UK Subst - Fifty Years of UK Punkrock

In 2017, the U.K. Subs celebrated their 40th anniversary; this legendary punk band still embodies the true spirit of punk rock today. Inspired by The Damned, the pioneers of British punk, the now equally legendary Charlie Harper formed The Subs in the summer of 1977 from his former R&B band The Marauders. Originally launched as The Subversives, the name was first shortened to The Subs and later to U.K. Subs as the early line-ups fused their fast-paced R&B sound with punk. In October 1977, Nicky Garratt joined Charlie on guitar, and the songwriting partnership between Harper and Garratt would produce the band's most successful albums. In 1977 and 1978, the band played concerts all over London, including at the notorious punk club Roxy, and gained a loyal and large fan base. Their first recording appeared on the album "Farewell To The Roxy".

This brought them into contact with John Peel, who was obviously so impressed that he offered to finance their first single. However, City Records released her first brilliant single "C.I.D." in September 1978. It became a huge indie number 1 hit. In 1979 they signed to Gem Records and surprised everyone by becoming one of the most consistent and successful punk bands. Between 1979 and 1981, they scored seven consecutive Top 30 hits in the UK: "Stranglehold", "Tomorrows Girls", "She's Not There", "Warhead", "Teenage", "Party In Paris" and "Keep On Running". They also achieved two top ten albums in the UK with "Brand New Age" and "Crash Course" and established themselves worldwide with an intense touring schedule that continues to this day. Led by the indefatigable, 72-year-old Charlie Harper - now revered as the Godfather of British punk - the band has continued to evolve with different line-ups and record labels. The band still tours worldwide and retains the true spirit of punk rock, inspiring each successive generation of fans. With the Subs, there has never been a disconnect between fans and band, and Charlie's unwavering love for his audience and his music is palpable. This is exactly what convinced listeners of Steve Lamacq's BBC 6music show to vote them the most respected punk icons and award them the 2010 Punk World Cup.

In 2016, the highly anticipated final album "Ziezo" was released - thanks to a hugely successful PledgeMusic campaign - to critical acclaim. With this, the U.K. Subs completed their dream of being the first band to release their official albums alphabetically from A to Z! The worldwide tours continued unabated - including the USA, Europe and Japan - where the band continued to thrill audiences with their energetic live shows. With a fantastic line-up in place of Charlie - Steve Straughan on guitar, Alvin Gibbs on bass and Stefan Haublein on drums - the U.K. Subs continue to entertain, inspire and excite audiences with rousing recordings and their ever-popular, captivating live shows. Like a good wine - the U.K. Subs just keep getting better.