
Formal Sppeedwear
Stoke-On-Trent new wave trio Formal Sppeedwear live at The Bullingdon blending Neu DEVO and YMO influences
From the furnaces of Stoke-On-Trent come Formal Sppeedwear, a wonky new wave teacup ready to be sipped, brimming with a heady infusion of Yellow Magic Orchestra, Neu and DEVO.
Defying the seas of young musicians moving to London and Manchester to find their path, Beck Clewlow (Bass, Vocals, Synthesisers) Charlie Ball (Guitar, synthesisers), and Connor Wells (Drums, Guitar, Synthesisers) stuck it out in Stoke, using the city as a blank canvas – devoting their spare time to writing and experimenting, building their own studio out of charity shop finds and cash-converter synths and recording equipment.
Out in the creative wilderness of Staffordshire there’s a healthy DIY scene brewing with bands waiting to make their mark; fly posting their own shows, making one-off merch for each gig, sharing lineups with one another. “There is no sense of geographical confinement here, there’s a wealth of talent who act indifferently to their surroundings. It’s particularly nice that some of our friends from here are starting to receive attention from elsewhere” say the band. As fellow locals University and Christian Music start to garner attention from the rest of the UK, it’s time for Formal Sppeedwear to follow suit.











