The Wonder Stuff

Its easy to be cynical about the astounding regularity The Wonder Stuff seem to come out of retirement – roughly once every six months for a couple of gigs – and its easy to be cynical to be about yet another rehashed greatest hits set, played in a slightly different order each time.

On the other hand, its much much harder to be cynical about whether they still deserve to be out there playing gigs. Its pure nostalgia, and nothing but, but they and the audience, are behaving like hyperactive teenagers. Memories die hard in the minds of an increasingly aged audience eager to step into a time machine and revisit a decade ago with as much enthusiasm and energy as they did then. And somebody really should let 30-somethings know crowdsurfing doesn't look good when you've got a beer belly. And big boots really hurt when they kick you in the face.

Ever heard a Wonder Stuff record? You’ll much know what to expect: A combination of spiky indie guitar-pop with folkish-jigs. And a set that revisits a great many of their greatest hits such as the country tinged (if slightly misogynist) singalong “Golden Green”, the spiky and defiant “Don’t Let Me Down, Gently”, the knowingly disposable-pop shite that is “Size of a Cow”, and the definitive baggy-folk crossover song of “Circlesquare”. (If there is such a thing)

There's also the manic pop thrill of “Unbearable” (complete with Ramones tribute) and the closing “Ten Trenches Deep”, played as if they're fresh out of the box - belying the fact that they only play one song less than a decade old.

Tonight they do everything you should hope for when you see a live band; entertain you brilliantly and leave you feeling thrilled and fulfilled like few other bands nowadays. A nostalgic, thrilling night out…..and totally irrelevant to anything ‘fresh’ in the scene today.