 Formed in 1963, the band built their reputation as did many other beat groups of the era, by covering R&B and Beat standards, but soon became known for their unusually intense live shows and outlandish stage costumes, dressing as vicars and Sami.Although mainly popular as a local act around Blackpool, England, the Vicars also toured mainland Europe, being one of the earliest British rock bands to perform in a socialist country, when they played in Yugoslavia in the summer of 1965.They were particularly popular in Finland, where they recorded a single, a rocked up version of Zing!