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.
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.
sean-ward
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