WINGMEN

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As someone pointed out, the only ironic thing about Alanis Morrisette’s “Ironic” was that there was no irony in it at all. ABOUT USLouder Than War is a music, culture and media publication headed by The Membranes & Goldblade frontman John Robb. Online since 2010 it is one of the fastest-growing and most respected music-related publications on the net. Louis Smoked The Bible” is a testimony to Heggerty’s skill. Strutting, almost pop music – given the personnel, I probably shouldn’t say it reminded me of the recent Hugh Cornwell record, but it does, the choruses, though, are much catchier and it sounds like everyone had fun making this, even though they were all apart. If you enjoy reading Punktuation! please consider supporting us with a regular donation each month. If someone had told my teenage self that I’d know members of The Stranglers, The Damned, Eddie & the Hot Rods, Johnny Moped and for that matter The Ruts – let alone that one day I would be in a band with them – I’d have probably told them that they were mad. It’s worth having a dream sometimes.”

WINGMEN – NEW PUNK ROCK SUPERGROUP ANNOUNCE DEBUT ALBUM

It’s funny how these things turn out,” explains Paul Gray. “We had no idea where this project might take us; an idea born out of frustration became a full band within 24 hours, words and riffs and much tuneage followed, beers and jolly banter ensued when we finally met up to mix the results, a record company said “yes please!” and now we find ourselves taking the results off on tour! And we’ll be joined by Rob Coombes from Supergrass on keys – it’s gonna be an absolute blast!” It’s funny how these things turn out,” explains Paul Gray. “We had no idea where this project might take us; an idea born out of frustration became a full band within 24 hours, words and riffs and much tuneage followed, beers and jolly banter ensued when we finally met up to mix the results, a record company said “yes please!” and now we find ourselves taking the results off on tour! And we’ll be joined by Rob Coombes from Supergrass on keys – it’s gonna be an absolute blast!” You only have to put the news on for 30 seconds a day to feel a burning, seething hatred for pretty much everything that’s going on, coupled with a despair that “they” planned it. That capitalism did its job and kept us in our place, or that, as my grandad used to say “money doesn’t talk son, it shouts. Really loudly.” Available as 4 piece or Duos with Voices & Guitars / Voices, Guitar & Bass / Voices, Guitar & Drums or Cajon Wingmen comprise a collective of musicians who were all feeling the impact of these desperately insular times. Marty Love (drummer with Johnny Moped) had already worked with Paul Gray (bass player with The Damned) on The Sensible Gray Cells album, alongside The Captain himself, and it only took one phone call to ignite the idea of a new project. It did not take long, nor require much persuasion, before Leigh Heggarty (guitar with Ruts DC) and Baz Warne (vocals and guitar with The Stranglers) were signed up and a new band was born to quite simply wing it towards putting together a batch of brilliant new songs. Photo by Tina KorhonenIf you enjoy reading Punktuation please consider supporting us with a regular donation each month. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our DIY journalism and sustains our future. My first impression of the album was that it sounded like a hybrid mix of the Stranglers and The Godfathers. But this is definitely an album that grew on me with each listen and the sound that the Wingmen have created inevitably draws on the collective influences of all their respective bands, with so many sonic nuances bleeding out from the rhythms and melodies weaved through each of the songs. Ultimately it proves to be an album greater than the sum of the parts of those musicians involved.

Wingmen triumph! | Punktuation! Live gig review: Wingmen triumph! | Punktuation!

It was always going to be a good show, given the musical pedigrees of Paul Gray ( The Damned), Baz Warne ( The Stranglers), Marty Love ( Johnny Moped), Leigh Heggarty ( Ruts DC) and Rob Coombes ( Supergrass), but seeing these guys play together as Wingmen was a brilliant experience – they are so much more than you may expect! I called Paul and suggested to him that we should have a go at a new project after enjoying working These well seasoned musicians have years worth of combined professional experience and expertise under their musical belts. A four piece, live music act from Grimsby in the North of England, gigging the Swiss-French Alps ski scene in winters and a combination of the UK and Côte d’Azur in the summer months – but will travel all year round to wherever your celebration may be! They are brilliant and they are so very lovely. They are The Wingmen and they are exactly what you’re looking for in your ultimate party band! In fact, “Wingmen” the album, sounds as bleak as it deserves too, but it’s wonderfully and brilliantly done, because Wingmen, the band, are as close to royalty as you’re going to get. Donating as little as the cost of a coffee every month will help support independent music journalism.

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Q: Whaddya get when a STRANGLER, a DAMNED, a RUTS DC and a JOHNNY MOPED walk into a (virtual) room? A: You get – WINGMEN!!!! together on The Sensible Gray Cells record and if so, did he have anyone in mind, We both wanted to work with Leigh, and he was interested in the idea. I asked Leigh if he knew any vocalists that may fancy it and he said Baz Warne could be worth a call, and to my surprise Baz said yes! Although unconventional in its creation, the good news is that Wingmen is not a just a studio project – they will be a band that plays live! A final few words from Leigh Heggarty: Down In A Hole” has the air of The Stranglers, and has an unsettling feel, and the spoken word, “Mary Go Round” is almost a Warne recital. Like some dark, twisted poetry, an unwritten short story, maybe, whatever, it is a left turn.