Paul ‘Wags’ Wagstaff dead: Black Grape and Happy Mondays guitarist dies

Paul “Wags” Wagstaff, the star of Paris Angels and Black Grape, passed away. The musician, who has played on Domino Bones and Happy Mondays, received many tributes as they recalled his “kind heart and a lightness of touch with the disenfranchised.”

Bez, the real-life Mark Berry from Happy Mondays, posted a retro-looking image of Black Grape to honor his friend on his Facebook page. He referred to as “Mr. Paul Wagstaff (Wags) recalling the good times. RIP, friend. Presenter Terry Christian paid tribute on X: “R. I. P. Paul’s Wagstaff guitarist with Manchester bands Paris Angels, Black Grape, and, more recently, Happy Mondays.” Like enquiring about the music’s flow when it stops playing, Paul’s Manchester vibe will always be “the area””.

Wagstaff and Shaun Ryder’s post-Happy Mondays project, Black Grape, were both musicians who played guitar with Mancunian act Paris Angels. He later joined Bez to work on Domino Bones.

In a statement, Mike Bennett, the frontman of The Blackheads, also paid tribute to the singer. According to Mike, “Legendary Paul Wagstaff, also known as Wags, was a significant member of Paris Angels, Black Grape, and Happy Mondays.

He had a kind heart and a soft touch with the oppressed, and I’ve known him for many years. He was not just a musician but also a literary scholar. Needless to say, I slipped into and out of that category, but I must admit that his words and kind words prevented me from making incorrect decisions and navigating murky corridors. Despite his own physical considerations, I found him self-aggrandizing, upbeat, and of genius-creative proportions.

The guitarist most recently collaborated with his long-term partner Tamara Smith, both a poet and playwright who both work for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

His impact on Tamara’s new body of work will remain significant, Mike said in a statement, “My heart goes out to her, as they have always been incredibly soulmates who looked at life through a very special lens and definitely made a difference both in the local community and touching people’s hearts in the artistic community all over the world.” He was a one-off and shared wonderful tales of working with Snow Patrol and Joe Strummer. His likeness will never be seen again!

Singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy wrote, “I’m very saddened to learn about Wags, aka Paul Wagstaff’s sudden passing. He was a truly gifted and soulful guitarist and a really lovely bloke. Very depressing news.

Paul “Wags” Wagstaff, RIP, one fan wrote. From meeting him at the Town &amp, Country Club in 1991, he is a guitarist with Paris Angels and Black Grape.

Bez and Shaun Ryder founded Black Grape in 1993 and recruited Paul ” Kermit “Leveridge and Carl” Psycho ” McCarthy, Ged Lynch, Wags and Oli ” Dirtycash “Dillon “. The band signed with Radioactive Records in 1995, and the result was its first studio album, It’s Great When You’re Straight… Yeah. It debuted at number one on the UK album charts and was the subject of three of its top 20 singles. In April 1996, it received the platinum certification in the UK.

Although their subsequent studio album, Stupid Stupid Stupid, was not as successful in terms of sales, it was awarded gold. UK in January 1998. After Ryder fired the rest of the band while on tour, Black Grape broke up that year. They regrouped several times to perform together and release more studio albums.

Black Grape were scheduled to tour this year, according to Ryder’s Instagram post, with the band performing an 11-date set in November and December.

Tamara Smith, her long-term partner, leaves Wagstaff.

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Source: Mirror