Shropshire Star

Wonder Stuff and Pop Will Eat Itself on the same bill

Two of the Midlands-based bands who created a new rock scene with "grebo" will line up at Birmingham's O2 tomorrow for Sleigh The UK 2012.

Published
The latest line-up of The Wonder Stuff, including frontman Miles Hunt, centre, the only original member left in the band

Stourbridge bands The Wonder Stuff and Pop Will Eat Itself will take to the stage, supported by indie-dance group Jesus Jones.

The show will give fans the chance to wallow in nostalgia and enjoy the hits of yesteryear.

Pop Will Eat Itself, with sole original member Graham Crabb, centre

The Wonder Stuff and Pop Will Eat Itself – in addition to third Stourbridge band, Ned's Atomic Dustbin – took the UK by storm during the late eighties and early nineties.

The Wonder Stuff were formed by Miles Hunt, their singer/songwriter who now lives in Shropshire, with Rob "The Bass Thing" Jones on bass, Martin Gilks on drums and Malcolm Treece on guitar.

Frontman Miles came from a musical family, with his uncle Bill formerly playing keyboards with successful Birmingham rockers ELO and Wizzard.

The band's first album, The Eight Legged Groove Machine, brought them national acclaim and featured a number of evergreen tunes, including Give, Give, Give, Me More, More, More; A Wish Away; It's Yer Money I'm After Baby and Unbearable.

They built on its success with the hit album Hup, which featured Don't Let Me Down Gently, Golden Green, Unfaithful and Cartoon Boyfriend and around the time of its release, in 1989, they toured regularly with Ned's Atomic Dustbin.

The hits followed in late 1990 with the release of the Stuffies' third album, Never Loved Elvis, and they headlined Walsall FC's Bescot Stadium, playing to 18,000 fans.

Following the release of their fourth album, Construction for the Modern Idiot, the band headlined the Phoenix Festival, in Stratford-upon-Avon, before deciding to split.

Band members enjoyed a number of solo projects until 2000 before reforming, though the only founder member of the band who still plays is Miles Hunt.

Pop Will Eat Itself also formed around 1986 and became the UK's premier grebo act, before adopting a more industrial style. Their highest chart single was 1993's Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies! They enjoyed a reputation for being a party band and stayed on the road until 1996, though they briefly reformed in 2005.

In 2010, they issued their first new release in more than five years. They unveiled a new line-up in July 2011, featuring Graham Crabb as the only original member, and soon after released the album, New Noise Designed By A Sadist, which was followed by a UK tour.

Former PWEI?frontman Clint Mansell has become the most successful member of either band, becoming a much-in-demand composer who has written film scores for Moon, Smokin' Aces, The Wrestler and Black Swan. His composition for The Fountain was nominated for Best Original Score at the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Jesus Jones, fronted by Mike Edwards, were also members of the same scene. Their best known songs include Right Here, Right Now and Info Freako. The bands play at the O2 Academy in Birmingham tomorrow and doors open at 7pm.

By Andy Richardson

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.