The Giffard Arms was the subject of a sold-out sonic blitz when Bobbie Dazzle was joined by special guests Shropshire quartet The Original Wanted and Colossal Apostle.
The Original Wanted – Colossal Apostle
The Giffard Arms, Wolverhampton – 21 March 2025
Words: Sophie James
Photography: Ruskin Roader Photography
The Original Wanted consist of vocalist/guitarist Mark Williams, Rob Hedison on lead, bassist Tim Ellison and Martin Neeson on drums.
A renowned covers band who play ’70s/’80s Glam and classic rock, this evening, with one notable exception, was all original material.
Maintaining the retro feel, the intro tape of Mud’s Tiger Feet rolls. 
A huge power chord then announces their eponymous opener. Route 1 is raw, riff-driven, call-and-response rock n” roll. Frontman Mark is already revelling in the occasion.
With a glam beat allied to multiple ‘Oi’s!’, Candi’s Lil’ Sister has an enamouring rhythm while the enticing solo tempts you to abandon restraint and bop along.
Mark, pausing for breath remarks, “This is nice. It’s a sell-out. How cool is that?”
A Different Song’s drum intro is set to maximum cowbell and another seductive riff follows. Gliding along so fluently, it is seriously assisted by having the most snaring chorus of the set in It Doesn’t Matter.
The Quo/glam sound of Back To The Glam takes the vibe back to 1973.
As the song developed, I could also hear shades of the aforementioned Mud classic. Not too much of an imagination stretch was required to envision Sir Rick hammering out that instantly identifiable pattern on his Telecaster. One of many set highpoints.
Morning Train is an atmospheric, mid-western, shitkicking, pissbeer swilling slab of Yeehaaargh to which the audience are completely attuned to. “My baby, gets the morning train” this is not!
“This is the only song that’s not ours and it goes like this.”
One should never underestimate the influence (The) Sweet had on future generations of rockers. Burn On The Flame is a feverish boogie with a Slashesque solo before closing in traditional blues fashion.
Only Girl For Me is the sole venture into love song terrain and offers some respite from the (it’s it’s a) sonic blitz.
That Lady was due to be played at this point but omitted most likely due to ‘time constraints.’
Love At First Bite is another formed around a call and response but develops into a most seductive bootyshaker. The gritty rhythm typifies the resonance only a Twin Les Paul Attack© can produce, with Rob briefly fleeing its confines to fashion an incendiary solo. 
Must mention that Rob beamed incessantly throughout. Something I later mentioned directly to him. “Lots of people say the same thing,” quipped Mark.
In The Shit is plainly Cheezy Sleazy Rock ‘n’ Roll. Frantic and anarchic, its roots are unadulterated punk but with the addition of BASS! This alone could be considered the elementary spirit of live performance in a nutshell.
“You’ve been bloody marvellous, thank you and goodnight.”
Chatting with the boys afterwards, they had an air of quiet contentment about them, and so they should have, as this was an engaging, exuberant performance epitomising the honest essence of rock ‘n’ roll.
Strip away all the references to nostalgia, and what you have is a band who have a flair for crafting great tunes into a vibrant, captivating sound that appeals from the very first listen and merits reaching far beyond the confines of this region.
Colossal Apostle – Evocative Soundscapes Abound
Opening the evening were Birmingham quartet Colossal Apostle, who play what they self-deprecatingly call “Sabbath City Avant-Grunge Nonsense.”
Comprising Aaron Bolli-Thompson on guitar, keys and vocals, Steve Reddan on ‘big ass’ guitar, bassist Stuart Collins and drummer/co-vocalist Reece Greenfield, after witnessing this performance, one agrees that the above is most certainly a spot-on description, albeit one that cloaks their appeal.
An ethereal opening acquiesced into the crushing riff of Zip Me which filled the room with a deep luxuriant sound before it faded into a dreamy finale.
That led straight into the mighty riff of Oliver, which fused elements of grunge, techno Metal and stoner to create an immersive tide that sweeps you along.
With a nod to the customary West Midlands banter, drummer Reece quipped “We’re from Birming’um, our chips are shittier than yours.”
I am not a huge admirer of Progressive Metal with the notable exceptions of Rush and Queensrÿche, but Face Stitcher was both engaging and absorbing. Floaty at times, I adored the intricate pattern of the rolling six string bass.
With shades of Alan Davies’ As Yet Untitled, the penultimate number, which I was later informed goes by the working title of Doom Scroll Boogie, had more of a flow. Think a weightier, more substantial jazz funk groove with drummer Reece taking over lead vocals as Aaron switched to keys and occasionally castanets(!). Who needs cowbell?
The all too brief set was concluded by The Well, comprising an ascending pealing riff which gathered mass as the momentous closing melody appeared to fuse Cheap Trick with The Beatles.
An absorbing and fulfilling half hour or so that saw the band hailed by their partisan support but additionally a host of new friends as well. I look forward to encountering them again. 
