Back to basics Rockers WOLFSBANE, fronted by Blaze Bayley (a.k.a. Bayley Cook), would be idolised and over exposed by 'Kerrang' magazine for much of their career. Unfortunately for the band, the acres of media print did not equate into hard record sales. WOLFSBANE started out as a Glam band from Tamworth in Staffordshire with female drummer Mandy Hemmings but soon ditched the stagegear and make-up for a more scuzz Metal look. Hemmings was superseded by Steve Danger (a.k.a. Steve Ellett). Bassist Steve Hateley was originally known as 'Jeff D'Brini' and guitarist Jason Edwards as 'Jase the Ace'.

The first single, 'Clutching At Straws' released in October 1986, is universally recognized as dreadful, even by the band, but with strong gigging WOLFSBANE rapidly improved their stagecraft. Subsequent demos included 'Wasted But Dangerous' and 'Dancin' Dirty'. WOLFSBANE headlined the 1988 Birmingham Rockfest above STARFIGHTERS, ARK, REBEL, TOTALLY SUSPECT and MARSHALL LAW.

A quickly expanding fan club entitled the "Howling Mad Shitheads" proved loyal throughout the band's history. DOKKEN manager Rick Sales picked up the band after WOLFSBANE achieved little success with the British majors and promptly signed the band to Rick Rubin's Def American label giving WOLFSBANE a British outlet through Phonogram.

The debut album, 1989's 'Live Fast, Die Fast' recorded in America, proved to be a very minimalist affair short on production value despite bearing a Rick Rubin credit. Touring in the UK to promote this release witnessed a joint trek with THE QUIREBOYS. The 1990 'All Hell's Breaking Loose... Down At Little Kathy Wilson's Place' mini album, produced by Brendan O'Brien, and a UK support tour to IRON MAIDEN did much to restore the band's credibility. 'Down Fall The Good Guys' was recorded at London's Abbey Road studios. Nottingham heavy metal band CHAINGANG, signed to IRON MAIDEN's management team, supported WOLFSBANE on their winter UK tour of 1991. The live 'Massive Noise Injection' recorded at London's Marquee Club in February 1993, now seeing Simon Effemy manning the desk, emerged on Pete Winkleman's resurrected Bronze label.

Ultimately, In spite of persistent touring and a relentless media barrage WOLFSBANE only succeeded into scraping into the lower reachs of the charts. Bayley stepped up into the big league by joining IRON MAIDEN in 1994 and WOLFSBANE, issuing a posthumous, eponymous album, promptly disintegrated. It is fair to say many IRON MAIDEN fans were more than surprised with the band's choice of singer and the two albums Bayley recorded witnessed a rapid downward spiral in sales.

By early 1995 Hately, Danger and Edwards had regrouped in a Pop band under the title STRETCH, signing to Nottingham based Cottage Industry Records. However, 1997 found Hately as a member of THE JELLYS, a Pop Rock outfit forged by ex-THE WILDHEARTS and HONEYCRACK guitarist C.J. and former THE WILDHEARTS and WHATEVER drummer Stidi.

Bayley created the far more professional Power Metal band BLAZE to record the full on Metal 'Silicon Messiah' album upon his dismissal from IRON MAIDEN. In 2006 Jase Edwards returned with THE GOD DAMN WHORES, a band unit featuring GINGER from THE WILDHEARTS on bass guitar.

WOLFSBANE reunited for a three song set after a BLAZE solo performance at the Rock of Ages Festival in Tamworth, England on September 9th 2007.

THE QUIREBOYS celebrated 20 years since the release of their 1989 debut album, 'A Bit Of What You Fancy', by playing the album in full from start to finish on eight dates across the UK in December. Adding to the nostalgia, support came from the original line-up of WOLFSBANE, who were the opening act on the very first 'A Bit Of What You Fancy' tour.