JAH WOBBLE MEMOIRS OF A GEEZER

From punk-drunk to multi-faceted artist: the rise and fall and rise of a true survivor By John Reed

Jah Wobble sighs: “It’s all friendly. As John [Lydon] said, we’re mates forever. That’s fine by me. God bless him. Case is closed.” Having lit the blue touchpaper with the thorny issue of PiL’s recent reunion without their original bassist, I’m standing well back. You see, the man born John Wardle is an intimidating vision: well-built and standing well over six feet tall, he fixes you with fierce, impenetrable blue eyes. Coupled with his healthy disregard for the bullshit commonplace in the music industry, these first impressions suggest a combative demeanour in keeping with infamous tales of his drunken shenanigans back in the Punk era. But today, Wobble is a family man who – in his words – has “ploughed his own furrow” to establish what can only be described as a career.

In start contrast to Lydon’s reliance on past glories, Wobble’s dub-heavy bass style has underpinned an avalanche of multi-faceted projects over the years. From his generation, he’s matched as a bassist only by Peter Hook; as a musician/band leader, he is unique. Wobble’s reputation might have been launched via a fertile two-year spell with Public Image Ltd. back in 1978-80 (including the landmark Metal Box album) but his CV now …

by John Reed
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