Jah Wobble (John Wardle) comments on his new album his attitude to touring, and the importance of being a good human being during this in-depth chat with Soundsphere’s Dom Smith.
Known for forming Public Image Ltd with Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon and Keith Levene, Wobble’s collaborations have since included Brian Eno, Bjork and Sinead O’Connor, and his groundbreaking and innovative bass playing has cemented his place in music history. He is also a published author of several books on a variety of subjects.
On touring in 2023: “I really enjoy being on stage, and I have good lads in my band. Everybody, even the younger players can get fed up, getting stuck in traffic. In a way though, it’s easier for me now. The current band came to me and saw how I was struggling to keep good quality crew, and they just said to me, ‘John, just tell us where we need to be, and when we need to be’ – that was a huge thing for me. It was like, ‘wow, I’ve never worked with grown-up musicians before!’
“You need a small, tight unit to plan a tour at my level and make it viable – 300-500 [capacity] venues. You wanna fill the rooms, because the budgets get tighter every year because expenses are going up, but fees [we receive] stay the same. I really enjoy it. It’s a fantastic thing to be able to bond with people, and communicate with them.”
On his legacy, Jah reflects: “I couldn’t give a f*** about my legacy. It’s a load of bo**ocks. As soon as you start worrying about legacy. you’re in the wrong business.
“People that worry about legacy are very concerned about their position in life. It’s very middle class. I’m a working-class boy. You muck in, you do what you do, people like what you do, or they don’t. I’d much rather be liked than not, but I despise it when people are too bothered about their positions. That was one of the marvelous things about Sinead O’Connor. She was absolutely down to earth, and wasn’t somebody bothered about her position in life, who, of course, was super talented!”
Discussing ‘A Brief History of Now’ and influences: “This record goes back to the beginning but with the benefit of hindsight. I’m working with a great guitarist, Jon Klein [Siouxsie and The Banshees] who is a post-punk guy, very smart and creative, but technically very good. So, it’s about going back to the beginning and working with a great rock guitarist to make stuff that’s real post-punk music.”
On bringing other musical elements into the new record: “I can’t help but bring “dub” into it. When I think of dub, and ambient, I think of space. Something like, ‘I Am, I Am, I Am’ has got this very spacious production. With something like ‘Last Exit’ and that sound, it can be quite claustrophobic and in your face, so if you have ambient dub it kind of opens things out, and makes a nice contrast.”
Jah reflects that when creating this album, he really went all out, and pushed himself in new ways: “You do want to use some of the familiar brush strokes that you use, but at the same time, I have a deal with Cleopatra Records, and they are a proper label who will promote things well! That’s all good, so there’s an opportunity, and I am working with Jon Klein, so let’s really take advantage, make something really special, and push ourselves to the limit.
“They say when you come off the football pitch, you don’t want to leave anything out there. I’ve come out, I’ve left it all on the pitch, and I’ve given 101 percent. I really wanted to have a go.”
Jah comments on what he has learned about himself through his career in music: “I’ve learned without a doubt that it is good to be good. It’s good not to be an ar**hole. I have been an ar**hole on occasion, and the pain of being an ar**hole is too great to bear. When I am an ar**hole it haunts me.”
Jah now spends his time working with the community in South London sharing music skills, and we took time to discuss that: “Get yourself down to Tunedin, If you are a beginning, or you haven’t played for years, it’s designed to get you back out there. Younger people come, whatever gender – it’s open to everyone.”
Listen to the full interview here, where Jah discusses his personal happiness, philosophy, and problems with the music industry:
