Silence is No Reaction: Forty Years of Subhumans

by Ian Glasper

Formed in Wiltshire, England, in 1980, the Subhumans are rightly held in high regard as one of the best punk rock bands to ever hail from the UK. Over the course of five timeless studio albums and just as many classic EPs, not to mention well over 1,000 gigs around the world, they have blended serious anarcho punk with a demented sense of humour and genuinely memorable tunes to create something quite unique and utterly compelling. For the first time ever, their whole story is told, straight from the recollections of every band member past and present, as well as a dizzying array of their closest friends and peers, with not a single stone left unturned. Bolstered with hundreds of flyers and exclusive photos, it's the definitive account of the much-loved band.

Genres: Punk, Music

640 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2023

Reviews

[Ryan Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly amazing and in depth history of the SUB HUM ANS. Absolute necessity of a read for fans of this band. The book covers their entire 40+ year history and more told through first hand accounts with tons of accompanying photos of the band members, posters, and more. If you are a Subhumans fan, pick up this book!

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a lot of biographies. What I like about them is I can put myself in another person's shoes and understand how they perceived and experienced their lives. The best biographies make me feel like I was there alongside the subject, even if I wasn't.
This book tells me "you weren't there" over and over. It feels like it was written specifically FOR the people who WERE THERE. I don't know the places and people mentioned in these stories, and I'm made to feel as though I shouldn't know because I wasn't involved in shaping the events that are discussed.
The Subhumans were my favourite band for years and years, and were the driving force in sparking the interest I have in punk/indie/underground music and social/political activism. I was expecting a lot from this book, being deeply interested in the subject.
Sadly, the book is dull. At least to me. I didn't feel invested in the stories, and wasn't at any point made to feel invested. The constant name-dropping of people and places made me feel like I was eavesdropping on a conversation between a group of people I didn't know, and who would likely treat me with hostility if they knew I was listening.
The Subhumans were a great band. This book was mediocre. If you want to understand the band and the world they inhabit, I'd probably recommend simply listening to "From the Cradle to the Grave". That 15 minute masterpiece will tell you more about the band and the lives they lived than all of the pages of this biography.

[DaN McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lifelong fan of Subhumans this book has everything you could ever want - a comprehensive history of the band (as well as lots on Culture Shock/ Citizen Fish), interviews with everyone ever connected to them (including all band members past and present), amazing photographs and all sorts of insights and information. A must if you’ve ever scratched Sub Hum Ans or that singing skull onto anything, and for anyone interested in the life and times of one of the most influential and enduring British punk bands of all time.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved spending ten minutes each morning in eighties England with one of the best bands ever. Might this be a tad too detailed? Yes, but breadth of coverage, especially for those early years, is invaluable for understanding the UK (and larger) punk scene, not just this one band.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent.