The Prince of Wales Thatre in Cannock is under threat of closure, but before that plays out John Wildwood from Lichfield will be gracing the stage. It will be his final ever gig, after more than 50 years performing to people, and John will be joined by other performers on the night to make an event of it.
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00:00So we're here at the Prince of Wales Theatre with John Wildwood. Hello sir.
00:06Hello there.
00:07So you're from Lichfield aren't you John?
00:09I am actually, yes.
00:10So not too far, not too far away.
00:12No, a few miles.
00:13And you've got a gig here 21st of March.
00:1521st of March, it's my last one.
00:17What can people expect from the night?
00:19Well a bit of country, a bit of folk, a bit of all sorts really.
00:22Yeah.
00:23Johnny Garner.
00:24And how long have you been playing music for then?
00:2754 years.
00:2854 years, wow.
00:29So what got you into it as a nipper then?
00:31Was your mum or your dad a musician?
00:33No, not really.
00:34No I just sang in the pubs.
00:36I went to the pubs to sing a bit.
00:38Yeah.
00:39I just got it up and just wanted to buy a guitar when I was about 30 on.
00:43Yeah, yeah.
00:44I first went to buy a guitar when I was 33 I think I was.
00:49Can you remember where you bought that from?
00:51Yes, Dennis Proffert in Walsall.
00:54Okay, yeah.
00:55I went there and I came back and I sold it.
01:00Yeah.
01:01So I bought a violin off them instead, ÂŁ10.
01:03Oh wow, okay, a bit different.
01:05A violin instead.
01:06It's worth about ÂŁ400 now, the violin.
01:08Yeah.
01:09So I got it, I never played it.
01:10So did you ever learn to play the violin?
01:12Some lesson but I wasn't very successful really.
01:15Yeah.
01:16You went back for another guitar.
01:18Yeah, I got another guitar later on you see.
01:20So what sort of music influenced you when you were growing up then?
01:23Well, Jim Rees was.
01:24Does Jim Rees look alike?
01:26I think I've got him on this one.
01:28Oh yeah, Tony Waugh, yeah.
01:29Jim Rees.
01:30Jim Rees and Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, all those sort of people.
01:37But later I've been doing, the last few years I've been doing a bit of folk music as well.
01:42Okay, yeah.
01:43So I do a bit of folk music as well.
01:45Yeah, the folk and the country scene has really taken off, hasn't it?
01:48Yeah, it's become more entertaining, yes.
01:50Yeah.
01:52And so it'll be, will it be your very last date, will it?
01:56My very last date, yes.
01:58Wow, so what made you think, I've done me fill, this'll be me last one.
02:02Was it just time catching up with you?
02:04Well, mobility basically, I can't move when I used to be able to.
02:08Ah, yeah.
02:09I've got the gear, I can't carry stuff and that sort of stuff.
02:12Yeah, yeah.
02:13And I thought it's the time to finish so I'll go over the bank.
02:17Yeah.
02:18And it'll be a quite emotional night for you then?
02:22It will be.
02:23It quite will be, really, won't it?
02:25Yeah.
02:26I know all my friends that I've played with over the years,
02:28all those people that were coming to play with us.
02:30Yeah.
02:31I've played on gigs with them and all sorts, I've known them for a long time.
02:33That's cool, so you'll be sharing it with friends.
02:35I will, I will, thank you.
02:37And any plans for a little tipple after the night, after the gig?
02:42I might have a quick drink perhaps.
02:44Yeah, just to mark...
02:45A short one.
02:47Yes, of course, I might do that.
02:56I do.
02:58I've just spoke to the lady behind the counter, just,
03:00and she said it is definitely closing.
03:06I think there's a meeting due to come, isn't there?
03:08There are meetings, but there's less many things going on.
03:11They're just trying to save it, I don't know what they're doing,
03:13but they're trying to save it if they can.
03:15But in terms of a musician from the area,
03:18what does it mean to have these kind of venues?
03:21You know, we can see the posters behind you,
03:23there's a lot going on here still.
03:25What does it mean for, as a resident and as a musician,
03:29to have these kind of places to exist in?
03:32It means a lot, not too much to me,
03:35it means a lot to me now,
03:37because I'm doing the show here,
03:39but to other factions of the music industry
03:43and the plays and all that sort of stuff,
03:46it's imperative to have somebody like this to come to,
03:50to play it.
03:51It's ridiculous not to have to close it.
03:54Have you played here in the past then?
03:56Yeah, I've played with Micky and Griff once.
03:58Yeah, yeah.
03:59That's 32 years ago now.
04:01Yeah, just 32 years.
04:03Yeah.
04:04Well, we wish you all the best then.
04:06Do you write your own songs then, do you?
04:08I'll sing a couple of songs on this show,
04:11which I wrote myself.
04:12Oh, okay.
04:13So the first album I came out in 77,
04:16the first album I came out to record,
04:19was five or six of my songs on it.
04:21Oh, okay, great stuff.
04:23But then I don't sing them too often,
04:25I don't get a chance to.
04:26Yeah, yeah.
04:27Which I'll be.
04:28Well, we wish you all the best for the night,
04:30and like you say, let's hope you go out with a bang.
04:33Yeah, I hope so, yes.
04:34All right, thanks ever so much, John.
04:37Thanks very much indeed.