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(c’89-present) Wob Williams (vocals / guitar)

Solo artist Wob has been on the scene since ’89, with guitar in hand travelling all over the UK and further afield in Europe, Australia and the US. On 7 August ’90 Wob supported Blyth Power, along with Shelley’s Children, at the Corn Exchange, Dorchester. In late October that year he joined Blyth Power, but after four years went back to a solo life.

On 2 July ’95, Wob played a folk festival in Bracknell along with his olds band, Blyth Power, as well as Equation, Cuckooland, and Maccabees. Cycle Records released the “I Can’t Stay Long” LP [CYCLE CD002] in ’95 and on 9 September that year he appeared at Splatch #4 at the Civic Hall, Guildford, and a couple of months later, on 25 November ’95, he played McDevitt’s, Reading.

Early in ’96 he toured Australia with the Killjoys, picking up the ‘best newcomer’ award at the Port Fairy Folk Festival held at Southcombe Park Sports Reserve, Port Fairy, Australia on 8 March ’96. On returning to the UK we found WOB supporting Who Moved the Ground?, on 12 May ’96, at the University of Surrey, Guildford. He joined Ian Dury and The Blockheads, Thurman, Supermodel, and The Coal Porters on stage at day two of Bracknell Festival ’96 at South Hill Park, Bracknell on 29 June ’96. The following month, on 26 July ’96, Wob was playing Newark Castle, Newark-on-Trent. The “Friends in the Night” CD EP followed later in the year, again of Cycle [PEDAL 001]. Also, in ’96, “The Poacher” was included on ‘The Best Farnborough Groove in the World – Ever! Vol.6′.

The next year played in Austria, including a date at Szene Wien, Vienna, Austria on 30 May ’97. Back on home turf, he was playing at the Ambient Green Picnic, Guildford on 12 July ’97; after which he undertook a charity tour of Romania, playing in children’s homes and culture houses. Wob’s “Island” was included as a bonus extra track on the “Wake Up EP”, a re-release of songs originally released by Wake Up as a 12″ miners benefit EP in ’87. The “Acoustic Music” compilation LP on German label Twah! [Twah! 107] carried four of Wob’s tracks in ’97. Recorded in late ’97, the “Straight on Til Morning” CD LP [CYCLE CD 005] was released in early ’98. Wob returned to Guildford’s Ambient Picnic in ’98. “Gather” came along in early ’99 with live tracks from Germany and Austria, studio tracks laid down at Lighthouse Studios, Weymouth and some material left over from the “Straight on Til Morning” session’s with, Billy Bragg’s ex-right-hand man, Wiggy in Wales.

A second tour of Australia followed in March-April ’99. Wob also returned to the Farnborough Groove’ in ’99 with “Hopeless” for Volume 8 and dropped “Vanity” onto the “Fear of a Red Planet” compilation [RPRCD 1]. Around this time a live recording at the Brickhouse of “Mole” appeared on Bluefire Records’ Snakebite City series: ‘Snakebite’s Coming Home’. ’99’s Australian tour’s recordings formed the basis for 2000’s “Shouting from The Shore” live LP on Deep Skill [DEEP SKILL 2]. Later that year Silverleaf was formed with Matt Cooper, John Rutherford and Robbie Davies. The group played the across the UK and in Austria for a couple of years. During Silverleaf’s later days Wob recorded the “With Just One Step” LP, releasing it on Deep Skill [DEEP SKILL 3] in ’03. A ‘new’ Silverleaf with Wig and John Forrester formed to honor bookings. In ’06, Wob recorded “A Month of Sundays”; released in ’07.

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