Subb is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 ska punk

Ska punk

Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...

 band formed in November 1992 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

. Since their beginning in the early 90's, 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

Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

, ska

Ska

Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...

, and hardcore

Hardcore punk

Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

 into a genre popularly known as ska punk

Ska punk

Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...

 or "ska-core," which characterized their first two albums. In 2002 they shifted gears, 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.

1992-1995: The early years

Subb formed in 1992 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

 under the name Society Under Babbling Boobs(S.U.B.B.). The band's original lineup consisted of Mart Charron on vocals & guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

, Fred Gagné on lead guitar

Lead guitar

Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...

, Stef Gauthier on bass

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

, and Chris Roy on drums

Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

. 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 and received critical acclaim from fans and critics alike. The song "Mister Gun" was soon to became a fan favorite and the band supported their release by touring across Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. In November 1998 the band released a 100% auto-produced EP entitled Like Kids in a Field and kept on touring to support their DIY release during the next year.

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 bands 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.

2001 started off well for the band has they played the MusiquePlus "Jam des neiges 2001" alongside Orgy and Crazy Town in front of an audience of 10 000 people. In April, Subb crossed the pond and toured Europe for 3 weeks, playing gigs all across Switzerland and Germany. As soon as they got back from Europe, they were on the road again, this time touring Canada from coast to coast with ska superstars The Planet Smashers. After the two-month tour, Subb played again at the Vans Warped tour on the local Union stage, in front of 8000 crazy fans, in Montreal and Toronto. The launch of the re-released "The Ultimate Highstep to Hell" was played in front of a sold-out crowd at Montreal's The Spectrum.

The year 2002 saw the launch of "Daylight Saving", Subb's second full length original album for STOMP Records. In terms of touring, Subb headlined the very successful Molson Dry/Musique Plus 123 Punk Tour in April and May. In the summer, the band played the Ramprage event with Pennywise and played 3 dates (Boston, Montreal, Toronto)on the Vans Warped Tour on the Union Stage. Subb put out 3 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 Much Loud. "Out of the Line" was also added into rotation on MuchLoud. At the end of this year they did a regional Quebec and Ontario tour 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 2 years. In April 2006, the band's latest album "The Motions" came out. Their 4th full length album was recorded at Piccolo studios in Montreal (The Sainte Catherines, Voivod, Simple Plan, etc …) and produced by Frank Joly. With the release of The Motions, Subb is set to raise the bar a lot bit higher, mixing their distinctive brand of melodic punk rock with reggae, ska and even a little hardcore just for good measure. Phenomenal production and insightful songwriting round out what will prove to be their finest album to date. The video for the single "The Motions" has been added to heavy rotation on MusiquePlus and MuchMusic, while MuchLoud, Edge TV and MTV Canada has featured the video several times.
Subb have also been touring 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 their new album "The Motions" and also 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 across the beautiful province. With Akuma also on the bill, the tour was spread throughout February, March and April. And, although every show was sick, the one at Metropolis in Montreal stuck out the most. In April, The Motions came out in Japan on One Big Family Records, and the band was invited to the land of the Samurai for a tour. Despite the language barrier and huge cultural shock, it was one of the band's best tour ever. Packed shows, incredible fans, and treated like kings by One Big Family records. November also saw the video for “The Factories” become “Buzzclip” at Musique Plus and receive an exceptional visibility. It has also lingered in the daily top 5 for weeks.

Plans for 2008? Here's what the band members had to say about it ; We've already recording demo tracks as we already close to 20 new songs. We'll take the next couple of months to continue to write new songs and eventually and hopefully put out a new record in early '09. As for musical direction, we're shifting towards uniting Ska and Opera/musical...ok, we're just playing with ya;) But you know us by now, it should be a logical step from “The Motions”, stay tuned!

The album "To This Beat" was released on May 2, 2009 on Stomp Records. The record explodes back onto the scene with a career-defining collection of summertime bangers. The boys enlisted the help of good friend and reggae dancehall legend Jah Cutta to dive even deeper into the roots of ska music with heartfelt tributes to their home town (I Heart Montreal), reggae music and culture (Shottas & Mount Zion). Don’t worry though, tracks like “The Black Hand”, Hiro Nakamura” and “Black Gold” balance out the record perfectly with Subb’s signature brand of melodic, blazing and upbeat punk rock. Insightful, fiercely political and unflinching; Subb is still standing strong as one of the best international ska punk outfits in the game today.

In December 2009, the band was officially on hiatus. Then, they've announced that they were disbanding at the beginning of Spring 2010. One last tour was announced, and a digital 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. Subb gave their last performance on November 20, in their hometown of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu surrounded by their friends and families.

Life after Subb : Projects; 2010-present

Jeff Quesnel is working on his solo career, oriented towards reggae and dub music. He also played in Don't Push, a Sublime tribute band with JF Lague on drums, and he was a guest singer for The Stomp All Stars, a Montreal cover band that is paying tribute to the best of ska and reggae music around the world.

Martin Charron and Stephan Gauthier are in a band called "Low Dead Volume".

Band members

Subb lineups

(1992–1994) live shows only	Mart Charron - vocals and guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... Fred Gagné – guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...  and vocals Stef Gauthier - bass Bass guitar The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... Chris Roy – drums Drum kit A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1995) Period (demo)	Mart Charron - vocals and guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... Stef Gauthier - bass Bass guitar The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....  and vocals Jeepy Paiement – drums Drum kit A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1995) live shows only	Jeff Quesnel - vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... Mart Charron - vocals and guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... Stef Gauthier - bass Bass guitar The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....  and vocals Jonh Génier – drums Drum kit A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1996–1997) Two ban' an' a split The Highstep to hell	Jeff Quesnel - vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... Mart Charron - vocals and guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... Stef Gauthier - bass Bass guitar The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....  and vocals Nick Poissant – drums Drum kit A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... Math Goyette – guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1997–2010) Like kids in a field Until the party ends Daylight Saving The Motions To This Beat Zero To Zero	Jeff Quesnel - vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... Mart Charron - vocals and guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... Stef Gauthier - bass Bass guitar The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....  and vocals JF Lague – drums Drum kit A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... Math Goyette – guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

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
• Official Myspace profile
• Subb Stomp records official profile