GBH, also known as Charged G.B.H, are a hardcore punk band from Birmingham… Read Full Bio ↴GBH, also known as Charged G.B.H, are a hardcore punk band from Birmingham, England. The band formed in 1978, and were known as Charged GBH from their formation until 1984. The band's original lineup was Colin (Col) Abrahall on vocals, Colin (Jock) Blyth on guitar, Ross Lomas on bass, and Andrew Williams on drums. The band mostly toured in England during the 1980s, however they did make several excursions out of the island, including several tours to the United States. Some of their most famous shows that they played during the 1980s were at the 100 Club in Oxford Street in London. They are considered by many to be pioneers in the UK punk rock genre, specifically in hardcore.
1982 saw GBH's first LP, City Baby Attacked By Rats. The album was marked lyrically with harsh criticism of British and European culture, typical of UK punk. It was also full of violence, morbidity (especially in reference to the song "Passenger On The Menu", which describes in graphic detail the experiences of the passengers on the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571), atheism, nihilism, social anarchism, and generalised absurdity. However not political, the album's lyrics do seem remarkably socially aware. This kind of content would later follow up in later GBH releases. Musically, the album was loud, and fast, with most songs staying under three minutes, typical of the hardcore punk genre. This is also a trademark of future GBH releases.
In 1983 the band changed their name to simply GBH, arguably just because the word "Charged" in front of their name had dropped from the lingo of many of their fans. (The name change was announced at a gig in the now defunct 'Golden Eagle' public house, where GBH were playing along with ex-Hawkwind sax player Nik Turner's 'Inner City Unit').
GBH are known to be pioneers of the UK82 second wave of British punk rock in the 1980s, along with fellow pioneers Discharge, Broken Bones, The Exploited, The Varukers. and The Skeptix.
The band has, for the most part, kept true to its original punk rock roots since its formation, unlike many other former punk bands, especially hardcore bands, who later formed the Post-Punk genre of the mid to late 80s. However the band has experimented with, alongside many other hardcore punk bands, notably The Exploited, a bit of what is known as metal crossover. Metal Crossover is when punk bands use riffs of heavy metal in their music, usually just as a break in the monotony of the traditional two and three chord, punk rock sound. Some punk rock purists argue that when punk bands do this they break from the original punk sound, and therefore become simply metal bands. The band, though, maintains that they are, in fact, still a punk rock band. However, the band has done this quite a lot, especially experimenting with it heavily in their 1992 release Church of the Truly Warped. This sound carried over even into their latest LPs. However, they have been falling back more on their original punk rock sound roots recently.
The band is still active and touring, even among many circulating rumours about a break up. The band maintains a strong cult following both in England and the rest of Europe, as well as in America and Japan, where some say that punk is still in its elementary to mid-stages.
1982 saw GBH's first LP, City Baby Attacked By Rats. The album was marked lyrically with harsh criticism of British and European culture, typical of UK punk. It was also full of violence, morbidity (especially in reference to the song "Passenger On The Menu", which describes in graphic detail the experiences of the passengers on the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571), atheism, nihilism, social anarchism, and generalised absurdity. However not political, the album's lyrics do seem remarkably socially aware. This kind of content would later follow up in later GBH releases. Musically, the album was loud, and fast, with most songs staying under three minutes, typical of the hardcore punk genre. This is also a trademark of future GBH releases.
In 1983 the band changed their name to simply GBH, arguably just because the word "Charged" in front of their name had dropped from the lingo of many of their fans. (The name change was announced at a gig in the now defunct 'Golden Eagle' public house, where GBH were playing along with ex-Hawkwind sax player Nik Turner's 'Inner City Unit').
GBH are known to be pioneers of the UK82 second wave of British punk rock in the 1980s, along with fellow pioneers Discharge, Broken Bones, The Exploited, The Varukers. and The Skeptix.
The band has, for the most part, kept true to its original punk rock roots since its formation, unlike many other former punk bands, especially hardcore bands, who later formed the Post-Punk genre of the mid to late 80s. However the band has experimented with, alongside many other hardcore punk bands, notably The Exploited, a bit of what is known as metal crossover. Metal Crossover is when punk bands use riffs of heavy metal in their music, usually just as a break in the monotony of the traditional two and three chord, punk rock sound. Some punk rock purists argue that when punk bands do this they break from the original punk sound, and therefore become simply metal bands. The band, though, maintains that they are, in fact, still a punk rock band. However, the band has done this quite a lot, especially experimenting with it heavily in their 1992 release Church of the Truly Warped. This sound carried over even into their latest LPs. However, they have been falling back more on their original punk rock sound roots recently.
The band is still active and touring, even among many circulating rumours about a break up. The band maintains a strong cult following both in England and the rest of Europe, as well as in America and Japan, where some say that punk is still in its elementary to mid-stages.
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Race Against Time - The Complete Clay Recordings
GBH Lyrics
Alcohol Alcohol! You're like a kind of religion, I see you each nig…
Am I Dead Yet? The pen they say is mightier than the sword But don´t…
Bellend Bop I met you at a party, it was 10 pm. I…
Big Women Big women, I like the size, big women flabby thighs. Big…
Boston Babies Just met a girl down in Boston, I asked her…
Catch 23 You beat us down but we came back, revenge is…
Children Of Dust It started off as innocent fun A stranger in a foreign…
Christianised Cannibals Suits of black, serene robe, Into your mind they will probe.…
City Baby Attacked by Rats The memory lingers on when You were the same as us. Three…
City Baby's Revenge There was a City Baby, Attacked By Rats. Their little teeth…
Dead on Arrival Tracks in his arm made him a man, No-one could understand. E…
Diplomatic Immunity I can speed in my car down the road. I don't…
Do What You Do Take a look at yourself from the other side, and…
Drugs Party In 526 Dog tired sleeping on the train. A couple of hours and…
Faster Faster A rapid night, and I'm feeling good, I paid enough an'…
Four Men The end of a decade closes in, the oppressed fight…
Freak You're a freak I guess you know .. .. You're belong…
Generals We'll lead you into victory, you hear the generals say. Neve…
Give Me Fire Smoke and fire are burning bright, We'll set the tinderbox a…
Gunned Down An easy job but it went wrong, I could not…
Heavy Discipline The adrenaline flows as the shadow grows. Footsteps clatter …
Hellhole The poor man he had no dreams Had no vices all…
High Octane Fuel I've got a turbocharger on my car Without that power I…
I Am the Hunted Shivers running down my spine, Whose blood I know it's mine?…
I Feel Alright Put us on a life support machine from the day…
Knife Edge On the streets they're after me, Won't let me go, won't…
Lycanthropy Lycanthropy is in his blood, and spreads to those he slays.…
Maniac He'll be buzzing in your head, When you're long gone. Fever …
Mantrap They're always stealing off the land The Earl has to make…
No Survivors No survivors in this game of hate, we all get…
Passenger On The Menu They shocked the world cause they wanted to live. They had…
Pins And Needles If your body's feeling bad, And it's the only one you…
Race Against Time Put us on a life support machine from the day…
See The Man Run See the man, see him run Where's he going, where's he…
Self Destruct Out on a limb, got no enjoyment, stoney broke, got…
Sick Boy I'm strapped into my bed, I've got electrodes in my…
Slit Your Own Throat Except from the lies which you created Your thought of lies…
Slut I wanted you cause of your bust . And now I…
State Executioner State executioner, there's no hope, For the men that hang on…
The Forbidden Zone In the desert with a bottle of J.D. The red pipe…
The Prayer Of A Realist Original There's no one up there there never was. Only in v…
Time Bomb Perpetual torture, from those we love to hate. It's meant to…
Valley Of Death Into the Valley of Death, You'll take your last breath. But …
Vietnamese Blues Well I just got back from Vietnam, Where I saw a…
Wardogs We're a bunch of desperados, a brave and fearless crew. We…
Womb With A View You want a house and a child but you don't…