American fans of Brit-pop and the long celebrated Manchester scene that spawned such notable acts as Pulp, New Order, The Smiths, Oasis and the Buzzcocks probably aren’t familiar with the music of Vinny Peculiar, but in the UK he’s a well-established recording artist and poet hailed in national aural press like Uncut, NME and Mojo.

Vinny Peculiar, aka Alan Wilkes, has seven albums to his credit. “Sometimes I Feel Like a King,” released this summer, is not only his finest, most electrifying effort, it’s arguably one of the top ten best albums of 2009 period.

Vinny Peculiar, as it turns out, is a friend of Lynne Seagle, executive director of Hope House Foundation, the community non-profit that produces Stockley Gardens Arts Festival. Peculiar will perform as a solo artist on October 17 at 4 PM on the festival stage and again later that same evening at New Belmont. Sunday he’s jaunted over to Hampton for a gig at the Tap House.

In advance of his American tour, which will also take him to Sidewalk Café in NYC, we asked Vinny Peculiar a few questions for your entertainment.  

What was it like for you being a musician during the Manchester music scene heydays of the late '70s, 80s and the whole Britpop explosion? 

I was living in Birmingham in the 80s 100 miles south of Manchester – Another Music in a Different City – I loved Buzzcocks and John Cooper Clarke. I moved to Manchester in the 90s, preferred Blur to OASIS and my favorite band of the Brit pop era is PULP. Any Mancunian pedigree I’ve acquired has been courtesy of more recent musical collaborations with various members of The Smiths, OASIS and The FALL.

They shot the Hacienda interior scenes in a long stay psychiatric hospital I was working in at the time. I loved the Sean the poet and Tony the twat idea – [Ryder and Wilson] those posters were great; I liked them better than I liked the film which I didn’t really enjoy. My favorite Manchester Music film has to be ‘Control’- no contest.

You have a strong cult following in the UK , but success on the level of Pulp or Oasis has been allusive. Has that been frustrating?  

I try not to worry too much about the conventional parameters of success; if I did I’d end up writing songs for all the wrong reasons– [there a song called ‘Success’ on the new album in hoc to the clichés of fame] but no, I don’t get too frustrated – of course it would be nice to reach out to a few more people, that’s still very much a part of the challenge.

Thank you. I have been pleasantly surprised – you never quite know how these things will pan out but reactions have been good, reviews really positive and radio also has picked up significantly with this release. It’s important to feel like it’s moving in the right direction. I tour the UK with Luke Haines [The Auteurs] on my return to the UK which I’m excited about. Festivals are booking up next summer- things are ticking along nicely.

I've not played any band shows for awhile. I toured Europe in 2007 with the Mike Joyce, Craig Gannon, Bonehead line up which was great – Scandinavia and Germany were incredible highlights – previous to that Glastonbury festival [with Andy Rourke] and a series of arts collaborations with Bill Drummond [KLF] but right now I’m enjoying the challenge of solo shows again, they tend to be more spontaneous and free flowing - poetry has an occasional look in, as comedy lurks in the complicated shadows…

There’s an elemental energy [a kind of punk spirit I like to think] to the record that stems from speedy decision-making, analogue recording, and not over complicating things.  I played the majority of the instruments myself; we worked to a tight deadline, there were no computers involved –and no Blue Poppies were harmed in the making of this record.  The songs are kind of workmanlike as a result, not over fussy - I like to think that this is a strength - helping the record breathe more easily…

The video for the UNIFORM single – which reached the lower reaches of the UK Independent chart – was made by Alison Surtees. She’s a brilliant Salford based film maker and this was a fun side project for her- Clayton Whiter and Paul Brooks edited. The video is set in a prison, it’s about identity, power and ultimately liberation [the prisoners take over the prison, steal the band equipment and bury the wardens under rocks before affecting their get away. Its like ‘Shawshank Redemption meets Porridge’ as the NME so playfully said.