GINGER AND FRIENDS, Hawk Eyes @Wolves Wulfrun 15/12/11

Even if, like me, you think the only good thing about Christmas is the four football matches that come in ten days there are certain traditions that have to be upheld at this time of year.

So along with lying my out of my work’s Christmas do and generally not doing anything remotely sociable there is the Ginger Christmas show.

It used to be Wildhearts Christmas Show but those days – for now at least – appear to be over, so the Ginger Christmas show is the next best thing.

First though, Hawk Eyes and the Leeds band acquit themselves reasonably well. Blessed with a couple of very fine songs indeed, in the Groop Dogdrill-esque “Scorpieau” and the post-hardcore romp of “I Hate This Do You Like It?” the band formally known as Chickenhawk are a decent way to spend half an hour waiting for Ginger.

One day the history of the man known to his mother as David Walls will be written (indeed RTM would love to do it if anyone so desired…) and as such there is not time or space to list his achievements and misdemeanors over the last 20 thrilling years.

What is certain, though, is that with the Wildhearts and his various offshoots Ginger has excited us, thrilled us, left us baffled, annoyed us, deliberately anatagonised us …and left us with a collection of the finest music ever made.

He has also kept a loyal hardcore following, most of whom rabidly and slavishly buy his records – and that is what tonight is about. This is Ginger (and Friends) preaching to – and celebrating with – the converted.

And boy, does he have a lot of friends! The band is a six piece. Long time companions Denzil and Jon Poole are there on drums and bass respectively. They are joined by Black Halos/Loyalties man Rich James, Chris Catalyst both playing guitars and a woman called Ingrid who dances and sings backing vocals. The rather chaotic look to all this is topped off by Mr. Wildheart himself wearing Kiss make up for the first few songs. Drink, you suspect, has been taken. It could be an odd night.

The vibe coming from this tour is to expect the unexpected. Not just the Wildhearts greatest hits that these shows sometimes become. Even allowing for that when the band take to the stage to the opening strands of “Inglorious,” It’s still something of a shock. They won’t play the whole thing, surely? They do. And they follow it with “The Hard Way.” This is not just Ginger going through the motions with some mates; this is a night for the anoraks like me to rejoice.

And we do just that for 85 glorious minutes as B sides (“Can’t Do Right For Doing Wrong”) mix with seldom played stuff like “Splattermania,” “Something Weird (Going On In My Head) and “Inner City Overture.”

There are some of the staples played, of course, with “Vanilla Radio” as chirpy as ever, a fluffed “Suckerpunch” and a closing one-two of “29X The Pain” and “I Wanna Go Where The People Go,” while “This Revolution Will Be Televised” is transformed into a sing-a-long about You Tube sensation Fenton the dog.

Tonight is Ginger and Friends having fun, taking chances and its all the better for it. If we must usher in the festive season we might as well do it like this.