UK Subs, 999

There’s not many bands that have the respect of everyone on the punk scene. But Charlie Harpers UK Subs is that exception. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain’s R&B scene (now venerated as the godfather of UK punk) the band has continued and thrived. 2010 marked the fifth decade in which the UK Subs had continually graced the Punk Rock scene, widely recognised as one of the most consistently and visibly successful punk bands – they maintain and pioneer the true spirit of punk rock, without the compromise and watering-down that has affected so many of their contemporaries. In 2016 999 celebrate 40 years together as a band. The reason for their longevity is not airplay, massive publicity, hype or even a major recording deal but word of mouth and that “word of mouth” now extends to nearly every country on earth.

999 were first conceived in late 1976 when Nick Cash (vocals/guitar) and Guy Days (vocals/lead guitar), who were at school together, decided to form a group. Within a couple of months they had teamed up with Jon Watson (bass) and Pablo Labritain (drums) and 999 were officially born. Their first gig was at the Northampton Cricket Club in January 1977. Interest in the band was immediate and constant gigging around London brought with it critical acclaim and a hard core following of supporters from Southall, calling themselves “The Crew”. These ranks were soon swollen by the Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Munich, Vienna, Zagreb, Stockholm, Oslo, Berlin, New York, LA, Toronto, Philadelphia, and San Francisco “Crews” each proving as dedicated as the last.

The frenzy and raw energy of the early days were captured by their debut single “I’m Alive on the bands own Labritain label and sold well enough to become a minor hit. Next through their association with United Artists records the second and third singles, “Nasty Nasty” and the now classic “Emergency” were released both scaling the lower reaches of the charts and confirming 999 to be one of the major forces in the British New Wave movement.