4ft Fingers

4ft Fingers

4ft Fingers are a punk band from Cheltenham, United Kingdom, formed in 1996 and active to the present day. They play punk rock with elements of Oi! and describe their style as “beer-skate-punk”.

History

The band goes through several line-up and name changes before settling on the 4ft Fingers name. After playing mostly local shows for a couple of years, Rob, Tom, Dougie and Dave meet manager Darren in late 1999, after which the band begins to gig extensively.

In 2001, the quartet records its debut album, At Your Convenience, and follows it with a year of constant touring, including around 140 shows. This helps establish a reputation as one of the hardest-working punk bands in the UK.

In early 2002, 4ft Fingers sign to Golf Records and record From Hero To Zero with Dave Chang at Philia Studios. The album is released later that year, followed by a 40-date UK tour under the title Golfing On The Moon and then a further tour in support of the album the following year.

The band also tours with acts including Dead Kennedys, The Damned, Crank and Voodoo Glowskulls. In 2004, it records A Cause For Concern with Pete Brown at Philia Studios and releases it alongside UK and European headline dates. It also tours the United States for the first time that summer, with the American release of the album on Go-Kart Records.

Media and later line-up changes

4ft Fingers have four videos on Scuzz TV and P-Rock TV: “Last Man Standing”, “Brickwall”, “Emergency Manoeuvre” and “40 Years Of Misery”. All four reach the channels’ top five.

At the end of 2006, Tom leaves the band after the year’s booked shows are completed, and guitarist Jon, formerly of Gash, joins in his place. Later, Dave Humphries leaves the band to do other things, and Dougie’s first child is born in February 2009, after which the band takes some time off and begins looking for a new drummer.

Style

The band is associated with loud, tuneful and anthemic punk rock, with Oi! influences and a skate-punk edge. It is described as one of the most popular UK punk bands of its era.