The Mission UK Review/Interview

On May 4th, the leaders of a movement that critics have been dying to declare dead for years made their way through Salt Lake City, pleasing long time fans as well as new converts to this worldwide crusade. The Mission put on a show that was nothing short of a religious experience. Intricate guitar work and powerful vocals made this the best show of the year. Lead vocalist Wayne Hussey captivated the audience throughout the performance and, at one point, played a solo on his acoustic twelve-string that would put most screaming strat guitarists to shame. Now this is where the Tribune and the Deseret News both got it wrong: That was not the original The Mission guitarist Simon Hinkler onstage. He apparently left the band a week prior to the Salt Lake show and was replaced by drummer Mick Brown’s former Red Lorry Yellow Lorry bandmate David “Wolfie” Wolfenden.

Opening the show was the disappointing Wonderstuff. A band that, on their albums, can out-harmonize The Beatles and can out-funk the Chili Peppers on songs like “Good Night Though,” turned into just another Marshall stack rock ‘n’ roll bar band. From the way that lead singer Miles Hunt kept trying to imitate John Lydon by constantly insulting the audience, you would have thought he hated Salt Lake. But apparently backstage he found one thing he liked about Salt Lake—and spent the whole night in the corner with her playing rock star. Maybe Miles should take some of his own advice and fucking grow up!

I got the chance to ask The Mission members Craig Adams (bass), David “Wolfie” Wolfenden (guitar), and Mick Brown (drums) a few questions while they were here, and this is what they had to say:

SLUG: With Wayne and Craig being former members of The Sisters of Mercy, what do you think of the dance music Andrew Eldrich has been putting out under the Sisters name?

Adams: Couldn’t care less …  he’s a businessman. He wants to make money, and now that he’s working with Tony James [of Sigue Sigue Sputnik] it’s perfect because they’re both businessmen.

SLUG: Wolfie, you picked up after Simon left the band a week ago, did you already know the songs?

Wolfenden: I knew how the songs went but I didn’t know what the parts were that he played. We did a show the day that he told us he wouldn’t be doing the tour, so it’s just gotten better and better since then really. I mean it’s a shame [he left] and I hope he comes back.

SLUG: Why did he leave?

Brown: He was just sick of it all.

SLUG: Now Wolfie and Mick, you used to play with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry right?

Wolfenden: That’s right, yeah.

SLUG: When and why did you leave the Lorry’s?

Brown: Well it happened quite a long time ago, but originally I knew Craig really well and Craig and Wayne were going in the studio and they didn’t want to use a drum machine and it went from there.

Wolfenden: I left in January, it’s not because of the music … it’s just political.

SLUG: Are there any hard feelings?

Wolfenden: There’s no point in havin’ hard feelings because life’s too short I think. I’m quite happy and I’m sure that they are and that’s as far as it goes … And that’s about as far as I can go for now.  

Take a look at some of these other music interviews:
Alleyways Amplified: Highlighting the Utah Hip-Hop Scene
Macy Kate on Spring Fest ’22 and Growing Her Sound