Paul 'Wags' Wagstaff, the guitarist who supplied the funk and the acid jangle to Manchester's late 80s/ early 90s band Paris Angels, died suddenly at the weekend aged 60. His instantly recognisable guitar riff lit up 1990 single All On You (Perfume) along with the acidic squiggle and thump of the 303 and Rikki Turner and Jane Gil's dual vocals, the song that became the band's calling card.
They signed to local indie Sheer Joy and released several more singles, Wags a key part of the songwriting. The majors came and Perfume was re- released by Virgin in 1991 with this video to promote the single, everyone in it looking very youthful and of the time.
Rikki Turner and Wags started Paris Angels with bassist Scott Carey, out in the East Manchester badlands of Guide Bridge, near Ashton- under- Lyne with the line up expanding to become a seven piece band and work with Paul Johnson, the man who produced Blue Monday with New Order.
Paris Angels called it a day following a change of ownership at Virgin and the axe being taken to the roster (PiL also got dropped). After Paris Angels Wags played with Black Grape and then in 1999 with the reformed Happy Mondays as well as guesting with The Charlatans. A couple of days ago Rikki shared a crowdfunder to help raise the money to give Wags a decent funeral, a send off for the man he called the Captain, which can be found here.
RIP Paul Wags Wagstaff.
