Formation and early days (1979–1980) The original line-up consisted of Terry Buchan (vocals), Stevie Ross (guitar), Colin Erskine (bass) and Andy McNiven (drums). After a few gigs in and around
Edinburgh, Stevie Ross left following an appearance in
Aberdeen supporting the
UK Subs. Stevie Ross was briefly replaced by guitarist Stevey Hay (Hayboy), who died on 14 July 2013 after a successful career as a blues musician. Guitar duties were then taken over by Big John Duncan. Stevie Ross continues to write songs and, in addition to solo performances, he also plays in The Station Road Band.
Early releases and ''Punk's Not Dead'' (1980–1981) Influenced by 1970s punk rock music, such as that by the
Sex Pistols, the quartet developed a straightforward, no-frills sound characterised by speed and aggression. In 1980, the group founded their own
independent record label, Exploited Records, and released their debut EP
Army Life, which ranked #6 in the Indie/Independent charts for eight weeks and remained in the Top 20 for eighteen months. The B-side was titled
Fuck the Mods / Crashed Out, and the record's back cover featured the message, "To all the Edinburgh punks and skins - keep on mod-bashing!!". They then released another single, "Barmy Army", which ascended the independent charts and remained there for 53 weeks, peaking at #4. The Exploited released the single "Dogs of War", which peaked at #2 on the Independent charts and #63 on the UK Charts. Also in 1981, the band released their first live album,
On Stage, recorded during a concert in Edinburgh. Subsequently, the band toured with
Discharge,
Anti-Nowhere League,
Anti-Pasti and
Chron Gen on a tour titled
Apocalypse Now, which was recorded and released as a live album. Their album
Punks Not Dead, released in April 1981, reached #20 in May, and then climbed to number 1 on the Independent Charts. and
Horror Epics in 1985. The period between these albums was marked by severe discord over the band's musical direction: guitarist
Big John Duncan and bassist Gary McCormack both left to form new bands—"bands with
disco beats and guitar
solos, total shit", in Wattie's words—and the band experienced a rapid succession of drummers, one of whom allegedly left after a "
nervous breakdown". The band was driven away from the Secret label by new management who demanded unrealistic changes in style and personnel. The album's cover featured artwork from the American punk artist
Pushead, who complained that he was neither paid nor credited for the work. The band went on to release a
Singles Collection album in 1993. The Exploited also released the videography
Live in Japan in 1993. Their album
Beat the Bastards was released in April 1996.
Fuck the System and next album (2003–present) In early 2003, the band released the album
Fuck the System on Dream Catcher Records, and in the following year, they toured the UK and the US. On 14 October 2003, around 500 fans sparked a riot in
Montreal, Canada after an Exploited concert was cancelled due to the band being denied entry into the country. Rioters overturned and set fire to eight cars, broke eleven shop windows, and caused other damage. In a 2012 interview, Wattie Buchan stated that a new album was nearing completion. In February 2014, Wattie Buchan suffered a heart attack on stage during a performance in
Lisbon as part of the band's
Taste of Chaos Tour with
Hatebreed and
Napalm Death. He was taken to hospital, where he was expected to remain for at least a week for treatment. The band signed a deal with
Nuclear Blast Records, and it was planned that many of their albums would be reissued in March 2014. The band also confirmed that their first album in a decade would be released during the 2010s. In March 2020, Wattie Buchan responded to the
coronavirus outbreak that was forcing bands to cancel or postpone tours. He made a pointed remark about
Green Day (a band he had frequently stated he disliked), saying, "Fuck coronavirus! I have had 5 heart attacks, a quadruple heart bypass and a heart pacemaker fitted. Cancel gigs for a virus? We ain't fucking Green Day piss – We are the real deal. No danger will we be cancelling our upcoming gigs. Punks Not Dead!" The Australian leg of the tour was cancelled four days later, although the band completed all the scheduled New Zealand gigs. ==Legacy==