The Wildcards

The Wildcards

The Wildcards are a Plymouth-based blues rock band formed in 2003. The line-up consists of Vince Lee on vocals and guitar, Al Wallis on bass and backing vocals, Martin Vowles on guitar and vocals, and Kevin Crowe on drums and backing vocals. Lee and Wallis are also members of Vince Lee and the Big Combo, while Vowles and Crowe are former members of The Nightporters.

Formation and activity

The band forms after Martin Vowles and Kevin Crowe see a Vince Lee and the Big Combo performance and decide to start a new group after the split of their previous band. From then on, they play widely across Europe and the UK, with appearances at festivals including Moulin Blues Festival in the Netherlands, Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival, Blues On The Farm Festival, and Gevarenwinkel Blues Festival in Belgium. They also perform in Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Finland and France.

Releases and reception

The Wildcards release two full-length albums: On Fire! and Raising Hell. Both records receive positive reviews, and Raising Hell is voted seventh best CD of 2007 by readers of Blues Matters! magazine in its Top 50 Blues Albums of 2007. The band also has a European tour as backing band for harmonica player Gary Primich.

Style

Their music is described as blues rock, and the group builds a reputation through live performance, radio play and reviews.