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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Wildhearts are riding on the crest of a wave right now. \u2018Renaissance Men\u2019, their first album in 10 years is an absolute monster, it\u2019s currently at number 11 in the album charts and at least 3 of these 8 dates to promote it are already sold out.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just a good time to be a Wildheart either; it\u2019s a good time to be a Wildhearts fan. With a sizeable chunk of the back catalogue getting re-mastered and re-issued on deluxe vinyl and the promise of plenty more dates this year, it is also an expensive time to be a Wildhearts fan, but we wouldn\u2019t want it any other way would we? In 2019, there is more interest and more excitement about this band than I can ever remember.<\/p>\n
Re-united and re-invigorated, the classic line-up of The Wildhearts is back, but are they back for good? Only time will tell. While this current wave of excitement could open doors and see great opportunities for a band who, let\u2019s face it, have certainly paid their dues, I keep getting this niggling feeling that it could all go drastically tits up at any moment. So let\u2019s enjoy it while it lasts.<\/p>\n
Talking of things going tits up… fuckin\u2019 Towers Of London are back! Where the hell did that come from?\u00a0 The original line-up that recorded the most excellent debut album \u2018Blood, Sweat & Towers\u2019 and then proceeded to burn out in a blaze of arrests and fisticuffs, are back together. There\u2019s new music on the way too, they have unfinished business to attend to. What a time to be a rock \u2018n\u2019 roll fan!<\/p>\n Donny Tourette and the boys take to the stage with air raid sirens blaring and fire straight into \u2018I\u2019m A Rat\u2019. It sounds fuckin\u2019 ace! Dressed in matching black boiler suits and shorn of the gravity-defying hair of ten years ago, they may look a bit different, but with a newly reinstated The Rev delivering cool licks and a bare-chested Snell bashing seven shades of shit out of his kit, the band are on fire and looking like they really mean it. While Donny\u2019s nonchalant punk attitude is more Gallagher than Iggy, the delivery is still fantastic. \u2018Beaujolais\u2019 is punked-up to the max goodness, and newbie \u2018Get Yourself Out Of Here\u2019 with its chanting chorus and sleazy delivery is full of the right kind of attitude, it promises much for the new album.<\/p>\n A blistering version of \u2018Fuck It Up\u2019 surely silences any non-believers in the room and ends a high energy set from a band that is truly back to their best form.<\/p>\n While Towers Of London are not the fucked up kids of yesteryear, they have matured, learned a few things, but still have that edginess I desire from sleazy punk rock. Love \u2018em or hate \u2018em, no one can deny they were spot on tonight.<\/p>\n Whether they\u2019ve got the new songs to rival the likes of the fantastic \u2018Air Guitar\u2019 or \u2018On A Noose\u2019 we will see, but I for one can\u2019t wait to find out. Bring on new music, headline gigs and world domination then.<\/p>\n Now, if someone could please explain the appeal of Massive Wagons I would be most grateful, as I don\u2019t get them at all. I\u2019ve tried, but they are just not for me. A band fronted by a diminutive Game Of Thrones extra who sounds like Biff Byford, backed by a band who look like they scan your shopping in Aldi, call me fussy but…<\/p>\n Joking aside, in a live setting I can\u2019t really fault them. They have energy, I\u2019ll give them that much. Baz is an animated frontman and a loveable character, who can work a crowd and The Wildhearts crowd seems to love them. But that\u2019s not enough. It would probably be ok if they had the songs, but for me, Massive Wagons just don\u2019t have the songs, pure and simple.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve seen them live several times now and my opinion hasn\u2019t changed. I\u2019m afraid to say I head for the bar not long into their set. Most Massive Wagons reviews I\u2019ve read are positive, with many citing them \u2018retro\u2019. Me, I cite them \u2018dated\u2019. And in my defence I present their closing song \u2018Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum\u2019 as evidence, the cheesiest song I\u2019ve heard in many years, and on that note I rest my case.<\/p>\n In all my years of seeing Wildhearts live shows, I can honestly say I have never seen a bad one, come to think of it I have never seen even an average live performance from Ginger and co, whatever the line-up has been.<\/p>\n Tonight is no exception, in fact tonight is probably the best I have seen them. It\u2019s up there with the hot and sweaty Bristol Bierkeller show of \u201994, its as heavy and loud as Edinburgh and Glasgow were in 2004, and it\u2019s even as euphoric as the Chutzpah! show in Leeds 10 years ago.<\/p>\n From the moment Ginger cranks out that opening riff to \u2018Dislocated\u2019, the place goes nuts. Such a great response to a new song. A relentless cacophony of riffs and melodies that has the pit bouncing as one, signaling that this brand new song is already classed as a fan favourite. It leads perfectly into \u2018Everlone\u2019, \u2018Vanilla Radio\u2019 and \u2018Suckerpunch\u2019 all delivered in quick succession, leaving no time to talk or even breathe. Going with the theme of \u2018Renaissance Men\u2019 it is a well chosen, heavy set of songs tonight. Mixing it up nicely, there are a few surprises in amongst the usual live favourites. \u2018The Revolution Will Be Televised\u2019 and \u2018Jackson Whites\u2019 are especially awesome and even \u2018Urge\u2019, which I imagined would be a disjointed mess, actually sounds amazing.<\/p>\n Bearing in mind that most people have only had \u2018Renaissance Men\u2019 in their ears for a week, the new songs get a great response. \u2018Let \u2018em Go\u2019 was always going to go down well, it\u2019s got a stadium-sized chorus that is up there with their finest hits. But it is \u2019Diagnosis\u2019 that probably gets the best response of the whole night. What a fucking tune live! The way they build that AC\/DC style riff to gain momentum, before releasing that main hook on an unsuspecting crowd, who in turn go absolutely bat-shit crazy for it. It\u2019s a great feeling being right in the middle of the chaos for the duration. Like being a teenager discovering live music for the first time, all over again. The band seems truly invigorated and on fire. Ginger and CJ\u2019s vocals are spot on and the pair are full of energy, bashing out riffs and jumping in unison, giving photographers every opportunity to capture that elusive jump shot.<\/p>\n With bassist Danny McCormack now fit enough to make it through a whole set without needing his stool is a big, big thing. The loveable Geordie with a big heart and an even bigger bass sound just brings something special to The Wildhearts and it\u2019s a joy to see him back where he belongs.<\/p>\n Post encore, the band mime through a version of \u2018The Renaissance Men\u2019 which is being videoed for a commercial single release on each night of the tour. Bit weird for all concerned, but the show doesn\u2019t suffer or lose momentum. A five-song encore is pretty good value at any show and with the likes of \u2018Mazel \u00a0Tov Cocktail\u2019, \u2018My Baby Is A Headfuck\u2019 and \u2018I Wanna Go Where The People Go\u2019 \u00a0rounding the evening off nicely, who could ask for more?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Where The Wildhearts go from here is anyone\u2019s guess, but my advice is to go out of your way, sell your children or steal money if you have to, but whatever you do, do not miss The Wildhearts live right now, as they are on top of their game.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n