RTM can still vividly remember the first time it came
across the Wildhearts. We were standing in the old Exposure rock club in
Birmingham, waiting for a long forgotten Canadian band, Sven Gali, to play an
acoustic set. when over the tannoy came a song that was quite unlike anything
we had ever heard sounding like Metallica with melodies, it was brilliant. We
asked the DJ what it was, the answer that came back began a lifelong love
affair: “it’s called “My Baby Is A Headfuck,” he said. “By a group called the
Wildhearts. “
Fast forward twenty years and the group is now back
together for the umpteenth time, with a short tour to play their debut album
“Earth vs The Wildhearts” from beginning to end. A quite stunning piece of
music it is now twenty years old and ranks as one of RTM’s all-time favourite
albums The same is true for many people it seems, given that the Wulfrun is jam
packed full for this jaunt.
Which gives opening act Eureka Machines a big chance
to impress. The brainchild of Ginger’s sidekick in his solo endeavours, Chris
Catalyst. The Leeds band have quirky, perky songs that perhaps are closest in
sound to Honeycrack, or actually anything Willie Dowling does, but there is a
real dark heart to their songs. New album “Remain In Hope” is fine affair,
while “Champion The Underdog” the title track of the previous record is perhaps
the only song ever to namecheck celebrity steeplejack Fred Dibnah. This is pop rock the way it should be done.
Occasionally when they really cut loose, there is a Wildhearts type feel to
their songs, with one or two reminding us of what “Endless Nameless” would have
sounded like if not for all the feedback.
Then, at 9.15 precisely, four men wander out onto the
stage. They smaile, wave, and kick off the riff to “Greetings from Shitsville.”
And the tone is set for the next 1 hour and forty minutes. They run through “Earth
vs” (“original version not the re-release” laughs main man Ginger – which means
“Caffeine Bomb” is not played.) and just in case you had forgotten why this is
up there with any record ever made, you surely would have
remembered by the time “TV Tan,” “Everlone,” “Shame on Me” and “Loveshit”
follow.
And that’s just side one. There is still time for “Miles
Away Girl” the aforementioned “…Headfuck” “Suckerpunch” “News of the World,” “Drinking
About Life” and “Love You Till I Don’t”.
If they had chosen to say goodnight after that then no
one would have complained. However, after a five minute break they are back, with
what the term the “audience participation part of the evening.” What this means
is two roadies – Hot Steve and Dunc – stand on either side of the stage with
song titles written on big cards. The audience then shouts for the one they
want to hear and the band plays it. Amongst the choices are “Nothing Ever
Changes But The Shoes” “Caffeine Bomb” and “Vanilla Radio” the latter featuring
Ginger’s young son Jake on guitar and vocals.
If those choices don’t stray too far from the path,
then few might have expected little known B-side “Got It On Tuesday” and “Naivety
Play” an album track from “PHUQ” to be played. That they were says much for the
depth in quality of the Wildhearts songs.
The usual singalong of “Geordie In Wonderland” “29x
The Pain” and “I Wanna Go Where The People Go” finishes us off, after all are
chosen by the audience and brings the curtain down on a quite brilliant evening
and one which reminds us just what an incredible band The Wildhearts were
(are?)
The group – with CJ and Rich who played on the
original album, being joined by Jon Poole on bass - are clearly enjoying
themselves immensely on stage but whether this heralds a more permanent reunion
and new music remains to be seen. For now, lets just glory in this evening,
which was, for all sorts of reasons, amazing.
No comments:
Post a Comment