Vice Squad was formed in 1978 in Bristol, England, by vocalist Beki Bondage, guitarist Dave Bateman, bassist Mark Hambly, and drummer Shane Baldwin. The bandâs first public appearance was on 12â¯Aprilâ¯1979 at Bristol Universityâs Anson Rooms, and their initial single "Last Rockers" (1981) entered the UK Indie Chart at Number 7, staying for almost forty weeks. In 1981 Vice Squad signed with EMIâs Zonophone subsidiary, releasing the album No Cause For Concern (1981), which peaked at Number 32 on the UK Albums Chart; the followâup Stand Strong Stand Proud (1982) reached Number 47. After Beki Bondage departed in 1982, a new vocalist joined and the group signed with Anagram Records, issuing singles such as "Black Sheep" (1983) and "You'll Never Know" (1984) before disbanding in 1985. The band reâformed in 1997 under Beki Bondage, releasing compilation Bang To Rights (2001) on their own label, Last Rockers. Vice Squad continued touring internationally, producing albums London Underground (2009), Punk Rock Radio (2011), Cardboard Country (2014), and Battle of Britain (2020). The original drummer Shane Baldwin died on 30â¯Januaryâ¯2024 from heart failure.
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