South London post-punk lifers who turned teenage Brixton pub shows into a decade-long run of critically acclaimed, confrontational records.
MOODS · energetic · confrontational · raw · cathartic · post-punk · intense
BIOGRAPHY
Shame are a five-piece post-punk band from South London formed in 2014 by school friends Charlie Steen (vocals), Eddie Green and Sean Coyle-Smith (guitars), Josh Finerty (bass) and Charlie Forbes (drums). They cut their teeth playing their first show at 16 in the Windmill/Queen's Head scene in Brixton alongside acts like Black Midi and Squid.
Signed to Dead Oceans, the band released Songs of Praise (2018) to widespread acclaim, followed by Drunk Tank Pink (2021), Food for Worms (2023), and Cutthroat (2025), produced by John Congleton. Across four albums they've built a reputation for volatile, sweat-soaked live shows anchored by Steen's caterwauling frontman presence.
WHY THEY'RE COOL
Shame's arc runs from teenage Brixton pub gigs to critically lauded records: Songs of Praise and Drunk Tank Pink each scored in the low 80s on Metacritic, drawing comparisons to The Fall's abrasive post-punk while carving their own identity. NME called Drunk Tank Pink a 'massive leap' in ambition, and AllMusic credits the band with helping lead the UK's post-punk revival. Frontman Charlie Steen's confrontational, shirtless stage persona has become a defining live signature, described by the Irish Times as 'an impassioned caterwaul.' Cutthroat, their fourth album, keeps the edge sharp eleven years in, framed by Steen as raw and unapologetically direct rather than performance art.
GEORGE'S PLAYS
First time on the station.
PLAYED ON WOKE1
