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There’s no secret to the rise of Twisted Wheel, “We just make good honest rock ’n’ roll music that people clock on to,” says bassist Richard Lee, who prefers to be known as Ricky.
Only his mum calls him Richard. And hasn’t Mrs Lee’s son done his mum proud?
The Mancunian three-piece, Lee, drummer Adam Clarke and front man Jonny Brown, are on a headline tour off the back of a summer where they made their name. Their support slot on what would turn out to be Oasis’ last hurrah will go down in history.
In some ways it could Twisted Wheel’s claim to fame but they’re determined to make their own name in this business. Doing that hasn’t been easy.
“I remember us trying to get gigs when we first started,” recalls Lee.
“A lot of venues we’re saying no, unless we could bring a hundred people in on a Wednesday night in Bedford. It just wasn’t going to happen was it?
“It’s all about who you know really but at the same time if you write f**king great tunes and you put everything into it you’re gonna do well.”
They’ve not been doing too badly. The release of their eponymous debut album earlier this year was followed by a headline tour, then a European tour with Oasis and now another, bigger and better headline tour.
Twisted Wheel headlined The Masque in Liverpool on Friday night as part of the city’s fantastic music week.
They’re happy to be in the city but the band’s Manchester roots lead to an inevitable comparison with Oasis.
“To us Oasis were the reason we started playing music and why we got into it.
“When they came along you could identify with it because it was lads from Manchester who dress normal and are proper rock and roll stars.”
A dream come true then to support them over the summer but Lee doesn’t remember seeing any signs that a split was on the cards.
“You couldn’t really sense anything but then we hadn’t seen it five years before so we didn’t have anything to compare it to. But it’s a big loss.”
Twisted Wheel’s sound has inevitably drawn comparisons with Oasis but has been described perhaps more accurately as a ‘confrontational, folk inflected brand of garage rock’.
Comparisons to The Jam and The Clash have also been mentioned in reviews. It’s an honour no doubt but Lee doesn’t have much time for stuff like this. They’re just a people’s band.
“We’re the sort of band that you put on on a Friday before you go out just to get you in the mood,” he says.
“We’re not like an arty-farty, novelty band who are only under the spotlight for five minutes.”
“We’re definitely a gigging band,” says drummer Adam Clarke who arrives late to the interview but has plenty to say.
“We’re not gonna do a Kid A, spend two years in a studio and do an album we’re not really gonna play live ever.”
And with that talk turns to a new album. There’s loads of songs but no concept as yet. They’re just enjoying life on the road.
They’ve found an unlikely fanbase in Japan. Having played Fuji Rock over the summer the Wheel are returning early next year.
Clarke adds: “I don’t really know why we’re big over there but they’re quick at getting on stuff the Japanese, they’re very obsessive over English bands.”
You can sense they love the touring. Sometimes, as Clarke points out, you can “sit on a bus and stare into space for five hours.”
But it’s got to be worth it at the end of the day? “Yeah we’ve got used to it now,” he adds.
Having fun with your mates, seeing the world and earning money doing something you love. That’s the dream for all ordinary lads from the North isn’t it?