The Business were an English Oi! band formed in 1979 in Lewisham, South Lon… Read Full Bio ↴The Business were an English Oi! band formed in 1979 in Lewisham, South London, England. The band lasted for four decades until their frontman Micky Fitz died from cancer in December 2016.

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

Terrace Lost Its Soul
The Business Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

London town is [unverified] from in England
Grew up on the streets through anarchy
Time moved on football was our family
It's our life, it's every thing to me

Oh, oh, the terrace lost its soul
Oh, oh, money moved in

Poor man working hard for the rich man
Working from the cradle to the grave

Thirty million for Rio Ferdinand
It looks like it's the fans who have to pay

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Business's song Terrace Lost Its Soul speak of the changing face of one of England's most beloved pastimes: football. The song is a lament for the days when football was about camaraderie on the terraces rather than the money-driven industry it has become. The first verse of the song highlights the band's own personal connections to football, being brought up on the streets of London and finding solace in the game amidst anarchy. However, as time moved on, football became more than just a game, it became a way of life, and the terraces became a place where supporters found solidarity and joy.

The chorus of the song, "the terrace lost its soul, money moved in," speaks to the commodification of football that has occurred over the past few decades. Football, once a sport that was accessible to everyone, has become a big business, with billionaire owners and players earning astronomical salaries. The working-class roots of football have been lost as money takes over, and the sense of community that once existed has been replaced by a more commercialized version of the game.

The final verse of the song speaks to the imbalance of power in modern football. The poor work hard to support the rich, and in the world of football, it is often the fans who are left to foot the bill. The transfer fee for Rio Ferdinand, mentioned in the lyrics, was a record-breaking £30 million at the time and highlights the ridiculous amount of money being spent in football today. Overall, Terrace Lost Its Soul is a powerful commentary on the changing face of football and the impact that money has had on the sport.

Line by Line Meaning

London town is [unverified] from in England
The song is set in London, a city in England.

Grew up on the streets through anarchy
The singer's childhood was marked by disorder or chaos in the streets of London, which was an important life experience for the singer.

Time moved on football was our family
As the singer grew older, they found a sense of belonging with their fellow football fans, and their love of the sport became a central part of their life.

It's our life, it's every thing to me
Football is more than just a hobby or interest to the singer; it is an integral part of their identity and something they care about deeply.

Oh, oh, the terrace lost its soul
Something has changed about the atmosphere or spirit of the stadium where the singer watches football, and they are expressing sadness or disappointment at this loss.

Oh, oh, money moved in
The singer believes that the change in the stadium's atmosphere is due to the influence of money and commercialization of football.

Poor man working hard for the rich man
The singer is critical of the economic system that allows the rich to profit off the labor of the poor, which they see as an injustice.

Working from the cradle to the grave
The singer believes that many people have to work hard their entire lives just to make ends meet.

Thirty million for Rio Ferdinand
The singer is referencing the high price that football clubs pay for talented players like Rio Ferdinand, which they see as evidence of the sport's increasing commercialization.

It looks like it's the fans who have to pay
The singer believes that the effects of commercialization fall disproportionately on the fans, who are expected to pay more for tickets and merchandise without receiving any benefits in return.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEVE WHALE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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