Wah! Newcastle University Students Union 28th Nov 1981
Support from The Set
Pete Wylie was born in Liverpool and began his career in 1977 forming a band “Crucial Three” with future Bunnyman Ian McCulloch and future Teardrop Exloder and druid poet Julian Cope. Wylie then went on to be in a stream of short-lived bands, sometimes with Cope, including the Mystery Girls (also featuring future Dead or Aliver Pete Burns), the Spitfire Boys (pretty sure I saw them as a support act), the Nova Mob, the Opium Eaters (also featuring future Banshee Budgie, future Frankie Goes to Hollywooder Paul Rutherford and future Lightning Seeder Ian Broudie), and Crash Course. So, as you can see, he was very much part of the Loverpool and Manchester Rock new wave scene.
In 1980 he then formed Wah! Heat, who received critical acclaim, became a John Peel favourite, and released two singles “Better Scream” and “7 Minutes to Midnight” Their biggest hit single was of course the great “The Story of the Blues”, which was released in late 1982, and reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart.
I saw Wah! once, at a Saturday night gig at Newcastle University students union. In was in late 1981, before Wah! had released The Story of the Blues. I’d read of Wylie and the band in the music papers, and heard Peel championing then and went along to see what Wah! were like. I’d heard the Wah! Heat singles, and remembering enjoying the gig. The music was a mix of new wave and electronica as I recall.
Based on a published set list of the time it is likely that they played the following songs: The Wind Up; Better Scream; Some Say; Forget the Down; Don’t Step on the Cracks; 7 Minutes To Midnight; Hey Joe.
“Here in my pocket I’ve got the story of the blues,
Try to believe me cos’ it could be front page news,
I said I live it like it hasn’t happened yet
I keep thinking of everyone how I’m the one, the one they’re trying to get.
To tell…The Story of the Blues…..
First they take your pride, then turn it all inside,
And then you realise, you got nothing left to lose.
So you try to stop,try to get back up,
And then you realise you’re telling The Story of the Blues.”
(Pete Wylie / The Mighty Wah!, The Story of the Blues, 1982)
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