Riot Squad "Fuck The Tories Complete Singles Collection" LP
Side A: Fuck The Tories, We Are The Riot Squad, Civil Destruction, Riots In The City, Why Should We, Religion Doesn't Mean A Thing, Lost Cause, Suspicion, Unite And Fight, Police Power
Side B: Society's Fodder, In The Future, Friday Night Hero, There Ain't No Solution, Government Schemes, Lost Cause, Unite And Fight
Mansfield based four piece Riot Squad were originally formed in September 1981 with a line-up of Dunk (vocals), Wayne (bass), Nello (guitar) and Pommi (drums). The band's half Punk-half Skinhead line-up meant that they attracted a following from both youth cults who regularly followed the group around the country to whatever toilet, sorry 'venues', they managed to get gigs at.
Mike Commaford, owner of Rondelet Records (home of Anti Pasti), picked up on the band in early '82 and their debut release for the label was the "Fuck The Tories" / "We Are Riot Squad" / "Civil Destruction" EP (Round 23) which was produced by Mike Stone of Discharge/GBH fame. A second EP for Rondelet, "Riots In The City" / "Religion Doesn't Mean A Thing" / "Why Should We" (Round 25) came out towards the end of the year and featured new guitarist Staz who'd replaced Nello. Vocalist
Dunk had by this time set up Rot Records and though he had initially released tapes (Social Disease, Mania, Allegiance To No One, etc..) he decided to venture into the world of vinyl, the obvious first choice to release records by Riot Squad. However, combining both label and band duties proved harder and harder to do so he quit the group and was replaced by a member of the band's road crew, Lee. Lee's vinyl debut with the band came on early '83's "Don't Be Denied" EP which featured "Lost
Cause"/ "Suspicion" / "Unite & Fight" and "Police Power" (Ass 1) which became the band's third Independent Chart hit. Their second Rot release was the "I'm OK - Fuck You" EP (Ass 2) which included "Society's Fodder" / "Friday Night Hero" and "In The Future" and was described by "Punk Lives" magazine as a cross between One Way System and The Exploited. The single
also saw Wayne moving to guitar and bassist Chedd joining the group though by the time of their last release, "No Solutions" / "Government Schemes" (Ass 3) the band had acquired a new drummer called Gerry. By 1984 Riot Squad had drifted apart and so, as a vinyl tribute to the band, Dunk collected up most of their Rot recordings and issued them as the "No Potential Threat" LP (Ass 13) which, like all of the band's releases, has become a highly prized and highly expensive collectors' item.