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'My Corduroyed Life' - Mark A's Journal
But 10 years on, are the they still that?
The Wonder Stuff were the fuel of my youth. When I was 13 to 15, they were pretty much one of three bands that made up my musical life. A week wouldn’t go by when one of their records hadn’t been playing mom annoyingly loud in my bedroom. Before MP3s, before CDs even, the Wonder Stuff rocked my world. One of my first concerts in 1994 was the Wonder Stuff, and they were just wonderful. Then in 1995, it was all over and the band had split up.
It’s now ten years after the last time I saw the Wonder Stuff live. Lead singer Miles Hunt failed horribly with solo project ‘Vent’, and they did a couple of reunion gigs that I missed a couple of years back, but that both felt cheap to me. However, this year, they’re back together properly, and are releasing a new album. The Wonder Stuff are back. I was cautious, apprehensive even - what if they’re shit now?
I’d been avoiding the Wonder Stuff, deliberately, and it was via my brother that I was catapulted back towards my favourite band from ten years ago. David presented me with an Elizabeth Duke bag (he’s so funny – private joke) on my birthday, and inside was two tickets for the Wonder Stuff homecoming gig in Birmingham. I thanked him, and was genuinely pleased with the present. But there was this niggle: what if they’re shit? What if the present D bought me actually disappoints me?
The gig was yesterday.
I don’t drink at concerts. I like to properly appreciate the music that I’ve bloody well paid a lot of money to see. In my opinion, there’s no point to a gig if you hardly remember it! So D and I agreed that we wouldn’t drink, and that we’d make up for it today (that’s later tonight). We arrived as the support group were finishing, and they were crap. The poor impressions of Bo Selecta Michael Jackson (seriously) didn’t help.
Then the Wonder Stuff came on…
And they were GREAT!
As I clutched my £3.20 (!) pint of coke, on they came to their stage complete with psychedelic dollies. And after three songs I was convinced that they were the band I’d always known and loved. They played some of their greatest songs (there’s so many!), they played some new songs (that didn’t actually stink like I feared), and they played for two straight hours. Two straight hours of happy me.
MILES HUNT: “D’you want to hear Dizzy?!”
FANS: “NOOOOOOOOOO!”
MILES HUNT: “Good! Nor me!”
Don’t Let Me Down Gently, Unbearable,Radio Asskiss, Ruby Horse, On The Ropes, Piece Of Sky… Just a few of the classics that they played. They didn’t play Size Of A Cow or Dizzy, which was a good thing for their real fans, as their two big commercial successes only serve to irritate us.
Idiot: “Who’re the Wonder Stuff?”
Stuffie Fan: [deep sigh] “They did Size Of A Cow.”
Idiot: “Oh them! Don’t think I’ve heard any of their other stuff.”
Stuffie Fan: “Grrrrrrrrr.”
Anyway, there’s something about a local band playing a local venue. It helps if that venue is a good venue. The Birmingham Carling Academy is a great venue for gigs, and standing on the balcony, I could see the whole of the mosh. These days, I don’t go in for the mosh (I’m old) unless heavily persuaded/ forced. I much prefer to stay at the back and appreciate the music. The downside of this is that you don’t get a very good view of the band. Not so with the Academy: if you stand on the sides of the balcony, you get a perfect view.
The pretty much sell out crowd loved every minute of their heroes. There’s something about Stuffie fans: their loyalty and their passion can’t be ignored. The atmosphere was fantastic, electric even! There’s also something else about Stuffie fans that can’t be ignored: they were one of THE alternative bands of the early nineties, so the majority of their fans are twenty something plus.
Bald mid-thirties guys shouldn’t crowd surf. It just looks wrong…
“I’m still your favourite cunt!”
Miles Hunt was always the showman. One of the very few front men who have real charisma and confidence (justified arrogance?) that actually captivate the crowd. He’s always told stories between songs, and they’re still funny. In this gig, he laid into the patronising nature of encores (and Coldplay actually leaving a gig without doing an encore when they deemed a cheer too quiet! [tossers]), praised Joe Strummer (and stating he was the main inspiration/ motivation behind the new album), told the comedy tale of how another band member got arrested (despite his complete innocence), and utterly dissed a heckler (serves him right!). Superb. He’s still got it. Sure, he’s lost some hair and put on some weight in ten years, but he is still definitely my ‘favourite cunt’. He’s still charismatic, funny, cool, and he can bloody well still sing! Fucking hero.
So there you go. Ten years on and I still love the band I loved then. I can’t quite believe they’re back together. And on the strength of last night, I’m definitely getting their new album. I’m back riding on The Eight Legged Groove Machine.
Have fun,
M
Current mood:
pleased.Current music: Unbearable by The Wonder Stuff.