Wizards of Twiddly

Wizards of Twiddly form in Liverpool in 1988 and make ambitious, genre-mixing music that draws on progressive rock, jazz, alternative and indie, with humour and theatricality playing a clear part in the group’s style. They release records on their own Fracture for Pleasure label and later issue material on other labels as well.

Recordings

The band release two early studio albums on Fracture for Pleasure: Independent Legs in 1992 and Man Made Self in 1994. A live album, Turn the Lights Down - Live in London 1995, appears in 2000 on Market Square Records and includes the band accompanying Kevin Ayers on some of his songs. A live mini-album, Live At The Zanzibar, becomes available in 2006 and includes two previously unavailable tracks alongside versions of older material. In 2007 they issue the upendium vol 3, the first in a series of demos, outtakes and curios. People with Purpose follows on the ffp label in 2011.

Collaborations and support

In 1994 the group begin a year-long collaboration with Kevin Ayers. Their work attracts support from a small but committed group of listeners, including Tim Smith of Cardiacs, Mark and Lard from BBC Radio 1, and Vivian Stanshall. Some members later play with The Muffin Men, a Frank Zappa covers band that continues the Twiddly approach to invention and experimentation, sometimes alongside former Zappa member Jimmy Carl Black.

Line-up

At the time of the later releases, the line-up includes Carl Bowry on guitar and backing vocals, Andy Delamere on drums and backing vocals, Andy Frizell on vocals, bass guitar, alto sax and trombone, Simon James on vocals, tenor sax and flute, Martin Smith on trumpet, flugelhorn and strangehorn, and Keith Lancaster on vocals, narration, contraption operator and crayons, with Lancaster in the band from 1989 to 1993.

Activity

The band are largely overlooked by the mainstream music press, but they continue intermittently after their early period, reconvening in 2004 and playing selected dates in the following years.