Pub rock, or bovver rock, was a style of glam or blues rock with aggressive rhythms or lyrics that appealed to English hooligans, bootboys and skinheads in the 1970-1980s period, mainly played in pubs before or after a football match (now played during football interplay) and lately evolving into oi! (Also known as street punk).
Style is defined by its chants, resembling football hooligan chants, aggressive clean singing and distorted guitars as seen in classic punk rock playing upbeat and simple melodies. Lyrics are often about alcohol, getting drunk, fighting, football and things around that way of life.
Known artists at the time are Slade, who firstly sold glam rock to a skinhead crowd, and Hammersmith Gorillas. Other glam rock artists, like David Bowie, can be considered pub rock to an extent.
Later, with the change in the music preferred by hooligans (and the change of hooligans themselves, who are mostly not skinheads) and the evolution of underground music, pub rock also changed and, while the chants sometimes still appear, the name "pub rock" may also refer to alternative rock bands like The Fratellis and Franz Ferdinand. While modern pub rock exists, there are also bands trying to capture the 70s sound and seducing an young and nostalgic audience, like Giuda, The Struts and Suede Razors.
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