Original subtitles

Alright, how you doing? It's called Let's Start A War...

I'm Wattie from The Exploited

And I make a noise. I'm Irish Rob I play bass.

I'm Stevie.

I play guitar.

I'm Joe.

I'm drummer.

Lee: All right, gentlemen, in you go.

Hello.

We're still in a mess.

Rob: I joined in 2004, and I ended up auditioning for guitar.

I didn't get the job, but did get the job playing bass.

I'm sure Wattie can elaborate much more about that.

Wattie: I'm not gonna tell you.

I don't want to embarrass him.

Rob: Not until I'm gone.

Stevie: I was friends with Robbie.

I came in to do a handful of gigs with them. Helped him out.

Jo: I started doing the first gigs in March, and it's amazing.

Traveling the world, playing to sold out shows.

Wattie: We had to re-edit some of this DVD. Some of the stuff that was on it

is irrelevant now.

So we wanted to make this relevant to what's been happening in the band.

There's a level you've got to be at. For Exploited you've got to be at a level

People thinks it's easy but Exploited stuff is not easy.

Wattie: See what he got?

I said go and get us a towel

For the gig, there's no towels

So he comes back with two of them like that

Is that a hand towel?

Come on, how big is your nob you cunt.

How is that a hand towel? I went to Blackpool and came back with that!

Stevie: I grew up listening to The Exploited, helped myself get through a lot of hard times,

you know, playing the songs as a fan of The Exploited.

I give Watts 110% every time.

You know if I don't come off that stage knackered or hurting...

Wattie: He gets told.

Stevie: What he does is whisper it through the door whilst I sleep.

Wattie: You're shit.

Stevie: Make Wattie a sandwich. And you're shit.

Lee: Want some nuts? Stevie: No thank you.

Lee: Just do your interview mate, They keep picking of all kinds of shady shit here.

Just fucking walk ahead.

Wattie: Stevie actually plays the songs

like how they should be played, he plays older stuff

in the style they should be played not mentally fucking crossover.

Robbie and Matt used to add bits to the songs but I never noticed.

My wife used to say 'they're changing the songs...

Making them too Metal. I'm like what you on about?

He plays them like punk, how they should be played.

Stevie: I locked myself away for weeks and just went through the songs.

Went through the songs, you know,

Bought the stuff to the table, for Watts and Willie.

Wattie: We'd go, it's shit!

Stevie: That bit! That Bit!

Wattie: What the fuck are you playing you cunt?

So Stevie was in the band for two and a half years almost,

and done 5 gigs! Welcome to sunny Blackpool!

That's your tea you cunt.

Lee: Is it like that fish cake you were eating last night? It looks like it.

Wattie: I forgot to bring the backdrop.

You know.

* Laughs*

Lee: You're going to have to heavily edit some of this video.

Stevie: Two years of getting shouted at.

Wattie: Totally.

Stevie: And you know how bad it got, I quit drinking.

Wattie: Join The Exploited and stop drinking, eh?

Normally it works the other way.

Stevie: It's when you give up poisons, you know there's been real abuse.

Wattie: Before we done Army Life we done a demo tape.

We never released it. It's got 7 or 8 songs on it.

Army Life's on it. And other songs.

We've been offered loads of money for it.

But I'd never ever sell it cos my vocals, I sound like a choir boy.

*High Pitch* Army Life is ki... I sound like Mini Mouse.

So I'd never release it. Never ever! We got a support gig with

Cockney Rejects

And one of the guys who was doing sound for them said 'We'll do a single with you...

So we done Army Life. My girlfriend at the time took it down to London, she met Garry Bushell...

...from Sounds, he made it single of the week.

And ever since then that's when we started...

. getting in the Independent charts for weeks and weeks and weeks... Well for...

Then we signed to Secret Records and done Exploited Barmy Army and Dogs of War

We done that in this graveyard with Glen

Our old drummer. He's dead now. And Big John and Gary.

Back then we were so enthusiastic. And so happy. We just played for nothing.

Basically. Then we done the Live in Edinburgh

on a 2-track. I had to buy that.

I bought 4 copies on vinyl. That sold hundreds and hundreds of thousands,

Hundreds of thousands, and I never got a penny for it. And it still sells.

**General backgorund chat**

Wattie: How you doing, guys?

Cro Mags: Great to see you

Wattie: Hello

Wattie: How you keeping? Great to see you're still alive mate.

These are the guys from the CRO MAGS. We just toured with the guys.

Cro Mags: Whats'up?

Wattie: Fuck the Haters.

Cro Mags: We just got here right now.

Was thinking where the fuck we supposed to get the wrist bands and other shit

Wattie: Come this way

Yeah.

Wattie: Wrist bands up here.

Wattie: That was lucky, eh.

Cro Mags: Yeah.

We were like, where the fuck is it?

Wait...

There's Wattie - right there!

Stuart: How's it been through Covid times for the band? Wattie: Shit! For the band? Shit

We done New Zealand, when Stevie first joined the band.

In NZ we done 3 gigs. Then the next day we were supposed to fly

to Australia, for 12 gigs, they shut the border cos of Covid.

I collapsed at the airport and was in hospital for three days.

I can't remember what was wrong with me, but I couldn't breath and was in hospital.

And then we done

5 gigs in two and a half years.

Fan: Montreal, remember? Wattie: Montreal? A great place.

Photographer: You got time for a picture, guys?

Right?

Here we go.

Fan: I saw you guys in San Diego, like, two months ago. Wattie: Did you? That was good.

Come on,

Wattie: Let's go see Harley.

Stuart: What time is he on?

Wattie: I'm not sure.

Stuart: Half 3? Wattie: You got the times?

Wattie: Harley's actually a good guy. The first time I met him, 40 years ago, when we played in LA

And this wee Skinhead guy climbed up

about up about 25 feet with his bass on the PA

Jumped off the PA with his bass, into the crowd, and I was like that *pulls face*

Fucking hell, man, was mortified, thought he must have killed himself.

Wattie: Punk's Not Dead was the Independent album of the year for us. We got a gold disk for it.

Never got any money, but I got a disk. There's a recording studio in Edinburgh called R.E.L.

All together it took 3 days recording and cost �600.

All the mistakes you can hear, but we were so excited to do it,

It's a classic album. Part of Punk Rock history.

It meant a lot as a statement. Not just for us, but for the whole Punk underworld.

Because there was tons of young punk bands like ourselves.

So we done Punk's Not Dead

And then everything kicked off from there.

From there we done the Apocalypse Now tour,

The biggest Punk tour since The Pistols and The Clash tour

And in fact, there's not

been a proper Punk tour like that since then, and that's in 40 years.

John Curd: Wattie!

Wattie: Is that John? Is that John Curd? Yeah! Hi John come in!

Sorry... How you doing, mate?

This is John Curd, the guy who done the Apocalypse Now tour.

He's the Arthur Daley of the Punk world. *Laughs*

I was talking with Discharge and said this is the first time we've played London together since the Apocalypse Now tour.

John Curd: Do you know what? I remember doing a show at The Rainbow with Blag Flag on the bill.

Wattie: I remember, we were fighting with all the MODS next door.

Wattie: And the other one which was good, was when you were headlining

John Curd: Christmas on Earth. Wattie: That's right, aye.

Hahahahaha

Harley: I'm good, man. Wattie: I just see your band.

Wattie: Yeah. Helped them get their passes.

Harley: Who the fuck is this?

Wattie: This is Harley, from the CRO MAGS. Harley: Ahhhaa. This is my Brother, right here. You heard about him and Henry, right?

Wattie: Fuck off. Henry Rollins, he's talking about...

Woman: Do you want a drink or anything?

Wattie: He's got a new band together.

Because him and John Joseph, they're ex band members hate each other

Like me and Big John, that's their business, eh.

I've known Harley ages and I totally respect the guy because he's had a crazy life style.

And he's done loads of mental things.

It's like my mates, they're all crazy, and yourself

you've all lived your life, you've got good stories, and you've actually lived it.

You've experienced Punk Rock, and done it all, you don't need to make up stories.

You don't have to make bullshit up - and that's what Harley's like.

Stuart: What's going on?

Wattie: Harley does a bit of exercise before he goes on stage.

Off Screen: Do you mind? Harley: Do I mind?

I fucking love this motherfucker.

Wattie: We had the best tour, of America.

Harley: Playing with these guys, it's the only time I've played with a band I've watched them every-night

Except for Motorhead.

Stevie: I see a lot of similarities between Wattie and Harley - and that honesty.

Harley: Wattie, my motherfucking man, and The Exploited

and, you know, to set the record straight

in my opinion this fucking festival wouldn't even be happening

if these motherfuckers didn't say punks not dead.

Because a lot of motherfuckers thought it was.

Wattie: To me, guys like James Brown and Screamin Lord Such, they were legends in then music.

And I think that Harley's done that

in the CRO MAGS, he's a legend and his music is way up here.

He's survived and he's always been true to his music.

And that's like us, and that will never change, eh.

Wattie: We done Top oof the Pops, and we done it with Gary Glitter. During rehearsals he had a big silver suit and looked like a big turkey.

He had all these wee girls around him and I thought that it was a bit weird at the time.

Wattie: I was playing the song

and I saw this guy with a mustache. And he was jumping about.

And I wanted to go and kick him in the face, but I had to think calm down.

Calm down, it's Top of the Pops! Crazy days.

Wattie: Nineteen eightly fucking one.

Dom: I've been involved in setting up the litery stage and scheduled this

and Wattie's going to be interviewed by a good friend of mine, Diana from Los Angeles.

I think she's got a few interesting things she's going to ask Wattie about later.

Lee: Say fuck you.

Wattie: This is called Troops of Tomorrow

Wattie: Troops of Tomorrow had a bit more money put into it and we worked with a guy called Tony Sparth

I think he'd worked with David Bowie before.

The Production on that is fucking superb!

Easily one of the best Production on any Punk album, ever!

The only thing I remember about making that record is Secret Records took us to London and put us in an apartment.

Big John got Gary's toothbrush and stuck it up his arse.

So after that everybody called his Gary Browngums. That's all I remember about making that album.

Diana: This man needs no introduction.

Let's give it up for Wattie BOOcan.

Wattie: It's Buchan.

Diana: Okay, before we start, let me activate Google translate.

Wattie: Awwww...

Wattie: I never imagined when we started all those years ago that we'd be headlining Rebellion and stuff

We were just a wee tiny band.

And all the band's that we played with like SLF, the Rejects, the Subs...

999. These were all massive bands compared to us.

And it's like now, we're headlining above them all.

And that makes me feel like I've actually done something with our music.

Wattie: We've been offered a load of times to go into the studio and record a 'live� album

and we'd get a couple of grand.

We've been offered that a lot of times but I've told them to fuck off, we'll never do it.

But I know at least 6 names punk bands who have.

But I won't mention them.

They're know who they are.

There's one band that dubbed in the crowd

**Fakes Crowd ?Noise** Yeah this ones for... And they pan out and you see what's in front of them, eh.

Wattie: Neigh cunt there! If I done that, then... Stevie: Selling out.

Wattie: Everything. Everybody who follows the band, who believes in the band, I'd be laugh at them.

I will never do that, as I have too much respect for the Punks who follow our music.

Who supported us and have stood by us all these years.

I would never do that!

Diana: If you had a time machine and you could go back, what advice would you give a young Wattie?

Wattie: None. Never change anything.

I've done this for 42 years and listening to Punk music.

And it's the best thing that has ever happened in my life.

Wattie: I've never done anything with The Exploited that we've not given it 100%

We've got loads of good songs written. We have 14-16 songs for the new album.

We've written 80 odd songs, something like that, over the years

but it's only 14-16 songs we've kept.

Rob: I've been In the band for more or less 20 years and there's no album.

So... maybe it's me - maybe I'm the curse!

Wattie: For the last 20 years we've had Robbie and Matt.

One would leave, the other would take over. 6 times. So we had no continuity.

Rob: What's happened is, we've written a lot of material, but it's never got to the point with one guitarist

There's a there's enough material, just need to get it actually recorded.

Diana: We'll take one more question.

Fan's Question: When your new album out.

Diana: It's been how long?

18 years.

Wattie: That's one question I can never answer...

Stevie: I've been writing away, bringing ideas to the table, some are good, others are a different kind of style

Wattie: That�s a problem as there�s been a lot of stuff written, good stuff, but not good enough for The Exploited.

I think with The Exploited our music is not the same as any other punk band

There's no other punk band with the same music as us

IStevie: think it's with the honesty in your stuff

that sort of gives other people who can easily idetify with.

Wattie: I never copy anybody else's style.

So when I want to write songs with The Exploited.

The songs have got to be fucking aggressive,

they've got to be a lot of feeling, a lot of energy and power

And it's like, If I write a song...

...and get goosebumps, that's how I know. And when I listen to it back I get goosebumps, I know that song is for keeping.

That's how I judge my songs.

Wattie: When I write songs, I've always got to be angry, cos to me Punk is angry music.

Over the last few years with my health being shit and being content with my life

I'll find it harder to write angry songs.

If I really wanted to, I could put 2 albums out.

But they'd be shit, they wouldn't be 100% Exploited.

If we did a new album we could make a lot of money as everybody is waiting for it.

But that's not what I'm about, that's not what I believe.

If I done that then everything I've worked for the last 40 years.

It would be gone!

Wattie: Let's Start A War? Fucking great album!

You could have signed to any any label.

But I wanted it to be a Punk label - selling cheap records and stuff

So there was a guy called Marcus Feather, at PAX record.

So we recorded it at a place called Strawberry Studios.

Which was owned by... CRASS.

Yeah, you heard me right,

CRASS, who were always like anti establishment, anti making money.

What they done was, the studio was registered to a friend of theirs.

We done Let's Start A War over 10 days there. And that's how I know for a fact.

And now years later everybody knows what I was saying was the truth

and that CRASS were full of shit. I've been ripped off for hundreds of thousands of pounds.

In the early days. At the end of the day, I say that was me being naieve.

The only thing in life you've got that is worth anything is your word.

My word is my word. If I tell someone I'm going to do something, I'll do it.

With Marcus he gave us a cheque for �2,500 for LSAWar.

I put it in the bank, oh it's still in the bank. Put it in the bank.

It's still not cleared! The guy bounced the cheque - I shook hands with him.

And for me, when something is personal, then it's fucking personal...

...That makes me violent.

He moved from Sheffield down to Bristol, and we had a gig in Bristol.

Somebody told me where he was so we went to his door with balaclavas on

There was a 14 or 15 year old guy, Scottish guy answered the door.

Said you got 20 seconds, where is Marcus?

Went to his room, he wasn't there, but we took everything out with us

We were going through his stuff driving up and he had a photo album

of him with young kids, half naked and stuff

Long story short working for the BBC He changed his name by deed pole.

And I heard he died, I think it was last year.

Wattie: Oh, and then we went to Argentina, not long after the Falklands

I was told we were going to do some interviews and I thought 'Who's heard of us?!

But there was about 40 TV cameras

And Mr. Bigmouth here, I started going on about the Falklands war

I said 'We won the war' and stuff, and fuck man... *Laughs*

Yeah, aye, aye, so the gig that night

everyone was fucking attacking us, trying to kill me onstage, throwing bricks and that

Oh, fucking hell, I wasn't very popular

Dianna: bounced back from a lot of serious health problems.

Did you know you're having a heart attack when it was happening?

Wattie: No, people say you get pains in your chest and whatever but I just felt like going, urrghhh...

Wattie: I've had 5 heart attacks, the first one I never knew

The Doctors said the severitty of your heart attack, most people do not survive that.

And I was actually in the hospital when I had another massive heart attack, I was in the hospital.

That probably saved me.

Wattie: Will have to take it easy the first few songs or I'll end up breathless.

Wattie: then feel like I'm going to pass out. Scott: Yeah it's a bit warm up there.

Wattie: I'm lucky, the Doctors told me I should be dead, they don't know how I'm still alive.

Stevie: Like a cockroach.

Wattie: Then I got really fat

I stopped doing drugs, after 34 years of doing speed everyday. I got fat as fuck

Wattie: Every time you have a heart attack, it damages your heart and they can't fix it

That's it damaged

My heart works at something like 40%.

Wattie: So what normal people take for granted, just normal walking

well I couldn't walk more than 20 feet without being like, *pants* Totally fucked.

Wattie: I actually wanted to kill myself at one point as I was so depressed.

I'd always been fit, always been active

Wattie: I wasn't happy with the way I was.

It took me years to actually say that and open up about it

It's a mental illness. So if you're depressed, if you've got someone you can trust - talk to them.

Even just talking to them can make you feel better

Wattie: Nowdays young people have got so much peer pressure

people need to stand up for themselves and say no

I can do what I want to do, I can wear what I want, I can say what I want.

Wattie: Horror Epics was done with a guy Dave from Yorkshire.

He was more of a businessman, wasn't much of a record guy. He gave us money to put an album together.

They had no proper equpment. The only kit they had there was a Siemens Kit.

An electronic kit

The drum kits, the other drum kits...

The normal drum kits were total shit

We never had the money to buy new skins as we were all back on the dole

We just used what was there, and that's why it sounded different to the other albums.

The drumming on Horror Epics, along with Beat The Bastards, is the best drumming. My Brother, he's a brilliant drummer.

Wattie: A picture? Go on then.

Wattie: 'cos you're an Upstart.

Wattie: Oil What you gonna do... Cheeballs?

Girl: Say cheeseballls. Wattie: Cheeballs, aye.

Fan: Can we take a picture? Wattie: Sure.

Wattie: With a Cock Sparrer t-shirt on, eh?

Wattie: Oi! Oi! Oil

Wattie: In Croatia, the promoter was worried about my health after I'd had the heart attack

and he actually had two heart surgeons come to the gig

come to the gate to make sure I was okay, and that if I had any problems would have done what needed to be done

And I thought wow, people would actually do that for me?

Diana: So anyone have a question you want to ask Wattie, just shout it out?

Fan question: Do you get on with John Lydon?

Wattie: I've never met the guy, but if it wasn't for John Lydon, there wouldn't be any punk bands.

There wouldn't be any Exploited.

What punk started as was just another music fashion, but there was so much poverty in the UK

so punk music became an angry music for the working class

So when everybody said punk was dead, Spandaux Ballet and all the cunts like that

*Harley shouts* And you kept it alive!

Wattie: Hey, just because you like Henry Rollins *laughs*

He does! Hey Henry's my man

So I never actually met John Lydon. But I do respect him, aye.

Stuart: Go go go... Wattie: It's a bit hectic, eh?

Wattie: Hello.

Rob: I love the fact that young people can make albums in their bedroom, you know, with...

With a �500 laptop.

No, you know, no other specialized gear.

It's a lot more genuine.

Wattie: There's a lot of good bands. Your band was good, Underclass UK.

Bands like yourself, The Vile, Certified, Face Up.

Maid of Ace. All these younger bands as well.

They got the energy, got the passion and really believe in the music.

To me, that's what's good about music.

Rob: The dawn of the Internet has made it actually...

People see through that bullshit because they're, they're able to see what,

you know, what real actual local talent there is out there.

And then they, they go to shows, they start going and engaging with that scene.

Wattie: All the bands before us, I used to look up to these bands...

...Cos we were only a wee tiny band from Scotland, and I'd look up as they were Punk, the one's that started it all off

Band's like The Damned and that. Back in the day, they were great bands!

Diana: What country do you wish you could play that you haven't played yet?

Wattie: Probably Thailand. Maybe.

Diana: You've never played Thailand? Wattie: I've been to Thailand.

I've been there lots. *Laughs*

I'm sure I saw Jimmy Pursey there.

Wattie: There's some more bands but I don't want to mention them, apart from maybe Jimmy Pursey and his arty dance music video.

Wattie: Anybody seen it? It's funny as fuck.

Heckler: Do it!

Wattie: Do it? Fuck off!!

Wattie: Jimmy Pursey on Riverside. Google it and then piss your pants laughing.

That guy used to be a legend in the Oil movement.

Wattie: Anyway. Sorry.

I keep getting sidetracked here.

Stuart: All right. That's liable done.

Wattie: It's not liable. It's a fucking fact. It's a fact!

He can't go to Ameri... He can't go to Ameri...

I'm drinking tea by the way... **Ohhh** Tea...

I've got a hangover from last night.

If I don't shut up I'll never get out.

We'll be here for days.

Were meant to be on an hour ago... *Laughs*

Stuart: Just sit you on the end there.

Diana: The Mohican and the Skull with the Mohican logo

has been synonymous with the exploited and with you.

He can't go to Ameri...I got a mohican because it was different

Everynight was a fight night, look at the state of this cunt

So we'd start fighting them.

Because back then having a mohican was a statement.

It actually meant something

After so long you had David Beckham and all these cunts having mohicans, what the fuck?

I refused to put my hair up

The record company were saying, you've got to put your hair up - fuck off!

And all these punks were saying, you've got to put your hair up - fuck off!

Because punk is not what you look like, it's what you believe in.

I'm Birdy from PNX news

And I work with Casey Royer, who is also Carl C Boyer.

So check out PNX News.

Stuart: Did you get nervous before going on stage?

He can't go to Ameri...Not nervous, but I get a bit of tightness when we play in the UK

Like when we play Scotland, or London, cos my pals will be there.

And they'll just totally slag me.

So that's the only time when we play I go abit, oh fuck it,

and get nerves before we play.

Wattie: I'll say something nice, eventually.

Charlie Harper, he's a legend in Punk, a legend!

He's still a good guy.

Just thinking who else is good? The Stranglers are good. We played with them a wee while back. They were great.

The Rejects are fucking great live.

GBH are great, Discharge are great, Varukers are great.

Loads of good bands, but the difference between us and a lot of the...

Wattie: Oh thanks very much. Fan: For you.

Wattie: Cheers! Fan: Love you. Wattie: Ah see that?

Wattie: I got a rose. I came to Blackpool and got a rose, thanks very much. *Laughs*

Diana: What show stands out the most in your mind as the most scariest.

Wattie: The most scariest was playing in New York

Back in the 80s and 90s, all the Skinheads hated us, because of Fuck The USA.

It's not an anti American song, it's an anti Government song.

But because it says Fuck The USA, they're like *Funny Voice* 'Fuck you Wattie'

Wattie: So back then Agnostic Front, the Cro Mags, all these bands hated us, eh.

Wattie: We played the Ritz and there was fucking hundred, and hundred and hundreds of Skinheads

All these cunts wiaving big American flags and shouting 'Fuck you Wattie you cunt, fuck you'.

I was just goading, like fuck off ya cunts, like, eh you wee cunt, eh.

But inside I was totally shitting myself

Thinking, if they get over that barrier, I'm fucking dead! *Laughs*

So the next night, Motorhead were playing

So they guys said, let's go and see Motorhead and I said OK.

So we went around the back of the building and we sneaked in

We sat up in a balcony and I could recognise all the Skinheads from the night before

I always watch the faces to see who's fucking chucking bottles and shit

and they're all having a good time

Then Lemmy said, this one's for Wattie and The Exploited

the next minute there's a black clowd of bottles being chucked at him

I had to apologise to him, I said Tm sorry Lemmy

We're not very popular here.

Harley has this story he told in an interview, that years ago back in America,

he rugby tackled me in the crowd to stop me getting battered.

I can't remember that, Haley.

I can't remember you tackling me, but I do remember all your pals that tried to attack us

That I do remember that. But it's okay.

It's all in the past, and I still love ya, you're a good guy.

So after the gig

there's one guy who's been there all night, and he comes up to me and says can I get a picture?

Fuck off you fucking radge Get to fuck before I fucking batter ya

Fucking idiot, unbelievable

We got a producer in and he wanted to do it his way, do the guitar then the bass together, and we wanted to do it separate.

So he said like, well, do it my way or no way.

I said it's no way then, fuck off.

Then me my brother, we produced the album

When I listen back to it now, I can hear loads of mistakes

and loads of technical errors and stuff like that.

It's not the strongest of our albums but at the time I thought I'm not gonna let anyone dictate to me

I've never let anybody tell me what songs to put on

or what to play or how it should sound

I know what the music is I want

and I expect them to get what's in my head

One of my favorite places to play is in America, it's called Santana

Kids jumping over the barriers, like what the fuck

give me some of their drugs, quick.

Fucking great venue, good people.

Diana: What is it like to see so many young people that are into your music?

Wattie: Weird

It's normally just old cunts like me

Chile, Bosnia, Croatia, great places to play. Russia is a great place to play.

Wattie: We've been to Russia for over 25 years. Great people. Got loads of friends there.

They can't speak out cos they get arrested

I've been to Ukraine before,

Again, nice people.

Wattie: This song is for Vladimir Putin

He's a fucking murdering, wanking Russian bastard.

Fuck him

Fuck The Cunt. This song is called The Massacre.

Wattie: What's happening in Ukraine is fucking brutal

They're getting slaughtered

Putin's a fucking mass murderer. He's a fucking idiot.

It's like with the Nazis in the war in Germany,

they haven't got any free press.

There's no free press, it's all State controlled TV, and that's what's happening in Russia.

If you speak out, you get arrested. And jails in Russia,

are much, much tougher than anywhere else. Brutally tougher.

But that's another story.

Wattie: I really do hope to go back there, but I don't know when that will happen.

I don't know when that will happen

Wattie: For me, one of the most important albums we've ever done.

Up until The Massacre every cunt hated The Exploited apart from our fans.

All the media hated The Exploited. Hated me.

Plus we were violent, gigs were violent.

I was always doing loads of drugs so was always **grrrrrrrr** to every cunt.

Everybody thought we were making money but we weren't making money we were on the dole.

Just surviving doing gigs. And everyone used to say, Troops of Tomorrow was the best album

I used to fucking hate that because Big John played guitar on it.

Wattie: We done The Massacre with Colin Richardson and he was the first guy who spent time with us

He really wanted to get the sound we wanted. The first guy to put loads of effort in.

It's the first album where I felt the production was right.

We weren't a Thrash band, never have been - we've always been a Punk band..

We play Punk music - but that music crosses over into the Metal scene.

We get loads of Metal people who like our music as it's fast and aggressive. But it's always been fast and aggressive.

Then somebody wrote to me via our fan club page and said The Massacre is the best album you've done.

That made me really happy and I thought I'm going to continue with the band.

In the history of The Exploited, that was a massive album for us, really massive

Because we went from there to Beat The Bastards.

Wattie: I'm gonna come back there.

Wattie: All these cunts say 'ah you're shit'

I never said we were good,

You can't sing - I never said I can sing, but I get paid for it, ya cunt.

Wattie: People can say what ever they want

But if you talk about my family, or my band mates or my pals,

then that's different, that's personal, and I'll go and attack them.

All the Haters never come up to me and say it to my face.

I get loads of shit, death threats,

'I hope you die of cancer' that kind of thing, eh.

Wattie: I never forgot those people that helped the band, all these guys that followed the band, and stood up for the band.

All those years ago when everything was a fight and it was Exploited or Crass.

I never forget that. And that's why I invite them to gigs and give them passes.

Because they were there for us when nobody else was there.

Wattie: I've had doctors, heart surgeons, porn stars, teachers,

cops, all come, for all these years...

and say 'I love The Exploited'.

Wattie: Fuck you, you Scottish bastard?

Wattie: You mean, fuck you you handsome Scottish bastard!

Rob: For me, it's trouble getting to meet so many interesting people.

I mean, recently we were in Georgia, we were in Armenia, Turkey.

So was just it was a fantastic trip.

You know, I really just like playing gigs.

Jo: I really enjoyed going out to Turkey, Armenia, Georgia,

special places to visit in the world that you have no idea what's going on

over there and meet with people and hear stories about their part of the world.

A humbling experience.

Stevie: You're experiencing more culture and meeting so many different...

people and really opening your eyes, you know, to the world.

Wattie: Apart from getting to travel the world and meet people?

The fact that I've done something in my life that people appreciate it.

I get a lot of Texts and stuff

from people who are going through a hard time and saying they grew up with our music

and that our music got them through a certain part of their life.

To me, that's that means everything. It means I've actually done something,

that meant something to that person.

Wattie: When I said to that guy from Green Day, you might have a big record company

and fucking loads of money, but I've got something you will never have

and that's respect from the Punks.

Wattie: You can not buy that, you have to earn it. Stevie: Exactly. Wattie: So that's what I take away from being in The Exploited.

Wattie: In the past we'd done an album by every 5 years. We never ever let the record companies hear anything.

My Brother was doing the drums for Beat The Bastard for 3 days. 3 days for one song!

I'd say 'that's not right� and his hands were blistered, he kept going back in and back in.

Wattie: Aye, it was hard work. The guitarist would play stuff and I'd say 'that's shit, do it again'.

Even some of the songs I did vocals and everyone would say, 'that's great'

But when I had time to listen to it, I'd go back and rewrite it and do it again.

Wattie: That album, Beat The Bastards, we were told we could spend �5k and keep �15k.

That's a lot of money cos we were on the dole. In the end, it cost us �70k with a budget of �20k!

Am not bothered about the money, I just wanted to make a great album

I know loads of bands who had the same deal, can spend what you want. Keep the rest.

And they spent maybe �5k on their album. The rest is history.

So with that album Beat The Bastard, we went from there, with all the other punk bands,

We went from there to way up here.

And we're still up here - because we spent all the money and the effort on making great albums.

Wattie: Beat The Bastards crossed over to Metal people who'd never touched Punk before.

Apart from maybe Motorhead

Then all these people, MTV, Kerrang, they all wanted to start doing interviews.

I'd go and do interviews with the wee, tiny fanzines.

Cos those people supported us when the Metal magazines didn't want to know us before.

So Beat The Bastards was a massive album.

I think along with Punk's Not Dead, it's our classic album.

Wattie: I've had a good life, a great life, a crazy life.

I don't have many regrets.

Apart from some personal ones...

But... Erm...

Aye, fuck. I've lost track of what I was saying again. **Laughs**

Wattie: The best thing I've ever done in my life, is being in The Exploited.

I've done a lot of stupid things. I've said a lot of stupid shit.

I still do!

But I don't give a fuck.

One thing I am is 100% honest.

I don't say things I don't mean.

I always say what I think - even if it's not agreeable.

Wattie: What time is it? 10? Have you done a line check?

Diana: The popularity of The Exploited blew up in the U.S. and around the world

And even Metal bands like Slayer covered your songs, and Ice T.

With Bodycount.

Wattie: At the time we never got any press back in the UK

It was quite hard going for The Exploited with so much hate.

And I thought that would be good and maybe see our name

on the titles of the movie.

We done a support with Ice T, and it was in the papers

'Scottish hoard empty Ice T's dressing room�

All my mates got in and emptied the fridge - like total tramps.

Rob: 20 years ago album sales mattered, performing live

If anything, it was a secondary revenue stream.

It wasn't really something that every band had to rely on.

I know in the last little while people have become very aware

that we're playing in an Academy show tonight.

We won't be selling merchandise tonight

because the 02 Academy Group, they want to take a set fee per person.

That equates to us giving them basically �1,000 tonight

for us to sell our own t shirts.

Wattie: When we done the Beat The Bastards tour

we got a tour bus, and for me it was a big deal, 'we've made it, we got a tour bus'

After 20 odd years we got a tour bus - Brilliant!

But for a guy in the band, it wasn't good enough for him, eh.

Saying that I should be getting more and that things were not good enough

So he left the band to go and work at the train station

and to have another wee band and go play Bannermans

to play to 20 or 30 people

Cunts like that can go fuck themselves, man.

We have a few guys in the band who've been total fucking fannies.

Fan Question: Do you ever see your old band members, Gary and Big John?

Wattie: Big John is a fucking fat cunt.

If there's one person in the world that I could kill, it would be that cunt.

I got offered loads of times to sack the band

Sack The Exploited, change the name of the band, go solo, and we'll give you thousands and thousands of pounds

Well T was getting 30 quid on the dole, so thousands of pounds was a lot of money - but I told them to fuck off and stick it up their arse.

I'm not doing that. To work with The Exploited you've got to be thick skinned.

You've got to have thick skin to work with me.

Wattie: I'm really demonading from the band. When you go on stage, I expect 100% effort.

Put everything into it when you're on that stage playing.

But the thing that I do regret is like

when I started the band I was always like everything.

But then Big John was onto me, got his lawyers onto me and that

He gets money for all these songs he never wrote. With the Ice T thing he came out of the closet with his lawyer.

1 wrote down every songs he'd ever written and said 'here John, sign that' and you get the money for the songs you've written' for about 14 songs

But he claimed to have written 30 songs - so he wouldn't sign it.

So I was raging I was going to set fire to his house. I thought 'maybe I'll get 5 years' but that's ok.

We done some gigs and somebody told John I was going to set fire to him

so he left Edinburgh and went to Holland.

Wattie: To answer to your question, no I don't talk to them, no.

Wattie: In the end I thought fuck it, these cunts come in the band for 6 months

and get treated really well, and they fuck off...

so from now on, you get paid a set wage.

This is what you get paid.

You can take it or leave it.

Some of the cunts come in the band and said 'Oh I'm in The Exploited� and got big headed and that.

And tried to act like Billy Big Boots.

So when that happened I'd kick them out of the band, I'd fight them and be in their face and tell them to fuck off.

That's not what The Exploited is about.

Wattie: Sex and Violence the song? It's a simple song, really simple.

Wattie: If you know the words, come up on stage... Come on

Wattie: Come up and sing it with us... Come up...

**General Walla**

Stuart: What about the worst thing about being in The Exploited?

**Laughs** Where do I start...

Jo: You're away a lot, away from your loved ones.

If some people at home are not doing well that's sometimes difficult

Rob: The truth of that is

you have to make sacrifices because if you're touring so much, you know...

if we're on the road four or five, six months a year, you miss out on things.

You have to sacrifice a certain amount of your your personal life

to fulfill something like

going on tour with Exploited for, you know, 20 years.

Stevie: You do sacrifice, you know, a lot to go and do this...

...kind of help each other along, support each other...

...You make conections and friendships through that.

Wattie: Because now I've stopped doing drugs, sometimes I think I'm too nice.

20 years ago you'd be battered and chucked out of the band by now.

Just because you're here - but I let things go, I let a lot of things go.

Even when cunts say things to me, I think 20 years ago I'd just batter the fuck out of you, you cunt.

You don't realise how lucky you are to not be getting battered.

But sometimes I just think... fuck...

But then again I think...

I'm happy, so just let it go... And just relax,

I think.

Stevie: He's actually a better guy than he realizes.

Wattie: I'm good to people I like and respect

But if people fuck me over, I never forget.

Never ever forget cunts that fuck me over.

Never ever.

People that have done me a favour, doesn't matter if anybody else likes them, whatever...

I'll stand by them, no matter what.

Wattie: Any final words?

Well Rebellion, it's been a great weekend

Wattie: Met loads of great people. Rob: Wattie, he's filming us!!

Wattie: Fuck The System took us almost two years from start to finsh.

All in all it cost �101k a lot of money, eh?

From Punk's Not Dead, �600 in 3 days to

to the last one, two years almost in the studios and over one hundred grand.

Both great albums the last two. But all the money went on the studios

We never got the money, and that will never happen again.

We haven't got that anymore.

But to me that means everything, it's been a long time since that last album though, 20 years since the last album.

We've got loads of good songs written.

Wattie: Over the years we've written loads of good songs, and kept back loads of good songs.

The next album will be really good!

Wattie: We're not gonna do as many gigs next year, we're going to do less gigs...

and I want to spend time writing the songs and doing the album.

I want to do this next album before I die.

So that's the plans.

Rob: All right, guys.

Wattie: When Punk bands start apologising for the songs and lyrics, it's done, it's time to go.

All these cunts saying you can't say this or that, fuck them, that really bugs me.

Apologizing? The Toys Dolls, was it the Toy Dolls?

And Anti Nowhere League

he said that, he said that, it's sexist or what ever...

Fuck off

Wattie: Where are we? We're at fuckin' Butlins mate.

Hi De Hi, Hi De Ho.

Captain Scarlet: Oi! Oi! Stevie: This is the voice of the Mysterons.

Stuart: How was the last few gigs? Wattie: Belfast was really good.

Dublin was absolutely brilliant.

Wattie: This song is called Fightback

Rob: The money side of things is pretty, pretty brutal.

I mean, if you look at the table of how much the likes Napster or Amazon

or Spotify, you know, they pay

$0.004 per song, you know, something like this.

Ridiculous. But I think the Internet...

That's what happens and the internet just reflects the ugly side

you know, the best and worst of us all is on the Internet.

Wattie: Hey, oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

oh that's Blackpool, sorry.

This is Skegness

Wattie: Exploited are gonna do a tour of all the beach towns.

Wattie: Delete, delete...

Wullie: Never know who's watching, people might get upset...

Wullie: Offended

Wattie: You gotta have your own beliefs, say what you think, don't just roll over. Stevie: Rollover. Wattie: Rollover like a wee hedgehog, ya cunt.

Quite a few of the bigger bands have done it, 'oh they're gonna cancel us'

or 'you can't play the gig because you said that� Go fuck yourself.

Really, that's not what punk's about. Punk's about being or doing what what you want, saying what you want.

Stevie: Where does it end?

Wattie: They can cancel us. Stevie: I think if you give into it once, it will never stop.

Wattie: All the punks say you can't say this or that?

Really, if that's what you think go and fuck off

Go and be a fucking Mod or something, get a fucking life you cunts.

Sorry, I'm ranting again.

Wattie: I go on Facebook and I get all these fucking cunts talking shit to me

So I try not to answer

But I always go back, 'fuck off you prick'

'come and say it to my face you fat cunt'

But then I get banned!

I get banned, not because I called him a prick

I get banned because I called him fat!

What the fuck is all that about? Fucking Keyboard pricks.

Wattie: Irish! Rob: **Distant** Where are you?

Wattie: In the dressing room.

Wattie: What are we actually doing?

Stuart: Quick photo shoot for the sleeve.

** General Background Chat**

Wattie: We go on stage in ten minute

Wattie: If it's shit, just say it's shit and get another one.

Tutek: No it's ok. Wattie: I look OK, I look sexy. Me and Stevie look ok, Irish looks ok.

Wattie: First show we done was in the YMCA

We got paid a fiver

But some of the Punks cut the leads to the mics.

So we never got asked back.

Wattie: Here we go. Irish: Yeah.

Wattie: Here we go, the last gig is Butlins

Rob: Yeah, party!

Rob: Go go go...

Rob: No no no...

Wattie: Exactly.

**Gdeneral Background chat**

Wattie: Yeah! Stuart: You ready?

Wattie: Never ready

Rob: Repair the strings

Wattie: 42 years of Punk Rock. Started with the YMCA...

and it's ending in Butlins... WTF?

Stuart: How you been? Wattie: Not bad. Still alive.

South America was great until I collapsed onstage

so I was in the hospital again, and I'm just glad to be doing gigs.

I was being sick onstage every night, just vomiting all the time.

I had ulcers in my stomach that started bleeding

But I never knew that so I was ill as fuck. The last gig I collapsed on stage, I thought I was having a heart attack.

Inside the gig, they bought an ambulance **sings** You're going home in the back of an ambulance.

They took me to the hospital and wanted to do an ECG but wanted me to take all my piercings out.

Fuck off, I'm not taking my piercings out, if I'm gonna die I'll die with my piercings on.

I never said that but was thinking it

We had to cancel the last gig, then came back and cancelled London and Europe as I was fucked.

It's taken us 3 months to do our first gig

If I can't do it 100%

and be as good as I always am

then I won't do it.

Somebody videoed it and put it on YouTube and I really got a fright.

I thought I was really going to die this time!

But it's quite funny when 900 people are screaming 'Wattie, Wattie'

I was just lying there going urgghh and *Wattie Wattie� was chanted

I got all these Doctors around me, but the crowd refused to leave the building

Until the heard that I was OK.

So I thought that was quite humbling.

Wattie: Unless you want to sit and talk, get the fuck out

Rob: No I don't want to sit and talk

I don't mind talking but no one wants to listen to it, that's the problem.

Wattie: Aye, South America was great.

Argentina was great.

We played Costa Rica. We got four days off there, fucking fantastic man.

Chile was crazy as usual.

Chile is alike the very early days of Punk

When everything was crazy. All the punks were really crazy.

I don't know if that'll be my last time to go over there again.

I don't know how long my health will last.

I'm just going to enjoy every gig while I can.

Wattie: So far we've done Belgium

Derby last week.

Southampton last night, and all the gigs were great.

Wattie: We got a new drummer as for the immediate future my brother needed to take time out.

So we got Jo the drummer from Disturbance.

He's fucking brilliant, he went to his practice room in Holland and learned all the songs.

And he came over and he'd learned the whole set.

Wattie: See who's playing downstairs? Huh?

Down stairs is a Mod cover band!

Wattie: Next week we play Scarborough.

There's Conflict, GBH, Discharge,

UK Subs

Stuart: Seeing Exploited and Conflict on the same bill, if that would have happened in 19817

Wattie: Aye. I tried that with Crass. We decided to do a gig together.

To try and stop the fragmentation.

So we done a gig at the 100 Club. Crass went on before us,

it was just hundred and hundreds of Skinheads

and as soon as Crass started it was like a big black shower,

everyone was throwing bottles at them.

I think they played maybe two songs and they got bottled, and had to get off the stage.

Sorry Steve!

Wattie: 35 years ago us and Conflict would never happen!

It's not that we never got on, it's just that we read they wrote a song about Exploited and I was like 'Fuck these cunts'.

I used to hear all these shit stories about them.

But I've actually talked to him, I think he's a really good guy.

For the past couple of years, me and Colin are really good pals, we talk all the time.

The best as we got on really well, some of the stories from his animal rights days, the things that he done,

I totally respect the guy, he's a bit of a maniac!

First time I saw them I was really surprised at how good they were

I always get loads of people saying 'fuck off you're not playing with Conflict! You don't talk to Colin.'

He gets the same thing. Eh.

You don't talk to Wattie, fucking Exploited cunts.

Fuck them all.

Stuart: How are you approaching

the future now?

Wattie: The future? Take it every day as it comes.

I don't know how long.

I'll still be able to do gigs.

Depends. We've got a big tour coming up.

But doing 6 nights and 1 day off is just too much. And I don't want to end up back in the hospital.

Because if I end up back in the hospital that will be the gigs over.

Wattie: I had to change my life or I'd be dead, eh?

It is what it is

I've sacrificed too much of my life to not do gigs.

But I'm not looking at things negatively, I'm looking positively, as I'm always a positive person.

Wattie: It was Wullie who said 'I'm quitting the band'.

Fucking stairs, man!

Stevie: The band politics I stay out of

It's nothing to do with anybody, it's between Wattie and his brother, kinda what's happened.

Wattie: Do you want to use the lift?

My brother's wife was ill, and he needed time out to look after her.

He called me to tell me he could come back in June.

I told him you can't come back in June because we were meant to go to Australia in February.

But I was still really ill.

I told the drummer Jo, because you packed your work in to do these gigs

when we reschedule in November, you can do them.

Wattie: I said to Wullie that you can join back in December as Jo's only here part time helping out

and after December those were his last gigs and you can get back in the band

My brother was like 'no fuck that' I'm quitting the band'.

Rob: It's 25% of the band that changes, it's not just the music that changes

You do everything together, you eat and travel, you perform, you have the best times and you have the worst times together.

Rainey: Hey. Wattie: How you doing?

Rainey: Any chance of using the cab? Rob:Yes.

Tezz: I've got a Blackstar stack we can use

Wattie: Hello, here we are at the 02 in London.

Along with Discharge and The Insane

Stage manager: Jazz hands...

...one minute.

Wattie: Hello Jock!

Jock: Are you here tomorrow?

**General Chatter**

Wattie: This year has been really good.

We done like 45 gigs in the last 4 months...

which is a lot. I don't know why but, it's just like...

every gig has been brilliant.

A lot of the gigs have been sold out. It's great feeling.

**General Chatter**

Greg Cowan: This young man here... Wattie: Belfast Punks - come on!!

Wattie: Legend.

OI' Chas here.

Prince of Punk, some young guy.

Fan: Thanks very much.

My friends gonna be crazy, man.

Jo: The whole thing has been an experience. It was pretty great.

I mean, I always love playing the drums, and I love playing live music.

Stevie: It's been amazing. We've been to some new places, it's been a new experience for me.

And I've never really met crowds kinda like that, people are hungry for shows.

Regardless of what is happening, the music brings everybody together.

Rob: We don't know the music yet that these kids are going to make, in years to come...

They're the ones who will define the scenes,

but unfortunately, they're not going to have the same chance

as if the likes of Live Nation get their way.

It'll only be the big bands that tour and smaller bands playing their local

city, and that's it.

Rob: Can you remember which band it was we shared a dressing room with back here one year?

Wattie: The Damned. Rob: Was it the Damned? Wattie: Aye.

Stuart: Now this is a dressing room.

**General Chatter**

**General Chatter**

**General Chatter**

Rob: Danny, what were you thinking?!

Darrin: Go The Exploited.

Wattie: How you doing, alright?

Wattie: I've stopped drinking now for five and a half moots,, I've not had a drink.

Stevie: Meeting other people on the road not drinking

You know, so it's kind of like a different kind of level.

Wattie: So I decided, stop drinking and get my health and still do gigs.

Or keep drinking and not be well enough to do gigs.

Wattie: For me the music's got to come first.

Wattie: And my health as well so.

Wattie: Have a good weekend, thank you!

Wattie: Everyday is a good day, I enjoy life every day.

I wake up, enjoy my life, I've got the band

I'm doing stuff. Fuck the haters.

Fuck all the people who talk behind my back and ...Fuck you's cunts.

I'm having a great time - Punk's Not Fucking Dead.

Wattie: I'd like to say thanks to all the old cunts here.

Who supported all the bands, all these years. Because without all you's people,

They wouldn't be any punk. There wouldn't be any bands

There wouldn't be any new bands coming here.

So thank you!