Subb

Subb
Origin	Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
Genres	Punk rock ska punk hardcore punk reggae
Years active	1992–2010, 2015
Labels	Stomp One Big Family Records Underworld Records
Members	Jeff Quesnel Mart Charron Math Goyette Stef Gauthier JF Lague
Past members	Nick Poissant Jeepy Paiement Jonh Génier Chris Roy Fred Gagné
Website	www.subbcentral.com

Subb was a Canadian ska punk band formed in November 1992 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, a suburb outside of Montreal, Quebec. Since their beginning in the early 1990s, the band released four full-length albums, one EP and one split CD on the labels Stomp Records and Underworld Records. Though they experienced several lineup changes over the years, founding members Mart Charron and Stef Gauthier remained in the group. The band's musical style initially blended elements of punk rock, ska, and hardcore into a genre popularly known as ska punk or "ska-core," which characterized their first two albums. In 2002, they were moving away from this sound and producing an album with a heavy pop punk influence. After a brief hiatus in 2003, the band moved back towards their ska, punk and hardcore elements.

Band history

1992–1995: The early years

Subb formed in 1992 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec under the name Society Under Babbling Boobs (S.U.B.B.). The band's original lineup consisted of Mart Charron on vocals & guitar, Fred Gagné on lead guitar, Stef Gauthier on bass, and Chris Roy on drums. This lineup lasted two years until Fred and Chris left the group in 1994. Jeepy Paiement joined the band in December 1994 as the new drummer. The trio spent the next 3 months writing songs before recording their first demo tape during the summer. That's when the band decided to drop the acronyme and just called themselves Subb.

1996–1999: Underworld Records years

In 1995, Subb met singer Jeff Quesnel and he would be a turning point in the band's future sound. Later that year, Jonh Génier replaced Jeepy on drums, but he was himself soon replaced by Nick Poissant and Subb signed to Underworld Records, a Montreal-based record label. 1996 saw the arrival of a second guitarist, Math Goyette and the release of their first CD, Two ban' an' a split, a split album with friends Thirdfall. Nick left the band in September 1997 and was replaced by JF Lague. In December, their first full-length release "The Highstep to Hell" came out. The song "Mister Gun" was soon to become a fan favorite, and the band supported their release by touring across Canada. In November 1998, the band released EP entitled Like Kids in a Field.

2000–2002: Stomp Records years (Part one)

In September 1999, Subb signed to Stomp Records and in March 2000, Subb released "Until the party ends". This record was a new chapter in the band's young career with its mix of raw energy of punk rock with sweet stylings of ska and reggae music. They have toured extensively in 2000 to support "Until the party ends". After taking part in the national Vans "State of the Union" Tour with label-mates Reset and Men O' Steel, the band went on to play the Montreal and Toronto stops of the Vans Warped Tour. Also, they have toured a lot in Quebec, Ontario and the Canadian east coast with bands such as Less Than Jake, Suicide Machines, Strung Out, No Motiv, Samiam and The Planet Smashers. The videos for the singles "L.A. Beach Bum" brought their sound to a wider audience as it was put into heavy rotation on MusiquePlus and has been featured on Much Music as well as being the indie spotlight.

In early 2001, Subb performed at the MusiquePlus "Jam des neiges 2001" alongside Orgy and Crazy Town, then toured Europe for three weeks across Switzerland and Germany before embarking on a coast-to-coast Canadian tour with The Planet Smashers. They subsequently appeared at the Vans Warped Tour in Montreal and Toronto and hosted a sold-out launch event at Montreal’s The Spectrum for the re-release of "The Ultimate Highstep to Hell."

Daylight Saving, Subb's third album, was recorded in 2002. Subb started touring by headlining the Molson Dry/Musique Plus 123 Punk Tour in April and May. During the summer, they performed at the Ramprage event with Pennywise, and played three dates (Boston, Montreal, Toronto) on the Vans Warped Tour on the Union Stage. They released three videos from this record: Daylight Saving (the title track), "Twenty-One," and "Out of the line." "Twenty-One" received airplay on Musique Plus, Much Music and MuchLoud, while "Out of the Line" was also added to the rotation on MuchLoud. Toward the end of the year, Subb toured Quebec and Ontario with Big Wig and Jettison.

2003–2010: Stomp records years (Part two)

After a short hiatus in early 2003, the band started working on new songs and kept on doing so for the next two years. In April 2006, the band's album The Motions came out. Their fourth full-length album was recorded at Piccolo studios in Montreal (The Sainte Catherines, Voivod, Simple Plan, etc.) and produced by Frank Joly.

Subb also toured extensively in 2006. The band took part of the national 2006 GRIND tour in May, with Mad Caddies, Satanic Surfers, The Loved Ones and label-mates The Resistance. In the summer, they played several dates in Quebec and Ontario to support the new album and played the Toronto and Montreal stops of the Vans Warped Tour.

In 2007, they were invited by the Vulgaires Machins for a series of shows. With Akuma also on the bill, the tour was spread throughout February, March and April. In April, The Motions was released in Japan, on One Big Family Records, and the band was invited to Japan for a tour.

The album To This Beat was released on May 2, 2009 on Stomp Records. They enlisted the help of Jah Cutta to dive even deeper into the roots of ska music with tributes to their home town ("I Heart Montreal"), reggae music and culture ("Shottas & Mount Zion").

In December 2009, the band was officially on hiatus. They subsequently announced that they were disbanding at the beginning of Spring 2010. One last tour was announced, and a record with demos, rarities and dubs was coming up in September 2010. The "Zero To Zero Tour '10" took place from September 2010 to November 2010. In October 2010, the band took part in Montreal Ska Festival. Subb gave their last performance on November 20, in their hometown of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

Life after Subb : Projects; 2010–present

In 2018, Jeff Quesnel, along with guitarist Mart Charron, formed Bring the Light after realizing they both shared a strong desire to create melodic hardcore. Soon after, they recruited Nick Poissant on drums, Vincent Gauthier on bass, and Frank Chartrand on guitar, completing the band’s lineup.

Band members

Subb lineups

(1992–1994) live shows only	Mart Charron – vocals and guitar Fred Gagné – guitar and vocals Stef Gauthier – bass Chris Roy – drums
(1995) Period (demo)	Mart Charron – vocals and guitar Stef Gauthier – bass and vocals Jeepy Paiement – drums
(1995) live shows only	Jeff Quesnel – vocals Mart Charron – vocals and guitar Stef Gauthier – bass and vocals Jonh Génier – drums
(1996–1997) Two ban' an' a split The Highstep to hell	Jeff Quesnel – vocals Mart Charron – vocals and guitar Stef Gauthier – bass and vocals Nick Poissant – drums Math Goyette – guitar
(1997–2010) Like kids in a field Until the party ends Daylight Saving The Motions To This Beat Zero To Zero	Jeff Quesnel – vocals Mart Charron – vocals and guitar Stef Gauthier – bass and vocals JF Lague – drums Math Goyette – guitar

Discography

Albums

Year	Title	Label	Other information
1997	The Highstep To Hell	Underworld Records	Recorded at Studio Nicko
2000	Until the Party Ends	Stomp Records	Recorded at Studio Nicko
2002	Daylight Saving		Recorded at Studio Morin Heights
2006	The Motions		Recorded at Studio Piccolo
2009	To This Beat		Recorded at Studio Momentum
2010	Zero to Zero		Digital release only

EPs

Year	Title	Label	Other information
1996	Two ban' an' split	Underworld	Split release with Thirdfall. 6 Subb songs. Out of print.
1998	Like Kids in a Field	Underworld Records	7 songs CD. Out of print.

Demos

Year	Title	Label	Other information
1995	Period (demo)	Suck it Records	First and only demo released. 10 songs. 800 copies produced. Out of print.

External links

• Official website
• Subb Stomp records official profile
• Subb on Yahoo.com
• Subb on AOL music