The "angular, fast and quirky punk rock" of the Thought Criminals "was a fixture in the burgeoning Sydney underground scene.
The Thought Criminals exemplified the do-it-yourself punk ethos of the late 1970s, with which they combined considerable business acumen.
Inspired by the DIY ethic of the Desperate Bicycles, the Thought Criminals' first recording was the EP Hilton Bomber, with Mark Kingsmill (aka Jim Boots) on drums.
With the inclusion of Stephen Philip (aka Vivi Sector) on guitar, Roger Grierson switched to bass.
[3] In 1980 the band toured beyond the precincts of their usual inner-city venues, at the end of which they announced their intention to retire from live performances.
In their studio phase during the following year the Thought Criminals recorded a second album, You Only Think Twice, which "revealed the band expanding its scope with a more considered and diverse approach".
Roger Grierson, Warren Fahey and rock journalist Stuart Coupe set up the Green record label in the early 1980s.
[5] On the subject of reforming the Thought Criminals after 25 years Roger Grierson commented: "It seemed like everybody was doing it and with the release of the CD, and we put a website up to give away all the songs for free, it dragged a few people out of the woodwork".