“Is Vic There?” but also achieved success on mainland Europe with follow up singles “Going Left Right” (an early punk/funk/mutant disco anthem!) and the final single from the original line-up “I Want”, on which singer Vaughn Toulouse brilliantly both prophesied and satirized the coming age of greed and rampant capitalism that was the 1980s.

Unfortunately, although the original band recorded a debut album, they did not last long enough to see it released. Due to problems with the record company and between themselves they split and the album, “Sub-Stance”, was shelved. In terms of missed opportunities, this is up there with the best. The album had been produced by Dave Tickle who had previously worked on Blondie’s “Parallel Lines” and subsequently went on to great success with such acts as The Police, Prince and U2. The eventual release of “Sub-Stance” some 15 years later revealed (too late!) that Tickle had coaxed something of a post-punk/new-wave pop crossover classic from the band with strong songs and muscular performances. Such is life.

Department S reformed in 2007, a surprising decision to many as original vocalist, lyricist and charismatic frontman Vaughn Toulouse had died in the early 1990s.

Initially the vocal duties were taken by original keyboard player Eddie Roxy who had indeed played the now legendary four keyboard notes on “Vic” (all with the one finger!) back in 1980, but who had quit the band almost immediately after that- before the single became a hit and the group made their appearances on the UK’s totemic “Top of the Pops” TV show.

Band members came and went, Department S releases in the noughties seeing guest appearances from a catalog of UK punk and post-punk alumni such as Marco Pirroni (Adam and the Ants), Glen Matlock (TheSex Pistols), John Keeble (Spandau Ballet), Mark Bedford (Madness) and Pete Jones (Public Image Limited.)

A studio album of new material was eventually released in 2016- the critically acclaimed “When All Is Said and All Is Done” which was described by Vive Le Rock magazine as being “an album that modern new wave bands such as Franz Ferdinand would kill to have made.” The old-stagers were still in the game.

Recording of the forthcoming studio album “Burn Down Tomorrow” started in late 2019 before the pandemic stopped the world in its tracks. Work on the record was almost complete in 2022 when Eddie Roxy once more jumped ship.

The band are now fronted by long standing member, guitarist and chief songwriter Phil Thompson (this self styled “hardest working man in post-punk” can also be found playing in The Rezillos and occasionally helping out his old mates The Vapors of “Turning Japanese” fame) and feature Mike Lea on bass and Simon “Basher” Bowley (Eddie and the Hot Rods) on drums.

They consider “Burn Down Tomorrow” to be their strongest work yet and can’t wait to unleash it to those Department S Lost Followers who have waited so long.