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
Real Enemy
The Business Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fighting each other just ain't clever
You've got the wrong enemy picking on a friend
If we don't stand together then this is the end
Today's youth stand together
In your combat and leather
There's a cause a cause to fight
Fight the real enemy [Repeat: x 4]
Banned from the pubs everynight
Same old story will you ever see the light
Everyone toghter now listen to me
Don't fight each other fight the real enemy
The Business's song "Real Enemy" is a punk rock anthem that emphasizes the importance of unity among the punk rock community. The opening lines, "Reality punk is all together/Fighting each other just ain't clever," sets the tone for the song. The lyrics urge listeners to recognize that they are not each other's enemies but rather that they should direct their efforts towards fighting the real enemy. This is shown in the lyrics "You've got the wrong enemy picking on a friend/If we don't stand together then this is the end."
The chorus emphasizes the message of the song, stating "Fight the real enemy" repeatedly. The lyrics encourage listeners to unite against a common enemy, rather than fighting among themselves. The third verse acknowledges the challenges faced by punk rockers, such as being banned from pubs, and suggests that these challenges can only be overcome if the community stands together. The final line emphasizes the message of the song, stating "Don't fight each other fight the real enemy."
Overall, "Real Enemy" is a rallying cry for punk rockers to unite against their real enemies, be it the state, the police, or society at large. The song urges listeners to recognize that fighting among themselves will only weaken the punk rock movement, and that there is strength in solidarity.
Line by Line Meaning
Reality punk is all together
The punk scene is supposed to be about unity and solidarity.
Fighting each other just ain't clever
It's foolish to fight against each other when we should be standing together.
You've got the wrong enemy picking on a friend
We shouldn't be attacking our own friends when there are larger issues at play.
If we don't stand together then this is the end
If we can't come together, then the punk scene (and perhaps society as a whole) will fall apart.
Today's youth stand together
The younger generation is capable of unifying and making a positive difference.
In your combat and leather
Even though we have our own unique styles and identities, we can still come together for a common cause.
There's a cause a cause to fight
There are important issues in the world that need our attention and activism.
Not each other we must unite
We shouldn't be fighting against each other, but rather, banding together to address larger societal problems.
Fight the real enemy [Repeat: x 4]
The true enemy is not each other, but the systems and institutions that oppress and exploit us.
Banned from the pubs everynight
The punks are being discriminated against and excluded from common spaces.
Same old story will you ever see the light
The same oppressive patterns and structures are repeating themselves, and it's time to take action and make a change.
Everyone toghter now listen to me
Let's all come together and listen to each other's perspectives.
Don't fight each other fight the real enemy
We need to focus our energy and efforts on dismantling oppressive power structures, not on fighting each other.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BOYCE, BRENNAN, FITZSIMONS, WHALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zozo Ubermensch
Reality punk is all together
Fighting each other just ain't clever
You've got the wrong enemy picking on a friend
If we don't stand together then this is the end
Today's youth stand together
In your combat and leather
There's a cause a cause to fight
Not each other we must unite
Fight the real enemy (x4)
Banned from the pubs everynight
Same old story will you ever see the light
Everyone toghter now listen to me
Don't fight each other fight the real enemy
tuesday dube
Reality punk is all together
Fighting each other just ain't clever
You've got the wrong enemy picking on a friend
If we don't stand together then this is the end
Today's youth stand together
In your combat or leather
There's a cause a cause to fight
Fighting each other we must unite
Fight the real enemy x4
Banned from the clubs every night
Same story will you ever see the light?
Everyone together now listen to me
Don't fight each other fight the real enemy
<3
Esoteric Expeditions
Takes me back to my youth, brilliant band!
herku44
Never forget this song. Ever!
Zozo Ubermensch
Reality punk is all together
Fighting each other just ain't clever
You've got the wrong enemy picking on a friend
If we don't stand together then this is the end
Today's youth stand together
In your combat and leather
There's a cause a cause to fight
Not each other we must unite
Fight the real enemy (x4)
Banned from the pubs everynight
Same old story will you ever see the light
Everyone toghter now listen to me
Don't fight each other fight the real enemy
Radek Chytil
Legendary music..RIP.
Infinite Inspiration
Wowwww😮😮😮😮
tuesday dube
Reality punk is all together
Fighting each other just ain't clever
You've got the wrong enemy picking on a friend
If we don't stand together then this is the end
Today's youth stand together
In your combat or leather
There's a cause a cause to fight
Fighting each other we must unite
Fight the real enemy x4
Banned from the clubs every night
Same story will you ever see the light?
Everyone together now listen to me
Don't fight each other fight the real enemy
<3
Greg Doore
Saw them years ago and got to hang out with Micky and have a couple of brews. He was one the coolest guys I ever meet!
NeoTheOne
Greg Doore Same!
Axehound
@NeoTheOne, what up brother?!! Oi!
I also met Micky (RIP). He called us over to him with some smack talking. Still got the signed flyer proudly hanging on my wall.
Aaron C
Don't let them grind you down 😆❤