Wire has been a staple in the UK punk scene for over 40 years. The band has made 16 albums and have influenced the UK music scene tremendously. Their most recent record Silver/Lead is proof that this ever evolving band will just continue to create art. We had a chance to speak with Graham Lewis (bass,vocals) one of the founding members of the band and he gave us an insight to what has been going on these 40 years.
We read a few different stories on how the band got together, would like to hear it from you, can you tell us about the origin of Wire?
Graham- Umm, its a bit spread out and a messy story really in some ways. Bruce Gilbert (guitar) was teaching at an art college in Watford, which is an art college that incidentally Brian Eno taught at as well actually, and Colin Newman (vocals, guitar) studied there with another guy called George Gill and they put a band together—sort of a end of year hop, or whatever you’d call it.
So they had an association, I don’t think it was very good from what I heard. I was at an art college in London, with it so happens Angela Conway who is also known as A.C. Marias, and she and Bruce were friends. So I met Bruce through her, and I used to see Bruce at shows. You always saw people at the best shows.
Bruce and I got talking about what we liked and what we didn’t like, and he asked if I’d like to go along to a rehearsal with what happened to be Collin and this guy George Gill, we didn’t have a drummer at the time. We met a couple times and made this sort of noise and played George’s songs which were not terribly good and George had a lot of attitude that was his best thing. Eventually what happen was that George broke his ankle, and while he was kinda convalescing from that, we had Robert Gotobed (drums) play drums with us a few times. He was learning to play drums, we were all learning to play.
So we were all a bit dissatisfied and we figured out it was George who was the problem, so we kind threw him out of his own group even though it didn’t have a name at that time. So then Collin and I went to go see The Damned and he said, “I think I can write some tunes,” and I said, “Well I’ve been writing some words.” The next time we had a rehearsal he presented and played what was to be “Lowdown.” And so at that time Colin was not playing guitar in the band but he was the only person who actually could play guitar, and so Bruce proceeded to learn how to play “Lowdown.”
Then suddenly we had a sound; we had a cohesive thing which we all liked. It had a lot to do with art school really, and finding people with similar ideas.
You mentioned that you had seen each other at shows, just curious what shows were you going to when you were younger?
Graham- At that time in London, I was actually putting the gigs on at my college, so I used to go see a lot of stuff. We were just searching to find something new. It wasn’t a terribly good time for music really in London anyway. A lot of English bands playing sub-american music. But the good bands we were seeing were things like Doctor Feelgood, Eddie & The Hot Rods and other than that it was this pop-rock we didn’t really think much of.
What about now, what kind of shows do you go to know?
Graham- Oh good grief, quite a mix actually, lots of experimental electronic music.
You guys have been around for a long time, how would you say you all have kept it going from the first record to the most recent one?
Graham- First of all I think not going all the time is a good idea in some ways. When we got bored or there was not anything more we could do, we just spilt and I think that’s a good idea because it’s given everyone a chance to explore other work, we have always continued to do other things. Which has always meant that when we come back together we always bring new ideas.
When we first started we had the intention to change, and I think we have tried to do that within the context of what we have. We have always been trying to do the next thing. What we try to do is produce contemporary work as an artist, otherwise it’s pointless if you are in the entertainment game.
What side projects have you all worked on? Like Dome?
Graham- Dome was not a side project, it was completely full on, it was actually why I stopped working for the first time in the 1980s, we made like 5 albums together and various art installations. At the moment a project called UUUU with Thighpaulsandra—former member of Spiritualized. Also a project with Mike Watt formerly of the Minutemen called Fitted, and Colin at the moment is working with his wife and they have have a project called Immersion.
Wire is involved in a sort of retaliation against modern festivals and has their own called Drill. Tell us more about that.
Graham- I don’t know about it being a retaliation, it’s an idea of putting bills together with people whose work you like. It’s a bit more personal than the more commercial festivals which seem a bit soulless. But it was never retaliation, it was just out of interest. It’s just about working with people that you like, quite selfish in that way and through doing that it gives you an opportunity to work with people that you admire.
Can you tell the Fusion reader something that not too many people know about the band Wire?
Graham- I’m the only member of the band who has never quit.
Words: Isabel Aleman