Subhumans

Today we're discussing every album by British anarcho-punk band Subhumans.

Aside from having one of the most recognizable punk logos of all time, Subhumans were some of the most underrated songwriters in all of punk.

And the story of Subhumans begins with two bands, The Mental and Stupid Humans.

Let's start with The Mental and vocalist Dick Lucas.

Dick was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, and formed the mentor with his brother Steve while in boarding school.

I can understand the theory of rejecting all the media and stuff like that, but we were tempted by Satan and we went for it.

You weren't as serious and never had as much attitude as crass anyway, which is why we shied away from the anarcho tag.

Subhumans are indeed labeled anarcho-punk, but you heard it in that quote in Dick's Gone on Record and many interviews saying that they cared more about, you know, having fun, having a few beers, still sung about things that were important to them, political stuff, but they weren't quite as scary as crass about it.

At the same time, I was into the punk scene.

I grew up on Subhumans, Crash, The Descendants.

You know, obviously the classics, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Clash.

But Krust Punk was really kind of my anarcho-punk.

84? Yeah, it has – Holy shit.

55 – 55 hardcore punk acts from around the world, including Dead Kennedys, Crass, Subhumans, Butthole Surfers, and MDC.

Wow.

A bunch of shit I

I'm sure you have your favourites too.

But have you ever just listened to a record on the strength of what the album cover looks like? My good friend Gaz told me that he saw an album by the Subhumans called Time Flies But Airplanes Crash.

The album cover featured a pencil drawing of a man in a business suit and a bowler hat vomiting up, what looks like to me, skulls.

Was the record a hit for Gaz? Yes, it was, and it found its way into my life too, all on the merits of its album cover art.

And, um, yeah.

I know we're a little bit over the time, but w- might chat a little bit more, maybe tell me what Subhumans meant to y'all back in the day, and when you first saw them, and, you know, kinda how that have influenced the way you guys played music.

Subhumans were, uh, one of many of the English sort of anarcho bands happening in the '80s that Dave and I were really, really into.

They were sort of adjacent to the c- the crass bands that were happening, and, um, I'd just like to think back about how, how inspired I was by, like, that song and those early seven inches, and Dick Lucas and his, his lyrics-

Mm-hmm

And then if you're i- if you're in bands in this punk world for long enough, like, you actually get to see them and meet them and become friends with them and, you know, every time they come through on tour, and then every time one of our bands goes to the UK, and it just becomes, like, an actual friendship.

Mm-hmm.

And I just remember, like, the 15-year-old me would've been so amazed that, that we got to do so much with bands like Subhumans.

Uh, yeah, you weren't at that show, I'm sure.

Um, Voivod, No Means No, and all the associated bands, like Showbiz Giants and Hanson Brothers dozens of times, Forbidden Dimension and Huevos Rancheros dozens of times, Barenaked Ladies, Nickelback, Superfriends, Pansy Division, Rusty, Real McKenzies possibly more than any other band, the Mr. T Experience, Jail, Jad Fair and Phonocome, Pursuit of Happiness, all of Rick White's bands, like Eric's Trip, uh, et cetera, uh, Thrush Hermit, Season to Risk, Fishbone, Kittens, The Smalls dozens of times, Muscle Bitches, the Jesus Lizard, Superchunk, Weakerthans, Local Rabbits, Balter Space, Murder City Devils, Subhumans, Groovy Ghoulies, Alejandro Escovedo, Tricky Woo, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Change of Heart, and every other Ian Blurton band dozens of times, The Sadies at least 20 times, Neko Case, Dazza Strippers, Black Halos, Strapping Young Lad, Ray Condo, Deadly Snakes, Nash Kato, Deadbolt, episode tie-in-

Yeah

... for, uh, Deadbolt, and our band opened up that show, too.