The Wonder Stuff was formed in 1986 in an area of the British Midlands known as The Black Country. Their first EP, ‘A Wonderful Day’, was released on the band’s own Far Out Recording Company and financed by Rob Jones, aka The Bass Thing, the band’s original bassist, after a fortuitous win on the Football Pools. Although this release had only a small impact on a loyal following it did however bring the band to the attention of Polygram Publishing who helped finance the band’s second release ‘Unbearable’, a UK Indie Chart Number One. Whether it was this early commercial success, or the incalculable number of live shows the band were apt to perform during 1987, they were quickly signed to Polydor Records at the end of that year.
Touring being the band’s main activity they managed to record their debut album, “The Eight Legged Groove Machine”, over a period of twenty eight days in 1988, taking time off from support tours with Big Country, Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction and Pop Will Eat Itself, among others.
Although it took a further three single releases to reach the Official British Top 40 The Wonder Stuff were regular faces to grace the covers of the NME, Melody Maker & Sounds – the three essential music weeklies of the day. It was here that the arrogant, self-confident manner of vocalist/guitarist, Miles Hunt, began to make something of himself beyond the sneering lyrical content of the band’s songs, a personality known well to thousands of fans that had seen them live.
During 1989 the band added both North America & Europe to their touring schedule, picking up an international fan base before returning to the UK to record their second album ‘HUP’. This album showed a genuine development from their previous twin guitar buzz signature sound, aided & abetted by multi-instrumentalist Martin Bell, best known for introducing the violin, which would become a mainstay in The Wonder Stuff’s future sound, to the band.
All three single releases in 1989 were Top 20 Hits in the UK and each successive tour saw the band playing larger venues to capacity audiences, but commercial success couldn’t save the band from internal difficulties and in December ’89 Rob Jones left the band for good. He was replaced in the Spring of 1990 by an old friend, Paul Clifford, who was quickly thrown into a busy touring schedule as the band played support to The Mission in both Europe and North America.
The Wonder Stuff released but one single in 1990, a song recorded prior to Rob Jones departure from the band, ‘Circlesquare’, once again achieving Top 20 status in the UK.
Despite the line up changes 1991 saw the band go from strength to strength. Their third album, ‘Never Loved Elvis’, produced four hit singles, including a collaboration with Kirsty MacColl on the song ‘Welcome To The Cheap Seats’ and the band’s first Top 5 hit with ‘The Size Of A Cow’.
Having already appeared at both Reading & Glastonbury festivals in previous years The Wonder Stuff staged their very own open-air event around the album’s release at Walsall’s twenty two thousand capacity Bescott Stadium, “The Big Day Out”. The name given to the event was inspired by hit television show ‘Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out’ and Vic Reeves himself compared the day’s events. One year later Vic would ask the band to return the favour by being his backing band on the Number One hit single ‘Dizzy’.
Touring took up most of 1992’s calendar for The Wonder Stuff, including a headlining spot at The Reading Festival, their only visits to Australia & Japan and several North American tours, both headlining and in support of Siouxsie & The Banshees.
1993 saw the release of the band’s fourth album, ‘Construction For The Modern Idiot’, and although the critics were not entirely convinced by this record the fans did not waver. More hit singles and longer tours in larger venues carried them through right into 1994 when they were booked to headline The Phoenix Festival. It came as some surprise then that only weeks before that appearance they announced their split.
Latterly Hunt said that the commercial success of The Wonder Stuff had taken much of the enjoyment out of being in the band and that he felt they had little else left to do.
Six years passed before they reformed in 2000 to a sold out five night run at London’s Kentish Town Forum and in the interim all members of the band had pursued a range of musical projects. Guitarist Malc Treece, along with drummer, Martin Gilks and bassist Paul Clifford, recruited EAT’s vocalist, Ange Dolittle, to form Weknowwhereyoulive who produced two EP’s while Hunt became a regular face as presenter of MTV Europe’s alternative music show ‘120 Minutes’ for almost two years. By 1996 he formed Vent 414 with Morgan Nicholls of Senseless Things and Pete Howard of EAT, producing one album recorded by Steve Albini.
In 1998 Hunt & Treece were reunited as an acoustic duo, regularly touring North America and the UK. Both Treece & Bell contributed to Hunt’s first solo album, ‘Hairy On The Inside’, in 1999, a mostly acoustic venture offering up a mellower version of Hunt than audiences had previously heard.
Between 2000 and 2003 Hunt, Treece, Gilks, Bell and new bassist, Stuart Quinnell, played sporadically in the UK but the promise of a fifth album was delayed as Hunt released his second solo album in 2001, ‘The Miles Hunt Club’.
2004 saw another line up change when Hunt and Treece were joined by Radical Dance Faction’s Mark McCarthy on bass and Love In Reverse’s Andres Karu on drums for the release of ‘Escape From Rubbish Island’. Former members Gilks & Bell were not happy with Hunt & Treece’s continuation of the band and a minor skirmish ensued.
Undaunted by the grievances of former members Hunt, Treece, McCarthy & Karu went on to tour both the UK and North America throughout 2005 and in 2006 released a sixth Wonder Stuff album, ‘Suspended By Stars’, adding to their ranks violinist Erica Nockalls.
Since the end of 2006 The Wonder Stuff’s touring has taken a back seat to Hunt and Nockalls’ acoustic duo. Hunt having now become something of a raconteur the duo perform songs from Hunt’s entire career as well as selections from his third solo album, ‘Not An Exit’, recorded with Nockalls & Karu and released in 2007.
2008 is of course the 20th anniversary year since the release of The Wonder Stuff’s debut album, ‘The Eight Legged Groove Machine’, and the band will be playing the album, in it’s entirety, to celebrate at a selection of UK dates in October.
Album discography.
1988 - 'The Eight Legged Groove Machine'
1989 - 'HUP'
1991 - 'Never Loves Elvis'
1993 - 'Construction For The Modern Idiot'
1994 - 'If The Beatles Had Read Hunter... Singles Collection'
1995 - 'Live In Manchester'
2000 - 'Love Bites & Bruises... B-sides & rarities'
2001 - 'Cursed With Insincerity... Live'
2004 - 'Escape From Rubbish Island'
2006 - 'Suspended By Stars'
2007 - 'The BBC Sessions'
2008 - 'Live'
Excellent night in Derby on Fri. Thanks all for making me feel like a 16 year old again, thrashing round at the front like a loon. I hope my legs can hold out to do it all again in Oct! x
Been fans for a while... Love the music Thanks for having us here, pop round to ours anytime, we've got some nice biscuits and some songs! Cheers John BLACKDOGHAT London
What are the chances of hearing Ten Trenches Deep from you on Friday??? Slim?? Buggar all perhaps?? Either way, bostin' to see yers again. See you down the front
