The Folk Devils with Kris Jozajtis in conversation with David Eastaugh
Founding member Ian Lowery had previously been the original singer in late 1970s punk rock band The Wall and then signed to Killing Joke's Malicious Damage label as leader of the group Ski Patrol.[1] Politics and the general tensions that seemed endemic to the Killing Joke scene led Ian to leave Ski Patrol and recruit long-time friend of Jaz Coleman - Alan Cole on drums, Kris Jozajtis on guitar (now Dr Kris Jozajtis at Greenfaulds High School) and Mark Whiteley, from Wales, on bass to form another group, Folk Devils, in 1983.[1] Mark had been active in both the London and Welsh music scene. He worked with Anrhefn, Wales' seminal punk band and with the ill-fated Hack Hack on the album Despite Amputations. He left the band midway through a gig at The Fridge in Brixton unhappy with the band, their label (Shout Records), and musical direction. A fight ensued and Mark became a Folk Devil.