Urban Dogs

Urban Dogs are a punk group from London, United Kingdom, active from 1982 to the present. Charlie Harper of the UK Subs starts the band in 1982, originally to play the 100 Club when the UK Subs do not want to appear there more than once a year because of their “pop star status”. The first main line-up includes Charlie Harper on vocals and harmonica, Knox of the Vibrators on guitar, Alvin Gibbs of the UK Subs on bass, and Matthew Best on drums. The group develops a reputation for an amateur, hand-carrying approach to gigs, taking its drums around in a car and lugging equipment into the 100 Club, where it plays often enough to become almost a house band.

Recordings and releases

Under the management of Richard Bishop, the band records its first album, Urban Dogs, for Fallout Records in 1983 at Silo Studios in west London. The album reaches number 7 in the Indie charts in April 1983. Two singles come from the record: “New Barbarians” and “Limo Life”, both with the UK Subs track “Warhead” on the B-side. The album also includes covers of the New York Dolls’ “Human Being”, Iggy Pop’s “I Wanna Be Your Dog”, and the Vibrators’ “Sex Kick” and “Dragnet”.

The second album, No Pedigree, is recorded in 1985 at Electrorhythm Studios in north London for Flicknife Records. It includes “Wanna World” and “The Word”, along with covers of John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey”, Marc Bolan’s “Children of the Revolution”, and Bobby Boris Pickett’s “Monster Mash”. Compared with the first album’s punk rock guitar sound, this record has a more studio-based approach. It also features Rebecca and Melissa of the Rhubarb Tarts sharing lead vocals on “Cold Turkey”, and saxophone by Anthony Thistlethwaite of the Waterboys.

The original band reforms in April 1998 to record its third album, Wipeout Beach, for Raw Power UK Records. Dave Goodman records and produces the album at Mandala Studios in south London. It is made up mainly of new material, with the title track and “Hey Joe” as the exceptions. The group later plays a record-launch show at Camden’s Dublin Castle in November 1998.

Later activity

The band’s final appearance in the original period takes place in 1986 at the 100 Club, with Matt Belgrano on drums, Max Splodge briefly helping before collapsing after a few songs, and Wattie of the Exploited finishing the set. The encore includes “Troops of Tomorrow” and “Warhead”. By that point Matthew Best has already left to join Psychic TV, and Alvin Gibbs has left to join Iggy Pop.