Pete Wylie & The Mighty Wah!

The Leadmill, Sheffield - 27th October 2022

There hasn't been much Wah! action for a few years, though Pete Wylie has been active in recent times as a solo performer, so there was considerable interest when the singer announced he was putting a band together for a seven-date UK tour to celebrate forty years in the business. Despite Wylie not having released an album since 2017's brilliantly-named Pete Sounds, four of these dates sold out in a matter of days, with the remaining three just about there as October drew close, showing a not inconsiderable interest in the man whose career over those decades peaked and troughed like a particularly bendy rollercoaster. Squared.

First into the fold was drummer Chris Joyce, a former Wah! member who appeared with them on Top Of The Pops before departing to form Simply Red with Tony Bowers and Mick Hucknall. He was also a founder member of the Durutti Column. Long time friend, and active GP, Yousef Sheikh was recruited on bass and Gavin Brick, a creator of electronic sounds for the Werra Foxma label under the name of The Metamorph, was brought in to do an Eno on keyboards.

This was to be largely a greatest hits tour with the advertising stating the band would be "playing all the classics" and that is very much what it turned out to be. The smaller stage at The Leadmill has a capacity of 250 and it was pretty much rammed as we waited for the band. Talking to people in the queue before doors, many had travelled a long way, most had seen Wah! many times, and most were pretty excited to be seeing them again. It's a testament to Wylie's talent and personality that he inspires such loyalty. It's clear he is ridiculously talented and is capable of writing sublime punk-soul anthems which are sung astonishingly well, but it takes more than that to create an atmosphere where everybody feels like they are going out to see a mate. We've seldom witnessed a gig which feels more like a community rallying round. Wylie inspires this bonhomie with his ceaseless chat and joking. There is as much of that as there is music and as much laughter as there is cheering. Wylie's tales are fascinating and funny, and Sheikh is as much playing the straight man as he is the bass with so much banter thrown in his direction.

None of this would have made much sense if Wylie did not have the songs to back him up, but the quality is there and it's a bit of a shock when you realise that this man has been a part of your life for most of your life. It was two Scouse mates at college who first pointed us towards Wah! Heat and 'Better Scream' still sounds terrific, it's jangling guitars redolent of early eighties indie but its vocal pretty much straight off a Northern Soul compilation. 'Seven Minutes To Midnight' is also there, with Pete revealing it to be about a potential nuclear war and noting that current world events may present him with the opportunity for another big hit. Briefly. The stabbing 'Remember' also shows up, the last single before Wylie officially became a pop star in 1982 with the release of 'The Story Of The Blues' which made it to number three in the charts. Of course that one goes down a storm, but pretty much every song does. Many in the crowd sing along to 'A Heart As Big As Liverpool' which Pete dedicates in an emotional tribute to his best friend Janice Long who sadly died at the end of 2021. There is a new arrangement for 'Sinful' which sounds terrific and the band's third top twenty hit 'Come Back' is also returned with gusto.

Wylie seems to be in a good place. A fairly recent diagnosis of ADHD has put a lot of his life into perspective and has helped negate much of the anger he may otherwise have felt. The lows in his life and career have not been of his own making; his illness has pushed him from pillar to post and created barriers with which most people would struggle. The band appear to be loving it; the camaraderie is obvious and the musicianship is faultless. There are backing tapes to add some layers the four could not possibly manage on their own, but these are seamless and the big screen behind the band plays out a tangental film that on occasion steals your interest.

The audience leave the Leadmill happy and buzzing. Wah! have one more date to play in London which will conclude their tour which has pretty much been a triumph. It's great to have them back and firing on all cylinders; hopefully they will push on from here, play some more dates and possibly damage the charts once again. Look out for 'The Story Of The Blues' on Record Store Day and a possible reappearance of the back catalogue on vinyl in the coming months.

Set List: You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory, Remember, Come Back, The Day That Margaret Thatcher Dies, Free Falling (In Love With You), Sinful, Fourelevenfortyfour, Better Scream, Heart As Big As Liverpool, The Story Of The Blues, Seven Minutes To Midnight, Hope (I Wish You'd Believe Me).