\n
D<\/span><\/strong>uring the late 80s, a crop of new bands in the West Midlands caused a stir in the live circuit, the charts and the music press. These bands were Pop Will Eat Itself, The Wonder Stuff and Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin, and in trying to apply a name to this bunch, the best the music press could come up with was the Stourbridge Scene, which was unlikely to stick in the minds of anyone interested in music. But these bands didn\u2019t need to rely on the creation of a new genre to elevate the music that they were about to produce.<\/b><\/p>\n They sprung out of the area having served their apprenticeships in a myriad of short-lived acts before they were touted as next-big-things. Despite attempts to pigeonhole them as Stourbridge, grebo, etc, each had their own identity and their own musical stamp. All forged their successes by creating exciting in-your-face hits in a time when the independent scene had been dominated by the whimsical tunes of the post-C86 bands.<\/p>\n Another aspect they all had in common was a desire to deliver a consistent portfolio of great sleeves designed to attract any avid music fan and establish a core identity. The Wonder Stuff used Hazel Pitt to create the rich (and very collectable) sleeves that went with all of their releases; Pop Will Eat Itself sided with The Designers Republic; while Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin used Helga to fashion their logo-dominated images.<\/p>\n Furthermore, all three exploited the lucrative merchandising market, a much-needed additional source of band funding in the early days, not only with T-shirts, but pioneering the sale of the long-sleeved T and shorts in the UK. Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin took merch to extremes, allegedly creating around 100 T-shirts in three years.<\/p>\n If it wasn\u2019t a scene or genre then what was it? Well it was more than just three bands, it was arguably a concentration of individuals interested in creating a buzz for local people to enjoy and, in some cases, to create their own music. As stated in Martin Roach\u2019s authoritative book The Eight Legged Atomic Dustbin Will Eat Itself<\/i>, there were several elements to this West Midlands \u201cco-operative\u201d, those being the music venue\/nightclub JB\u2019s in Dudley, local indie label Chapter 22, the area\u2019s music fans and bands.<\/p>\n JB\u2019s was a venue that took live music seriously, not only in booking quality bands that were in the charts and big enough to do the university circuit, but by also targeting fledgling bands to come in and play on nights where you didn\u2019t have to pay to get in, attracting young audiences who would invariably be skint. The place was only big enough for 250 people, and was suited for live music, as it was too small to be a standard disco nightclub. All the bands cited JB\u2019s as important in the early days of their career,it provided a regular audience, which allowed these acts to gather a following for when they played other local venues such as The Mere or The Mitre in Stourbridge.<\/p>\n Chapter 22 provided a vital leg-up. The label was originally created by Craig Jennings, manager of Cannock band Balaam & The Angel, who were finding it difficult to get signed. The label became a vehicle primarily for local bands to release their first records and hopefully stir some major label interest. Chapter 22 successfully managed to release the early records for The Mission, Pop Will Eat Itself and Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin, among others. They soon developed into a management company and\u00a0offered longer contracts with bands rather than just being a platform for debut singles.<\/p>\n Finally there was a general camaraderie among the local bands, mainly due to an informal network spawned by JB\u2019s. Bands such as Balaam & The Angel and The Mighty Lemon Drops, who were already established in the mid-80s, provided vital assistance in the form of offering support slots for The Wonder Stuff or Pop Will Eat Itself, who in turn offered support slots to Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin. If a band needed advice, assistance or contacts, there was a wealth of help to be had from other groups.<\/p>\n We are featuring the three most memorable bands to come out of this fruitful musical circle, Pop Will Eat Itself (aka PWEI or the Poppies), The Wonder Stuff (the Stuffies) and Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin (the Neds). They produced great-looking records, handsome tour merch and fine music. These bands were loved in their day; their songs were a soundtrack to many people\u2019s lives, and when they reformed in the Noughties, the fans were still there to come back and see them.<\/p>\n Finally, a note to any indie DJs out there: play the Stuffies\u2019 Don\u2019t Let Me Down Gently, the Poppies\u2019 Def Con One and the Neds\u2019 Kill Your Television in quick succession and see what happens on the dancefloor\u2026<\/p>\n POP WILL EAT ITSELF<\/b><\/p>\n Pop Will Eat Itself\u2019s roots lay in a five-piece band called From Eden, which included Miles Hunt and Malc Treece, who would eventually form The Wonder Stuff, and Clint Mansell and Adam Mole, who formed Pop Will Eat Itself. The band emerged in the early 80s and in Miles Hunt\u2019s words, was \u201ccamp, pompous, pretentious and utterly directionless, falling awkwardly between goth and glam\u201d. Hunt was eventually fired, replaced by Graham Crabb.<\/p>\n From Eden dissolved, and Mansell, Mole and Crabb then launched Wild & Wandering, recruiting fourth member Richard March on bass. The band name was taken from an album title from punk\/indie band Wasted Youth, which Clint and co were fans of, and subsequently their gigs consisted of many Wasted Youth covers \u2013 and most ended with the band inebriated. Nevertheless, one 12\u201d EP, 2000 Light Ales From Home<\/i>, was recorded and released in early 1986. After the purchase of a Portastudio, and a slew of writing from Crabb, the band found themselves moving in a different direction so decided to change their name. Three were drawn up: Pop Tarts, Grrrr!!! and Pop Will Eat Itself. The latter (a reference made by current RC <\/i>columnist David Quantick in the NME <\/i>about indie band Jamie Wednesday) was chosen and the rest is history.<\/p>\n The newly branded Pop Will Eat Itself released its first EP, Poppies Say GRRRrrr!<\/i>. Self-funded again, it was released in May 1986, and they obtained a Peel Session in June, thanks to The Mighty Lemon Drops having to pull out of their booking, and advising the BBC to record PWEI instead.<\/p>\n By this time the Poppies were gaining attention for their shows and it was not long before they were signed by local independent label Chapter 22 whose head, Craig Jennings,took on the mantle of managing the band as well. Two further EPs were released on Chapter 22, Poppiecock <\/i>and Sweet Sweet Pie <\/i>consisting of mostly very short tracks which were best described as love songs to fast guitars. Following a European tour the band had been repeatedly listening to Sigue Sigue Sputnik\u2019s Love Missile F1-11 and more importantly, Run-DMC\u2019s Raising Hell<\/i>, and after seeing the latter group and the Beastie Boys at the Birmingham Odeon, it was clear to the band that they were in need of a fresh approach.<\/p>\n Their debut album Box Frenzy <\/i>signalled this new direction, produced by Robert Gordon of FON records in Sheffield. Gordon\u2019s influence on their new sound was enormous, adding his expertise in producing dance music and adding sampling to the band\u2019s identity, resulting in them having to write new songs during the recording process to match Gordon\u2019s production methods. While there was still a flavour of the old PWEI on Evelyn and Inside You, the majority of the album saw a clear move towards the sample-driven dance rhythms that they would eventually master. While the album was favourably reviewed, they drew unsurprisingly negative attention with the ill-advised single release of Beaver Patrol, a cover of a (60s band) The Wilde Knights song. Though it was a well-produced stomper of a track, it was lyrically immature and while it may have been recorded for a laugh, it backfired to some extent.<\/p>\n Embracing the burgeoning dance music scene, they returned to FON to record DEF CON 1<\/i>, a 12\u201d EP which unveiled the new PWEI sound. Another development was their decision to use The Designers Republic to work on their sleeves, which gave them a visual identity to match their music.<\/p>\n With the band playing bigger gigs and attracting increasing exposure in the press, PWEI signed with RCA, resulting in further singles in the form of Can U Dig It? and Wise Up! Sucker and second album This Is The Day… This Is The Hour… This Is This! <\/i>A big bold statement if ever there was one that PWEI had arrived; riff-heavy, beat-heavy and sample-heavy, it really sounded like this was the future of pop.<\/p>\n The band played Reading Festival and undertook their first US Tour. Their fortunes stalled to an extent in 1990 with the slightly muted third album, Cure For Sanity<\/i>, which was poorly received by the press. Much of this was down to the fact that it was far removed from its predecessor, dominated by keyboard programming and a glut of sampling, resulting in too many tracks with too much going on. At times it sounded more like an album of hip-hop and dance covers than a Poppies\u2019 album.<\/p>\n Recruiting drummer Fuzz Townshend, the band\u2019s vigour was revived in 1992 with The Looks Or The Lifestyle?<\/i>, which picked up where This Is The Day\u2026 <\/i>left off. Back were the riffs, the carefully crafted vocal-led songs and the identity that the band had previously worked so hard to achieve. However, despite an album chart placing of No 15, they were dropped by RCA, after which their last single Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies! got to No 9, their biggest hit single.<\/p>\n They signed to Infectious, releasing their final album Dos Dedos Mis Amigos <\/i>in 1994, which reached No 11 in the chart. This set treaded industrial territory, with RSVP the only track sounding like the old PWEI. So it wasn\u2019t too surprising that around this time the Poppies joined Trent Reznor\u2019s label Nothing in the US.<\/p>\n In 1994, Graham Crabb left the band and they called it a day two years after, with 10 years of producing groundbreaking nuggets of popular music under their belts. Recordings for a sixth album were almost, and finally saw the light of day in 2013 as A Lick Of The Old Cassette Box<\/i>, a vinyl comp on Cherry Red limited to 200 copies.<\/p>\n THE WONDER STUFF<\/b><\/p>\n As mentioned in the previous section on PWEI, The Wonder Stuff were cut from largely the same cloth. After Miles Hunt left From Eden, he milled about in various other short-lived bands until he ditched the drums and decided he wanted to be a front man and hooked up with Malc Treece again. Malc had started a new band with former The Mighty Lemon Drops drummer Martin Gilks and ex-From Eden bassist Chris Fradgley. Local punk legend Rob Jones (known at that time as Punky Rob Jones, later called The Bass Thing) soon replaced Fradgley on bass.<\/p>\n Intensive rehearsals, songwriting and gigging ensued, during which time Hunt was sharing a flat with PWEI\u2019s Clint Mansell in Stourbridge. It wasn\u2019t long before the Stuffies found management and recorded and released an EP, A Wonderful Day<\/i>, for their own The Far Out Recording Company. It was a respectable intro for any burgeoning indie-guitar outfit, but much stronger efforts were soon to come.<\/p>\n Les Johnson and Dave Aldridge, the band\u2019s managers, obtained better support slots with the likes of New Order, The Fall and The Primitives, and The Wonder Stuff regularly gigged with PWEI. A publishing deal with Polygram in 1987 funded the second single Unbearable, released by The Far Out Recording Company on 7\u201d and 12\u201d formats and distributed independently. A far superior effort to their debut, this not only showcased Hunt\u2019s often cynical and humorous writing style but also displayed the full sound the band were capable of, notably on the classic B-side Ten Trenches Deep. Unbearable was favourably reviewed in the press and played on national radio, and a Janice Long Session ensued. By the end of 1987, they\u2019d signed to Polydor though they maintained a significant amount of influence over how they managed their affairs. With major label support, the Stuffies\u2019 fortunes were on the rise, with recording for a debut album starting in January \u201988 with Pat Collier, a producer who would be instrumental to their developing style.<\/p>\n The Eight Legged Groove Machine <\/i>was widely applauded by the music press, reaching No 18 and boosted by singles Give, Give, Give Me More, More, More; A Wish Away and It\u2019s Yer Money I\u2019m After, Baby. An extremely strong debut album packed with humour, wit and well-crafted songs mostly written by Hunt and supported by Malc Treece\u2019s wide-ranging guitar skills, Rob Jones\u2019 attacking basslines, and Martin Gilks \u2013 a powerhouse behind the drums. An added bonus was the fact that even the B-sides on the singles were up to the standard of the album. From the beginning, Miles had enlisted Hazel Pitt to design the sleeves and create the unforgettable visual brand for the band (see gallery section and sidebar). Following the release of the debut album, the Stuffies embarked upon their first European and US tours at the end of \u201988 and early \u201989.<\/p>\n Second album HUP<\/i>, recorded in the summer of 1989, reached No 5 and improved on their debut, with a more powerful sound and punchier style on tracks such as Radio Ass Kiss, Don\u2019t Let Me Down, Gently and Let\u2019s Be Other People, while subtleties came via the introduction of violin on tracks such as Unfaithful and Golden Green from Martin \u2018Fiddly\u2019 Bell, who would eventually become a full-time member. Singles like Don\u2019t Let Me Down Gently and Golden Green were achieving better chart placings, but it wasn\u2019t all going smoothly. Tensions were starting to rise between Rob Jones and Miles during the HUP tour, resulting in \u2018The Bass Thing\u2019 deciding to leave the band in 1990. He was replaced by Paul Clifford.<\/p>\n Despite having completed most of the third album early in 1990, it was held back until \u201991. Never Loved Elvis <\/i>reached No 3, preceded by the No 5 hit single Size Of A Cow. While …Cow and the likes of Welcome To The Cheap Seats maintained the tongue-in-cheek style of the band, it was well-balanced by soul-searching tracks such as the timeless Maybe and Mission Drive. A further bonus to the band\u2019s ever-improving progress was a No 1 single with Vic Reeves, an irreverent cover of Tommy Roe\u2019s 1969 hit Dizzy. Further touring took the band around the world, before recording sessions commenced on their fourth album.<\/p>\n Construction For The Modern Idiot <\/i>(1993) was a noticeably different record to their previous three, lacking the cynical humour, and not presenting anything progressively different. This was surprising given they had written and recorded a very large number of tracks during the sessions, but sadly Full Of Life (Happy Now) was the only stand-out. On The Ropes, Full Of Life (Happy Now) and their final EP, Hot Love Now<\/i>, saw their chart placings steadily dwindle. It had become clear to the music press that the band (and Hunt in particular) were tired and disillusioned, and this album showed it.<\/p>\n Subsequently, it wasn\u2019t long before they decided to split up, playing their last gig at 1994\u2019s Phoenix Festival. Was this a sad way to end the story of The Wonder Stuff? On reflection, not really \u2013 they had a very successful tenure, outlasting other genres such as Madchester and the baggy scene, and much of their music has not dated at all.<\/p>\n NED\u2019S ATOMIC DUSTBIN<\/b><\/p>\n Formed at Halesowen College of Further Education via an advert posted by singer Jonn Penney looking for musicians, Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin initially started with three bass players, as Gareth \u2018Rat\u2019 Pring had not started playing guitar at the very birth of the band. The other two bassists were Alex Griffin and Mat Cheslin, with the line-up completed by drummer Dan Worton. After all being booted out of college, the Neds added a female singer to the line-up and focused on making the band work. Their debut gig was at The Mitre pub in Stourbridge a venue regularly visited by local bands and like-minded music fans. PWEI\u2019s Clint Mansell saw the band play a later gig at The Mitre and was impressed enough to offer them support slots at their gigs. PWEI sound engineer Tank (brother of the Stuffies\u2019 Martin Gilks) offered to manage the band, and they supported The Wonder Stuff in March \u201989 at the Birmingham Hummingbird, after which they parted with their singer.<\/p>\n The Neds garnered further support slots with Mega City Four and were invited on The Wonder Stuff\u2019s HUP <\/i>Tour as the Stuffies were looking for a band they would be able to get on with. Not only did this dramatically increase their following, but at t<\/b>he same time they wrote a core set of new material to play and record, and became more animated onstage. It wasn\u2019t long before they were signed by Chapter 22 for the first few singles, debuting with The Ingredients EP<\/i>, followed by their first headline tour. The EP highlighted the band\u2019s trademark tempo changes which ran through many of their early songs \u2013 a technique they used to stop them getting bored of a song when playing it live. The summer of 1990 saw the release of their second single, the timeless Kill Your Television, and undoubtedly their masterpiece, a thrashing adrenaline-fuelled stormer which still sounds as fresh and unique as it did at the daen of the 90s. By this time the band were exploiting their skill in selling tour merch, particularly T-shirts, which were so eye-catching thanks to the designs of Jonn\u2019s girlfriend Helga, and memorable slogans, that the shirts were like their own market. The band offered their audiences not only a musical identity, but also an alternative way to dress.<\/p>\n After a hugely successful Reading Festival performance, third single Until You Find Out was released in October, and by this time the band were regularly selling out large venues in the UK. They signed with Sony \u2013 via their own record label Furtive to maintain more control over their direction. The first single on the new label was March \u201991\u2019s Happy, which reached No 16, followed by their debut album God Fodder<\/i>, which reached No 4, selling 60,000 copies in the first three days. It was packed with punchy, driving numbers, but also included re-recorded versions of Until You Find Out, Grey Cell Green and Kill Your Television, previous Chapter 22 singles, though the latter seemed unnecessarily \u201cbusy\u201d and lacked the crisp rawness of the original.<\/p>\n The Neds enjoyed a prestigious slot at Glastonbury in 1992 \u2013 second on the bill to Blur on what is now known as The Other Stage \u2013 then released their second album, Are You Normal? <\/i>in October, charting at No 13. The album drew some criticism, but they probably would have been equally criticised if they had stuck to the formula of God Fodder<\/i>. Nevertheless it\u2019s the one album that was most likely to draw more listeners on the basis that the breadth of tracks didn\u2019t aim at those looking solely for fast guitars and faster tempos. Are You Normal? <\/i>also contained one of their best singles, Not Sleeping Around, while the singles from the album were groundbreaking for bands of their ilk, featuring additional tracks that ventured into remix territory for the first time.<\/p>\n After much touring it was another two and a half years before the third album Brainbloodvolume <\/i>was released. Far removed from their previous two albums, Ned\u2019s were not afraid to venture away from their comfort zone, recording an album of contrasts, best illustrated by the two singles from the album. All I Ask Of Myself Is That I Hold Together is one of the hardest, roughest tracks they had ever recorded, and Stuck is one of their gentlest melodic tracks and arguably one of their best.<\/p>\n However, Brainbloodvolume <\/i>didn\u2019t chart at all, due to Sony releasing it first in the US, resulting in import copies being snapped up by hardcore fans in the UK, nixing the all-important initial purchase spike when it was released in the UK.<\/p>\n It should not be overlooked that the band were batting on a different playing field in 1995 thanks to Britpop fully capturing the public\u2019s imagination, and that could not have been lost on the band, and the Ned\u2019s decided to call it a day at the end of the year. Nevertheless Brainbloodvolume <\/i>remains the Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin album that most merits serious exploration.<\/p>\n GREBO GOODIES<\/b><\/p>\n Despite a dip in values in the last 15 years for all three bands\u2019 vinyl and CD output, there are other formats that still remain treasured possessions by collectors, most notably the clothing merch peddled at gigs and some of the promo posters which in all cases are incredibly hard to get hold of. The following is a sample of some rare gems and memorabilia you can occasionally find on the market.<\/p>\n WILD & WANDERING <\/span>2,000 Light Ales From Home <\/b>Iguana VYK 14, 12\u201d \u00a325<\/span><\/p>\n PWEI\u2019s debut single, under their original short-lived name Wild & Wandering. It came with an A4 lyric sheet.<\/p>\n POP WILL EAT ITSELF <\/span>POPPIES SAY GRRRR! <\/i><\/b>Desperate SRT 1, 7\u201d (paper bag sleeve) \u00a325<\/span><\/p>\n Recorded at Lanes\u2019 End Studio, Studley, for \u00a3350, the resultant five-track debut single as PWEI was pressed in a quantity of 500. They then bought 500 brown paper bags for a few quid and a John Bull Printing kit and spent a day stamping the hand-made covers.<\/p>\n POP WILL EAT ITSELF <\/span>Love Rocket F1-11 promo poster <\/b>\u00a335<\/span><\/p>\n Original UK PWEI promo posters are impossible to find, to the extent that a collector could be forgiven for wondering if any were ever printed. Here is an early promo poster for the band\u2019s 1987 cover of Sigue Sigue Sputnik\u2019s Love Missile F1-11.<\/p>\n POP WILL EAT ITSELF <\/span>Beaver Patrol promo poster <\/b>\u00a335<\/span><\/p>\n Promo poster for Beaver Patrol from Chapter 22, this example was found inside a 12\u201d copy of the single; you\u2019d be lucky to find another.<\/p>\n THE WONDER STUFF <\/span>1986 Tower Ballroom gig poster <\/b>\u00a3150<\/span><\/p>\n Early in their career, the band\u2019s management secured a support slot with New Order at Edgbaston\u2019s Tower Ballroom in October 1986; also supporting were the Happy Mondays. For this gig the band were allowed to design the poster (which Hazel Pitt did). This is an extremely rare Wonder Stuff poster; however the value is derived from New Order being the headline band, and therefore highly prized by New Order collectors (as well as Mondays\u2019 fans).<\/p>\n <\/b>THE WONDER STUFF <\/span>A WONDERFUL DAY <\/i><\/b>The Far Out Recording Company GONE ONE, 7\u201d EP \u00a330 <\/span><\/p>\n The debut single by the band was mythically partly-funded by The Bass Thing\u2019s pools win. However, Hunt\u2019s autobiographical book The Wonder Stuff Diaries 86-89 <\/i>outlines that the original recordings funded by the win were scrapped. They re-recorded the tracks in September 1986, funded by their management, and those ended up on the single. For years this release was unreachable to Stuffies collectors until online websites made it more obtainable, and thus the values are not as ambitious as they used to be. Beware of the \u201cfanclub reissue\u201d, which is a bootleg.<\/p>\n THE WONDER STUFF LUNATHUG <\/i><\/b>sleeve proof <\/span>\u00a3200<\/p>\n Previously featured in RC<\/i>\u2019s Digging For Gold (RC <\/i>403), the Lunathug <\/i>EP was intended to be the third single release from the HUP <\/i>album with Hazel Pitt having already designed the sleeve, however, it was ditched at Hunt\u2019s request and replaced with the single Circlesquare. Arguably Stuffies collectors\u2019 holy grail, if you have the complete set of three proofs which included the cover (illustrated), inner gatefold cover and inner sleeve, you are easily looking at \u00a3200.<\/p>\n THE WONDER STUFF <\/span>Radio Ass Kiss <\/b>Polydor PRO 7551 US Promo 12\u201d \u00a310 <\/span><\/p>\n Issued to radio stations in the US, this promo 12\u201d of HUP <\/i>track Radio Ass Kiss came with a unique sleeve. Some stations were also issued with Radio Ass Kiss toilet paper, each sheet printed with the song title!<\/p>\n NED\u2019S ATOMIC DUSTBIN\/THE WONDERSTUFF Hull gig promo poster <\/b><\/span>\u00a335<\/p>\n Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin were invited to support The Wonder Stuff on their HUP <\/i>Tour in 1989. This poster shows that the classic Ned\u2019s logo was designed before they recorded their first records in 1990.<\/p>\n NED\u2019S ATOMIC DUSTBIN <\/span>THE INGREDIENTS EP <\/i><\/b>Chapter 22 CHAP 47, 12\u201d, rejected test press with proof sleeve \u00a350 <\/span><\/p>\n This white label test press of the Ned\u2019s debut single was rejected. Produced by Si Efemey, the mixes of all the tracks sounded flat by the time it was pressed, and were subsequently remixed by Jessica Corcoran. The mixes of on this record are noticeably different to the final versions and unique to this TP. It also comes with an early proof sheet for the sleeve, which was also reworked.<\/p>\n NED\u2019S ATOMIC DUSTBIN T-shirt <\/b><\/span>\u00a320+<\/p>\n One of the many T-shirts punters could purchase at Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin gigs. In the early 90s it was estimated there the band released around 100 different designs created in just a few frenzied years. These T-shirts have not lost their popularity with the punters despite now being over 25 years old: they are a badge of honour for fans. Expect to pay around \u00a320 for an original (of any design) in fair condition and up to \u00a350+ for an original in Mint condition \u2013 beware of bootlegs [surely \u201cbootarms\u201d? \u2013 Ed].<\/p>\n NED\u2019S ATOMIC DUSTBIN <\/span>Are You Normal? <\/b>US promo poster \u00a335 <\/span><\/p>\n US Promo poster for the band\u2019s second album, the UK promo sheet was a massive 60\u201d x 40\u201d but it was nowhere near as viually striking as this eye-melting multicoloured US version.<\/p>\n \n <\/b>WHERE ARE THEY NOW?<\/b><\/p>\n Despite all three bands splitting up within 18 months of each other during the mid-90s, that was not the end of the story by any means.<\/p>\n The Wonder Stuff re-formed as a gigging unit in 2000 with everyone but Paul Clifford in the line-up. Clifford, Martin Gilks and Paul Clifford had previously been in We Know Where You Live with Ange Dolittle, previously of Eat, and recorded an album, a single and two EPs. A new Stuffies\u2019 album, Escape From Rubbish Island<\/i>, was recorded in 2004 with a new line-up including Miles Hunt and Malc Treece. Three studio albums of new material have since been issued, Suspended By Stars<\/i>, Oh No It\u2019s\u2026The Wonder Stuff <\/i>and 30 Goes Round The Sun<\/i>, however, the line-up now only includes Miles as its sole original member. Miles also published his diaries and memoirs in 2015, a thoroughly well-written and enjoyable history of the band up to the departure of Rob Jones \u2018The Bass Thing\u2019. Rob sadly died in 1993 due to addiction-related problems, and original drummer Martin Gilks died in a motorbike accident in 2006.<\/p>\n Pop Will Eat Itself re-formed for a handful of gigs in 2005, which were very successful. However Clint Mansell turned down the opportunity to continue with the band due to his burgeoning career in movie soundtracks. He has composed for Pi<\/i>, Requiem For A Dream <\/i>and The Hole<\/i>. Nevertheless Graham Crabb continued without Clint, performing various gigs under the name Vileevils. Graeme then assembled a new line-up for PWEI in 2011, releasing the album New Noise Designed By A Sadist<\/i>. The band\u2019s most recent studio album, Anti Nasty League <\/i>was released in 2015. Former PWEI drummer Fuzz Townsend has found fame as the co-presenter and the mechanical wizard on Channel 4\u2019s Car SOS<\/i>.<\/p>\n Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin also re-formed with three original members in 2000, gigging and recording a new single, Hibernation, in 2006. In 2008 the original line-up played at The Astoria in London and have since played various festivals and one-off gigs. A 25th anniversary 12\u201d of Kill Your Television on magenta-coloured vinyl was released in 2015. This is one of those rare occurrences where the current unit boasts all of the original members.<\/p>\n GREBOS IMPROVED.indd 56 11\/23\/2017 10:14:33 AM<\/p>\n \n Sleeve Gallery<\/b><\/p>\n Classic PWEI sleeves designed by The Designers Republic a company founded in 1986 in Sheffield by Ian Anderson and Nick Philips. The company was responsible for the band\u2019s image on sleeves and clothing for most of their career, and who can forget their classic Pepsi-inspired logo for the band, which graced many T-shirts?<\/p>\n At the height of the Stuffies\u2019 success, their records were very collectable due to the strength of the sleeve designs by Hazel Pitt.<\/p>\n COVERING THE STUFFIES<\/b><\/p>\n Hazel Pitt was responsible for the striking Wonder Stuff sleeves, and we asked Hazel about the inspiration behind some of the designs.<\/p>\n How did you become involved in working with The Wonder Stuff?<\/b><\/p>\n I met Miles through my best friend Angie, who was seeing his mate Clint Mansell at the time. Miles knew I was visually creative, so I was the go-to person for the band\u2019s first couple of single sleeves. When they signed to Polydor it seemed natural to continue as their sleeve designer, as I understood their creative process.<\/p>\n How did you design the classic Wonder Stuff logo?<\/b><\/p>\n I cut out the words I had photocopied and fixed them to a bottle. If you looked at the letters from the other side of the bottle they looked distorted, I then photographed the distorted words. The result was the band\u2019s name looks like it is floating on water. I used the same method a few times on later sleeves such as Give Give Give Me More More More.<\/p>\n The designs of the sleeves are dominated with bright and rich colours, whose inspiration was this?<\/b><\/p>\n Miles said he wanted the artwork to look bright and theatrical, so this was the direction I took. I think that the colour choice was the strongest part of the design work overall. It gave them an emotional quality, influenced by the mood of the song. I think that\u2019s what connected them strongly to the music.<\/p>\n The designs were always image-based from photographs \u2013 how would you select them?<\/b><\/p>\n As far as I can remember I used all sorts of visually rich books from libraries for the sleeves. To give some examples, the images for The Eight Legged Groove Machine <\/i>were of the Keystone Cops, for HUP <\/i>I used images from Georges M\u00e9li\u00e8s\u2019 Le Voyage Dans La Lune<\/i>. I think my choice of imagery became more complex and adventurous during the creation of the Never Loved Elvis <\/i>sleeve.<\/p>\n When coming up with a sleeve concept would you work from the title or did you have access to the entire song?<\/b><\/p>\n I would definitely have the title of the song on my mind when coming up with initial design ideas. I would also immerse myself in the song itself, musically and lyrically to arrive at an emotional response to my design ideas.<\/p>\n What are you working on these days?<\/b><\/p>\n Recently I\u2019ve taught graphic design in further and higher education. I continue to create photomontages, working in the area of art and science and have had work exhibited in London and Edinburgh (see www.hazelpitt.com). I did one further piece of sleeve design in 2000, when I was asked to do the artwork for The Wonder Stuff\u2019s compilation Love Bites And Bruises<\/i>.<\/p>\n \n \n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" During the late 80s, a crop of new bands in the West Midlands caused a stir in the live circuit, the charts and the music press. These bands were Pop Will Eat Itself, The Wonder Stuff and Ned\u2019s Atomic Dustbin, and in trying to apply a name to this bunch, the best the music press could come up with was the Stourbridge Scene, which was unlikely to \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8023,"featured_media":193357,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[585],"issue":[10091],"class_list":["post-193356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-various-artists","issue-december-2017-474"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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