Past members	Original band: Dave Bateman † Mark Hambly Shane Baldwin Lia Mark "Sooty" Byrne John Chilcott New band: Michael Giaquinto Wayne Cotton Kev Taylor Tony Piper Violet the Cannibal (Sarah Stow)

Vice Squad are an English punk band formed in 1978 in Bristol. The band was formed from two other local punk bands, The Contingent and TV Brakes. The songwriter and vocalist Beki Bondage (born Rebecca Louise Bond) was a founding member of the band. Although there was a period of time when the band had a different vocalist she reformed the band in 1997. She is often cited as being the first punk pin-up featured on the front cover of a number of influential music tabloids such as Melody Maker, NME and Smash Hits.

Vice Squad was formed in 1978 with an initial line-up of Beki Bondage (vocals), Dave Bateman (guitar), Mark Hambly (bass guitar) and Shane Baldwin (drums), and played its first gig at Bristol University's Anson Rooms on 12 April 1979. Bateman and Baldwin had previously been members of the TV Brakes. The first release by TV Brakes was the track "Nothing", which was included on the 1979 compilation Avon Calling. Members of the band were involved in setting up the Riot City label with Simon Edwards, the label becoming one of the major punk labels of the era. Vice Squad took some time to make further impact, only playing six gigs in 1980. Its first single, "Last Rockers" in 1981, was well-received, selling over 20,000 copies and spending almost forty weeks in the UK Indie Chart, reaching number 7. The follow-up, "Resurrection", reached number 4, and the band undertook a tour supporting UK Subs. The singles received airplay and support from BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and the band went on to record two sessions for his show, in 1981 and 1982.

In 1981, the band signed with the major label EMI (on their Zonophone subsidiary), prompting criticism from many within the DIY punk scene. Their first album, No Cause For Concern, was released in late 1981, reaching number 32 in the UK Album Chart. A second album followed in 1982, and the band embarked on a tour of the United States and Canada. On returning from the US, Bondage announced that she was leaving the band. She went on to front Ligotage and later Beki and the Bombshells, and, without her, Vice Squad were dropped by EMI. The band carried on, however, replacing Bondage with a new singer called Lia (who was previously known as Jools and had been the singer for local band Affairs of the Heart). The new line-up, also including the band's manager Mark "Sooty" Byrne on second guitar, signed with Anagram Records, and recorded a session for David Jensen's BBC radio show. Indie hits continued with singles such as "Black Sheep" and "You'll Never Know", but sales dwindled, and the band split up in 1985. Dave Bateman died in 2007.

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