Fuzzcast #2 The Oil City Axe Man with Wilko Johnson

Paul Holloway's second guest on Fuzzcast is Wilko Johnson. Wilko made his name as guitar player and songwriter with Dr Feelgood. Hailing out of Canvey Island the band are widely acknowledged as the best band on London’s pub rock scene in the mid 70’s which heavily influenced the birth of punk rock. The band were riding high after their live album Stupidity topped the UK charts in 1976 but Wilko left the Feelgood’s after a spectacular bust up with frontman Lee Brilleaux whilst recording the band’s fourth album Sneaking Suspicion the following year. Wilko was later invited to join the Blockheads by Ian Dury and recorded the Laughter album with the band.  During his time with the Blockheads Wilko formed a friendship with bass player Norman Watt-Roy who still plays in his 3 piece band today together with drummer Dylan Howe. There was a resurge in interest in the Feelgood’s in 2009 when Julien Temple released his excellent documentary film, Oil City Confidential. On the back of the film Wilko landed his first acting role with a part in Game of Thorns as House Lancaster executioner See Ilyn Payne. In 2013 Wilko was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given less than a year to live. He refused chemopathy and crammed into what he thought was his last year; trips to Japan, a farewell tour, recording a best selling album with Roger Daltry and making another film The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson with Julien Temple about his own mortality. However, a fan who happened to be a cancer specialist perseuded Wilko to take a second opinion and Wilko underwent a major operation which cured him from cancer. In 2016 Wilko published his autobiography Don’t You Leave Me Here and in 2018 he released Blow Your MInd, an album of new material. Wilko was still gigging until Covid stuck.