The Business – Doing The Business

The Business is one of those regional staples whose popularity has never really reached beyond its hometown.  Yet their name is known globally and synonymous with the Oi! movement.  Born around the working class culture that still segregates English culture, over the past few decades The Business has come to embody the Oi! branch of the punk family tree.  Much like the genre, their sound has changed little over the past thirty years, and on their latest EP/Live album, Doing The Business, they’re still playing that same primitive brand of street punk best suited for worn South East London pubs rather than stadium filling venues.

The EP is an odd offering, consisting of four new tracks and a short live set.  Generally, the new songs are surprisingly modern for The Business.  “Mean Girl” kicks things off in big rock n’ roll fashion with a bouncy beat and long time frontman Micky Fitz talking of a love-em-and-leave-em encounter.  The Tempo actually makes the track very catchy, and the lead out solo is pretty easy to get into.  “Don’t Give A Fuck About You” follows, serving as a step backwards on the Oi! spectrum in terms of production and execution.  The backing vocals have a small but shouty feel, and are what one might expect from a group of mates in a crowded pub chiming in after their outspoken leader with outbursts of working class pride.  On that topic, “Till The End” follows with the band confirming their sense of brotherhood, as they proclaim “no fear/good friends/brothers till the end/that’s what we said so long ago.”  Generally the band’s take on politics and social issues fits in with grass roots activism.  The final studio track closes on a big note, returning to the expansive choruses and aggressive guitars characteristic of “Mean Girl.”  All in all the new tracks are simple but satisfying.

The next six tracks come from a small show recorded in some neighbourhood pub somewhere in the UK.  This is where the album turns from broadly accessibly to a die-hard “fans only” affair.  Thanks to the no doubt ill equipt venue, the recording quality sounds muffled and scratchy.  The handful of people in attendance do, however, sound as if they’re having a good time, as they spout some lewd and crude language in line with many of The Business’ songs.  When a band plays a track like “Loud, Proud, ‘n Punk” for such a small crowd but still maintains all the fury of mad men, it’s pretty clear how The Business has existed on such a local scale for over thirty years (disclaimer: The Business has fans worldwide, but none are more rabid than their hometown hoologans).  To the benefit of the performance, the set is energetic, but still likely intended for true devotees.

Other than their continually rotating lin-up, The Business hasn’t changed much over their career, and they’re not about to start now.  The new studio offerings are definitely more accessible than their 1980’s material, but their mechanics largely remain true to their legacy.

So as Doing The Business reminds us, The Business has been embodying working class pub culture for over thirty years, and they’re going to continue singing for the beer-drenched masses for many years to come.