Wizards Can’t Be Lawyers
The band played Saltbox a few weeks back, we promised we’d follow up with a chat and we did.
Your most recent gig at Saltbox was amazing. How did you feel about it? It’s probably one of the best I’ve seen you play!
Yeah, it was probably one of the tightest gigs we’ve ever done, to be honest. Marvin’s Revenge are good friends of ours too, so yeah, a very good gig—everyone was brilliant.
How did it feel onstage for you?
Yeah, it was wicked, man! Good as always—I love jamming with the band.
Who would you say influences your guitar sound? I can hear all sorts of genres in there, from funk to heavier stuff.
I’ve been listening to a lot of Afro jam stuff at the minute. I found this album by an African artist called "Rob" the other day. Not many people listen to this kind of music—it’s Angolan. I really like the rhythm of it; it’s funky and minimalistic. It’s not overdone or flashy—they just play what’s needed for the song. Interestingly, my mate Cam found a record in a shop years ago by a guy called Rob, but I’m not sure if it’s the same one.
My girlfriend played some David Bowie earlier, from when he was performing with Mick Ronson in the early ’70s, and Jeff Beck got onstage with them. I haven’t played any Jeff Beck since uni, but I did a couple of his songs during my dissertation—it brought back that sense of discipline. His virtuoso-esque style is all about balance, playing exactly what the song needs—not too much, not too little. It’s precise but technical, with jazzy, chromatic parts. Jeff Beck is definitely a big influence. My dad took me to see him live when I was much younger, just before he passed away. I’ll never forget it—his scatterbrained style really stuck with me.
What would you say has influenced the Wizards Can’t Be Lawyers sound?
The Clash, definitely! I love the albums Combat Rock and Sandinista!.
How did Wizards begin?
I met Cam Harris years ago at school. We were close friends, and eventually, I moved to Nottingham a couple of years ago from my hometown, Birmingham, and formed the band. Joss was mixing some of our tunes at the time, but I hadn’t met him yet. I remember hearing "In the Hive," one of the first songs he’d written—it was incredible. There were about five or six tracks on his computer, and we just started jamming at his old house in Forest Fields. Something clicked, and I thought, This is sick!
The lyrics, the structure, the way the songs were written—it all felt so unique, like modern tribal music in punk form. Back then, I was in Sancho Panza, but we were all mates, and I started to see this musical relationship forming between Cam and Joss. I wanted to be part of it. They’re all lovely chaps, and now we’re best friends.
I’ve spent years in bands where I took control of the songwriting, but I realised I was going about it the wrong way. Meeting Cam and Joss changed everything. They taught me how to lead while also helping me develop as a guitarist. Now, I’m happy being the guitarist—they’re the dons!
Tell me about a standout gig so far.
Definitely our headline show at The Bodega earlier this year. I think your mate filmed it! It reminded me of a Parliament Funkadelic live video—the candidness, the spontaneity. It wasn’t perfectly rehearsed, but everyone was having a great time dancing. The tunes themselves were tight, though; everyone played their parts, added little flourishes, and it all came together with this natural energy that exploded into the audience.
We aim to make our performances feel like a night out with guitars—fun, interactive, and full of life.
Have you got any new music on the way?
We recently released our new single, Creatures of the Night. It’s an audio-visual experience! The music video we made for it was even shown at the Savoy Cinema, which was really cool. Check it out!
Have you got gigs coming up that we should look out for?
We’ve got a headline show at The Bodega with Trupa Trupa and Rights for Flies on 11th December. I’ve always loved The Bodega. We recently did an acoustic cover of Simon and Garfunkel for its 25th birthday party—it was such a good time. Coming from the Midlands, The Bodega was one of the main reasons I wanted to move to Nottingham. It’s got an amazing music community where everyone knows and supports each other. I’ve met so many great people here—I love it.
Wizards Can’t Be Lawyers headline The Bodega on Wednesday, 11 December 2024, with Trupa Trupa and Rights for Flies supporting. Tickets are on sale now: Get Tickets