British indie band The Wonder Stuff have said they are "grateful" for their fans as they announced a 40th anniversary tour for later this year.
The Stourbridge-formed band, currently made up of lead singer Miles Hunt, guitarist Malcolm Treece, violinist Erica Nockalls, guitarist Mark Thwaite, bass player Tim Sewell, and drummer Pete Howard, will perform dates at London's O2 Academy Brixton and Glasgow’s Barrowlands as part of the tour.
Hunt, 59, said: "When the original line-up of The Wonder Stuff first rehearsed together on March 19th 1986 - exactly 40 years ago today - I wonder what our thoughts might have been if Malc Treece and I knew that we would be fortunate enough to still be playing gigs together now?
"Whatever those scruffy young fellas would have thought I can tell you now, all these years later, both of us are incredibly grateful to all of the audiences that have stuck with us these past four decades.
"And it shall be our absolute honour to get up on stage this year and play as many of the old faves as we can to those wonderful people. We are blessed."
The band are expected to perform a career-spanning set including some of their best-known songs such as Unbearable, A Wish Away, Caught In My Shadow, Size Of A Cow, and Don’t Let Me Down, Gently.
The Wonder Stuff will be supported by Manchester indie band Inspiral Carpets on the tour.
Formed in the 1980s, The Wonder Stuff scored a UK number one single when they teamed up with comedian Vic Reeves for Dizzy, with backing vocals from Bob Mortimer, while they have had three further top 10 singles, as well as four top 10 albums in the UK.
The group disbanded following their headline set at the Phoenix Festival in 1994 but reformed in 2000 to play five sold-out nights at London’s Forum Theatre
Source: Press Association
