Lowdown: The Story Of Wire
by Paul Lester

Angular, taut headache?

The story of post-punk’s greatest art-loving sons, Wire, is not especially interesting. In fact, most of what’s revealed in this first major-scale biography is the pretty run-of-the-mill “four guys get together and rehearse” type stuff. They don’t really drink or take drugs, the music starts off average and gets better through practice, and they don’t even have the decency to split after the stressful third album, instead trundling on under a confusing plethora of solo projects until reformation (and reformation again).

Luckily, their music remains amazing, so you want to read on. Lester, however, while clearly a passionate fan, constructs his narrative in such a muddled manner at times that it’s hard to even recall which album is being dissected. Kudos to him for unravelling the countless paths the four original members took after 1979’s 154, but it’s really the first trio of releases the layman will want to know about, and these get a bit lost here.

Still, this is, after all, a band whose Colin Newman bragged “wanted to destroy rock’n’roll”, so perhaps it’s a fitting testimony. All four members and sundry associates offer their insight, making this as close as you’ll get to an official version of events. Too close perhaps?

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

ISBN 9781847727107, 183 pages

Reviewed by Jake Kennedy
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