The Exploited New Zealand Tour Announced

Scottish punk icons The Exploited will be hitting Aotearoa like a tonne of bricks in early 2020, returning to our shores for three headline events celebrating 40 years of rabble-rousing anthems. Formed in Edinburgh back in 1979, the anarcho-punk, anti-authoritarian unit are responsible for such electrifying classics as ‘Sex and Violence’, ‘Army Life’ and ‘Fuck The USA’ – credited as influencing such uncompromising figures as Discharge, Agnostic Front, Anti-Flag, Anthrax and Slayer. Rally the troops and catch The Exploited, still fronted by founding singer Wattie Buchan, celebrating a lifetime of punk rock at the dates below...

The Exploited - 40 Years Of Chaos

Friday 13th March - Whammy Bar, Auckland
Saturday 14th March - San Fran, Wellington
Sunday 15th March - Club Tavern, Christchurch

General public tickets available HERE via UTR

Watch amazing 1983 footage of The Exploited busting out the title track to their 1981 debut album Punks Not Dead...

Press release:

The Exploited ARE punk rock !!

‘Sex and Violence’, ‘Army Life’, ‘Fuck The USA’, ‘Troops Of Tomorrow’, ‘UK ‘82’ and ‘Cop Cars’ represent just a taste of the anarchy that the Exploited bring to every show.

The first wave of British punk was a bust. Sid was dead and the Pistols signed Ronnie Biggs as their new singer, The Clash were adopting rock star poses, the Damned wanted to be goths, and the Buzzcock’s Pete Shelley bought a synthesizer.

But in Edinburgh ex-Squaddie Wattie Buchan and his mates were seriously pissed off. Angry at what they saw happening around them - a country in disarray with greedy politicians treating the people like shit; and with Johnny Rotten’s prediction of “No Future” becoming truer by the day, there was only one way forward – embrace the music that had given you so much and give it something back… your entire life!

Thus were spawned THE EXPLOITED.

1980 saw the The Exploited launch their first vinyl assault upon stupidity, complacency and corruption when they demolished the indie charts with the one-two knockout of the “Army Life” and “Barmy Army” eps on their own Exploited Records label.

Their debut album “Punks Not Dead” launched a new breed of politically outspoken anarcho-punk bands, and become the number one independent album of 1981 - selling 150,000 copies and reaching number 20 in the national charts. A year later 'Troops Of Tomorrow' was released and is now recognized as one of the all-time classic punk albums. This is a band that has inspired generations of punks, from originals such as Discharge, Agnostic Front and Anti-Flag right through to modern punk bands, and speed metal icons such as Anthrax & Slayer.

Anyone unsure of what The Exploited stand for need only read the label on the tin: the band’s albums include ‘Death Before Dishonour’, ‘Beat The Bastards’ and ‘Fuck The System’; and over the decades The Exploited have remained steadfastly true to their roots - never selling out, and never bowing down. The Exploited are fiercely socially and politically aware, covering everything from the Criminal Justice Act to the increasing use of Big Brother CCTV and never wavering from their anti-authoritarian, anti-war stance.

The Exploited are just as relevant today as they were in 1980 and with the band’s loyal squadron of fans The Barmy Army in tow, The Exploited are set to unleash 40 years of fury, anarchy and chaos upon Australian and New Zealand.

PUNK’S NOT DEAD… EVER!!