Originally formed under the name U.K Subversives, lead singer Charlie Harper wanted his band to bridge a divide that Harper felt shouldn’t be there. A rhythm & blues blues singer by trade, he nonetheless felt a strong kinship with the up and coming punk rock movement. In his mind, it shared too many similarities with the thriving, blues influenced pub-rock scene to be separate from it. So in 1976, he put together the first line-up of what would later become the U.K Subs to act as a bridge between the two scenes. Despite the line-up of the band changing frequently at first, the band scored their first session on Radio 1 legend John Peel’s radio show in 1977, and would go on to have several more in the next two years. These sessions were vital to the success of the band, and as a direct result of them they scored a record deal with GEM Records in 1979.
They released their debut album “Another Kind Of Blues” the very same year, and both the album and its lead single “Stranglehold” were top 30 hits on the albums and singles charts. Between 79’ and 81’ the band were hailed as one of the last true punk bands to see mainstream success, with their 1980 album “Crash Course” rocketing into the top ten at number eight. However, they were not able to maintain this kind of success, especially as straight punk rock was becoming increasingly passé in the face of the much cooler New Wave movement. However, Harper and the Subs were far stronger than fashion, and the band kept on going stronger than they ever were, releasing album after album and touring with the likes of The Ramones and Agent Orange all throughout the 1980’s.
The band remain cult heroes to this very day, a band who many more famous acts wouldn’t exist without. Guns N’ Roses themselves paid tribute to them on their covers record “The Spaghetti Incident?” with a version of their track “Down On The Farm”. With a back catalogue of tracks that would make any punk band worth their salt green with envy, and a live show that delivers every single time, the U.K Subs come highly recommended.
In opposition to Thatcher’s indulgence of the middle and upper classes, punk metal band GBH arrived in 1978 to voice their concerns and launch their assault on injustice. Adorned in black leather, dyed-blonde mohicans, and an appropriate punk attitude, the band released a pair of demos in 1980 before embarking on their first overseas tour in the early 1980s. GBH’s debut release “City Baby Attacked By Rats” arrived in 1982 offering a no-holds-barred critique of British and European culture. Featuring an assaultive sound of guitar, drums and bass played loud, fast and furiously, the band became pioneers of street punk or UK82 alongside The Exploited, Picture Frame Seduction, and Discharge.
Also in 1982 GBH issued the EPs “No Survivors”, “Sick Boy”, and “Give Me Fire / Man Trap” on Clay Records, which were compiled into a compilation album later that year. The full-length “City Babys Revenge” followed in 1983 earning positive reviews and cementing the group’s reputation as a hard-hitting and politically-focused quartet. A string of studio albums were subsequently released in the ‘80s including 1986’s “Midnight Madness And Beyond”, 1987’s “No Need to Panic”, and 1989’s “A Fridge Too Far”, as well as the EPs “Catch 23 / Hellhole”, “Do What You Do”, “Oh No. It’s GBH Again”, and “Wot a Bargain”. Unlike many of their peers GBH were able to maintain their devoted following by rarely diverging from their street punk sound and style, however adopted speed metal influences on their 1992 album “Church of the Truly Warped”.
The 1996 album “Punk Junkies” followed in 1996, after which GBH enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in popularity, after fading from view in the early ‘90s. The band’s ninth studio album “Ha Ha” was released in 2002 and was supported by an extensive international world tour like many of its predecessors and drawing huge crowds in doing so. The studio album “Cruel and Unusual” arrived in 2004 on Idol Records, followed by “Perfume and Piss” in 2010.
Punk is a genre that has been recreated time and time again since the revolution began in the 70s. It has been adapted and changed and merged with genres including pop, rock, grunge and metal. Therefore the fact that London outfit UK Subs can boast to being one of the first street punk bands is a pretty impressive feat.
It is perhaps due to this legacy that vocalist Charlie Harper has remained a constant in the band since its formation in 1976. Their live show is now a piece of history as much as it is a gig as the current quartet attempt to recreate some of the basement intensity of the original punk movement. The fans old and new are completely invested in this mentality and head bang along with hands held high to the likes of 'You Don't Belong' and 'Left For Dead'. Their music is well known as the band remain onstage for over twenty tracks yet the energy never depletes all evening. The punk movement may be a distant memory, but UK Subs are going as strong as ever.
Great energy, Jobson is a fantastic stage presence and had the audience captivated the entire time. The band were very tight and fluid, nailed the tempo changes in "Of One Skin" - the guitarist did his best the channel Stuart Adamson's beautiful guitar lines. Overall it was definitely worth the money.
Arrested after their very first gig in 1980, the Anti-Nowhere League never ever showed any signs of staying out of trouble and have since found themselves banned from venues and radio-stations all over the UK, and have even been kicked off Top of the Pops after lead singer Animal was walking around with a 3ft Axe. Casual.
The Anti-Nowhere League is a hardcore punk band who have followed the “we don’t give a toss” principles of punk music since day one, and fans have loved them for it. An Anti-Nowhere League gig will contain throngs of boozed up fans reliving the 80s and having the absolute time of their lives from start to finish.
Prepare for foot-stomping, head-banging awesomeness during a League show. Songs like “We are the League”, “Streets of London” and “So What” will get you riled up and ready to rebel just like these guys want you to. An Anti-Nowhere League concert is a real blast from the past and still as cool as it was in the early 80s. If they play at a venue near you, definitely check them out!
It’s not all that often that it happens, but sometimes bands who have been plugging away for years find that it’s an event entirely unconnected to their own music that provides them with the opportunity for some later-career fame; The Business, a Lewisham punk band who hail from the subgenre of Oi! and had their halcyon days back in the eighties, found that to be the case when England’s famous 5-1 victory over Germany back in 2001 provided them with the opportunity to pen a song in the result’s honour - the result, ‘England 5 Germany 1’, is now probably their best-known song. On stage, though, little has changed, not counting a revolving door policy to their lineup; whoever it is that constitutes the band, they still play live with a ferocious energy that’s almost always matched by the old punk crowds that still pack out intimate venues around the UK to see them. With new single ‘Back in the Day’ having dropped earlier this year, they’re due back out on the road in December.
It's been 20 years since I've seen GBH live and they are just as great and now as they were then! The refreshing changes is that their sound has improved. The drummer is hammering out double bass, their distortions seems heavier and the bass is dominant in most songs. The energy GBH brings to stage is picked up by the crowed who's moshing and jumping to the populars such as Give me Fire, Sick Boy, City baby attacked by rats/revenge, Generals and Alcohol among others. GBH has a steady following of old school punks, young bucks with flaming Mohawks, skins, hard core fans and metal heads. The band is able to unit a great diversified crowd. I highly recommend seeing them live!!!
Hello folks,
this is proof of real professionalism! To play in front of such a small audience and deliver a really good show, as if there were thousands of them. Hats off! You could really see that you had fun with the band. Keep it up. Stay on the ground and close to the fans.
Thanks for the nice evening!
Greetings
Lydia TheNonTattooedLady
from Freiburg
Dear Listener, we’re in charge; not you. Riskee & the Ridicule smash through the speakers on their latest offering, Blame Culture, to tell us in no uncertain terms that they have something to say and we’re going to effing listen. This is the Kent quartet’s newest release, following up their 2014 critically-acclaimed debut, Dawn Of The Dog.
An awful lot has changed since the band’s first album and these guys aren’t afraid to tell you quite how aware of this they are. They don’t care if their ferocity intimidates you; as Riskee tells us on “Molotov Cocktails”, “I never got into this game to be liked for my words.”
While the UK continued to reel from the result of the EU referendum, the band had already acted on it, with Blame Culture ready for release on 6th January. The band’s understanding of the wider cultural, ideological and political challenges ahead led them to share “Colours”, the spoken word piece nestled between tracks 10 and 11, on the day of the Women’s March, following Trump’s inauguration. Riskee & the Ridicule know that now is the time to stand up and fight the numerous poisons breeding in Western society.
Awareness of the current socio-political landscape aside, Blame Culture is crammed with grime-punk bangers that can’t fail to make Dear Listener jump up and dance. Riskee (Scott Picking) has a determined sharpness of tone, cynical and sarcastic, akin to Scroobius Pip. On “Banger” he’s not worried about whether future challenges will be overcome, “We won’t make do with what we’ve got cos what we ain’t got we will get. No sweat.”
Blame Culture’s upbeat punk, and at times even venturing into indie-disco, mix should eliminate the band’s concerns on “Drown” about whether they are commercially relevant. This album moves genres forward and even generates fresh ones, soldering sharp-tongued quips on to a well-oiled rhythm and guitar section (Jimbo Aglony, guitar, David Thomas, bass and Matt Verrell, drums). There’s just a hint of teenage angst about Blame Culture, and something almost pointing towards the 10 Things I Hate About You era. Neither of these are bad things, this is angst for grown-ups. Let’s face it; that’s pretty much where we’re all at right now.
There’s no filler on this album, with tracks like “Running on Air” and “Hipster” carrying instant anthems. Riskee & the Ridicule also aren’t afraid to move into slightly darker soundscapes with “Backwords” and “Daddy’s Boots,” pushing more of the lyrical content, favouring wordplay and dense wordscapes, instead of trying to have you sing along. These guys are feeling positive about their future, despite the current outlook, and they’re inviting the world to join them as they tell us on “Party,” “If life throws you a curve ball then make it a learning curve.”
As the results of the US election were announced, some of us joked about battening down the hatches and sitting the next four years out. After all, by then the effects of Brexit would be laid out for all to see. Others saw the fear and devastation of those whose rights are jeopardised, and reminded us how lucky we are. The wisest warned us that the only way out of this mess is to stop assuming sense prevails and called us to action. Thank goodness Riskee & the Ridicule are here to lead the way. After all, as they demand on “Nobody Likes Us”, “You don’t tell us when we’re finished/We tell you lot when we’re finished.”
Awesome live band. Musically tight as anything, rock solid backline and clever guitar keys lifting it beyond punk and into something new. With Alex an amazing bundle of poetical energy out front, and lyrics that tell real stories about real stuff. Clarse inna glarse mate.