The following is based on a true story.

I send a text message to a  friend. One who, in the past four years has seen somewhere between 90% and all of The Wonder Stuff's reunion shows.

The answer? "Nah. I can't be arsed. Christmas was shit and it's not really The Wonder Stuff anyway."

In case you missed it, Christmas was the 40th stop on their part-time, three year long, off-on, reunion tour of playing big places and old songs. Even for the faithful, they were testing the patience of a saint. Three years on an never ending reunion tour, with nary a new song in sight.

So 10 months later, a band purporting to be The Wonder Stuff are back on tour. With a  new album, a new drummer, and as per usual, a new bassist, opinion is fiercely divided. Is it, isn't it? The old drummer is out, as is the fiddle player. For some,  the new lineup isn't The Wonder Stuff anymore. To others, The Wonder Stuff were merely sad old men, living in the past and trying to eke out a few more pence from our memories of times past.

After much persuasion, I eventually entice my cynical friend to attend one of the shows. Fast forward ninety minutes to the end of the show. 20 or so songs later, and what have they got to say?

"They've redeemed themselves. I thought it would be shit really, but it was much better than I expected.And I love the new stuff."

(no, I didn't pay her to say this).

It's no more and no less The Wonder Stuff than it's ever been. The songs are still there; the old trademarks of cynically astute lyrics and short, punchy songs, and yet the softer edges of the bands later, countrified years are determindedly absent. The signature tunes - "The Size Of A Cow", "Welcome To the Cheap Seats", "Dizzy", are all confined to the Indie Dustbin in favour of early crunchy post-punk classics and newer material that stands up to closer examination. In many respects it's The Wonder Stuff from an alternate universe, where they never had a fiddle player, and where 1989's "HUP!" album was the springboard to a world of grown-up, balls-out rock.  And the new stuff sounds like it's always been there.

I remember the reunion shows, where the Indier-Than-Thou-purists said "Yeah, I preferred the earlier stuff before Fiddly joined", and here they are, playing shows reminiscent of the first few tours, piled high with fast, bitey rock songs and old classics, and yet some people are still saying It's Not The Wonder Stuff.

Some people are never satisfied. Sure, some of the faces change. But a band is a four way marriage, and most marriages end in divorce. You close your eyes, listen to the music, forget the bullshit, and the thing that stands out? The Wonder Stuff are still a band, still writing great songs, and playing great shows. And that's what's it's all about.

Comments

stuffies astoria 12/10 Written by Guest on 2004-10-13 16:35:48 f**kin excellent as good as 85,6an 7 before they sold out in america cos miles loved the f>in place if this is what rubbish sounds like then every c**t should recycle

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