West London's Chubby & the Gang play a uniquely British take on the classic punk sound originally performed by bands such as the Ramones. Bringing elements of punk, pub rock, and Oi! together with a healthy dose of sardonic British humor and politics, the group delivered their frenetically paced debut album, Speed Kills, in 2020. Their sophomore set, Mutt's Nuts, followed in 2021.

Formed by vocalist Charlie "Chubby Charles" Manning-Walker in 2019, the group was born from the straight-edge and hardcore scenes that had been a constant of the underground D.I.Y. punk scene in the U.K. Manning-Walker, who had been a member of Violent Reaction -- the first non-American band to sign to influential U.S. punk label Revelation Records -- teamed up with guitarist Ethan Stahl, bassist Luke Austin, and fellow Violent Reaction members Tom Hardwick and drummer Joe McMahon to play a mix of classic punk, pub rock, 1950s pop, and Oi! Quickly putting together a list of songs, the band entered the studio with Fucked Up's Jonah Falco to record their debut album. Originally released on Static Shock, a label that had been instrumental in the London underground punk scene, Speed Kills arrived in 2020. Chubby & the Gang quickly made a name for themselves with a handful of live dates, and by the end of the year they had inked a deal with Partisan -- home to the likes of IDLES and Fontaines D.C. -- which reissued their debut. At the same time, the band parted ways with Austin and recruited Maegan Brooks Mills on bass. With their second album already recorded, the group started 2021 with the singles "Life's Lemons," "Lightning Don't Strike Twice," and "Coming Up Tough" before issuing their Falco-produced sophomore album, Mutt's Nuts, that August.

Biography by Rich Wilson
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