There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Vicious Rumours is a UK Oi!/street punk band formed early 1979 in south London. Currently planning a reunion and very much active again.
Not to be confused with the US metal band (Vicious Rumors)
Various lineup changes through the early years due to the changing face of British punk music led to the band adopting a style more in line with the OI! sounds that were coming from London's east end (just over the river and turn left!)
The band name was arrived upon after watching an episode of Kojak!
Legends in their native south London/North Kent area from early on, the band played with just about every local punk/skinhead/rock band that was around at various youth clubs and pubs.
Chance meant that original drummer Al Kilpin worked in Lewisham with the singer of THE BUSINESS, Mick Fitz, and eventually led to the Rumours heading out from the local area to start playing with bigger bands and bigger, better venues up and down the country. May 1982 saw VR support THE BUSINESS and ONE WAY SYSTEM at Skunx in North London, and despite nerves and being 'unknown' the crowd instantly took to the band.
The following years saw VR travel up and down England and Wales, and a short tour in France and gradually build up a solid fanbase. Numerous compilation LP appearances and two studio LPs, ANYTIME DAY OR NIGHT on Oi! records, and THE SICKEST MEN IN TOWN on Link, put VR firmly on the map of punk and Oi! history.
However, following 1988's 'The Main Event' at London's Astoria, the band stopped gigging. "We were rubbish that night", and following internal disputes, and the frustration of what was happening in the scene ( constant fighting at gigs, too much politics etc) the band decided to call it a day.
2000 saw a short reformation following the release of the previous LPs on CD and the release of a best-of compilation on Captain Oi! records and the band played a tour of the west coast USA as well as a number of HiTS festivals. Time together was limited, as now they all lived in different countries, and despite JM recording some tracks and doing a few gigs with US-based musicians, VR again ceased to be...
2010 has led to another resurgence of interest in the band and due to 'pressure' from people who wanted to see VR play ( We didn't need much persuasion!) VR will again be gigging and hopefully recording in the not too distant future.
The 3rd LP 'Farticus' has now been released to good reviews, and despite the fact that it should have been released around ten years ago, it shows a new maturity in the band's sound.
1) Vicious Rumours is a UK Oi!/street punk band formed early 1979 in south London. Currently planning a reunion and very much active again.
Not to be confused with the US metal band (Vicious Rumors)
Various lineup changes through the early years due to the changing face of British punk music led to the band adopting a style more in line with the OI! sounds that were coming from London's east end (just over the river and turn left!)
The band name was arrived upon after watching an episode of Kojak!
Legends in their native south London/North Kent area from early on, the band played with just about every local punk/skinhead/rock band that was around at various youth clubs and pubs.
Chance meant that original drummer Al Kilpin worked in Lewisham with the singer of THE BUSINESS, Mick Fitz, and eventually led to the Rumours heading out from the local area to start playing with bigger bands and bigger, better venues up and down the country. May 1982 saw VR support THE BUSINESS and ONE WAY SYSTEM at Skunx in North London, and despite nerves and being 'unknown' the crowd instantly took to the band.
The following years saw VR travel up and down England and Wales, and a short tour in France and gradually build up a solid fanbase. Numerous compilation LP appearances and two studio LPs, ANYTIME DAY OR NIGHT on Oi! records, and THE SICKEST MEN IN TOWN on Link, put VR firmly on the map of punk and Oi! history.
However, following 1988's 'The Main Event' at London's Astoria, the band stopped gigging. "We were rubbish that night", and following internal disputes, and the frustration of what was happening in the scene ( constant fighting at gigs, too much politics etc) the band decided to call it a day.
2000 saw a short reformation following the release of the previous LPs on CD and the release of a best-of compilation on Captain Oi! records and the band played a tour of the west coast USA as well as a number of HiTS festivals. Time together was limited, as now they all lived in different countries, and despite JM recording some tracks and doing a few gigs with US-based musicians, VR again ceased to be...
2010 has led to another resurgence of interest in the band and due to 'pressure' from people who wanted to see VR play ( We didn't need much persuasion!) VR will again be gigging and hopefully recording in the not too distant future.
The 3rd LP 'Farticus' has now been released to good reviews, and despite the fact that it should have been released around ten years ago, it shows a new maturity in the band's sound.
Punk British