UK Subs is a British punk rock band from London, England. Formed in 1976, he is among the first wave bands of British punk.
The group is formed in 1976> in London, England. At first the group was called the UK Subversives, but it changed its name for practical reasons. Originally, the band consisted of Charlie Harper (vocals), Nicky Garratt (guitar), Pete Davies (drums) and Paul Slack (bass guitar). Charlie, the singer, before playing with the UK Subs, had been part of the British pub-rock scene. However, the musical style of the UK Subs is quite similar to bands such as Sham 69, Stiff Little Fingers or The Vibrators (and to a lesser extent Doctor Feelgood, Eddie and the Hot Rods or The Lurkers). punk and rock and roll of the British rock pub scene.
The band played several musical sessions for host John Peel in 1977 and 1978 on BBC Radio 1 and some opening concerts for The Police, and recorded a set at Roxy (a punk club), published in 1980 under the title Live Kicks. Quickly, the group knows the success with the release of the singles Warhead, I Live in a Car and Tomorrow's Girls. Many of their songs entered the top four in the UK. Their success reached its peak in 1980, with the release of their best-selling album, Crash Course. Then, in the 1980s, with the arrival of their new bassist, Alvin Gibbs and drummer Steve Roberts. They experiment harder music (hardcore punk) with one of the most accomplished albums, Flood of Lie. Dozens and dozens of musicians succeed, including Lars Frederiksen (who will join Rancid), Tezz Roberts (Discharge, Ministry), Karl Morris (The Exploited) or Knox (Vibrators). In short, from one album to another, from one tour to another and even worse from one concert date to the next, the members differed continually. The only one who has been present since the formation of the band in 1976 was lead singer Charlie Harper (who turned 60 in 2005).
However, in 2004, the second classic membership formation (1980-1982) re-formed: Charlie Harper (vocals), Nicky Garratt (guitar), Alvin Gibbs (bass guitar, ex-Iggy Pop), in addition to the young Jason Willer in battery. This training has been regularly reformed since 1997. Also in 2004, the UK Subs perform a European tour, then a farewell tour to the United States. Then, in October 2005, they also released a live album, Violent State, on the French label Combat Rock. Moreover, despite its many staff changes, the band has never stopped giving concerts during all these years. Thus, they play in France on February 4, 2008 in Montpellier (with The Vibrators), on February 23, 2008 in Lille, on July 5, 2008 in St-Bonnet-le-Château (Oulala Festival), January 13, 2009 in Paris (with The Vibrators) and July 8, 2017 in Bailleul (festival Nord Beat). The UK Subs never went out, becoming one of the few surviving bands in the late 1970s British punk era.
