Led To The Slaughter: The Varukers Perfect Thrash in 1984
An interview with former bassist Mark Briscoe
The Varukers came to prominence from their early line ups, which had a punked out UK82-meets-Discharge sound. Propelled by name brand label Riot City releasing the "Die For Your Government" 7" and "Bloodsuckers" album, along with the inclusion of their track "Soldier Boy" on the "UK/DK" soundtrack, the band were one of the darlings of England's decked and wrecked warriors.
But it was a pair of releases in 1984 that endeared them to the more hardcore fanbase—and which are still held in the highest regard today. The first of these was the "Led To The Slaughter" EP, which was then followed up by the "Another Religion Another War" 12". These releases are not only known for moving the Varukers in a harder and faster direction, but also for spawning the lineup that was the precursor to the formation of Sacrilege.
The bass duties on both records were handled by Mark "Brik" Briscoe. Mark joined the Varukers in 1983 shortly after the "Bloodsuckers" album had come out. As a friend and fan of the band, he ended up being the only member besides vocalist Rat to play with both the earlier more punked UK82 sounding era and the all out thrash style of the "Led To The Slaughter" and "Another Religion Another War" releases.
However, fate can be cruel with history unfairly recorded, and Mark was a victim of such circumstances. Instead of being credited for his playing on "Another Religion Another War," Tony May is listed and also featured in the band photos, as Mark had left the band shortly after the recording was completed. Due to this, his contributions, including having co-written many of the tracks, have been unfairly overlooked.
Although he was only in the band for a short period of time, he played on arguably the best Varukers material and had some interesting things to say about the band's history during that era. Mark continues to play in the anarcho punk band Feroxide, formally known as Internal Autonomy in the '80s and early '90s as well as SlingShot with Simon DeManuel from Icons of Filth and Conflict
NI: Where did you grow up, and please briefly explain how you were exposed to punk?
Brik: I grew up in Warwick, the same town as Rat. Like most people my age we were first exposed to punk when the Sex Pistols hit the media over here. It was a shining beacon in what was, in hindsight, a shit time socially in the U.K. I was also a massive fan of The Stranglers, which is how I learned to play the bass.
NI: Did you know any of the members of the Varukers before joining the band? Were you a fan of the band prior?
Brik: I knew George [Jenkins, early bassist] and Brian [Roe, drummer on the "Bloodsuckers" LP] quite well we used to hangout a lot. I lived with George for a while too. I had seen the original line up with Rat, Garry [Maloney, later of Discharge], Bruce and Tom [Lowe, later of Antisect] in local pubs, etc. but had never seen them with George and Brian.
NI: Can you recall how you came to join the Varukers as their bassist?
Brik: George played bass on "Bloodsuckers," and when Bruce [Riddell, guitarist on the first several Varukers releases] decided to leave George wanted to play guitar and they asked me if I wanted to play bass.
NI: You have played in several other bands with Brian Roe, who was the drummer that replaced Garry Maloney when he left for Discharge, but you don't play on any of the Varukers records he's on. Were you guys in the band at the same time at all?
Brik: Yeah, we were in the band together briefly, but George and Brian left after a few gigs which left just me and Rat for a time.
NI: Did you have a hand in recruiting Damian Thompson or Andy Baker? Did you know them from their precious band Warwound or know of that band?
Brik: I'd never heard of Warwound. We put an ad in a music magazine and Andy replied. We auditioned him and asked if he knew anyone that could fill the guitar spot and he brought Damian over for an audition and it all clicked. I liked Damian's heavier and faster guitar a lot!
NI: You played bass on both the "Led To The Slaughter" 7" and "Another Religion Another War" 12". Were the songs from this written collectively as a band, or did Damian Thompson do most of the writing? What was the process?
Brik: We recorded them at Cargo Studios in Rochdale. We arrived with only a handful of new songs and wrote a lot of new stuff in the studio. We used some of Damian's Warwound riffs and me and Damian created new stuff together, some from guitar riffs and some from the bass ("Deadly Games," etc.).
NI: What bands most influenced your writing at the time?
Brik: We had quite a mix of influences. We were all into Discharge of course. Rat was into Crass, Damian was into Motörhead, Andy loved Killing Joke, and I was massively into the Dead Kennedys/Clash/Stranglers etc.
NI: The songs "Neglected" and "No Escape" that appear on "Another Religion Another War" were originally written by Warwound and featured on their demo. Do you remember if you ever tried working other Warwound songs besides those into the Varukers?
Brik: No, I don't think we did. Studio time was tight so we just did what we could to get the 12" and 7" sorted.
NI: Can you recall if there were any other songs written during your time in the band that were either written or recorded but that didn't appear on the records?
Brik: I don't think so. We didn't have much time to write as we were gigging a lot up and down the country.
NI: Do you remember if there were any offers for releases from other labels besides Riot City?
Brik: No, Rat took care of most of that stuff.
NI: There's a 1983 rehearsal tape with 12 songs on it. All of them are from the "Bloodsuckers" album and earlier except "You're Dead," which is from the "Led To The Slaughter" 7". Any idea if you play on this demo? Was that song written while you were in the band, or is it a left over from the "Bloodsuckers" line up that wasn't recorded until a bit later?
Brik: I can't remember. It may have been me. I think "You're Dead" was a new one. There is a "Live in Leeds" album from that time that is definitely me on the bass cos you can hear me shout "Last orders at the bar" towards the end!
NI: Do any other rehearsal, practice or demo tapes exist that you know of?
Brik: Not that I know of.
NI: How were the shows you played? Any gigs that stand out in particular?
Brik: Shows were chaotic but a great vibe. The energy in those smaller venues was awesome. We headlined The second punk festival at the 100 Club which was a thrill as that was the venue where punk really started in the U.K. There is a recording of that somewhere!
NI: Why did you leave the band just prior to the release of the "Another Religion" 12"?
Brik: It was for personal reasons related to other stuff that was going on in my life at the time. I had no issues with the band and still keep in touch to this day.
NI: Did you have a hand then in getting Tony May on bass as your replacement?
Brik: I wasn't involved with recruiting Tony, he was a mate of Damian's I think. I'm not sure he ever actually played with the band either but I could be wrong!
NI: Any other thoughts about your time in the band?
Brik: I'm very proud of what I did with the band. It was an exciting time and has left a legacy. Bizarrely, my son now plays in bands that cite The Varukers as an influence, go figure! Massive kudos to Rat too for keeping the band going for all this time. He is hardcore!
I love the old Varukers stuff, particularly "Another Religion" because it still sounds as fresh today as it did when we made it. I listen to it often!
Officially licensed represses of both the "Led To The Slaughter" 7" and "Another Religion Another War" 12" are available from Havoc Records along with other releases from the Varukers catalog.
They are high quality and highly recommended.
Purchase at: www.havocrecords.com
Live photos from the collection of Damian Thompson and used with permission.
First photo (Rat with red hair) taken 12th January, 1984 at the 100 Club in London.
Second photo (Rat and Damian with different hair) from 1984 at the 100 Club in London.
Records from the collection of Negative Insight staff and include "Led To The Slaughter" 7" (Riot City Records, 1984), "Another Religion Another War" 12" (Riot City Records, 1984), "Led To The Slaughter" 7" (Visionary Vinyl, 1996?), and "Deadly Games" CD (Abstract Sounds, 1994).
The liner notes shown are from the "Deadly Games" CD. We don't normally post CDs, but we were unable to source photos of the original vinyl version of the release from 1989, and the liner notes are interesting.
