Wilsons(z)
Musical Genre/Type: Rock
Formed: 1987
Jeff Wilson - Bass
Blaze Wilson - Vocals
Steve Wilson - Drums
Jase Wilson - Guitar
03/07/87
Catch 23
The Wilsons
Edward ian Armchair
Tamworth Arts Centre
28/08/87
Tamworth Rock Festival
27/09/87
Toy Dolls
Catch 23
The Wilsonz
Tamworth Arts Centre
16/09/90
Walk on Fire
The Wilsonz
The Rathole
Tamworth Herald – 03/07/87
TAMWORTH ARTS CENTRE stages one of its biggest nights of the year tonight (Friday) with the official launch party of the first single by Catch 23. The loveable Atherstone outfit will obviously top the party bill, along with Edward ian Armchair and superb local band who are trading under dubious name The Wilsons.
For Catch 23, tonight’s official single launch is the culmination of a short but dynamic career. In what seems like just a few months, the band have risen in stature and ability to the point where they now earn the respect of every local rock fan.
Tonight’s show is already set to be a sell-out, and Catch 23 themselves are delighted to repay the loyalty of their fans with this special fun concert.
The band’s first single is a double-A-sider ‘Don’t Lie’/’Love Explosion’. Like most Catch 23 tracks the single is packed with energy and atmosphere as well as tow catchy, danceable tunes which are certain to sound very nice indeed pouring out of radio speakers.
Already is has earned amazing praise from Mercia DJ Paul Robinson who has promised to give the band maximum exposure, and there is a real buzz in the air that this single could well lift Catch 23 to the top of the pile.
Tonight’s special Arts Centre show will see the single on sale for the very first time. The band have stressed that they would prefer Atherstone-based fans to buy their copies at record shops to ensure entry into the Mercia Charts, but Tamworth people can get their grubby fingers on the goodies tonight.
The single comes packaged in a superb sleeve which includes all the lyrics and a brilliant sketch-drawing by the multi-talented Neil Gordon, a bassist who is clearly the illegitimate child of Jean-Jacques Burnel and Picasso.
As well as selling the single, tonight’s gig will be very much a fine show in its own right. Catch 23’s local gigs have been kept to a minimum of late – apart from one hugely successful Pebble Mill bash – and they are bursting to return to their native stages. Already more than 100 tickets for the special event have been snapped up by fans and the ticket-less out there are warned to get to the Arts Centre very early tonight to stand any chance of enjoying a rock and roll party to remember.
Joining the single-bearing heroes will be local poet Edward ian Armchair and this odd bunch called The Wilsons. I am not allowed to reveal too much outfit, suffice to say they share Catch 23’s love of live-work and on their day can leave every self-respecting rock and roll fan drained of energy. A ‘Wilson’ is a term familiar to some of you, but let me tell you, there are no flies on this band!
So an absolutely unmissable show – one which will be a tribute to the sheer strength of the local music scene. Just a couple of years ago Catch 23 were learning their first chords, now they are releasing their first single and are on the threshold of something very exciting.
They couldn’t have done it without Tamworth’s music scene and so tonight’s wonderful show will be a mutual thank-you session and tremendous fun to boot. Catch 23, the floor is all your.
Tamworth Herald – 10/07/87
Wolfsbane have announced one or two smart looking concerts for the future. Jeff Wilson, Blaze Wilson, Steve Wilson and Jase Wilson will be at the Marquee supporting Tiger Tails on July 23, at Edwards No.8 on July 30, at Reids, Southend on August 4 and at Cascades on August 16. They will of course also be headlining Tamworth’s Rock Festival.
Tamworth Herald – 10/07/87
The Wilsons – Tamworth Arts Centre
ALL hail The Wilsons! For here are four lovely fellows who bear a remarkable resemblance to four lovely fellows called Wolfsbane and play an equally uplifting, mindbending set full of fun. Tonight The Wilsons chose to play some of their own favourite cover versions including the superb ‘Rockaway Beach’, the immortal ‘Born To Run’ and the appalling ‘Love Removal Machine’. Wilsonmania begins.
Tamworth Herald – 28/08/87
A rip-roaring weekend of rock
YES, IT’S HERE AT LAST! After all the months of planning and preparation, Tamworth will this weekend unveil it’s biggest and best rock festival ever.
Over the next four days no less than 27 bands – not to say alternative poets, disc jockeys and general eccentrics – will combine their talents to give the town’s pop pickers a week to remember.
Tonight (Friday) the whole event kicks off with an action-packed Arts Centre show to be followed on Saturday night with another night of new bands at the same venue. And then on Sunday and Monday, Tamworth Castle Grounds will be taken over for 16 hours for a massive live extravaganza of music covering 18 varied and exciting groups from all over the Tamworth and Atherstone area.
It all adds up to four hectic, juicy days so here is a blow-by-blow account of what to expect, where to expect it and where not to go if you want to avoid it!!
Tamworth Arts Centre
WELL WHAT A START. For just 50p you can get to see five totally different bands who represent just about every form of musical extreme in this little old scene of ours. Heading the lot our The Wilsons who have been added as late festival funmakers and should provide many moments of bopping delight. Joining the Wilsons are the brash barmy boys known as The Pakistani Brothers, the all-new all-electric Stranger Than Life, the arrogant and animated Oliver Reed Combo and another late addition The Parade. That is five potentially explosive acts for less than the price of a Curly Wurly each. Be there early (8pm) ‘cos it is going to be full.
Tamworth Arts Centre
ANOTHER case of sheer daylight robbery when just 50p once again gets you masses of good original music. The Conspiracy, Tamworth’s new alternative hopefuls make their eagerly awaited Arts Centre debut and are joined by the rocking, rollicking blues of Jim Crows, the powerful mid-Seventies attack of New Age Gypsies, and the passionate and highly-tipped indierockers Ferocious Apaches. The fifth band on the line-up is still to be confirmed as there is a possibility that The Final line may have split up. If that is so, new Burton FM soundalikes Vienna will be slotted in as special guests so whichever way you look at it your ears cannot fail! Remember it starts at 8pm and get there early.
Tamworth Castle Grounds (11.30am-7pm)
AND SO, to the main course. Once again the festival will be sited at the top of the Castle Grounds, just in front of the tennis courts and once again it will all be totally FREE.
You will see no less than nine bands on Sunday and a further nine on Monday with the only sort of rock uncatered for being that horrible stuff that breaks your teeth at Blackpool. It all begins at 11am when the Reverb/Buttercup disco blares into action and then 90 minutes later the first band – Kubla Khan – hit the stage. This oh reader, is what happens next…
KUBLA KHAN (12.30) – A new and enthusiastic rock band with a slant to the mid-Seventies and wicked sense of humour. Should be very good scene setters.
THE SEARCHING (1.05) Another relatively new act whose own brand of rock searches across a broad spectrum enveloping influences that include The Damned and the Cure.
The A5 (1.40) – A tremendous unit who are improving all the time and have now acquired a harder more distinctive sound. Aggressive, tuneful and toe-tappable.
WORLD INTELLIGENCE NETWORK (2.15) – Totally fab, leather-jacketed bunch who manage to Cope with being compared to Cope all the time. WINners.
CATCH 23 (2.50) – Youthful, fanciful popsters with hope in their hearts and electricity in their blood. They make great pop music. It’s as simple as that.
RAPE IN YELLOW (3.25) – Like Moses, this band have spent a long time in the wilderness and now return with a commanding set. They play original, whimsical Sixties based pop music.
ZEALOUT (4.00) – Another new band who walk on the Atherstone side of life. Zealout play broadly based rock music and regard this show as their first major introduction to the world.
PLATINUM HI (4.35) – Zooming all the way up from London this combo (who feature former Tamworth fave Rob Rea) play colourful metal music with brash style.
THE GREAT EXPRESS (5.10) – Concluding Sunday night’s revels are one of Tamworth’s hottest properties. The Express have already raced to the top of the league with their power charged, energetic and unusual creation. A great end to a great day.
Tamworth Castle Grounds (11.30am-7pm)
MRE MIRTH, music, magic and majesty on offer today with some of the best sounds outside of my record collection. As with Sunday, the bands will appear at roughly 40 minute intervals so you should never be very far away from something you are REALLY going to like. Here is the day’s itinerary so get your Filofax out.
FUTURE FIELD (1.05) – A new intelligent AOR based rock band with a host of ideas and several accomplished local musicians. Soothing music for the fun.
SHELLSHOCK (1.40) – Pure, unashamed heavy metal from a band whose enthusiasm is a refreshing as Brew X1 in the Sahara. Loud, proud and metallic.
JABBERWOCKIE (2.15) – Original unit who play music like of which Tamworth has never seen before, multi-instrumentalists overflowing with notes and notions.
WOLFSBANE (2.50) – The kings, the bosses, the boys. Wolfsbane’s dictionary definition is ‘everything that is good about heavy metal music’. They’ve got the LOT.
FETCH EDDIE (3.25) – Clean, loveable pop music which is as pure as the average Vestal Virgin. Ace tunesmiths who could set the afternoon alight.
DEPTH CHARGE (4.00) – One of Tamworth’s old favourites with new life and a new line-up. Look out for guitarist ‘Tanya’ (See rock festival t-shirts for more info on that!)
RUFFIAN ON THE STAIRS (4.35) – Commercial pleasing soul sounds from a band who combine the best of Tamworth and Lichfield. Promise to be quite special.
BREAKING POINT (5.10) – Longstanding heroes, who combine the powerful with the passionate and have been sorely missed from our stages of late. But absence makes the heart grow fonder they say, so get set for some nostalgic cheer.
So that’s the whole line-up. In betweens each band you will see and hear djs, comperes and poets like Buttercup, Edward ian Armchair, Dave Hewitt, Kevin McGough, Bue, Rikk Quay et al and there may also be some surprise guest celebrities popping up as well. In the event of rain over Sunday and Monday there may be alternative arrangements but you must be at the Castle Grounds to find out what they are.
Whatever happens this is Tamworth’s biggest musical event of the year and one which every music-loving person from 6-66 should enjoy immensely. So clear your weekends, clear your heads and get set to be bombarded from every possible angle by every possible sound.
*Festival t-shirts will be available tonight Friday (£3.50) and programmes at a mere 25p)
Tamworth Herald – 04/09/87
MUSICBOX Special by Sam Holliday
TAMWORTH ’S massive army of music-lovers mobilised in great force at the weekend to enjoy the finest August Bank Holiday Rock Festival yet.
The four-day rock and roll bonanza was, in every sense, a sunshine success. There were large crowds at both the Arts Centre and Castle Grounds shows, with good feeling among all the bands and organisers, and even a rare and shocking outbreak of warm weather!
The whole event was voted a big hit by both the crowds and the crowd pleasers and by the time everyone gathered together on Monday night in the Tavern in the Town for a post-festival party, most of the talk was about what would happen NEXT year.
The four days of rock revelry began on Friday night at the Arts Centre with the first of the two new band showcases.
As with the whole weekend all the bands on view stemmed from the Tamworth and Atherstone areas showing the amazing wealth of youthful musical talent that has been banked in this area.
The four bands that kicked off the first night set the pattern for the rest of the weekend – they were all totally different and yet they all won over large sections of a lusty audience which had packed the Arts Centre to capacity.
On the night returning heroes The Parade stole the show to my ears with a powerful burst of new wave energy although the people’s choice was certainly the demonic Pakistani Brothers who took every known musical artform and perverted them beyond belief. They went down like beer at a wedding and deservedly so.
Also on the night The Magnets made their stage return complete with that age-old Magnets problem – the keyboards packing in – and some of those old excellent numbers like ‘Breath on Breath’ which had a dreamy, pleasant effect on a hot, sweaty audience.
Completing the line-up were The Oliver Reed Combo, a band who are undeniably brave and committed and certainly misunderstood.
Their staunchly honest set met with a mixed response but if there was any other reaction The Oliver Reed Combo would probably have felt people had missed the point.
Saturday night continued the lively atmosphere with five more Arts Centre bands getting into that festival spirit. The venue was even sweatier than the night before and by the end of the night most people were forced to prize their t-shirts off with paint-strippers.
My favourites on the night were the fresh and distinctive Conspiracy who have a winning formula of a good guitarist, good songs, pretty, punchy female singer and an ability to make you want to hear more.
The Ferocious Apaches also turned in a surprising, powerful set which I enjoyed tremendously and despite their audience-baiting, it was also pretty hard to dislike the sleazy sounds of New Swan inn kings, Jim Crows.
Party
Also on the night we were treated to a hard-as-nails and just as dangerous show from the New Age gypsies, and a rebel-rousing slice of unashamedly pure plagiarising pleasure from The Wilsons. Put those five varied ingredients together and you had cooked one hell of a party cake, and a perfect appetiser for the two days that followed in the Castle Grounds.
Tamworth Herald – 04/09/87
The reason The Wilsons had to pull out of Friday night’s pre-festival Arts Centre party was because they were booked at the last minute to play at the Marquee under their other monicker ‘Wolfsbane’.
An awful lot is happening in Wolfsbane country at the moment with record companies and publishers taking a great deal of interest in their sound.
‘Kerrang’ has also offered them an interview and there are even suggestions that Wolfsbane could find themselves on the front cover of ‘Sounds’ as the great British metal hopefuls. Still with the band, their massive success has been proven by a small group of local people forming an Anti-Wolfsbane Association. So if you see AWA on the back of someone’s jacket you know you are in the company of a dipstick. Instead of AWA perhaps it should read JEALOUSY.
Tamworth Herald – 18/09/87
The Tamworth Rathole will also be the scene a week on Sunday for its biggest concert for a long time. The Toy Dolls will top off a bill that also features Catch 23 (did you enjoy stealing my record collection Steven?) and The Wilsonz. More info on this tasty tipple in next week’s Musicbox.
Tamworth Herald – 25/09/87
THE RATHOLE this week unveils the biggest show of the year – old punk heroes The Toy Dolls alongside Tamworth’s much-loved Wilsonz and Atherstone’s much-loved Catch23.
Teaming up with the Geordie giants are The Wilsonz (Wolfsbanes half sisters to the uninitiated). This dynamic band have played only a handful of concerts and have ‘covered’ a wide range of sounds and impressed everyone en route. They play a set packed with their own fave-ravers and crammed to the brim with pogo-a-gogo qualities. Put simply, the Wilsonz are FUN.
Completing the trio on the night are Atherstone’s not-so-young-anymore youngsters Catch 23. This marvellous quintet have the ability to turn an ordinary night into an extraordinary one, and their growing confidence and unparalleled enthusiasm should make them burn the stage to cinders.
In recent months the Atherstone outfit have written a lot of new numbers such as the classic ‘Facing Up’ and those of you who haven’t seen them in a while could be in for a pleasant surprise.
Together this bill makes for one of the Rathole’s most ambitious and important concerts yet. A band like The Toy Dolls do not come cheap so if you really want to see ‘name ‘ outfits in the town it is essential you get your dancing shoes on and get along to the ‘Rathole’ on Sunday night. It will cost you around £3 but every penny will be very well spent.
If you don’t get along we will send the elephants around and believe me those beasties are MEAN.
Tamworth Herald – 02/10/87
The Toy Dolls / Catch 23 / Wilsonz – The Rathole
You know those really dreadful people who harp on about the ‘good old days’? Well, I am about to become one of them. For this superb concert saw The Rathole at its old, packed sweaty best, and saw three bands playing music that would have seemed quite apt during the halcyon days of punk rock.
It was a night when everybody could forget their woes, bounce on their toes and remember just how good live music was – and can be again.
Opening the show were The Wilsonz who waited until late in the set before announcing the mega-tragic news that this would be their last–ever show. Before it however the band turned in a splendid cross-section of butchered cover versions, with a ridiculously speedy version of ‘Ace of Spades’ and a mind-blowing ‘Born To Run’ being the undoubted highlights. But it’s still bye bye to the Wilsonz and I suppose that means we will have to make do with the revolting Wolfsbane now. Life is cruel!
Also cruel is the fact that Catch 23 aren’t really world-dominating superstars. The fact that they are not massive has nothing to do wit Catch 23 and everything to do with the fact that the music business is run by tone-deaf morons. Catch 23’s show was once again packed from start to finish with lively, thumping power-pop with one or two newies such as ‘Sanity’ and ‘No More Lights’ being the outstanding moments.
Visually and musically the band has now progressed into a new (higher) league and if they can remain patient, committed and musically inventive the world really is their oyster. As the final example of their talent, they played one number ‘Soldiers of Fortune’ which was scribed by guitarist Ray Clenshaw when he was just ten years old. At that age I was still writing to the Whizzer and Chips’.
And so to the finale – The Toy Dolls. None of us really knew what to expect and were slayed with a series of tuneful million-miles-an-hour blasts form the (1977) past. At odd times they reminded me of The Dickies on acid or The Adicts reminded me that it is still possible to smile at concerts without losing your street cred’.
By the end of their ear-battering burst of power, we were all left deaf, dumbstruck and sticky – three factors that tell you, you have seen a great gig.
It all went to prove that Tamworth needs more punk rock in the future. The public love it, the venue suited it and the atmosphere warranted more. It was, as they say, a might to remember. Just like the good old days in fact.
Tamworth Herald – 02/10/87
The Toy Dolls / Catch 23 / Wilsonz – The Rathole
You know those really dreadful people who harp on about the ‘good old days’? Well, I am about to become one of them. For this superb concert saw The Rathole at its old, packed sweaty best, and saw three bands playing music that would have seemed quite apt during the halcyon days of punk rock.
It was a night when everybody could forget their woes, bounce on their toes and remember just how good live music was – and can be again.
Opening the show were The Wilsonz who waited until late in the set before announcing the mega-tragic news that this would be their last–ever show. Before it however the band turned in a splendid cross-section of butchered cover versions, with a ridiculously speedy version of ‘Ace of Spades’ and a mind-blowing ‘Born To Run’ being the undoubted highlights. But it’s still bye bye to the Wilsonz and I suppose that means we will have to make do with the revolting Wolfsbane now. Life is cruel!
Also cruel is the fact that Catch 23 aren’t really world-dominating superstars. The fact that they are not massive has nothing to do wit Catch 23 and everything to do with the fact that the music business is run by tone-deaf morons. Catch 23’s show was once again packed from start to finish with lively, thumping power-pop with one or two newies such as ‘Sanity’ and ‘No More Lights’ being the outstanding moments.
Visually and musically the band has now progressed into a new (higher) league and if they can remain patient, committed and musically inventive the world really is their oyster. As the final example of their talent, they played one number ‘Soldiers of Fortune’ which was scribed by guitarist Ray Clenshaw when he was just ten years old. At that age I was still writing to the Whizzer and Chips’.
And so to the finale – The Toy Dolls. None of us really knew what to expect and were slayed with a series of tuneful million-miles-an-hour blasts form the (1977) past. At odd times they reminded me of The Dickies on acid or The Adicts reminded me that it is still possible to smile at concerts without losing your street cred’.
By the end of their ear-battering burst of power, we were all left deaf, dumbstruck and sticky – three factors that tell you, you have seen a great gig.
It all went to prove that Tamworth needs more punk rock in the future. The public love it, the venue suited it and the atmosphere warranted more. It was, as they say, a might to remember. Just like the good old days in fact.
Tamworth Herald – 14/09/90
We have no less than five fine local concerts for you to think about this week featuring top local faves like Wolfsbane, Catch 23 and Sherbert Trees as well as classy out of Towners like Walk on Fire, The Prudes and more.
The gigs – three in Tamworth and one each in Lichfield and Bedworth – offer local punters a chance to enjoy a whole array of talents so without further ado here is gig-list followed by a more detailed breakdown.
Tonight (Friday)
Tamworth Arts Centre: Litany of Fear/Sherbert Trees
Lichfield Arts Centre: Wolfsbane/Roma/Gates of Purity
Sunday:
The Rathole: Walk on Fire/The Wilsonz
Thursday:
The Rathole: The Prudes plus support
Bedworth Civic Hall: Catch 23
And a little more detail? Well tonight, Friday you can make the short journey to Tamworth Arts Centre to enjoy the double talents of Litany of Fear and The Sherbert Trees. The duo, both of whom walk on the wilder side of life, offer an interesting mixture of gothic enterprise and modern experimentation and the gig costs just £1.50 on the door and runs from 8pm onwards. Meanwhile up the road at Lichfield Arts Centre, Wolfsbane play one of their final warm-up shows before the Iron Maiden Tour when they join forces with Roma and Gates of Purity. Lichfield fans – and a fair sprinkling of Tamworth travellers – are sure to lap this one up and it costs just £3.50 with a £1 reduction for the unemployed.
Sunday night has only one show on offer – the pairing of Walk On Fire and The Wilsonz. Headliners Walk On Fire are a rock inspired act whose big lists of names of the calibre of Bryan Adams, Alex Harvey, Frankie Miller among influences and they offer ‘strong’ songs, memorable melodies and most of all ‘a voice’. Having recently recorded with a man who has worked with Big Country and The Cars they look a different kind of band for Tamworth and could go down well. Support is provided by The Wilsonz, a band who have been compared in the past to Wolfsbane and have the same kind of ‘live fast, die fast’ style material. MUSICBOX has heard good things about this band. Nuff said.
And so on to Thursday night where Atherstone heroes Catch 23 make a welcome return to live action with a concert at Bedworth Civic HALL. We don’t know a great deal about this one.
Meanwhile nearer to home. The Rathole hosts the highly-rated Prudes. This is a band of serious note who have made regular incursions into the Indie and Alternative charts and boast a mixture of good guitars, Smiths-appreciation and a bevy of adoring press critics in their pockets. Big band, big night and big (as yet unknown) support act which admirably rounds off a BIG week of gigs. |
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