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On this day, 21 October 1988, alternative rock band The Wonder Stuff played Cardiff University. The band had just released their debut album The Eight Legged Groove Machine .
The original line-up of Miles Hunt (whose uncle Bill Hunt was keyboard player with ELO and Wizzard) on vocals and guitar; Malcolm Treece on guitar and vocals; bassist Rob "The Bass Thing" Jones (died July 1993); and Martin Gilks (died April 2006) on drums grew from Hunt and Treece's collaboration with future members of Pop Will Eat Itself in a band called From Eden that featured Hunt on drums.
The Wonder Stuff were formed on 19 March 1986 (their name reportedly came from a remark made about a very young Hunt by John Lennon and in September that year recorded a self-financed debut EP, A Wonderful Day.
After finding management with Birmingham promoter Les Johnson and signing with Polydor Records for £80,000 in 1987, the group released a series of singles including "Unbearable", "Give Give Give, Me More More More", "A Wish Away" and "It's Yer Money I'm After Baby" (their first Top 40 entry) that featured on their debut album The Eight Legged Groove Machine, which was released in August 1988 (UK No. 18). This preceded a first headlining nineteen-date national tour, 'Groovers on Manoeuvres'.
A non-album single, "Who Wants to Be the Disco King?" was released in March 1989 and was followed by UK, European, and United States tours and appearances at the Reading and Glastonbury festivals.
Melody Maker made The Eight Legged Groove Machine one of their albums of the year for 1988, judging it, "A rollicking debut from the only band with enough wit, energy, charisma and acumen to cross over from loutish grebo into raffish pop."
Setlist
Goodbye Fatman
A Wish Away
Give, Give, Give Me More, More, More
Grin
Like a Merry Go Round
No, for the 13th Time
Ruby Horse
The Animals and Me
Unbearable
(Acoustic)
It's Yer Money I'm After, Baby
Ten Trenches Deep
Poison
Red Berry Joy Town
Astley in the Noose
Unbearable
