25 years. A lot of marriages don’t last that long. Almost no bands do. You can name them easily, they are so few: The Rolling Stones, Motorhead, Iron Maiden…and GBH. These bands share something in common: their music isn’t what they do; it’s who they are. Vocalist Colin Abrahall puts it like this: "This isn't a phase we're going through. It's not a fashion thing - here today gone tomorrow - this is for life.”

A look at GBH’s discography shows years between releases. This is not because they’re slowing down, it’s because they’re constantly touring. In 2005 they played throughout Europe, the USA, Brazil and Japan. It’s like that every year. “We have connected with some people and they have grown up with us. It's like being part of a global family” Abrahall explains.

“I love playing the smaller towns,” says guitarist Jock Blythe, “the kids go nuts and the energy is amazing. That’s what I love about America: every town has a pocket of people who get it…who really rock…and we leave that town with a new bunch of friends.”

Family. Friends. Odd words for the originators of hardcore, for pioneers who fused punk and metal and made a sound cited as an influence by almost every band since that carried a guitar and an attitude. But they’ve always been central concepts to GBH. "Maybe we've been together so long because we were friends before we were in a band together," said Abrahall. “We all know our specific role within the band and we love each other."

25 years and going for 26.