It's been 20 years since The Wildhearts' second album P.H.U.Q. was released and entered the UK Albums Chart at number 6. 20 years on and it's time for its own tour, taking in eight venues around the UK. Here we are halfway through the tour and the band have not lost any steam! Original guitarist CJ, who was not present for all of the album recording, is here to finally take his place.
First up is Ginger's new band Hey! Hello Here Ginger takes a back seat and leaves it all to front woman Hollie Mahady. She does a good job of rallying the crowd, but could do with a belt as many times she has to pull up her leggings. The Rev seems to be missing on guitar but local lad and Ginger collaborator Chris Catalyst (Robochrist, Eureka Machines) is standing in just fine. The huge cartoon backdrops of the bands self-titled album, by non-other than Frank Kozik (gig poster and smoking rabbit model extraordinaire), look pretty eye-catching on stage in staggered parts, the tree would have been a great addition too. Its catchy riff rock delivered by top notch musicians.
Baby Chaos are up next. The Glaswegian rockers only returned recently after seventeen years off. I for one have never heard of them prior to this show. Their good tunes are awesome, like 'A Bullet For The End', full on heavy riffs that suck you straight in. The other stuff sounds a little more indie and doesn't fit together for me, but the crowd like it.
The show tonight is running very smoothly and very on time. The Wildhearts waste no time and come onstage to rip straight into 'I Wanna Go Where The People Go', which of course has the place jumping straight away. Ginger is a chatting and engaging chap. A couple of songs in he is talking about how people said they would struggle in Leeds but the place is jumping. I know what they mean though, unfortunately the venue is only half full, a proper shame as the band were no strangers to Leeds ten years ago, but have been away a fair old while since.
The album 'P.H.U.Q' sure is played in its entirety, and for me there are a few of the slower songs that give time for a pint and toilet break, although it hosts some of the best song titles on any album!Its 50 minutes plus a few short conversations in between, then there's an early encore. "Tonight we all get to go back 20 years and have hair and be lighter" Ginger charms the crowd with in his instantly recognisable North Easterly accent. I see him swoosh his head a few times, the long dreads that crowned his head now sadly missing (mine too Ginger, I know the feeling). The band don't have the fancy backdrops of Hey! Hello or the pretty cool LED name lighting on their guitar amp like Baby Chaos, but they do have the largest backdrop with their name in a wood effect. Sometime size does matter.
There's no messing about, 'Suckerpunch' is thrown at the crowd indeed like a boxer's handshake on a bad day. There's a nice inclusion of a mainly unknown B-side 'Beautiful Thing You', though Ginger jokes most of their B-Sides are unknown. The theme tune from Cheers by Gary Portnoyhas always been a great cover, and it's nice to hear it again live as it used to be a regular at live shows. The set ends with 'My Baby Is a Headfuck' and finally back to 'Earth Vs The Wildhearts' with 'Love U 'til I Don't', marking a triumphant show from the rockers, it's just a shame more people were not here to hear it.
I Wanna Go Where the People Go
Just in Lust
Baby Strange
Nita Nitro
Jonesing for Jones
Woah Shit, You Got Through
Cold Patootie Tango
Caprice
Be My Drug
Naivety Play
In Lilly's Garden
Getting It / Don't Worry 'bout Me
Suckerpunch
Mazel Tov Cocktail
Cheers
The Revolution Will Be Televised
Beautiful Thing You
Someone That Won't Let Me Go
Anthem
My Baby Is a Headfuck
Love U 'til I Don't
FUTURE GIGS
sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.