The Wonder Stuff reformed for a series of gigs in December 2000. There were two warm up gigs at the venue they played their 1st gig back in 1986, JB’s in Dudley (although by 2000 JB’s had moved from its original site to new and bigger premises and I saw just last week that that 2nd site has now been demolished) followed by 5 sold out and sweaty nights at The Forum (I’m sorry, it will always be the Town & Country Club to me) in London’s Kentish Town. We had another new bass player, Stuart Quinnell formerly of Southend Post Hardcore band Understand, alongside the Hunt, Treece, Gilks, Bell quartet. The one thing I remember most vividly about all those gigs is, while the band were playing, if you looked around the room everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, had a big shit-eating grin on their face…it was joyous.

There’s a two album jump between “Construction…” and the release “Oh No It’s…”. Those two albums were 2004’s comeback album “Escape From Rubbish Island” and it’s follow up, 2005’s “Suspended By Stars” both of which were CD only releases and so don’t qualify for this blog. “Escape From Rubbish Island” was essentially recorded as a Miles Hunt solo album and got itself re-badged following some input from Malc and some marketing advice from management. “Suspended By Stars” was the first album since “Construction…” recorded from the off as a Wonder Stuff album, I listened to it recently after quite a long time and it’s a bloody great album. But as we’ve said, both were CD only and therefore do not qualify for inclusion here (there was some talk a couple of years ago about doing a limited run of each on coloured vinyl but that seems to have been placed on a shelf somewhere…Tommo ?).

So the first post 2000 re-union album we get to talk about here is 2012 release “Oh No It’s…”. Between that re-union and this album there had been some membership churn and at this point in time Miles was the only remaining original member of the band. Bassist Mark McCarthy was making his 3rd album as a Stuffie, violinist Erica Nockalls (I cannot in good conscience call it a fiddle when it’s in Erica’s talented hands) was recording her 2nd and the balance was made up by drummer Fuzz Townsend (formerley of PWEI and BRA) and guitarist Stevie Wyatt who, until not long before this album, had been TWS’ front of house sound engineer, stepping up on stage when Malc had left the band. Some people have a problem with things like that but as Miles had always been the principle songwriter (despite what the writing credits may have told you) and so long as he is up front it will always be The Wonder Stuff to me…and yes, of course I’m biased !

Again I have fantastic memories about stuff connected to this record. The day Miles and Erica bought comedian Greg Davies round to our house to film parts of the video for the perky title track and single “Oh No!”. We had a 50’s looking spaceship parked on the drive, neighbours coming around to ask “did I just see Greg Davies going into your house” (he is 6’ 8” so he’s a little difficult to sneak in anywhere) and the sight of Greg and Miles in silver and red spandex was equal parts hilarious and scarring (https://youtu.be/9THcoOgSSzw?si=CrvQ7LMiN24vl1WS). A lot of much needed (Deb was going through the start of her cancer treatment) laughing was done that day.

One of my favourites is “Right Side Of The Turf”. The title was inspired by an old boy from Miles’ local in the South Shropshire Hills. George was in his mid 80’s and, when faced with the Brummie parting shot of “See ya George” at the end of a night in the pub, would respond with “As long as I stay the right side of the turf you will”. For a while “Be Thy Name” became something of a live favourite. A song that was regularly dedicated to the memory of Joe Strummer to who it definitely owes a debt of influence. And yes "Friendly Company" was written with the express aim of getting it into an episode of "Come Dine With Me" (after "A Wish Away" was included in a Hoseasons advert it seemmed like a financially sensible thing to do) and they succeeded !

This vinyl release was issued as a double LP, the “Oh No It’s…” record being packaged together with a “bonus” LP, “From The Midlands With Love”. A pub conversation had turned to how bands from Liverpool or Manchester or London were good at “bigging themselves up” whereas the self deprecating nature of us Midlanders means we don’t run around boasting about ourselves. Slade didn’t need to shout at all and sundry “we’re the best band in the world”, they just got up on stage and blew your mind, geddit ? So “From the Midlands With Love” was the Stuffies little tribute/big-up to some great Midlands musicians, 10 cover versions of belters from our neck o’ the woods by the likes of Dodgy, The Primitives, Duran Duran, The Move, The Beat, Dexy’s, PWEI and of course, the mighty Slade. The two standout/most surprising selections are most certainly the cover of Beverley Knights UK Garage groover “Get Up!” (the Stuffies hit the dancefloor !) and a chilling acoustic version of UB40’s classic “One In Ten”, which is almost a style blueprint for Miles & Erica’s 2017 album “We Came Here To Work”…if you’ve never heard either then you really should.

After the previous two albums “Oh No It’s…” felt like something of a new flowering of The Wonder Stuff as a band. They went full-on on the promotional front releasing this 2xLP version, a 2xCD version, a single CD in a hardback book style cover plus a new rockumentary “Oh Yes It’s…The Wonder Stuff”, all backed up by a 10 date UK tour through April 2013.

I said back at the end of August last year that Miles had been on a creative high for 11 (now 12) years or so, where “each new release has been what I hear as “the best thing he’s ever done”…”, “Oh No It’s…” is where that run started.

Right Side Of The Turf - https://youtu.be/B-XaqUgTIZk?si=BtAHPkqsJ8SJ7t5S

One In Ten - https://youtu.be/lJfx6fynXBI?si=D0jPFnjuSmvv4HuH