Steven Wells
| Steven Wells | |
|---|---|
| Born |
10 May 1960 Swindon, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 24 June 2009 (aged 49) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Pen name | Seething Wells, Susan Williams, Swells |
| Occupation | Music critic, journalist, screenwriter, poet, novelist, film producer, publisher, comedian |
| Nationality | British |
| Period | 1984–2009 |
| Genre | Punk lit |
| Subject | Rock music, Punk culture, politics, anti-fascism |
Steven Wells (10 May 1960 – 24 June 2009) was a British journalist, author, comedian and punk poet born in Swindon, Wiltshire. He was best known for ranting poetry and his provocative, unapologetic music journalism. In June 2006, he wrote in the Philadelphia Weekly about his treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma. After being in remission for a short time, he was diagnosed with enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma in January 2009 and died on 24 June 2009 in Philadelphia.
Wells was born in Swindon but moved to Bradford at an early age. The son of a company director, he attended Hanson comprehensive school in Bradford, but left with minimal qualifications in 1977 and later worked in a factory and as a bus conductor. It was at this time that he became involved with punk rock, including the radical socialist Leeds art-punk band The Mekons.
In 1982, he began performing as a ranting poet and comedian under the names Seething Wells, Swells and Susan Williams. He was a support act to various northern English punk bands, such as The Fall, The Mekons and Gang of Four, along with fellow ranting poets , Swift Nick, Little Brother, Mark Miwurdz, and Porky The Poet.
After moving to London, he began to write for NME, initially under the name Susan Williams. He championed socialist soul/punk band The Redskins; American hardcore punk bands such as Black Flag and the Butthole Surfers; British bands that merged thrash, hardcore and heavy metal, such as Extreme Noise Terror, Napalm Death; and certain pop artists, such as Daphne and Celeste. In the 1990s, he diversified, occasionally writing comedy (for shows such as On the Hour and The Day Today) and other non-music related journalism.
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