UK Subs celebrate 80 years of Charlie Harper with Amsterdam gig

Gig Review: U.K. Subs Amsterdam concert celebrates 80 years of Charlie Harper

By Herman de Tollenaere

Legendary British punk band U.K. Subs played the Melkweg in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 27 May, two days after the 80th birthday of their singer Charlie Harper. Punktuation’s Netherlands correspondent Herman de Tollenaere was there.

This report also, slightly differrently, at Punktuation.

In 2023, during their last ever long tour, the U.K. Subs had played in Utrecht. Since then, they do only short tours or single gigs. They had played London on Charley’s 80th birthday, 25 May, before coming to the Netherlands.

The U.K. Subs have a long-standing connection to the Netherlands. The first time was 11 February 1980, opening for the Ramones, in Paradiso, Amsterdam. 24 February 1980, Kaasee in Rotterdam; where my Cheap ‘n’ Nasty band co-founder Terry and me interviewed them. 11 October 1980, Venlo, when we opened for them.

1989: Paradiso, with the women, including ex-Lou’s drummer Sacha/Saskia/Syama de Jong, of LoveCramps playing their first gig opening for the Subs.

December 2023. Drachten, with the Exploited, GBH, and Dutch bands Antidote and Bent Out of Shape.

These are just a few snippets of the long Dutch history of the U.K. Subs.

On 27 May 2024, two days after his 80th birthday and after so many decades of great contributions to punk, Charlie certainly deserved a brilliant gig in a jampacked Melkweg hall. He surely got it.

The Subs attracted both punks who had been punks for decades, like Wim IJff, bassist of North Brabant band the Scoundrels, and Marloes Vermeulen, in the 1980s she was Smexmec guitarist. And young punks, like Emma Paulissen, bass player/vocalist in Moron, then Daddy, now in Dear Omens. It was so great being there together with  my band co-founder Terry, with Brigitte van Noije from Leiden who as a 15-year-old had been at the 1980 Crass-Poison-Girls-Cheap ‘n’ Nasty-Annie Anxiety-God’s Hangover etc. gig in Voorschoten, with Michelle Steenge (thanks for your photos!), Leonor Faber-Jonker author of No Future Nu, and so many others!

Like in Utrecht in 2023, the ‘pop punks’ Nasty Rumours from Switzerland opened for the U.K. Subs.

They played their melodic songs fast and enthusiastically, their enthusiam rubbed off on the audience as dancing and applause.

One of the Nasty Rumours’ songs was Ticking Timebomb.

The U.K. Subs sounded even better than during their 2023 shows in Utrecht, Eindhoven, Drachten and the Blackpool Rebellion festival.

The sound mix let Charlie’s voice, so fitting for the U.K. Subs’ subcategory of punk songs, through loudly and clearly. Also the instruments sounded well.

Charlie had green hair and a Discharge t-shirt on. Bassist Alvin Gibbs had a t-shirt of his other band, the Disobedient Servants. Guitarist Stephen Straughan had a red shirt on stage. After the gig he had a black Chelsea t-shirt.

U,K, Subs, photo by Michelle Steenge in the Melkweg

The Subs played Rockers as their first song.

Later, Warhead.

Riot as well.

Not all songs were decades-old Subs favourites: they also played the 2022 song, about COVID, Kill Me.

When the band stopped playing and left the stage, the audience loudly expressed that they wanted an encore. To strong applause and cheering, the U.K. Subs returned.

The last song in the encore was Party in Paris.

So, the party in Paris was over, but the audience wanted the U.K. Subs party in Amsterdam to continue.

They got the second encore they all wanted.

Here is a video of the first and second encores. Including I couldn’t be you, Charlie announced it was from 1969, so, the ‘oldest punk song ever’. With Charlie playing harmonica.

U.K. Subs, Charlie plays harmonica, photo by Michelle Steenge in the Melkweg

The second encore started with You Don’t Belong, and continued with my favourite New York State Police.

The crowd took over, singing Happy Birthday To You for Charlie.

As last song of the second encore, Teenage.

Everyone went home, still full of brilliant memories of a great punky night. The U.K. Subs continued to Münster in Germany, and then Berlin, to play in SO36: a venue with a punk history almost as long as the Subs’.