Formed: Warminster, Wiltshire, England, UK
Subhumans - sometimes confused with the entirely different Vancouver band - hailed from the southwest of England and, along with Crass and Conflict, were one of the best anarcho bands. They evolved out of The Stupid Humans, which featured Bruce (guitar/vocals, ex-The A-Heads), Grant (bass), and Andy (drums). The Stupid Humans became the Subhumans when Dick Lucas - formerly in The Mental (who released the DIY-as-fuck Extended Play E.P.) took over vocal chores. Andy then decided it wasn't in the band for him: he was replaced by Trotsky.
Their music was almost entirely excellent (29:29 Split Vision was a mistake), but your enjoyment of it would be severely compromised if you couldn't get past Dick's (let's be honest) bloody awful voice. He was/is basically incapable of holding a tune and when he went for high notes it just sounded like someone had kicked him in the bollocks, but as a punk singer he was/is wonderful: unmistakable, fierce.
Dick Lucas later formed Culture Shock (which lasted a few years) and then Citizen Fish. Although Citizen Fish is still very active, Lucas reformed Subhumans in 1998 and now plays in both bands.
Lineup 1 (1980):
Dick (real name Dick Lucas) - voice
Bruce (full name Bruce Treasure) - guitar
Grant (full name Grant Jackson) - bass
Andy Gale - drums
Lineup 2 (1980-1983):
Dick - voice
Bruce - guitar
Grant - bass
Trotsky - drums
Recorded: Demolition War E.P. (1981), Reason For Existence (1982), Religious Wars (1982), The Day The Country Died (1982), Evolution (1983)
Lineup 3 (1983-1985, 1991, 1998 - Present):
Dick - voice, piano
Bruce - guitar, occasional bass
Phil - bass, occasional guitar
Trotsky - drums
Recorded: everything since, including the comeback releases Unfinished Business (7"/CDS, 1998) and Internal Riot (LP/CD, 2007)
DISCOGRAPHY
Subsequent studio albums: Internal Riot (2007), Crisis Point (2019).
Singles / Albums
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| Demolition War E.P. (7" 1981) |
Reason For Existence (7", 1982) |
Religious Wars (7", 1982) |
The Day The Country Died (LP, 1982) |
Evolution (7", 1983) |
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| Time Flies... ...But Aeroplanes Crash (12", 1983) |
From The Cradle To The Grave (LP, 1984) |
Rats (7", 1984) |
Worlds Apart (LP, 1985) |
29:29 Split Vision (LP, 1986) |
Extraneous Releases |
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| EP-LP (LP, 1985) |
Time Flies + Rats (LP/CD, 1990) |
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Demos / Tapes |
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| Demolition War Parts I-III (Tape, 1981) |
Live Worcester 11-4-81 (Tape, 1981) |
Community Centre Warminster Live 9-5-81 (Tape, 1981) |
Sing Brother Sing (Tape, 1981) |
Live Melksham Youth Centre (Tape, split with Wild Youth, 1981) |
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| Live At The Pied Bull 28/11/81 (Tape, split with Sinyx, 1981) |
Live In Swindon (Tape, 1981) |
14 Months To Go.. (Tape, split with A-Heads, 1982) |
Live Stevenage Bowes Lyon House 21-2-82 (Tape, 1982) |
Live Pub Crawl |
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| Live London Putney White Lion 1-7-82 (Tape, 1982) | Live At The Moonlight Club 23/08/82 (Tape, split with Faction, 1982) |
Live London Finsbury Park George Robey 7-2-83 (Tape, 1983) |
Leeds (Tape, 1983) |
The Final Fling (Subhumans Leeds) (Tape, 1983) |
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| One Man's Fish Is Another Man's Poisson-Subhumans Live In Paris (Tape, 1984) |
Live At Juz Korachstrasse, Hamburg 14.6.84 (Tape, 1984) | USAT4 Live In San Francisco (Tape, 1984) |
Live Bathgate 9-8-84 (Tape, 1984) |
100 Club 21.2.84 (Tape) |
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| Live Fulham Greyhound (Tape, 1985) |
USAT5-Live New York (Tape, 1985) |
Everyday Live (Tape, 1985) |
Double Live Concept (Tape, 1985) |
Live Fulham Greyhound 31-10-85 (Tape, 1985) |
| Warminster, 10th November 85 (Tape, split with Steve L, 1986) |
Leeds. Adam And Eves. 23-7-85 (Tape, split with Instigators) | |||
Bootlegs |
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| Human Error (7", 2015) |
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DVDs/Videos |
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| The Best Of Flipside Video # 7 (VHS, split with UK Subs, 1998) |
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Various Artists
New Criminals UK Tape 1981 (New Crimes): Parasites / It's Gonna Get Worse / Drugs Of Youth
Wessex '82 UK 7" 1982 (Bluurg): No Thanks
Rising Free UK Tape 1983 (V.I.S.A.): Drugs Of Youth / Big Brother / Wasted Breath / Rain / Zyklon 'B' Movie / Mickey Mouse Is Dead
Hmmm... UK Tape 1983 (I Thought It Might Shock You Tapes/Hit Ranking Fanzine): Adversity / Rain / Big City / Reality Is Waiting For A Bus
Religious Vomit UK Tape 1983 (Public Disturbance): Song No 35 / First Aid (Live) / Trowbridge Park (Live)
International P.E.A.C.E. Benefit Compilation UK/US LP 1984 (R Radical): Rats
"Get Lost!" UK Tape 1984 (Greenhouse Tapes): All Gone Dead / Mickey Mouse Is Dead
We Don't Want Your Fucking War! UK LP 1985 (Mortarhate): Rats
Symphonies For The Disaffected UK Tape 1985 (Beer Belly Tapes): Animal / Zyklon B Movie / Religious Wars
V.I.S.A. Présente France LP 1985 (Bondage/V.I.S.A.): Mickey Mouse Is Dead
Life Is A Joke Vol. 2 Germany LP 2x1986 (Weird System): Human Error (Alternate Version)
Tour De Farce #2 Germany Tape 1987 (eMpTy): ApathyWe Won't Take No More UK CD 1995 (Mortarhate): Rats
This Is The A.L.F. - Second Edition UK 2xLP/CD 1998 (Mortarhate): Evolution
Anti-State: Anarcho Punk Compilation Vol. 2 UK CD 2005 (Overground): So Much Money
Burning Britain - A Story Of Independent UK Punk 1980-1983 UK 4xCD 2018 (Cherry Red): Reason For Existence
Bluurg Records EP's 82-88 UK CDR ???? (Bluurg): No Thanks
Links
CITIZEN FISH - Official website for Citizen Fish/Subhumans
MYSPACE - Official page
ART OF THE STATE - Subhumans interview
SUITE 101 - Dick Lucas interview
FAT WRECK CHORDS - Bio and attempts to sell a live CD
