U.K. Subs
with Willie Psycho, and Infirmities
The U.K. Subs were part of the original punk movement in England that formed in 1976, with the initial name of the Subversives. The band’s founder, Charlie Harper selected guitarist Nicky Garratt, bassist Paul Slack, and various drummers (eventually Pete Davis became fairly stable) under the initial name “U.K. Subversives”. The London based band’s early line-up changed frequently.
Their style combined the energy of punk and the rock and roll edge of the then thriving pub rock scene. The band had some hit singles such as “Stranglehold”, “Warhead”, “Teenage”, and “Tomorrow’s Girls”, with several of their songs managing to enter the United Kingdom’s Top Forty.
In 2007, drummer Jamie Oliver was a contestant on the UK quiz show Nothing But the Truth. Vocalist Charlie Harper was among the panel of witnesses. Oliver reached the £5000 mark, but lost it all in a bid to double his winnings.
In recent years, the band’s work has been critical of British politician Nick Clegg, with the 2013 song Coalition Government Blues describing the Liberal Democrats’ leader as “liking his perks”. The band’s forthcoming album is entitled Yellow Leader, which is widely suspected of referring to Clegg, with yellow being the official colour of his political party.