Interview: Charlie Harper of UK Subs

Few figures have been as vital to the endurance of punk rock as Charlie Harper. As the frontman of the legendary UK Subs, Harper remains an unstoppable force in the scene he helped build.

In this exclusive feature, Djordje Miladinović had the distinct privilege of sitting down with Charlie to discuss his career-spanning book, An Anarchy of Demons. They delved into the stories within its pages, the enduring legacy of the UK Subs, and what the future holds for this punk icon. Join them as they reflect on decades of grit, determination, and the uncompromising spirit that defines a true legend.

Order “An Anarchy Of Demons” book HERE

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Hi, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. How have you been?

I’ve been good thank you very much and thank you for your kind words.

An Anarchy of Demons sounds like a title rooted in chaos, yet the book itself is incredibly grounded, focused, and free of typical rock-star melodrama. What does the title mean to you, and how does it reflect the 478 pages of your life story?

Yes the title came from the chorus of one of my songs, the idea came in return from quantum physics or maybe chaos theory, Nicky Garratt was always trying to explain new science to us.

The book is filled with hundreds of unseen photos from your personal collection, plus that incredible Steve Dann cover art. What was the emotional experience of digging through your visual archives, and how important was it to give readers a true, full-colour look inside your world?

That was tough, maybe half of the pics where chosen by me, the rest by my wife, I would have chosen more live shots, she liked the family shots.

Lars Frederiksen penned the foreword to your book, which speaks volumes about the respect you command across different generations of the underground. How did your friendship with Lars develop, and what did it mean to you to have him set the tone for your life story?

Lars played guitar in the UK Subs in the early 90s. I had to send him home as he developed an alcohol problem but look where he ended up ! glad to say that we are friends once more.

You are remarkably transparent about your personal struggles, including difficult family dynamics and failed marriages. Was it ever daunting to lay your life out so candidly without wrapping it in the protective mythology that a lot of musicians hide behind?

Yes, they can’t get past their ego’s. I love autobiographies and biographies, I just wanted to be honest.

Your early childhood was shaped by the tail end of the Second World War, strict austerity, and boarding schools for “misfit boys.” How did the isolation and environment of those early years forge the strength you would later need for a lifetime on the road?

I’m a self-confessed twitcher, I took a powerful pare of bins on tour looking at the eagles up high. It made me very adaptable. after the institutions, life became a big adventure, it was a great time to be sixteen.

Long before 1977, you were absorbing skiffle and rhythm and blues. How did those foundational, working-class musical movements influence your approach to songwriting and the rhythmic drive of the U.K. Subs?

Just like Iggy Pop said, keep it simple, too many cords, restrict the vocals but yes, the rhythm is important to me.

You watched the cultural shift happen from the inside, evolving from a pub-rocker into a profoundly creative punk frontman. What was the exact moment or gig that made you realize the punk rock movement was where you truly belonged?

I always say it was seeing the Damned at the Roxy that made me want to play that stuff, they also played MC5 and the Sex Pistols played Stooges songs. that was the connection.

So much of early British punk was marketed on pure nihilism and destruction, yet your lyrics have always carried a pragmatic, observant, and community-driven clarity. Do you feel the core, constructive ethos of punk is often overshadowed by the desire for shock value?

At the bar of the Roxy, we would tell each other of our dreams, but as time went on, hard drugs messed up a lot of musicians, I always try to capture the essence of that fine young scene.

The U.K. Subs have had a massive, famously rotating cast of bandmates over the decades. How have you managed to maintain the definitive, uncompromising identity of the band regardless of who is standing on stage next to you?

A little luck, I believe you will find what you are looking for if you make it known, in the book, there is every which way somebody will leave the band, before the show, I’m at the bar, after the show, Im at the bar, I enjoy talking to our people, I talk to people everywhere, I look on that as a privilege and many song ideas come from this.

In the book, you give proper attention to your solo records and side projects. Do you view your entire body of work as one continuous musical journey, rather than just viewing the U.K. Subs as the sole pinnacle of your career?

This is a big question, I shall take five.

Next night. I did explain the accident of the Urban Dogs – the Subs did not want the gig – then there’s my acoustic adventure, which was going so well until covid, its just gaining traction again, as I will play the John Peel centre. I also can’t stop writing songs and the band just stopped, but now we have been given the go ahead to make another LP as we have a killer band right now.

You speak beautifully about the friends, bandmates, and the “makeshift families” formed while touring. After decades of traveling, what is the secret to surviving—and actually thriving—within the tight, chaotic confines of tour vans and small venues?

First of all, you have to love what you are doing, playing music all over the globe is a privilege and should be treasured, another tour ! I’m off on holiday and it’s all paid for. I love the small venues, the band love the big ones, big stages give me vertigo.

Outside of music, your passion for painting is a major part of your life. How does your mindset when approaching a blank canvas differ from when you are writing punk rock anthems?

Its second nature, I wake up and before breakfast, I start painting, first I have an idea of a background, I love to experiment with colour and shapes before I paint the subject, and sometimes I fall out of bed with a song idea, I have a little note pad and pen in the draw and scribble down the line, that will get me started.

For many, the punk lifestyle implies instability, but your memoir suggests that creating art, however loud or raw, can actually be a profound form of healing and grounding. How has staying active in the scene kept you centered?

The instability bit did not bother me, I lived in so many places around London, now I’m settled, i find it hard to believe, like the song by Talking Heads, here’s my beautiful house, my beautiful car and my beautiful wife and I ask myself, how did I get here, it’s hard to believe.

People often refer to you as an elder statesman of the genre, someone who didn’t just witness its birth, but kept the torch burning through the lean years. How do you wear that title, and do you feel a responsibility to keep the true DIY spirit alive for the younger crowds?

In the Roxy days, we were in the gutter but looking up at the stars, the safety pins and bin liners did not last long as we all went shopping at Vivians SEX shop, hit singles then hit LPs. someone in a punk rock band told me at the Marquee Club bar, he just bought a house with his two nights of playing the place. looking back it seems impossible, but if you concentrate on the songs and your live show, this can happen without you even trying. just don’t be a dick about it and turn into a breadhead.

You’ve proven definitively that punk rock isn’t something you simply retire from. With the release of An Anarchy of Demons via Earth Island Books, what does the next chapter look like for you? Are there new records, more paintings, or plans for touring still on the immediate horizon?

I’m afraid so but we don’t call them tours, we are going on a jolly,  just a weekend of three shows and now summer is here, more festivals in Europe. Thank you stupid government for making overseas travel more difficult.

That’s it. Thank you so much for your time. Anything you would like to say to UK Subs fans and our readers at the end of this interview?

A big thank you for a great 82 birthday party in London, as long as your there for us, we will be there for you ! Born a rocker die a rocker !! many thanks for a great interview too. Charlie Harper xxx

It was done after midnight, so don’t scream and shout !!