I don't think the Exploited were controversial just divisive, as there were different kinds of punk rock scenes floating around in the day.
As for the nazi allegation, that was rumour started by some anarcho punks but it's been proven as bull****. Ice-T wouldn't do a three song tribute to a band that was racist, and I'd boot them of the list if it were true. That and the biggest Exploited fan I ever met was African American, he got to go up on stage and sing with Wattie during the massacre tour.
All that being said they did have a large and violent skinhead following, no doubt about it, as an ex friend of mine unfortuantly found out. There were two kinds of mosh pits back in the day. The friendly ones where people would help each other & pick each other up, and the unfriendly ones, where people took spike braclets to the head or were thrown off the stage balcony. Pretty dark stuff, but it did happen, so I can understand why people hate this band.
As for the Crass issue, I have nothing against them. I just could never get into them. I didn't feel I could do them justice if I put them on the list, so I left them off.
|