Playing at Dublin's HQ Hall of Fame tomorrow, Wire first came to prominence in the anything-goes-and-the-weirder-the-better approach of post-punk rock.
With an art school background, the band's scope of ambition was somewhat wider than just gigging at The Roxy (London's made-for-measure punk venue). In a tell-tale signing to Harvest, the erstwhile progressive rock offshoot label within EMI, they soon impressed with their snagging mixture of buzz-saw guitars, keyboards and brittle, mature pop. The band have split up and reformed in various guises over the past 20 years, losing and regaining members along the way. However, they remain one of the UK punk scene's most intriguing and influential survivors. Dress is black and grey optional.
