An intro compilation starting with Prince’s ‘Sexy MF’ sounded out over the PA and we were instantly transported back to 1991!!  After all, we were here to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the Wonder Stuff’s ‘Never Loved Elvis’ album. This was the album that was released when The Wonder Stuff were at their peak in their early days and gave us the classic hits ‘Welcome to the Cheap Seats’ and ‘The Size of a Cow’.

Miles Hunt led the band on stage and immediately launched into ‘Mission Drive’. Following the recently announced departure of long term guitarist Malcolm Treece, Jerry de Borg, guitarist with Jesus Jones, stood in at the last minute. This was to be no problem as Jerry easily delivered a stunning performance throughout the set. With Mark McCarthy on bass and Fuzz Townshend on drums, we were soon ploughing through the tracks of ‘Never Loved Elvis’. The classically trained and as always visually stunning violinist Erica Nockalls joined Miles centre stage. Since teaming up with Miles in 2006, Erica continues to add a great dimension to the band’s music and live performances.

The Wonder Stuff hail from Stourbridge in The Black Country and tonight’s gig in Birmingham was as close to a homecoming as it could get. Originating in a golden era of British Indie music that gave us the likes of Pop Will Eat Itself, Jesus Jones and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, The Wonder Stuff have proven that they can overcome the trials, tribulations and tragedies that have easily destroyed many a band.

Not content with just performing the entirety of ‘Never Loved Elvis’ Miles and the Wonder Stuff added more blasts from the past including ‘Red Berry Joy Town’ and ‘Mother and I’. On a cold, wet December night, the packed audience of the O2 Academy in Birmingham never tired of such an ideal night of excellent music with both bands complementing each other so much. Miles and Erica are undertaking a tour in 2012 across the UK, continuing their success as an acoustic duo which has proven extremely successful particularly at smaller venues in recent years.

The Wonder Stuff:  http://www.thewonderstuff.com/

Full picture set here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/magpie967/sets/72157628781842427/

‘There's only one way of life and that's your own, your own, your own!!’ What an iconic opening tune from The Levellers. Despite being billed as the support band for tonight, everyone knows that they are far from just a support band. Co-headliners would be my label. Full credit to Miles and the Wonderstuff for arranging this. Although we were at an indoor venue, the atmosphere was most definitely outdoor festival. However this did not detract from the Levellers superb folk-punk performance. As this is also the 20^th anniversary of their classic album ‘ Levelling The Land’ the set was heavily laden with foot stomping tracks which included ‘One Way’, ‘Fifteen Years’, ‘The Boatman’ and ‘Liberty Song’.

Mark Chadwick’s vocals were as distinctive as ever. With Jon Sevink on violin, a great performance of ‘The Devil Goes Down To  Georgia’ complimented the set. Jeremy Cunningham on bass brought his own energetic, bouncy playing to the stage together with Matt Savage on keyboards, Charlie Heather on drums and Simon Friend on guitar.

The underlying beliefs and drive of the band lie in left wing politics. This has led to them being largely dismissed by the mainstream music media. But this has not bothered the band one bit and they continue to be one of the most successful bands at gigs and festivals both at home and abroad. 2012 will see the tenth anniversary of the bands very own festival ‘Beautiful Days’ held in Devon; a low-key, non-corporate event keeping the true spirit of a music festival alive.

The Levellers:  http://www.levellers.co.uk/

Full picture set here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/magpie967/sets/72157628780778173/