The Wonder Stuff

In the span from the middle of the 1980s through the middle of the following decade, The Wonder Stuff stood among the most prominent acts throughout Britain. They opened their career with high-energy guitar pop before weaving in unconventional folk touches and at times gesturing toward the flamboyance of the Madchester era; ingenuity paired with stylistic variety defined their approach. Frontman Miles Hunt further supplied a knack for sharp-tongued talk, shaping caustic yet clever lyrics and animated conversations that earned generous attention in the British music press.

The Wonder Stuff originated in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England during 1986. Their initial roster included Miles Hunt handling vocals and guitar, Malcolm Treece on guitar and vocals, Rob Jones (also known as The Bass Thing) on bass, and Martin Gilks on drums. Rehearsals commenced in March, after which the group entered the studio that September to record their debut EP, A Wonderful Day. Favorable coverage of the EP together with early performances secured a contract with Polydor in 1987. Following an appearance on the U.K. singles chart with “It’s Yer Money I’m After, Baby,” they issued their first full-length release, The Eight Legged Groove Machine, in August 1988. Its moderate commercial performance supported the band’s inaugural headline tour of the U.K. along with slots at the Reading and Glastonbury Festivals.

By September 1989 the single “Don’t Let Me Down Gently” had entered the U.K. Top 20, and one month later the Wonder Stuff delivered their second album, Hup!. An expanded palette introduced banjo and fiddle player Martin Bell on this set, which climbed to number five on the U.K. albums chart. Toward the close of 1989 Rob Jones departed for the United States; Paul Clifford joined as the replacement bassist several months afterward. (Jones passed away in July 1993 at age 29.) After further U.K. dates the band turned to recording a third album. Never Loved Elvis arrived in June 1991 and reached the highest chart placement of their career, landing at number three in Britain. It contained the single “The Size of a Cow,” which peaked at number five domestically and gained traction on American college radio. The group also recorded a version of Tommy Roe’s “Dizzy” alongside comedian Vic Reeves that topped the British singles chart.

Construction for the Modern Idiot, the fourth album, reached stores in October 1993. Although it attained number four on the U.K. chart, it failed to match the earlier success of Never Loved Elvis and drew measured critical response. An extensive tour ensued, after which the exhausted members canceled planned visits to Australia and the Far East. In June 1994 the Wonder Stuff informed fans via their newsletter that they were disbanding. Their last concert was a headlining slot at the Phoenix Festival in Stratford-on-Avon, an engagement arranged well beforehand. Miles Hunt subsequently performed solo and launched Vent 414, while Malcolm Treece, Martin Gilks, and Paul Clifford collaborated in Weknowwhereyoulive.

The Wonder Stuff reconvened in 2000 for a single London performance featuring Hunt, Treece, Gilks, and Bell alongside new bassist Stuart Quinell and keyboardist Pete Whittaker, who had previously toured with the group. Ticket demand expanded the event into five consecutive nights plus two additional shows in the Midlands. Sporadic touring continued until 2004, when Gilks and Bell parted ways with Hunt. Although the band appeared finished, Hunt recruited fresh members and recorded the studio album Escape from Rubbish Island, issued in September 2004. His reconstituted Wonder Stuff followed with Suspended by Stars in 2006. That year Martin Gilks died in a motorcycle accident at age 41. From that point the lineup shifted repeatedly, yet Miles Hunt stayed on as the unchanging frontman while the group maintained a steady schedule of dates across the U.K. and Europe. In 2016 they marked the thirtieth anniversary of their formation by releasing their first album in a decade, 30 Goes Around the Sun. After continued live appearances in shifting configurations, Hunt invited original guitarist Malcolm Treece back for the tour supporting the ninth studio album, Better Being Lucky, issued in 2019. Because those concerts coincided with the thirtieth anniversary of Hup!, the refreshed lineup—which now incorporated musicians from Eat and the Mission—performed the earlier record in full at the shows.