Subhumans were a Canadian

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

band formed in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Canada in 1978.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 157 Known by

pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...

nicknames, original members were known simply as "Useless" (

Gerry Hannah Gerald Richard Hannah (also known as Gerry Useless; birthdate unknown) is a Canadian musician who was the bass guitarist for the Canadian punk rock group The Subhumans. Hannah was also a member of the armed revolutionary group known as the Squam ...

), "Dimwit" (Ken Montgomery), "Wimpy" (

Brian Roy Goble Brian Roy Goble, (January 4, 1957 – December 7, 2014), also known as Wimpy Roy or Brian "Sunny Boy Roy" Goble, was a Canadian singer and musician. He played bass and sang for several Vancouver punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subcul ...

) and "Normal" (Mike Graham).

History

Dimwit quit the band shortly after their first 7" was released to join the

Pointed Sticks Pointed Sticks (sometimes credited as the Pointed Sticks) are a Canadian punk rock/ new wave band from Vancouver consisting of vocalist Nick Jones, guitarist Bill Napier-Hemy, bassist Tony Bardach, drummer Ian Tiles, and keyboardist Gord Nichol ...

, and was replaced by Koichi Imagawa, also known as Jim Imagawa, on drums. In 1981, Hannah left the band and gradually became involved with a small group of underground activists calling themselves ''Direct Action''. In the alternative media they were referred to as the ''Vancouver 5'', but in the mainstream press they were dubbed the '' Squamish 5''. The group, composed of ecologists and feminists, were responsible for a number of actions, including the 14 October 1982 bombing of the

Litton Industries Litton Industries, Inc., was an American defense contractor that specialized in shipbuilding, aerospace, electronic components, and information technology. The company was founded in 1953 and was named after inventor Charles Litton Sr., who was ...

plant in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

which made guidance systems for

cruise missile A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...

s. The Litton bombing hurt several plant workers and three police officers were also injured. While Hannah was not part of the Litton bombing, he supported it, and did take part in other actions, as well as planning to rob a Brinks truck to fund future actions. He was arrested on 20 January 1983, along with the four other members of Direct Action. Many benefits were arranged for the group by people such as

Jello Biafra Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and political activist. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Init ...

and

Joey Shithead Joseph Edward "Joey Shithead" Keithley (né Keighley; June 3, 1956)
is a Canadia ...

of D.O.A. to pay lawyers fees but, in the end, Hannah pleaded guilty to avoid years in prison. He received a 10-year sentence and was released after serving 5 years. During his time in prison, he began writing a column for the

fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...

, ''

Maximum RocknRoll ''Maximumrocknroll'', often written as ''Maximum Rocknroll'' and usually abbreviated as ''MRR'', is a not-for-profit monthly online zine of punk subculture and radio show of punk music. Based in San Francisco, ''MRR'' focuses on punk rock and ...

'', which helped maintain his connection to the punk scene. A number of years after his release he was the subject of a documentary film made by B.C. filmmaker Glen Sanford, called ''Useless''. After Hannah left the band, the Subhumans re-formed with Ron Allan on bass. After Imagawa left the band, Dimwit was briefly back with the Subhumans before Randy Bowman joined in his place. With the line up of Wimpy Roy, Mike Graham, Ron Allan, and Randy Bowman, the Subhumans recorded the album ''No Wishes, No Prayers'' for Black Flag's

SST Records SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was first founded in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Transmitters, a small business through which he sold elec ...

. The band split in April 1982. Brian Goble went on to join D.O.A. on bass and occasional lead vocals along with Dimwit on drums. Ron Allan and Mike Normal formed Shanghai Dog with Barry Taylor from The Young Canadians and Doug Andrew (later of Circus in Flames). Randy Bowman joined

The Enigmas The Enigmas are a Canadian garage rock band formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1981. Although initially short-lived, the band is still renowned for its live performances, showcasing a style combining influences from 1960s garage rock and De ...

and later went on to join Vancouver band, The Scramblers, along with Ron Allan. Subhumans' songs have been covered by many other bands, including D.O.A.,

NoMeansNo Nomeansno (sometimes stylized as NoMeansNo or spelled No Means No) was a Canadian punk rock band formed in Victoria, British Columbia, and later relocated to Vancouver. They released 11 albums, including a The Sky Is Falling and I Want My Mommy, ...

, MDC, Overkill,

Jingo de Lunch Jingo de Lunch is a German punk band from Kreuzberg, Berlin. They formed in 1987, releasing five albums before temporary disbanding in 1996. Biography Prehistory Most members had a solid musical background. Vocalist Yvonne Ducksworth (a Canad ...

, and the Vancouver band Cub, and they are highly regarded within the punk community. A brief reunion saw the band tour western Canada in 1995. The lineup was Hannah and Goble, joined by Jon Williams on guitar and David "Salty" MacAnulty on drums. They released the album ''Pissed Off … With Good Reason'' the following year, a compilation of material previously released only on vinyl and previously unreleased recordings, including a live track & 4 demos recorded in 1981 and seven tracks recorded live in

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

during the 1995 tour. In 2005, the Subhumans reunited with the following line-up:

on bass,

Jon Card Jon Card (December 11, 1960 – April 8, 2024) was a German-born Canadian drummer. He played in the punk rock bands Personality Crisis, SNFU, D.O.A., and The Subhumans. Life and career Card was born to a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot in Zwe ...

(ex- Personality Crisis,

SNFU SNFU was a Canadian hardcore punk band from Edmonton, formed in 1981 as Society's No Fucking Use. They relocated to Vancouver in 1992 and went on hiatus in 2018 due to illness. They released eight albums, two live records, and one compilation ami ...

and D.O.A.) on drums, Wimpy Roy on vocals and Mike Graham on guitar. They signed to

Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 by Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra and guitarist East Bay Ray in San Francisco, California, with the intention to release the Dead Kennedys' self-produced single " C ...

and

G7 Welcoming Committee Records G7 Welcoming Committee Records was a Canadian independent record label based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The label mostly released material by artists and speakers with a radical left-wing point of view. History G7 Welcoming Committee Records was f ...

. A new album, ''New Dark Age Parade'', was released in September 2006. ''Death Was Too Kind'', a compilation of the band's early singles and EPs, was released in 2008. In 2010, the band released the album ''Same Thoughts, Different Day'', a re-recorded version of their 1980 album ''Incorrect Thoughts''. The band wanted to re-issue the original album, but were blocked by an American record company claiming ownership. Deciding it was likely less expensive than fighting a lengthy legal battle, the band chose to re-record the album, including "bonus songs" from the same era that had been unreleased. Although no formal break-up announcement was made, a string of shows in 2010 after the album's release proved to be the band's final performances. On December 7, 2014, lead singer Brian Goble died of a heart attack at the age of 57. The Subhumans were featured in the 2010 documentary film ''Bloodied but Unbowed'', directed by Susanne Tabata."Vancouver punk rock doc... now with Jello"
''Vancouver Courier'', Michael Kissinger, January 18, 2012

Discography

Singles, 7"s, EPs

*''Death to the Sickoids / Oh Canaduh'' 7" (1978) *''The Subhumans'' EP (

Quintessence Records Quintessence Records started in 1976. Quintessence was formed by Pickwick International Inc. as a budget label. Pickwick’s trademark for Quintessence was filed on December 10, 1976 with the initial Q made to look like a clef symbol. The lab ...

, 1979) *''Firing Squad" / No Productivity'' 7" (Quintessence Records, 1980) *''Demo/EP Limited Edition'' EP (2005)

Albums

*''Incorrect Thoughts'' LP on (Friends Records, 1980) *''No Wishes, No Prayers'' LP on ( SST, 1983) *''New Dark Age Parade'' LP (

and

, 2006) *''Same Thoughts, Different Day'' CD/LP (Alternative Tentacles, 2010)

Anthologies

*''Pissed Off... with Good Reason'' CD/Cassette (Essential Noise, 1996) *''Death Was Too Kind'' CD/LP (

, 2008)

Compilations

*"Death to the Sickoids" and "Urban Guerilla" on ''Vancouver Complication'' (1979) *"Out of Line" and "Behind The Smile" on ''Vancouver Independence'', Friends Records (1980) *"Slave to My Dick" on '' Let Them Eat Jellybeans!'' (

, 1981) *"No Productivity" on ''Killed By Death #4'', Redrum Records (1989 *"Slave to My Dick" on ''Last Call: Vancouver Independent Music 1977-1988'' (Zulu Records, 1991) *"Firing Squad" on ''Faster & Louder: Hardcore Punk, Vol. 2'', (

Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Company (formerly Rhino Records Inc.) is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded ...

, 1993)

Covered by

* Overkill covered "Fuck You" on the !!!Fuck You!!! EP (1987) * DOA covered "No Productivity" on the "Murder" LP (1990), and also covered "Behind the Smile" for the Terminal City Ricochet film soundtrack (1990). *Frank Frink Five "Slave to My Dick (Polka Version)" on "Van-Cover" compilation, Garbonzo Bean Productions, 1986 * MDC covered "The Big Picture" in their '' Smoke Signals'' LP (1986). *

covered "Oh Canaduh!" in a 1991 single. *Leamers covered "Oh Canaduh!" in the Magic, Yo! EP (2012).

References

External links

Subhumans
Official website
The Subhumans on New Music Canada
(dead link) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Subhumans, The Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 1983 Musical groups reestablished in 2005 Musical groups disestablished in 2010 Musical groups from Vancouver Canadian hardcore punk groups G7 Welcoming Committee Records artists Anarcho-punk groups Alternative Tentacles artists 1978 establishments in British Columbia 1983 disestablishments in Canada 2005 establishments in British Columbia 2010 disestablishments in British Columbia Canadian garage rock groups