Eating The Rich, And A Pomeranian: The Exploited Interview

WATTIE BUCHAN of THE EXPLOITED: Eating The Rich, And a Pomeranian.

An interview by Sarah Kidd.

Formed in Edinburgh in 1979, The Exploited have had a long and colourful career, the reputation of their lead vocalist Wattie Buchan without a shadow of a doubt preceding him in all forums.

Pioneering, according to many, a second more hardcore wave of punk rock with their debut album – aptly titled – Punks Not Dead, the band continued bringing forth a tsunami of noise, their lyrics telling of their anger. Social injustice was all around them, their country and those of their friends being torn apart by the greed and lies of politicians who they had little if any time for.

Troops of Tomorrow only solidified their reputation, their influence filtering through bands such as Agnostic Front and Discharge, hell even the mighty Slayer have cited them as part of their musical roots. Never one to back down from a fight, always defiant in their stance against war and authoritarian measures, The Exploited have continued to spread their message over eight studio albums and four decades.

Politically outspoken, Wattie has never been one to mince his words – ‘when you can understand him that is’ he often jokes – a thick Scottish accent rolling around inside his mouth.

About to embark on their Australasian tour, beginning with a sold-out show in Auckland, New Zealand, Wattie has already declared that the recent news of Covid-19 will not see them cancelling anything! I caught up with the legend himself for a chat about just what makes him who he is, and why the barmy army remains so dedicated…

Hello from New Zealand Wattie, how are you?

“I’m ok, I’m ok. We’re looking forward to coming back aye, it’s been like four or five years I think?”

Yeah it has been five years; your kiwi fans were pretty happy to hear that you guys were coming back down this way.

“I’ll show them what I got, I’m just glad to be alive!” [raucous laugh]

We’re glad you’re alive too, jesus, nothing is going to keep you down!

“Fuck, I don’t know about that like, don’t know about that. Aye, but I’m looking forward to coming over!”

Alright, so a few questions for you; refusing to ever conform – The Exploited in many fans eyes are the last bastions of punk music. Would you agree?

“Totally! We’re the only punk band – this is a simple fact – we’re the only punk band who’s never ever changed their music, we’ve never ever sold out our principles, we’ve always stuck by what we believe. We’ve done everything our way, that’s another fact eh.

In the early days I was a fuckin total nutcase, well for years, and years, and years I was a total nutcase. Most of my life I’ve been a total nutcase, and a lot of the press hated us cause I’d never say things they wanted me to say. Cause I never say things I don’t believe.

But I’ve had a lot of people say that we’ve helped them get through certain times in their life, and for me that’s made everything we’ve done worthwhile.”

Well I think that is one of the reasons why the barmy army have been so dedicated, because The Exploited have always stuck to their principles; you’ve never changed, you’ve never bowed to pressure and you’ve never conformed and it it’s been that way for decades.

“Aye, we never will either! The problem with it is it mainly be angry music, but it wasn’t meant to be angry music, it was meant to be for social issues…”

[Our interview gets interrupted by Wattie’s dog wanting to go outside]

“Sorry about the dog”

Animal lover myself!

“I’ve got a Pomeranian!”

A Pomeranian!?

“Aye, yeah!” [raucous laughter]

Well, that is fuckin’ punk!

[mutual laughter]

True blue punk ideology and communities are still holding strong across the world, the younger generations coming through only adding to its lifeforce.

Considering the state of the world today, do you see an even greater resurgence of that punk ideology of fighting the power, fighting the governments?

“I think governments have got too much power now, so I’ve got to fight against them. In the UK you got fucking Boris Johnson who’s a total cunt; in America you got Donald Trump who’s a total cunt.

And these people are so powerful and so out of touch with reality. But us punk bands will sing about it and carry it on.

Back in the 70’s and 80’s there was so much poverty, and so much injustice. That’s why I started a punk band; there was so much real poverty over here, real fuckin poverty. And now it’s gone backward, it’s gone backward with social care over here. The government are blaming immigration and shite, there’s so much to write about music wise, punk wise.

Donald Trump is a fuckin mass liar, he just fuckin lies. You got Syria, so many people getting murdered and killed in Syria, fuck, it’s unbelievable!”

It certainly seems that no matter what we are doing – even though there is a resistance that is rising against the continued injustices – to change the world, the ones in power still seem to have a very strong grip.

“That’s right, you’re bloody right. The fuckers do and they’re gettin stronger aye. The worst part, the worst part is fuckin all these people voted them in! All these fuckin idiots, people voted them in. Why!?
Why are they voting for these people?”

Greed I would say. The rich only want to protect their assets. Nothing more.

“All these people in power, they have no reality on what its like to be starving, they have no reality on what its like to be bombed, they have no reality on what its like to be poor!

These people would never last a month, would never last a month living the way the unemployed did. Never survive it.

Fucking rich, privileged bastards!”

I agree, nothing makes me angrier actually. Many of the richest in the world are like dragons, guarding their gold, even though they have billions upon billions of dollars that they will never spend in their lifetimes.

But they will lie, and cheat and steal to protect it. Tax breaks for the mega-rich? C’mon!

“They do! They do, and they still get away with it! I may have been a fuckin bad boy as a kid, but I never ever fuckin lied. You never lie.

A lot of these people they lie through their teeth; they lie, and lie, and lie, and lie all the time! I have never ever fucking lied about anything, you know why? Because if you lie about something, it means that nobody will ever believe anything you’ll say. So, no matter how small it is, you never lie.

But all these politicians, they lie all the time. You catch them, and they deny it, and they just keep denying it. I hate those cunts!”

I think that is one of the things most greatly admired about you by your fans; the fact that you have always had the ability to call it as you see it. You’re blunt, you’re to the point and you have never been afraid to say what you think.

It stands out because so many people nowadays are afraid to say what they think or to call something out, but you never have been.

“I don’t know if it’s a fault, or a good thing aye, but I’ll always say what I think, and I’ll never ever lie. I got lied to all through my life, and it’s always fucked up when people lie.

So, I never lie. Anybody ever lies to me I have nothing to do with them, family, any of them. I’ll always say what I think even if it might not be the right thing to say at the time. Because it may not be what you want to hear, but I’m going to tell you the fuckin’ truth. I’m not a perfect guy, but that’s like one thing no one could ever say; I’ve never been a liar. Especially with punk music, people believe what you write.

There is a lot that don’t, they just do it to make money. But I actually believe in what I write, everything that I say and that I do. And people believe in it. That’s why we are such a strong band. What I say is one hundred percent, what I mean is, it’s not a lot of pretend. It’s the truth in what I am saying, even if it’s not what I should be saying, that’s just the way I am.”

The Exploited have been cited as an influence for many, but who did you see as the legends that carved the path for you to start walking on when you first started out.

“Punk is my life, but the first punk band I seen was a band called The Vibrators. And there was a band called Johnny Moped, and the guy couldn’t sing, he just sounded like ‘Auughhhghhhhhh’…”

[laughs]

“That was like he sounds. And I thought, ‘I can do that!’ [laughs] You get bands where people can actually proper sing right, but this guy was just like [makes same noise again] and I thought ‘I could do that! If he can do it, than I can do it’ and that’s why I came from punk.

I can’t sing, give me the lines and I can sing, but I’m not a proper singer like. But to be honest, with punk rock you don’t have to be the best at what you do. You do the best you can!

If people like it they like it, if they don’t like it, they don’t like it! That’s my take on punk rock eh. There are a lot of bands that play music better than us, but like, for me as long as you give one hundred percent, people will like it.

So that’s my goal in life in general; doesn’t matter if anybody puts you down, or talks shit; if you like what you’re doin’, and you’re happy doin what you’re doin’, then yeah.”

Yes! It’s a well-known fact that your health has not been the greatest over the last few years, and yet you still keep touring The Exploited, still keep pushing the music. Is it just that inherent love for what you do..?

“I had an operation last week, I had another operation just last week…”

Jesus mate!

“But I’m still here, I’m still alive. It’s been a blast!” [laughs]

What keeps you going?

“What with the band? I enjoy it, the gigs, the music. I love the music. I love what I do, and I’m privileged to do it. I enjoy it.

I mean fuck, the last six years have been shite, my quad bypass, got a pacemaker fitted last year, I got a gastric bypass…

I should be dead.

But anyway, I mean sorry, I’m a walkin’ fuckin’ spaz, but I’m ok. I’m still good for doing this tour, so that’s why I’m lookin forward to it. I don’t know if it will be the last time we come through, so I am going to make the most of it! The older you get, it does start getting harder, like physically it does start getting harder, especially when you’re my age.

Like I say, I love the music and when I can’t give one hundred percent then I’ll pack in. But as long as we give one hundred percent and people enjoy what we do, I’ll carry on.

But if I don’t like it, or I can’t do it, I’ll call it a day.”

The Exploited kicked off their ’40 Years Of Chaos’ Australasian tour last night in Auckland, and have a massive twelve more shows across New Zealand and Australia in the coming month. To check ticket availability you can check out The Exploited Tour Page, but we suggest getting in quick as they are selling out fast!

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