Shooting from the Lip

So we know now that the The Wonder Stuff’s name didn’t come from John Lennon raving to his friend (your dad) about the latter’s son (you), so what are the real origins?
Not wishing to be difficult from the word ‘go’ by answering your first question with another question but you give me no other choice. Why do you think the John Lennon story came about in the first place?
You used to play drums in From Eden. What made you become the indie Phil Collins, stepping from behind the kit to wield the mike?
Drumming seemed like the hardest job in the band, physically at least, and being shoved at the back I didn’t feel that I was getting the attention I deserved for putting in such a sterling effort. The first rehearsal that I ever stood with a guitar round my neck and a mic in front of me felt like some kinda rebirth, a whole other experience that until that point music had yet to offer me. From that moment on I could never return to the drums full time. And aren’t you rather impressed at how I didn’t rise to your Phil Collins bait?

If The Bass Thing hadn’t won that bet on the horses, would the band have ever released a single?
Yes, of course we would. We weren’t total idiots leaving everything to chance, you know. It was actually the football pools that he won and the recordings that he paid for were only demos. They never saw the light of day as an official release.
'Circlesquare' is my favourite Wonder Stuff track of all time, what’s yours?
I’m very happy for you. And as for mine? I honestly couldn’t tell you. ‘Tricks of the Trade’ from the new album Suspended By Stars is gonna be right up there though. For me it’s a perfect Wonder Stuff track. Malc wrote all the music and it inspired from me a lyric that really had to mean something to me, so I chose to write a song to my daughter that in later years she can pull apart and know a little more about her old man.
Who was funnier to work with: Vic or Bob? And why?
There really was/is no ‘funnier’ of the two. They were an absolute treat to be around in the studio as it wasn’t their usual environment and they were like kids around all the equipment. I have about an hour’s worth of film of us all jamming, me back on the drums of course, in the studio. Both Vic and Bob are great guitarists and bass players.
How much was the split in 1994 down to the failure to break America?
America had no bearing on the split at all. Some monkey of a journalist wrote their ill-informed thoughts and opinions in either Q or NME around that time, and hey presto it becomes folklore. We’d always enjoyed our time touring the States and we approached it in much the same manner that we approached the subject of commerciality in our own country, we couldn’t have cared less.
How did you find being a MTV presenter?
How did I find it?? I was offered it, being employed by them meant I had to walk about half a mile through Camden Town twice a week to their building, so I took it. The people I worked with were lovely, receiving free records everyday was a privilege and the frankly ludicrous amount of money that they lavished upon me was very warming also. In short, absolutely no complaints about working for MTV. I wished I was better at the job of presenter. As I was never happy with what I did on screen, so feeling like I wasn’t ‘developing’ into the job and finally accepting that TV wasn’t the life for me I resigned after almost two years.
Why was Vent 414 such a short-lived venture?
Morgan Nicholls quit the band almost as soon as the album was released. Anyone familiar with Morgan’s abilities as a bass player will know that he is irreplaceable. That was the end of that then.
How enjoyable an experience was Miles Across America?
I’m assuming you mean the touring that Malc and I did in '99 around North America as an acoustic duo? It was great to see that five years after we had allegedly ‘split’ that there was such love for the band’s music over there still. We were well supported by Gig Records during those tours, but you know, it really made me appreciate what Polydor had done for us over the years. I mean six or 700 people turning up in Chicago to see two guys who used to be in a band they liked from England but broke up five years previous? Put it this way, not only was I surprised but I was pretty humbled too.
Why did you decide to reform The Wonder Stuff?
As Malc and I did the acoustic tours from '98  onwards we received several offers for the band to reform and play. Trouble was each time we were asked somebody was always busy doing something else. Eventually when an agent friend of mine came up with the offer to play five nights at The Forum in London in December 2000 we were all available and all up for it. There was no plan for the band to stay together at that point though. We did more gigs, festivals mainly, throughout the summer of 2001 and into 2002. By then we were talking about doing some recording and see what we could come up with but before we even tried there were disagreements about how the writing was to be done. Eventually nothing happened by the end of 2003 and two of the band decided not to work with me again. Malc and I, who had been writing and working together five years prior to The Wonder Stuff forming, decided to carry on with new members.
Seeing as there are only two original members in the current Wonder Stuff line-up, how much of a temptation is/was there to change the name?
None whatsoever. The Wonder Stuff is the name that mine and Malc's best work has been released under, and those songs will always be played at shows we do together, however much new material we have written. It’s a name I came up with in 1986 and a name that the two of us are still happy to be known as.
How much do you still view the former Wonder Stuff members who don’t play with the band now as "whining babies"?
I don’t see or hear from them at all these days and consequently have no thoughts to share at all on the matter.
The Arctic Monkeys are refusing to perform at the Brits this year. You did the same in 1992 and played Minthorpe High School instead. Why?
In our case because Minsthorpe High School asked us first and when we really had a good think about it, playing in a school hall to a couple of hundred under 16s on a Sunday afternoon as opposed to miming for a TV show that at the time Jonathan King was heavily involved in. What would you have done? I think the Arctic Monkeys are mad. Take my advice and milk the lousy industry for every penny it’s worth, make you and yours comfortably off then see if you still wanna make a noise. Think of it as a smash and grab.
Rick Astley was a particular bugbear of yours in the ‘80s, but who would you like to put "in the noose" these days?
I live without TV. I don’t buy newspapers and the only radio station to get an airing in my house is Radio 4. Thankfully I have no knowledge or interest in who’s assaulting my favourite art form. I’m convinced of course that there are still plenty of them out there stinking up the airwaves. Last time I looked it was Robbie Williams. Is he still around?
What was it like to work with Paul Tipler?
Marvellous. He’s a friend of old but it’s taken until now for us to actually work together. He’s a very matter of fact kinda person, which of course appeals to me no end. He’s recorded, produced and mixed well over a 100 albums by now and has a great pair of ears to lend. Obviously experience has taught him a lot but I think his real talent is natural and that is the ability to form an overall picture quite early in the game. Lord knows somebody has to!
Tell us about Underground Ernie – you provide the music and voice one of the characters, right?
Underground Ernie is a creation of my friend Sid Rainey’s. Early in his show’s development he came to me to ask me to co-write the theme tune and whatever songs may need to be written as the show developed. I was more than happy to get on board. Sid himself is a very easy person to be around and work with. Much like Tipler he’s very definite in his thinking when it comes to creativity. So for me it was easy, Sid had set out the parameters for the
project and I just had to bring along the guitar. We wrote the music and lyrics together for the songs, and then employed The Wonder Stuff to record them. There is indeed a little Brummie character known as the Underground Entertainer (that’s ‘busker’ to you & I) who bares an uncanny resemblance to yours truly sometime long ago?. The show airs on CBeebies in June this year.
Your March tour sees you play at smaller venues - although your ever-loyal support base would fill larger venues and you always liked to play stadiums, so why’s that then?
Did I always like to play stadiums? I’d never known that about myself. No Sir, Malc and I love sweaty club gigs more than any other kind of show. If there’s a stadium or festival with an empty spot on the bill sure we’d step in but for this tour we wanted to go right back to how we started. Last year, prior to recording Suspended By Stars we did a five or six-week tour of North America playing smaller venues and we loved it. What it did for the band was to tighten us up into a well-oiled machine and that is how we approached the recording of the album. We’d really like to follow up Suspended By Stars quite quickly, but not until we’ve done a few months of sweaty club gigs. It’s definitely where Malc and I raise our game.
What plans are there for you to continue to record/perform as a solo artist?
Y'know I'll often have ideas for a new solo record but just don't seem to get around to it. What I like doing is rockin' with my brothers and sister in The Wonder Stuff, anything else is a distraction for me. If I did do a new album of solo stuff I’d like to think I’d just record it live, no studio frills or overdubs, just me on a stool drunkenly rambling my way through 12 or 14 songs in front of a live audience.
Final question, what’s only kinky the first time?
I don’t care.

---

Suspended by Stars  Check for Live Dates

No part of this interview can be re-produced without the permission of uk-fusion.com.