The Wonder Stuff und Inspiral Carpets

These Midlands rockers, The Wonderstuff, from Stourbridge have been a band for almost thirty years now, if you rule out their six-year hiatus. They formed from collaboration with band members from Pop Will Eat Itself and signed with Polydor Records in 1987. Tonight they are in their second line up, in the present day, performing some of their biggest hits to date. They open with “Better Get Ready for a Fist Fight” creating a huge wall of sound with their neo-reggae sound that they are so well known for. This band have earned themselves such a good following over the years, with this bunch in this room just singing every single word to every single song that they perform. It’s a very special atmosphere as though there are the older fans, who have been with the band since the 80’s and the young ones who are getting their friends to this show. The Wonderstuff have definitely earned themselves a place in history with all that they have achieved so far! “A Wish Away” is a huge song tonight, with a fantastic reaction from the audience, especially as they go into the first chorus. It sets the bar for what is going to be a night to remember for these Midland rockers.

Perhaps they’re best remembered now for being the band that kind of gave Noel Gallagher his break in music - he toured the world with them as a roadie in the years leading up to the formation of Oasis - but there’s plenty else to be noted about Inspiral Carpets, even if it’s just that they’re one of the few bands to have had their keyboard player be their de facto frontman. With the band’s singer changing several times down the years, Clint Boon served as their official mouthpiece; coining the phrase ‘cool as fuck’ that appeared on their iconic t-shirts through their late-eighties, early-nineties heyday, he came to embody the swagger that was the epitome of the Inspirals sound. After reforming in 2003 with Tom Hingley on vocals, the band have since settled their differences with original singer Stephen Holt, who is now very much in the fold. They tour from time to time, retaining a cult fanbase in the UK - especially in their native Manchester - and play hit-heavy sets that include the likes of ‘This Is How It Feels’ and ‘Dragging Me Down’. Expect new dates soon, with Inspiral Carpets - their first new album in twenty years - slated for a September release.