"The dude to kick start the party mood" might have been dismissed as braggadocio when first proclaimed by PWEI's Graham Crabb back in 1990 but in 2025 it is both a statement of intent and a statement of fact...
ThePoppies, as they are affectionately known to legions of fans, have spent the last few years honing their live show into the blistering energetic spectacle that leaves diehard fans ecstatic and new converts raving with enthusiasm. This year they are releasing their first album, and biggest tour, in a decade.
Original co-vocalist Clint Mansell has long left these shores to develop a successful career as one of Hollywood's most sought after soundtrack composers and whilst his legacy is honoured and represented by compositions such as 1992's "Ich bin ein Auslander", (a rallying call to anti racism that sadly is more pertinent today than when it was first released over 30 years ago) his boots are amply filled by Mary Byker, long time comrade of the band and with an impeccable CV fronting GBOA, Apollo 440, Pigface etc.
Relative newcomer (just the 15 years) Davey Bennett brings an exuberant alt rock energy and youthful enthusiasm to the stage, his relentless low end groove adding a powerful and edgy dimension to the band's sonic palette and new kid on the block Cliff Hewitt (who previously provided the dance factor in Apollo 440 as well as an incredible CV as a drummer with a frankly unbelievable range of artists and genres) has both the chops and the energy to drive the PWEI sound further than previously imagined.The stage is set for the Crabb/Byker alliance of boundless energy, hyping the crowd, trading lines and rhymes and those big choruses that typify the PWEI live experience.
Nostalgia is a dead end street and heritage offers only diminishing returns - PWEI are not a band who are prepared to rest on their laurels and trade in past glories …recent shows have showcased new material that has left the crowd hungry for more and 2025 is about to deliver. The band’s trademark self-effacing humour and pop culture references, alongside commentary and insight into a world that somehow seems more fucked up now than when they started, are still at the forefront lyrically of the new songs. The sound is as fresh and vibrant as ever.
Many times in the past PWEI have perhaps seemed out of step with their contemporaries, with hindsight it's reasonable to surmise that at times they were so far ahead of the curve that only now are people catching up with them... how else can you explain a band, that have been working together for the best part of 40 years, still sound so contemporary and relevant and can elicit such an enthusiastic response in audiences allegedly jaded by the sensory overload of modern life?
