Dead Vicious was a fiercely political punk band from Wellington, New Zealand, formed in 2002 by Ken Simpson (guitar, lead vocals) and Bill Wood (lead guitar, vocals) with an original lineup featuring Justin Hooper on drums and Rimu Tahuaroa on bass. They described their music as “Johnny Rotten meets Woody Guthrie at the Ramones’ house.” Their debut gig, an illegal break-in show at Stagecraft Theatre in Te Aro, Wellington in 2002, set the tone for the band’s agit-punk stance. Over the following 15 years Dead Vicious also opened for international acts such as The Subhumans, The Dickies, and The Business.

The band’s songs tackled capitalism, greed, corporate welfare and the struggles of everyday life with lyrics penned by Ken Simpson who also published anarchist themed poetry and was known for his on-stage antic of smashing up old television with an axe. A staunch advocate for social causes, Dead Vicious often played gigs supporting movements such as “Stop The Bypass” and animal rights and they performed a memorable May Day show set outside The Freedom Shop on Cuba Street in 2003, where Ken’s TV-smashing led to his dramatic arrest and a broken wrist care of the police.

“I see T.V. as an instrument of ruling class propaganda and corporate advertising, doing to the mind what McDonalds does to the body. Putting an axe through the screen is deeply satisfying and I would encourage kids to try this at home.”
Ken Simpson

Over the years, the band saw a rotating cast of drummers, including Scotty Vicious (Tried for Treason), Jonny Brough (Schitzofrantics, Brubeck), Kieran Monaghan (Loosehead, mr sterile Assembly), finally settling on Brian Hickey (ex Five Year Mission, from way back in 1978-86!). Grant Implant was the band’s bassist from 2003 and Al Baird Smith took over lead guitar from 2010.

Dead Vicious released two EPs, Every Home Should Have One (2003) and Arrested Development (2006), and a ten-track album, Nightmare on Molesworth Street (2013), and also had tracks included on six compilations. After a hiatus in 2006 during which time Ken played in Adam Smith Assassination, Dead Vicious returned in 2010 continuing until their final show, held at Newtown Bowls Club on April 4, 2017.

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Origin	Wellington
Genre	punk
Years Active	2002 – 2017
Associated Acts	Adam Smith Assassination Wazzo Clash
Past Members	Ken Vicious (guitar, lead vocals 2002-2017) Rimu Tahuaroa (bass, vocals 2002) Grant Vicious/ Implant (bass, vocals (2003-2017) Bill Wood (lead guitar, vocals 2002-2010) Alan Baird-Smith (lead guitar, vocals 2010-2017) Justin Hooper (drums, 2002) Stephen Doyle (drums Oct 2002-2003) Scotty Vicious (drums 2004-2005) Kieran Monaghan (drums 2002-2005) Jonny B. Rough (drums 2010-2014) Brian Hickey (drums 2005-2006, 2014-2017)

Releases

Title	Date	Label	Type	Format
Every Home Should Have One	2003, Sept 30		album	CD/ DL
Stop The Bypass	2004, August 7		compilation	CD
Pick Of The Litter Vol.2	2005	Puppy Killer Records	compilation	CD
Arrested Development	2006, March 30		album	CD/ DL
Nightmare On Molesworth St	2013, June 28		album	CD/ DL

<a href="https://deadvicious.bandcamp.com/album/nightmare-on-molesworth-street">Nightmare on Molesworth Street by Dead Vicious</a>

Timeline

2002, May 1, Stagecraft Theatre

Photo: Bell

2002, October 25-26, Punkfest

Scotty Doyle’s first gig on drums for Dead Vicious.

2003

2003, February 8, Thistle Hall

“A fundraiser to help with the legal costs from arrests in 2002-2003. The Tonks Ave five were arrested while occupying the old Stagecraft Theatre on Tonks Ave as an anti-bypass action. And with the Iraq war looming S11 Stu was arrested at a US embassy protest.”