INDIE veterans The Wonder Stuff will play Dolan’s Warehouse on Saturday July 25, before performing at Forest Fest in Laois the day after, as part of a landmark 40th anniversary tour celebrating four decades since the band first rehearsed together in 1986.
The Stourbridge-formed group — led by singer Miles Hunt and features guitarist Malcolm Treece, violinist Erica Nockalls, guitarist Mark Thwaite, bassist Tim Sewell, and drummer Pete Howard.
Hunt, 59, marked the anniversary with a personal statement reflecting on the band’s journey. “When the original line-up of The Wonder Stuff first rehearsed together on March 19 1986 — 40 years ago — I wonder what our thoughts might have been if Malc Treece and I knew that we would be fortunate enough to still be playing gigs together now,” he said.
“Whatever those scruffy young fellas would have thought, I can tell you now, all these years later, both of us are incredibly grateful to all of the audiences that have stuck with us these past four decades. And it shall be our absolute honour to get up on stage this year and play as many of the old faves as we can to those wonderful people. We are blessed.”
Audiences can expect a career-spanning set drawing on the band’s most beloved material, including Unbearable, A Wish Away, Caught In My Shadow, Size Of A Cow, and Don’t Let Me Down, Gently.
The Wonder Stuff achieved their commercial peak when they teamed up with comedian Vic Reeves — with backing vocals from Bob Mortimer — for a cover of Dizzy, which reached number one in the UK charts. The band accumulated three further top 10 singles and four top 10 albums before disbanding following their headline appearance at the Phoenix Festival in 1994. They reformed in 2000 to play five sold-out nights at London’s Forum Theatre and have remained active since.