G.B.H.

Formed in Birmingham in 1978, the quartet that would become known as G.B.H. (or Charged G.B.H.) quickly emerged as a driving force in the street-punk revival that reinvigorated British punk. Vocalist Colin Abrahall, guitarist Colin “Jock” Blyth, bassist Sean McCarthy, and drummer Andrew “Wilf” Williams made up the original lineup; the group took its name from the legal phrase “Grievous Bodily Harm,” the charge once leveled against McCarthy. By the close of their first year Ross Lomas had replaced McCarthy on bass. Delivering a hard, rapid attack unafraid of crude or provocative subject matter, the band built its early reputation through relentless U.K. gigs. After signing with Clay Records, Charged G.B.H. issued its debut EP, Leather, Bristles, Studs, and Acne, in 1981. The following year saw the arrival of the first full-length album, City Baby Attacked by Rats, which led to further touring and the group’s initial American dates. City Baby’s Revenge: 101 Ways to Kill a Rat followed in 1983. In 1986 the band moved to Rough Justice Records for Midnight Madness and Beyond—the first release to carry the shortened moniker G.B.H.—and drummer Williams departed, with Kai Reder, formerly of Napalm, stepping in behind the kit. No Need to Panic appeared in 1987 and A Fridge Too Far in 1989. Joseph “Fish” Montanaro joined on drums in 1992, remaining until Scott Preece took over in 1994. While many peer acts from the street-punk and Oi! era faded or vanished, G.B.H. sustained a steady output of live and studio recordings and maintained a regular touring schedule through the 1990s and into the new century. Citations from thrash-metal acts such as Metallica and Slayer helped the group reach fresh listeners. In 2010 longtime admirer Lars Frederiksen of Rancid repaid the influence by issuing Perfume and Piss on his Hellcat Records imprint. Nearly four decades after forming, G.B.H. returned to the same label with the 2017 studio album Momentum.