History
The band was formed in 1979 by school friends Steven ('Steve') Kent (guitar), Michael Fitzsimons ('Micky Fitz') (vocals), Nicholas ('Nick') Cunningham (drums) and Martin Smith (bass).[2] They played their first gig in front of friends in February 1980, and after taking on Lol Pryor as manager, began performing more often. The band's first release was the song "Out in the Cold" on the A Sudden Surge of Sound compilation album.[2] They played their first Oi! concert in 1981, supporting The 4-Skins, and they became closely associated with the Oi! scene from then on.[2] While the Oi! movement was labelled as far right and racist (despite the fact that several Oi! bands played at Rock Against Racism concerts), The Business took a stance against political extremism with their Oi Against Racism and Political Extremism ...But Still Against The System tour.[3] Despite standing apart from the far-right, the band also criticized communists in songs like "Suburban Rebels." [4]
In November 1981, they released their debut single, "Harry May", which spent over three months in the UK Indie Chart, reaching No. 13. The initial line-up split up in late 1981, with Kent, Cunningham, and Smith forming Q-Bow, but Fitz carried on with Pryor, recruiting Graham Ball on guitar, Mark Brennan and Steve Whale from The Blackout, and John Fisher on drums.[2] The new line-up made their live debut in January 1982, after which Ball and Fisher departed, leaving the band as a four-piece, with Kev Boyce of The Blackout on drums.[2] The new line-up recorded the Smash the Discos EP, which was a No. 3 indie hit, and after a short tour, they recorded their debut album, which was to be called Loud, Proud, and Punk. The master tapes for the album went missing after disagreements between the band's label and the studio, forcing them to re-record the album, which was released as Suburban Rebels in May 1983.[2] The album was remixed by their label, Secret, without them knowing, and Secret's financial difficulties limited promotion of the album. Frustrated by this, the band split up, with The Business members forming short-lived bands Chapter and Sabre Dance.[2]
Pryor issued a retrospective album consisting of demos and live tracks on his Syndicate label, the success of which prompted the band to reform and record a what was to be marketed as a live album, Loud, Proud, and Punk. It was actually recorded in a studio, with crowd noise dubbed in later.[2] Pryor renamed his record label Wonderful World and issued several Business albums in late 1985, with the Drinking and Driving tour following. The name of the tour caused controversy, with tabloid journalists accusing the band of condoning drunk-driving, although the title was tongue-in-cheek.[2]
In late 1986, Brennan and Pryor founded Link Records, and with Brennan becoming increasingly busy running the label, the band split up again. In 1992, Fitz performed a few songs guesting with The Elite and he reformed the band to play a benefit concert for Bobby Moore, who had recently died of cancer. Brennan later started a new record label, Captain Oi! Records and did not join the reformed band. The band's line-up then became Micky Fitz (singer), Steve Whale (guitar), Lol Proctor (bass) and Micky Fairbairn (drums). The band released a new single "Anywhere But Here" and new album Keep The Faith in 1994. After a number of tours in Western Europe, the band played their first gigs in America in August 1994. In 1997 The Business released The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth which was produced by Lars Frederiksen from Rancid. In 2000, the band joined together with Dropkick Murphys to release Mob Mentality. The band's final studio album, No Mercy For You was released in 2001. Their biggest hit song in recent times, "England 5 - Germany 1", (based on the result of a World Cup Qualifying match in 2001), became a football anthem for England and even appeared in the 2004 teen comedy EuroTrip. Despite various line-up changes, the band's popularity continued to grow.
By 2006 Fitz had rebuilt his band after overcoming his alcoholism, this year saw the band take on a 2-month tour of the US with the line-up of Fitz (singer), Robin Guy (drums), Daniel (guitar) and what would become long serving Trots (bass). In September 2006, Fitz recruited long time friend Tosh (of Section 5) to play guitar, shortly followed by Bundie on drums. The band took to the studio in Berlin and recorded three covers, this session featured Mitch Harris of Napalm Death guesting to record the title track 'Mean Girl', originally by one of Fitz's favourite bands Status Quo. This was released by Bad Dog records as an EP, the B side being a live set recorded at the legendary Marquee Club in London from 1982.
Led by a reinvigorated Fitz, the band continued to tour incessantly and broke new ground as the first British Oi! band to play in Chile in 2008, they also visited Australia and New Zealand alongside extensive European and US tours. As well as their touring they also returned to the studio and put out a split 7" with Control. The Mean Girl recordings and Marquee Tapes were combined with the split and a recording from Full Force Festival to make the US mini album 'Doing The Business'
In 2010 Tosh departed the band and after a short stint with rocker Johny Skullknuckles the band's final line-up was completed with Fish (of The Skeptix, Discharge and Demon) taking over on six string duties. Around this time the band had taken to the studio to record what would be their last release, 'Back in The Day', it saw the studio return of original guitarist and principal songwriter Steve Kent who performed guitar and backing vocals on the recording. The 7" was eventually released on Randale Records and Sailors Grave Records in 2014.
The band continued on their way, returning to South America to play São Paulo, taking on a headline tour of Australia and New Zealand, (with visits to Singapore and Bangkok along the way) and made a triumphant return to Japan in 2014, with a quick visit to South Korea while they were in the area.
In the summer of 2015 Fitz was diagnosed with cancer, as with his life he met the challenge head on and refused to let the public know of his diagnosis until after he had completed the final run of shows. The band performed what would be their final show in October 2015 in Badalona, Spain.
In April 2019, some of the classic line up (Steve Whale, Steve Kent and Micky Fairbairn) joined by JJ Pearce on bass (the Last Resort) performed at the Punk and Disorderly festival in Berlin. Roi Pearce (The Last Resort) Sebi (Stomper 98) and Mike Brands (Arch Rivals) appeared as guest singers. This marked the first time former members of The Business had performed without Micky Fitz playing The Business songs. The same line up, joined by Beki Bondage (Vice Squad) performed at Rebellion 2019. A toast was raised to Fitz's memory at both shows
Gangland
The Business Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you grow up hard, so young and so scared
When your poor you got nothing to lose
just a life full of anger and booze
So when your backs up against the wall
and your mates can`t hear you call
when the wolves gather in their packs
and there`s no time for you to look back
ain`t no light gonna shine on hate
only darkness on this side of town
Wiyth guns we shoot each other away
when your living dead in a crime wave
you got junkies on your stairway
wanting something for free
spray paint on the brick walls
your firm`s name big and tall
Gangland - Life - Fury
the only place that matters to me
ain`t no light gonna shine on me
cause there ain`t no life on my street
The song "Gangland" by The Business talks about growing up in a deprived area where violence and crime are the only things that seem to matter. The lyrics paint a picture of a bleak and hopeless existence, where poverty and despair fuel anger and resentment. The first two lines of the song, "You grow up fast thinking nothing will last, you grow up hard, so young and so scared," set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer describes a world where there is no hope for the future, and the only way to survive is to be tough and merciless.
The chorus of the song, "Ain`t no light gonna shine on hate, only darkness on this side of town," underscores the message that there is no hope for redemption or salvation in this world. The lines "With guns we shoot each other away, when you're living dead in a crime wave," describe the brutality of life in gangland. The singer also talks about the prevalence of drugs and vandalism, with "junkies on your stairway, wanting something for free" and "spray paint on the brick walls, your firm's name big and tall".
The final lines of the song, "Gangland - Life - Fury, the only place that matters to me, ain't no light gonna shine on me, cause there ain't no life on my street," capture the sense of desperation that pervades the entire song. The only thing that matters in this world is survival, and the only way to achieve that is through violence and brutality. The message is a stark reminder of the cost of poverty and social deprivation, and the toll it takes on individuals and communities.
Line by Line Meaning
You Grow up fast thinking nothing will last
You mature quickly and come to believe that nothing is permanent.
you grow up hard, so young and so scared
You become tough and frightened at a young age.
When your poor you got nothing to lose
If you are impoverished, you lack possessions or security to risk losing.
just a life full of anger and booze
All that's left is a life dominated by resentment and alcohol.
So when your backs up against the wall
When you are in the most dire of straits,
and your mates can`t hear you call
And your friends are deaf to your cries,
when the wolves gather in their packs
When your enemies surround you with ill intentions in the form of wolf packs,
and there`s no time for you to look back
And you can't afford to hesitate or glance over your shoulder.
ain`t no light gonna shine on hate
No positivity or goodness can come from resentment.
only darkness on this side of town
In this part of town, there is only gloom and malaise.
With guns we shoot each other away
Arming ourselves with firearms, we kill each other.
when your living dead in a crime wave
When you are engulfed in a frenzy of lawlessness, you are barely alive.
you got junkies on your stairway
Drug addicts can be found everywhere, even on your staircase.
wanting something for free
They're expecting a handout.
spray paint on the brick walls
Graffiti artists leave their mark on the brick walls of buildings.
your firm`s name big and tall
Your gang's name is prominently and largely displayed.
Gangland - Life - Fury
The area controlled by a gang is everything to them, represented by the words Gangland, Life, and Fury.
the only place that matters to me
The sole area of concern is where I live and operate.
ain`t no light gonna shine on me
There is no hope or optimism in my life.
cause there ain`t no life on my street
My street is dead and lifeless, devoid of any joy or vitality.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MICHAEL HUGH FITZSIMONS, STEVE WHALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind