Stuffies back in the hunt for recognition

Way before the Gallagher brothers were waxing lyrical in the weekly music press, Miles Hunt was the man who managed to provoke controversy and entertain in equal measure.

His youthful vitriol may have mellowed with the passing years, but Miles is still a man who knows his own mind.

He embarked last year with the latest version of the band that started it all, The Wonder Stuff, to mark the 21st anniversary of their first album, The Eight Legged Groove Machine.

And the success has prompted the decision to take to the road for a nostalgia trip for The Stuffies' second long player, Hup.

For many, it may be seen as the latest in a long succession of recent band reformations and album replays in the live arena.

But Miles is adamant that it is not simply a money-making venture.

"The thing with The Wonder Stuff is that we have given a lot of people a soundtrack to their lives," he said.

"There are a lot of people in their late 30s or their early 40s who can come down to the gigs and take a step back to a time in their lives when things were perhaps a little easier.

"They didn't have the responsibilities that they have now, they were in their early 20s and didn't have the jobs, the mortgages they have now.

"It's nice to be able to share that with them again. And it should be a blast for us too."

To many, The Wonder Stuff had it all, and then opted to give it up at the height of their fame.

A series of hit singles, including such indie disco favourites as The Size Of A Cow and the collaboration with Vic Reeves on Tommy Roe's Dizzy, had made the band into household names.

But then they decided to give it all up at a time when they appeared to be at the top of their game with the music world at their feet.

A final farewell gig at the now defunct Phoenix Festival, in 1994, signalled the end of The Wonder Stuff.

But Miles has no regrets, and the Stuffies of the 21st century are now a welcome distraction to an ongoing – albeit lower key – music career.

He said: "I absolutely hated what The Wonder Stuff had become.

"I wanted to be as cool as The Clash, but that just wasn't the case.

"When you achieve a level of success, your record label keeps telling you that you simply need to sell more records.

"Mates were telling me it must be a dream to be appearing on Top of the Pops, but I wasn't convinced.

"And when we did appear on Top of the Pops, I realised that I didn't want to be there – it really wasn't what The Wonder Stuff were about.

"I just wanted to make music, but it had become a money-making exercise to see how many records we could sell."

While the chance to hear a soundtrack to their youth is an opportunity too good to miss for many fans of The Wonder Stuff, there will

never be the opportunity to see the band's original line-up.

Bassist Rob Jones died in New York in 1993 at the tender age of 29,

while drummer Martin Gilks was killed in a motorbike crash in London four years ago.

However, the demise of half of the Stuffies' original line-up does not prey on Miles's mind.

He said: "I really do not think about mortality too much. It is unfortunately just something that has happened.

"I did not see Bob in the last couple of years of his life, and I really hope that he found what he was looking for.

"Some of my friends have died, but it is not something that I'm constantly thinking about."

The fame might not be as widespread now, but Miles remains a constant on the gig circuit after embarking on a solo career and is also carving out a reputation as a music producer.

And while there are no immediate plans for a new Wonder Stuff album, the band still remains a welcome distraction.

They have been holed up in Peter Gabriel's studios, in Wiltshire, to run through the songs on Hup ahead of the nationwide tour, which takes in Leeds next week.

Miles said: "In many ways, it is a bit like going on holiday.

"It is a group of friends who get together and just have a laugh.

"The people at the studio always find it funny because we end up turning up in the early afternoon, run through a couple of songs and then spend the rest of the time watching films and having a few drinks.

"It is going to be fun to be going back on the road. And the crowds are always great in Leeds."

While Miles may now be in his early 40s and has opted to live in rural Wiltshire for the last few years, the allure of music still remains as strong as ever.

He said: "I am emotionally juvenile and my head is stuck in a time when I was a teenager who had just formed The Wonder

Stuff.

"I have always wanted to make a racket, and I'm lucky to still be able to."

The Wonder Stuff play the Leeds O2 Academy on Friday, Apr 23. Support comes from singer / songwriter John McKeown.