GBH
Originally known simply as GBH (grievous bodily harm), their name was changed to Charged GBH in order to differentiate themselves from another band of the same name. Founding members were Colin 'Col' Abrahall (vocals), & Colin 'Jock' Blyth (guitar).
Charged GBH embarked on several English and mainland US tours during the early 1980s, including several gigs at the 100 Club. 1982 saw GBH's first LP, City Baby Attacked By Rats. Lyrically, the album dealt with criticism of British and European culture, 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 and general absurdity. Musically, the album was loud and fast, with few songs exceeding three minutes. In 1983 the band changed their name to GBH.
Unlike many early punk bands who evolved towards a more post-punk sound, GBH have stayed fairly faithful to their original UK82 sound in subsequent releases. However, the band have experimented to some degree with a more metal-inflected sound, notably with their 1992 release Church of the Truly Warped, although they have since returned to a more purist punk sound. The band is still active and touring and maintain a strong following both in England and the rest of Europe, as well as in America and Japan.
Whilst supporting Rancid at Rock City, Nottingham, UK on 11 November, 2008, GBH announced that the band has signed with Hellcat Records and will be releasing a new album on that label in the near future.
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