GBH

punk

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 ...