Wattie Buchan

In March 2020, Buchan responded to the coronavirus pandemic that was forcing bands to cancel or postpone tours. He commented by taking a shot at Green Day saying "Fuck coronavirus! I have had 5 heart attacks a quad heart bypass and a heart pacemaker fitted. Cancel gigs for a virus? We ain't fucking Green Day piss - We are the real deal. No danger will we be cancelling our upcoming gigs. Punks Not Dead!" The tour was then cancelled four days later.

Buchan is pro-Palestine and has condemned Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. In an interview with I Probably Hate Your Band, Buchan expressed his pro-Palestinian views, saying: "even with Israel and Palestine, the Palestinian people are like prisoners and the world does nothing about it because America’s behind them, backing them because they want bases for their airplanes in that area." One of the songs The Exploited has worked on during the 2010s is a song called "My TV", which Buchan says "is about watching the news with Israel bombing Palestine and politicians being greedy cunts." Buchan has also criticized the foreign policy of both the United States and Britain. Buchan said:

A lot of the problems have been made between Britain and America. Like Iraq, fucking Libya ... it’s all to do with oil. All to do with fucking oil. Now Gadhafi’s away, fucking Saddam Hussein’s away, and it’s just like the people that live there just live a life of misery … even with Israel and Palestine, the Palestinian people are like prisoners and the world does nothing about it because America’s behind them, backing them because they want bases for their airplanes in that area. And I find that really sad, that all the problems with terrorism, I think, because if someone killed my family then I’d want revenge. You’ve got hundreds and thousands of these civilians getting killed, thousands and thousands of people getting killed and it’s like, if someone killed my family, I’d want revenge. And a lot of it’s just to do with oil. And then ISIS, America gave them their fucking weapons in the first place. America and Britain gave them all weapons because it suits them, and when it doesn’t suit them they’re fucking terrorists. It’s fucking shit, man.

In an interview with Rock Hard Magazine in May 2016, he said that he had suffered from depression, which was affecting his ability to write new lyrics.

Buchan has been known for openly disliking former Dead Kennedys member Jello Biafra. The Exploited's song "I Hate You" is about Jello Biafra. On the album Live at the White House, he introduces the song with an insult to Biafra and claims that he slept with his wife. On the same album, he dedicates the song "Wankers" to the artist Pushead, who claimed that he was neither paid nor credited for his work with the band, and the song "Daily News" to Maximumrocknroll. When asked in a documentary why he disliked Biafra, Buchan said that he could not remember. In May 2016, Buchan also criticised Slayer for refusing to allow the Exploited to appear on stage with them after the Exploited had allowed Slayer to cover [collaborating with Ice-T] three of their songs for the Judgment Night soundtrack for only a small payment. Buchan was asked which bands he liked after he criticised several other acts appearing at Amnesia Rockfest. Buchan responded by mentioning Charged GBH, Carcass, No Fun at All, Skinny Puppy, and Ministry. He also said of Slayer: "Slayer's okay. I mean, only some of their stuff is okay. I'll restrain myself from saying anything more about them." Buchan said about Real McKenzies: "I don't feel any special political bond with them – my brother, the drummer of the band, is a lot more conscious of Scottish politics. However, I've played with them a few times; they're total alcoholics. Good people: their gigs are always excitin'."

In February 2014, Buchan suffered a heart attack on stage in Lisbon, Portugal. The Exploited had been touring with Hatebreed and Napalm Death. He was admitted to S. José Hospital in Lisbon after the show and later moved to S. Marta Hospital to recover and undergo heart surgery. The Exploited cancelled the remaining of the Tour Of Chaos 2014 due to Buchan's condition. On 29 June 2014, the Exploited's Facebook page updated on Buchan's condition, saying that after a successful heart operation, the band is practising new material.

After the appearance by the Exploited on Top of the Pops to perform Dead Cities in 1981, the hardcore punk band Conflict criticized the decision to appear on the programme with the song "Exploitation". This began a long-standing feud between the Exploited and Conflict, which divided the punk community and caused occasional clashes between the bands' fans (known as The Barmy Army for the Exploited and the Conflict Crew).

The Exploited are a Scottish punk rock band from the second wave of UK punk, formed in 1978. Originally playing styles such as street punk and oi!, the band played styles such as crossover thrash later on. Formed in Edinburgh by Wattie's older brother Terry, they signed to Secret Records in March 1981 and released their debut EP Army Life. The album Punks Not Dead followed in the same year. Despite many lineup changes, the band continued into the 2000s, and has developed a worldwide following. In 2012, the band began writing material for a new album.

Walter David Buchan (born 24 July 1957), known as Wattie Buchan, is a Scottish punk rock musician. He is the lead vocalist for the punk rock band the Exploited.

Buchan was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 24 July 1957. He served in the British Army as a soldier prior to joining the Exploited. He became interested in punk rock in the 1970s after hearing music by bands such as Sex Pistols. Buchan is married to Gena Buchan.