Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by

Colin Newman Colin John Newman (born 16 September 1954) is an English musician, record producer and record label owner. He is best known as the primary vocalist and songwriter for the post-punk band Wire. Early life Newman was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire ...

(vocals, guitar),

Graham Lewis Graham Lewis (born Edward Graham Lewis, 22 February 1953) is an English musician. Lewis is the bassist with punk rock/post-punk band Wire, a band formed in 1976. Biography On Wire's first studio album Graham Lewis was credited as ''Lewis''; ...

(bass, vocals),

Bruce Gilbert Bruce Clifford Gilbert (born 18 May 1946) is an English musician. One of the founding members of the influential and experimental art punk band Wire (band), Wire,Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 180-182 ...

(guitar) and Robert Grey (drums). They were originally associated with the punk rock scene, appearing on ''

The Roxy London WC2 ''The Roxy London WC2'' is a live album of recordings taken from various punk bands that played at The Roxy club in Covent Garden, London between January and April 1977. Overview The original Harvest Records release in 1977 (cat. no. SHSP 4069 ...

'' album, and were later central to the development of

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

, while their debut album ''

Pink Flag ''Pink Flag'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Wire. It was released in November 1977 by Harvest Records. The album gained Wire a cult following within independent and post-punk music upon its initial release, later growing to be hi ...

'' was influential for

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

. Wire are considered a definitive

art punk Art punk is a subgenre of punk rock in which artists go beyond the genre's rudimentary garage rock and are considered more sophisticated than their peers. These groups still generated punk's aesthetic of being simple, offensive, and free-spiri ...

and post-punk band, due to their richly detailed and atmospheric sound and obscure lyrical themes.They steadily developed from an early

noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, artists indulge in extre ...

style to a more complex, structured sound involving increased use of guitar effects and synthesizers (1978's ''

Chairs Missing ''Chairs Missing'' is the second studio album by English rock band Wire. It was released on 8 September 1978 by Harvest Records. The album peaked at number 48 in the UK Albums Chart. Although it features some of the minimalist punk rock of th ...

'' and 1979's '' 154''). The band gained a reputation for experimenting with song arrangements throughout their career.

History

1976 to 1980

Wire's debut album ''

'' (1977) – "perhaps the most original debut album to come out of the first wave of British punk", according to

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

– contains songs that are diverse in mood and style, but most use a

minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post– World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Do ...

punk approach combined with unorthodox structures. "Field Day for the Sundays", for example, is only 28 seconds long. Colin Newman b nov 2011

Their second album, ''

'' (1978) marked a retreat from the stark minimalism of ''Pink Flag'', with longer, more atmospheric songs and synthesizer parts added by producer

Mike Thorne Mike Thorne (born 25 January 1948) is an English record producer, arranger, composer, engineer, and musician. He started playing the piano at the age of 10. After studying physics at Hertford College, Oxford, in the late 1960s he worked as a ta ...

. " Outdoor Miner" was a minor hit, peaking at number 51 in the UK singles chart. The experimentation was even more prominent on '' 154'' (1979). Wire's unorthodox ideas to promote ''154'' led to a falling out with their label. According to Newman, "We'd worked out a sales strategy for ''154'' that EMI couldn't see at all...They couldn't understand a rock band that wanted to do a week in a theater as an event, and wanted to promote ''154'' with videos or left-field TV adverts. We wanted to help them sell records; they thought we were simply being intransigent." According to Jim Green in an interview with Newman, "personnel changes at EMI had left Wire without any support." Colin Newman's solo album, "'' A-Z'' was planned as the fourth Wire album, but EMI cancelled studio time in the wake of failed negotiations with the band, and then dropped Wire's option." Lacking a recording deal and money, creative differences split the band in 1979, leading to the ''

Document and Eyewitness ''Document and Eyewitness'' is the first live album by the post-punk band Wire, released in July 1981 by Rough Trade Records. It marked the end of the first period of Wire's activity (1977–1980) and the end of their association with EMI. Recor ...

'' LP (1981), a recording of a live performance that featured, almost exclusively, new material. The album was described as "disjointed", "unrecognizable as rock music" and "almost unlistenable". The LP came packaged with an EP of a different performance of more new material. Some of these songs, along with others performed but not included on the album, were included on Newman's post-Wire solo albums (''5/10'', ''We Meet Under Tables''), while others were released by Gilbert's and Lewis' primary post-Wire outlet

Dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

(''And Then...'', ''Ritual View''). Between 1981 and 1985, Wire ceased recording and performing in favour of solo and collaborative projects such as

, Cupol, Duet Emmo and several Colin Newman solo efforts.

1985 to 1992

In 1985, the group re-formed as a " beat combo" (a joking reference to early 1960s beat music), with greater use of

electronic musical instrument An electronic musical instrument or electrophone is a musical instrument that produces sound using electronic circuitry. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical, electronic or digital audio signal that ultimately is plugged into ...

s. Wire announced that they would perform none of their older material, hiring The Ex-Lion Tamers (a Wire

cover band A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays songs recorded by someone else, sometimes mimicking the original as accurately as possible, and sometimes re-interpreting or changing the original. These remade songs are known as cover songs. ...

named after a song title from ''Pink Flag'') as their opening act. The Ex-Lion Tamers played Wire's older songs, and Wire played their new material. In June 1988, Wire were part of a lineup that included

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Wirral Peninsula, Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboar ...

and

Thomas Dolby Thomas Morgan Robertson (born 14 October 1958), known by the stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher. Dolby came to prominence in the 1980s, releasing hit singles including "She Blinded Me ...

supporting

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

at the

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. ...

Rose Bowl where they played to over 60,000 people. In 1989, Wire released '' IBTABA'', a "live" album of mostly reworked versions of songs from '' The Ideal Copy'' and '' A Bell Is a Cup'', heavily rearranged, edited, and remixed. A new song from the album, "Eardrum Buzz", was released as a single and peaked at number 68 in the UK singles chart. Gotobed left the band in 1990, after the release of the album ''

Manscape ''Manscape'' is the seventh studio album by the British post-punk group Wire, released in May 1990 by Mute Records. It was produced by David M. Allen, mostly recorded and mixed at RAK Studios, engineered by Roy Spong, and published by Dying Ar ...

''. After his departure, the band dropped one letter from its name, becoming "Wir" (still pronounced "wire"), and released '' The First Letter'' in 1991. There followed a further period of solo recordings, during which Newman founded the

swim ~ Swim (styled swim~ the tilde "~" is part of the written name, but is not pronounced) is a record label founded in 1993, and jointly run, by Wire guitarist and singer Colin Newman, and Minimal Compact bass player and singer Malka Spigel. The lab ...

label, and later

Githead Githead is a musical collaboration that includes Wire's Colin Newman as well as electronic musician Robin Rimbaud ( Scanner) alongside Minimal Compact members Malka Spigel and Max Franken. Biography The appearance of Githead and the relea ...

with his wife (ex-

Minimal Compact Minimal Compact is an Israeli rock band associated with the post-punk and indie rock movement of the 1980s. Biography Between its foundation in 1980 and its dissolution seven years later, Minimal Compact played an important role in the Europe ...

bassist Malka Spigel), while Wire remained an occasional collaboration. It was not until 1999 that Wire again became a full-time entity.

1999 to present

With Gotobed back in the line-up (now using his birth name, Robert Grey), the group initially reworked much of their back catalogue for a performance at Royal Festival Hall in 2000. Wire's reception during a short tour in early May of the US, and a number of UK gigs, convinced the band to continue. Two EPs and an album, '' Send'' (2003), followed, as well as collaborations with stage designer

Es Devlin Esmeralda "Es" Devlin (; born 24 September 1971) is an English artist and stage designer who works in a range of media, often mapping light and projected film onto kinetic sculptural forms. Early life Devlin was born in Kingston upon Thames, ...

and artists

Jake and Dinos Chapman Iakovos "Jake" Chapman (born 1966) and Konstantinos "Dinos" Chapman (born 1962) are British visual artists, often known as the Chapman Brothers. Their subject matter tries to be deliberately shocking, including, in 2008, a series of works that ...

. In 2006, Wire's 1970s albums were remastered and re-released with the original vinyl track listings. A third ''Read & Burn'' EP was released in November 2007. Matt Simms sep 2013

A full-length album of new material entitled ''

Object 47 ''Object 47'' is the eleventh studio album by the English post punk band Wire, named so because it is the 47th item in the Wire discography – a methodology harking back to the name of their 1979 album, ''154'', which was named after the numbe ...

'' was released in July 2008. Bruce Gilbert was not involved in this recording, although, according to Newman, he did feature in a minimal capacity on the third ''Read and Burn'' EP. In January 2011, Wire released '' Red Barked Tree'', which according to the band's press release "rekindles a lyricism sometimes absent from Wire's previous work and reconnects with the live energy of performance, harnessed and channelled from extensive touring over the past few years". The album was written and recorded by Newman, Lewis and Grey, but speaking to

Marc Riley Marc Riley (born 10 July 1961 in Manchester) is an English radio DJ, alternative rock critic, musician, and former music businessman. He currently presents on BBC Radio 6 Music. Formerly a member of the Fall, he co-owned a record label, In-Ta ...

on the day of the release, Newman introduced as "a new boy" guitarist Matt Simms (from It Hugs Back), who had been a touring member with the band since April 2010. In March 2013 the band released '' Change Becomes Us'', their 13th studio album, which was very well received. Their fourteenth album, eponymously titled ''

Wire Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm A wire is a flexible strand of metal. Wire is c ...

'', was released in April 2015. The following year, in April 2016, the band's 15th studio album, entitled ''

Nocturnal Koreans ''Nocturnal Koreans'' is a mini-album and the fifteenth studio album by British post-punk band Wire. It was released on 22 April 2016 through the band's own Pinkflag label. Background The album grew out of tracks initially recorded for Wire� ...

,'' was released on their label Pinkflag. It consisted of eight songs recorded during the sessions for their previous album, but were cut from the track listing.

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

named ''Nocturnal Koreans'' the Album of the Week. Reviews for the album were mostly positive. In 2017 Wire celebrated 40 years since their debut gig on 1 April 1977 by releasing their 16th studio album '' Silver/Lead'' and headlining the Los Angeles edition of their DRILL : FESTIVAL. In January 2020, Wire released ''

Mind Hive ''Mind Hive'' is the seventeenth studio album from English art punk band Wire, released on 24 January 2020. The release was preceded by a music video for "Cactused" made up of clips from the forthcoming documentary ''People in a Film'' and stream ...

'' on their own Pinkflag label. The band appeared on the front cover of ''Wire'' magazine (issue 432) published in January 2020; it featured an interview with the band about the new album and discussed the enduring nature of the group. In March 2020, the band announced an eight-song album entitled ''10:20'' that would be released on

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

. Side one of the vinyl LP consists of four tracks that were originally released as the limited edition ''Strays'' EP, which was given away with mail ordered copies of ''Red Barked Trees''. Side two contains four tracks that were recorded during the ''Mind Hive'' sessions but not released until their appearance on ''10:20''. In June 2021, in conjunction with Record Store Day, Wire released ''PF456 Deluxe'' an 18-song vinyl-only compilation of the first two Read and Burn EPs, the "Twelve Times You" single, and the four unreleased tracks from ''Send''. Concurrently, Wire released a CD version of ''PF456 Redux'', a 16-song vinyl-only compilation, originally released in 2003, of edited versions of all the songs from the first two Read and Burn EPs along with the unreleased songs on ''Send''. In April 2022, in conjunction with Record Store Day, Wire released ''Not About to Die'' which was originally released as a bootleg in the early 1980s. The album consists of recordings made for EMI as demos for the 1978 and 1979 albums, ''Chairs Missing'' and ''154''. The songs on ''Not About to Die'' were also previously released by Wire on the special editions of the two EMI albums.

Influence

Wire's influence has outshone their comparatively modest record sales. In the 1980s and 1990s, Big Black, Minutemen, and

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...

all expressed a fondness for the group. Minutemen bassist Mike Watt described their influence as key saying of ''Pink Flag'' "I don't know what we would have sounded like if we didn't hear it." Wire were influential on American

. Fans included

Ian MacKaye Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label and the frontman of hardcore punk ...

Minor Threat Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitaris ...

and

Henry Rollins Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Roll ...

, formerly of Black Flag.

covered "12XU" for the ''

Flex Your Head ''Flex Your Head'' is a sampler album featuring early hardcore punk bands from the Washington, D.C. area.Curd, Zach"''Flex Your Head'': AllMusic Review by Zach Curd" ''AllMusic''. Retrieved April 20, 2016. It was originally released in January ...

'' compilation, as did Boss Hog on their ''I Dig You'' EP. Rollins, as Henrietta Collins & The Wife-Beating Childhaters, covered "Ex Lion Tamer" on the EP ''

Drive by Shooting A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrator(s) to quickly strike their target and flee the scene before ...

''.

Michael Azerrad Michael Azerrad is an American author, music journalist, editor, and musician. A graduate of Columbia University, he has written for publications such as '' Spin'', ''Rolling Stone'', and ''The New York Times''. Azerrad's 1993 biography '' Come ...

reported, in the book ''

Our Band Could Be Your Life ''Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981–1991'' is a book by Michael Azerrad. It chronicles the careers of several underground rock bands who, while finding little or no mainstream success, were hugely ...

'', that at Minor Threat's second gig, each of the seven bands on the roster performed a version of a Wire song. Big Black covered Wire's "Heartbeat" twice, once as a studio version that was released as a single (also included on ''

The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape ''The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape'' is an album by American punk rock band Big Black. It was released in 1987 by Touch and Go Records. The album is a CD compilation of Big Black's '' Atomizer'' album (minus the song "Strange Things"), "Heartbe ...

'' compilation) and also as a live version, featuring Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis, included on the VHS version of the live album ''

Pigpile ''Pigpile'' is a live album by the American musical group Big Black. It is a recording from July 24, 1987 during the post-hardcore band's final European tour, released in 1992 originally as a VHS tape (it was their second video release, following ...

''.

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

covered "Strange" on their album ''

Document A document is a written, drawn, presented, or memorialized representation of thought, often the manifestation of non-fictional, as well as fictional, content. The word originates from the Latin ''Documentum'', which denotes a "teaching" or ...

.'' Robert Smith has described how, after seeing the group live, Wire influenced

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...

's sound after their first album. The shoegaze band Lush covered "Outdoor Miner" in the 90s. A

plagiarism Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...

case between Wire's music publisher and

Elastica Elastica were an English rock band formed in London in 1992 by ex- Suede members Justine Frischmann and Justin Welch. The band was stylistically influenced by punk rock, post-punk and new wave music. The band's members changed several times ...

over the similarity between Wire's 1977 song "Three Girl Rhumba" and Elastica's 1995 hit " Connection" resulted in an out-of-court settlement.

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...

included Wire in their 1996 list of 100 underground inspirations of the past 20 years, stating that "as long as there are listeners equally lured by tough, intelligent riffs and fearless experimentalism, Wire will remain a crucial benchmark." Guided By Voices'

Robert Pollard Robert Ellsworth Pollard Jr. (born October 31, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter who is the leader and creative force behind indie rock group Guided by Voices. In addition to his work with Guided by Voices, he continues to have a prol ...

is a self-proclaimed fan of Wire, stating that the existence of a large number of songs on GBV's albums is a direct Wire influence. One of My Bloody Valentine's last releases prior to reconvening in 2007 was a cover of "Map Ref 41°N 93°W" for a Wire tribute entitled ''Whore''. The song was selected as a favourite cover by

Flak Magazine ''Flak Magazine'' was an early American online magazine, founded in 1998 by James Norton, Benjamin Fowler, Justin Knoll, Nicholas Coleman and others, mostly alumni and students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The chief editor was James Nor ...

Fischerspooner Fischerspooner were an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in Chicago after meeting in school. The name is a combination of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner. Career Originally a duo formed by clas ...

(who covered "

The 15th The 15th is a song from the 1979 album '' 154'' by the English rock band Wire, written by Colin Newman. Fischerspooner cover The electroclash band Fischerspooner Fischerspooner were an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in ...

" on their album '' #1''),

Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the ...

bands like

and Menswe@r and post-punk revival bands like

Bloc Party Bloc Party are an English Rock music, rock band, composed of Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, sampler), Russell Lissack (lead guitar, keyboards), Justin Harris (bass guitar, keyboards, saxophones, backing vocals) and Loui ...

Futureheads The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland, formed in 2000. The band consists of Ross Millard (vocals and guitar), David "Jaff" Craig (vocals and bass guitar) and brothers Barry Hyde (vocals and guitar) and Dave Hyde (drums) ...

Blacklist Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, t ...

and

Franz Ferdinand Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I. Fr ...

have cited Wire as an influence.

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...

Johnny Marr Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher, 31 October 1963) is an English musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerous ...

has confirmed that he is a fan of the band and has acknowledged that seeing Wire live helped give him the confidence to release his first solo album in 2013. The British

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

band

Ladytron Ladytron are a largely British electronic band formed in Liverpool in 1999. The group consists of Helen Marnie (lead vocals, synthesizers), Mira Aroyo (vocals, synthesizers), Daniel Hunt (synthesizers, guitar, vocals), and Reuben Wu (synth ...

included Wire's "The 15th" on the mix compilation '' Softcore Jukebox''. Ladytron member

Reuben Wu Reuben Wu (born 1975) is a British artist, photographer, musician, and industrial designer. He is also known as a keyboardist, songwriter, and producer for the electronic band Ladytron. Biography Reuben Wu was born in Liverpool in 1975, the so ...

claimed Wire as a musical influence.

The Feelies The Feelies are an American rock band from Haledon, New Jersey. They formed in 1976 and disbanded in 1992 having released four albums. The band reunited in 2008, and released new albums in 2011 and 2017. Although not commercially successful, th ...

, since their 2008 reunion, have covered the "Outdoor Miner". The

slowcore Slowcore is a subgenre of alternative rock and indie rock. The music of slowcore artists is generally characterized by bleak lyrics, downbeat melodies, slower tempos and minimalist arrangements. Slowcore is often used interchangeably with the ...

band Low included an early, previously unreleased cover of "Heartbeat" on their career-spanning box set in 2007.

Ampere The ampere (, ; symbol: A), often shortened to amp,SI supports only the use of symbols and deprecates the use of abbreviations for units. is the unit of electric current in the International System of Units (SI). One ampere is equal to elect ...

recorded a cover of "Mr. Suit" for their 2006 split with Das Oath.

New Bomb Turks The New Bomb Turks are an American punk rock band formed at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, United States, in 1990. The founding members are Jim Weber, Eric Davidson, Bill Randt, and Matt Reber. Sam Brown replaced Bill Randt on drums ...

also recorded a cover of "Mr. Suit" on the 1993 album '' !!Destroy-Oh-Boy!!''. The chorus of Ministry's "Thieves" was influenced by "Mr. Suit" as well.

Helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

guitarist

Page Hamilton Page Hamilton (born May 18, 1960) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer, mostly noted for his work with alternative metal band Helmet. Most of his work has been in the hard rock and alternative metal styles, though he ...

cites Wire as one of his "top five bands" and as an influence on his music.

Discography

; Studio albums * ''

'' (1977) * ''

'' (1978) * '' 154'' (1979) * '' The Ideal Copy'' (1987) * '' A Bell Is a Cup'' (1988) * '' IBTABA'' (1989) * ''

'' (1990) * '' The Drill'' (1991) * '' The First Letter'' (1991) * '' Send'' (2003) * ''

'' (2008) * '' Red Barked Tree'' (2010) * '' Change Becomes Us'' (2013) * ''

'' (2015) * ''

'' (2016) * '' Silver/Lead'' (2017) * ''

'' (2020) * '' 10:20'' (2020)

Band members

* Robert Grey – drums (1976–1980, 1985–1990, 1999–present) *

– bass guitar, vocals (1976–1980, 1985–1992, 1999–present) *

– vocals, guitar (1976–1980, 1985–1992, 1999–present) *

Matthew Simms Matthew Simms is an English guitarist best known for his work with the band Wire. Simms formed the band It Hugs Back with schoolmates Paul Michael, Jack Theedom and Will Blackaby. Their debut album, ''Inside Your Guitar'', was released in 2009 ...

– guitar (2010–present) Former members * George Gil – lead guitar (1976–1977) *

– guitar (1976–1980, 1985–1992, 1999–2004) *

Margaret Fiedler McGinnis Margaret Fiedler McGinnis (née Fiedler) is a London-based American vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers ...

– guitar (2008–2009 – touring musician) Timeline ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:130 bottom:80 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1976 till:01/01/2023 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:01/01/1980 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:01/01/1977 Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:album value:black legend:Studio_release id:bars value:gray(0.95) BackgroundColors = bars:bars LineData = layer:back color:album at: 10/01/1977 at: 08/01/1978 at: 09/01/1979 at: 04/01/1987 at: 05/01/1988 at: 05/01/1989 at: 05/01/1990 at: 04/01/1991 at: 10/01/1991 at: 05/01/2003 at: 07/07/2008 at: 12/20/2010 at: 03/25/2013 at: 04/13/2015 at: 04/22/2016 at: 03/31/2017 at: 01/24/2020 at: 06/19/2020 BarData = bar:Colin text:"Colin Newman" bar:George text:"George Gil" bar:Bruce text:"Bruce Gilbert" bar:Margaret text:"Margaret Fiedler McGinnis" bar:Matthew text:"Matthew Simms" bar:Graham text:"Graham Lewis" bar:Robert text:"Robert Grey" PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Colin from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:vocals bar:Graham from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:bass bar:Bruce from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:guitar bar:Robert from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:drums bar:Colin from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1992 color:vocals bar:Graham from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1992 color:bass bar:Bruce from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1992 color:guitar bar:Robert from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1990 color:drums bar:Colin from:01/01/1999 till:end color:vocals bar:Graham from:01/01/1999 till:end color:bass bar:Bruce from:01/01/1999 till:12/31/2006 color:guitar bar:Robert from:01/01/1999 till:end color:drums bar:Margaret from:01/01/2008 till:12/31/2009 bar:Matthew from:04/01/2010 till:end color:guitar bar:George from:01/01/1976 till:03/10/1977 color:guitar width:3 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Colin from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:guitar bar:Graham from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:vocals bar:Colin from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1992 color:guitar bar:Graham from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1992 color:vocals bar:Colin from:01/01/1999 till:end color:guitar bar:Graham from:01/01/1999 till:end color:vocals

References

External links

* * {{Authority control English art rock groups English punk rock groups English post-punk music groups English alternative rock groups Harvest Records artists Musical groups established in 1976 Mute Records artists Musical groups disestablished in 1980 Musical groups reestablished in 1985 Musical groups disestablished in 1992 Musical groups reestablished in 1999 Rough Trade Records artists Warner Records artists 1976 establishments in England Restless Records artists