Renowned for their high energy live shows the band deliver their set with passion and humour and have been touring and releasing successful albums since the1980s.
Their latest album ‘Cardboard Country’ was released on their own Last Rockers label last year. The album is launched on the back of a very successful Pledge campaign raising funds for the Shelter homeless charity in line with the album title.
Vice Squad is fronted by raucous voiced singer/guitarist Beki Bondage who was featured on the front cover of a number of influential music tabloids such as Melody Maker, NME, Sounds, Record Mirror and Smash Hits. The band is 100% DIY and has no record company or management backing. Since reforming Vice Squad in 1997 the band has released several albums with powerful punk songs that are very well received by fans and press. In keeping with the DIY ethic the albums were recorded in the front room of Beki’s South London flat.
2016 – The band started the year with some UK gigs then ventured across the channel for shows in Den Haag and Antwerp, where they shared a stage with the Toy Dolls and Funeral Dress at the prestigious Trix music venue. More UK dates followed including an appearance at the Southampton Punk Festival and a sold out show at the legendary Hope&Anchor in London. Vice Squad donated a song called ‘Little Red Gloves’ to the S.O.P.H.I.E charity along with Cradle of Filth and Arch Enemy. The band played to a packed venue at Northwest Calling Festival in Manchester on 4th June and on 5th August they played the Tower Street Arena as part of the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool.
www.vicesquad.co.uk
Fast Forward
Vice Squad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ninth circle of hell noose tightens round my neck
Closed in, closing the lid i'm closed in
Tighter, tighter fight for every breath
Fast forward, step backwards
Fast forward, step backwards
Helpless, so sick of feeling helpless
Hopeless, helpless, pointless fucking mess
Bastards, tied up in knots by bastards
Struggling fly caught in spider's web
Nothing, nothing you're less then nothing
Less and less until there's nothing left
Rat race, gotta get into the rat race
Give it up, accept your worthlessness
Fast forward, fast forward, fast forward
The Vice Squad's song, "Fast Forward" is a powerful composition about the feelings of helplessness and hopelessness that comes with being trapped in a never-ending cycle of negative emotions, struggles and hardships. The lyrics describe the feeling of being cornered, trapped and helpless, as if struggling to fight for every breath as the noose tightens around your neck in the ninth circle of hell. The imagery of circles that are ever-decreasing around the central figure, closing the lid tighter and tighter is used to depict him being closed in, trapped in his own misery.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant because the lead vocalist sings about the struggle between wanting to move forward and take control of his life and this desire being held back by his circumstances. He wants to fast forward and skip the pain and suffering, but he's stuck, and he keeps stepping backward repeatedly. This push-and-pull between wanting to change but not being able to do so is a common struggle that many people experience in life.
The song's lyrics also touch on the idea of being caught in a web, tied up in knots by bastards, and struggling to break free. The central figure feels like a fly caught in a spider's web, unable to escape, until he becomes nothing. He's caught up in the rat race and must accept his worthlessness, leading him to want to fast forward through life.
Line by Line Meaning
Circles, ever decreasing circles
The situation is going towards a negative spiral that is progressively getting worse.
Ninth circle of hell noose tightens round my neck
The situation is unbearable and feels like being trapped in the deepest level of hell. The noose around the neck is symbolic of how it suffocates the person.
Closed in, closing the lid i'm closed in
Feeling trapped and suffocated even more. The person is experiencing a sense of claustrophobia and helplessness.
Tighter, tighter fight for every breath
The situation is getting more and more suffocating to the point where the person is struggling for air.
Fast forward, step backwards
Feeling stuck in a situation where progress seems impossible and even making an effort to move forward can lead to setbacks.
Helpless, so sick of feeling helpless
Feeling powerless in the face of the situation and being tired of that feeling.
Hopeless, helpless, pointless fucking mess
Feeling like there is no solution or way out, and that the situation is a complete disaster.
Bastards, tied up in knots by bastards
Referring to the people or forces responsible for the negative situation, who have caused a lot of problems and chaos.
Struggling fly caught in spider's web
Feeling trapped and unable to break free from a situation that is similar to a spider's web, where any attempts to escape seem futile.
Nothing, nothing you're less then nothing
Feeling worthless and that there is no value or importance in the person's existence.
Less and less until there's nothing left
Continuing to deteriorate to the point where the person feels as if they no longer exist or matter.
Rat race, gotta get into the rat race
Experiencing pressure to compete and keep up with others in society, as if there is no choice but to participate in a destructive and demoralizing system.
Give it up, accept your worthlessness
Succumbing to the pressure and believing that there is no way out of the situation because the person has no worth or value.
Fast forward, fast forward, fast forward
Feeling the need to escape and move on from the current situation, but also feeling stuck and unable to make any real progress.
Contributed by Caleb K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.