band formed in 1979 by vocalist Anthony "Rat" Martin. They produced their most influential recordings in the early 1980s. The band play in D-beat, the musical style of
. Also like
. When recording in the early 1980s, they were part of a broader trend known as "UK 82", Second Generation
.
sound and melded it with the incessant, heavy drumbeats and "wall of sound" distortion
such as Motörhead. The new, harder-edged style also tended to use much darker, more nihilistic, and more violent lyrics, and vocals were often shouted rather than sung.
While
the Varukers split in 1989, vocalist Rat and guitarist Biff put the band back together in 1991. Stylistically their 1990s-era
music resembled the traditional UK82 style. Since the band had former members of
Discharge, a D-beat sound developed as time went on. The band has gone through many line-up changes over the years with the only constant member being Rat on vocals while guitarist Biff has been with the band since 1985. They have recently released a retrospective CD on SOS Records. Even with Rat splitting his time between
the Varukers and
Discharge and Biff splitting his time with Sick on the Bus.
The Varukers continue to tour. They shared a headlining spot with such acts as
Broken Bones,
The Adicts,
Vice Squad and GBH at the ill-fated British Invasion 2k6 concert festival in San Bernardino, California, which ended in rioting.
Printed in USA
