By Megan Carneal
mcarneal@mscd.edu

Punk rock as a genre oftentimes is judged by how “underground” a band is. The Subhumans
have managed to stay subterranean throughout their entire career, only emerging
every few years to lure in a new generation
of fans with spontaneous and enraged anarcho-punk.
Originally from southwest England, The Subhumans released their first EP Demolition
War in 1981. Since then, they have released
and recorded five EPs and seven LPs including 1983’s The Day the Country Died, which has become a must-have in any punk connoisseur’s record collection.
Known for lyrics full of anarchistic and nihilistic messages, The Subhumans were obviously inspired by the late ‘70s uprising of U.K. punk. However, other influences like cult god Frank Zappa gave their music a much more structured sound than that of their punk predecessors. Their music could be considered more natural than most punk, because of their use of a clean guitar sound in many of their songs.
On the other hand, their experimentation
with the use of electronics put them way ahead of their time. Using profoundly sharp perceptions on the state of the world in the ‘80s, The Subhumans managed to capture political punk in a coherent and organized way.
Lead singer Dick Lucas often used his own beliefs in his lyrics, such as vegetarianism
in the song, “Pigman,” and his fascination
with George Orwell’s “1984” on “Big Brother.”
Throughout the years, the band relied heavily on its do-it-yourself ethics in the early world of punk. Like many bands in the new and volatile genre, The Subhumans had to form their own labels and rely on themselves for publicity. In 1981, the same year they released their first EP, they started their own label, Bluurg Records. They released
nine different EPs and LPs on Bluurg, charging as little as possible for each one.
The band has had a turbulent history, including six different lineup changes from 1980 to 1983. They have split up many times during the last 24 years, only to get back together
again. During their breaks from The Subhumans, members formed the bands Citizen Fish, which features three ex-Subhumans
and Culture Shock, which has one ex-Subhuman. This show will be the last time the current member lineup is scheduled to perform.

The Subhumans will make you remember why you hate the world on March 22 at the Bluebird Theater. Tickets are $10 and the show is all ages. Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m.