Big Cheese

Big Cheese

Big Cheese is a hardcore punk band from Leeds, West Yorkshire, and is associated with the New Wave of British Hardcore. The group forms in 2016, when guitarist Meg Mills, then playing in Rapture, and vocalist and then-bassist Tom “Razor” Hardwick, formerly of Obstruct, Fade, Violent Reaction and Shrapnel, begin living together and developing songs.

Line-up

After the first songs are developed, the band recruits Louis Hardy and Alex Wizard, both from fellow Leeds hardcore band Higher Power, on guitar and drums respectively. Hardwick later hands bass duties to Anthony Wheatley, who is formerly of Sheffield hardcore band the Pact.

Releases and recordings

The band’s recorded work includes the EP Aggravated Mopery, a live tape from a NWOBHCFM Radio session, and the compilation Don’t Forget To Tell The World, which gathers all of their material released up to that point through Painkiller Records. They also enter the studio to record their debut album Punishment Park, and release the single “Write-Off” from it. In 2021, they release the three-track EP Anymore for Anymore.

Live activity

Big Cheese play a sold-out show at Camden Underworld on 22 October 2017 with Trapped Under Ice, Higher Power, King Nine and Chamber. They appear at Outbreak Festival in Leeds in June 2018, tour Europe with Illusion of New York in August, and support Turnstile on their UK headline tour in October. They later open for Have Heart on their reunion run at Stylus in Leeds, then continue with European dates alongside Mere Mortal, and a further European tour with Culture Abuse and Short Sharp Shock hosted by Vans.

Recognition

In an article for Metal Hammer, Jimmy Wizard includes the band’s song “Rotter” in his essential hardcore mixtape.