12-12-2009Interviews - The Wildhearts
You Get Smart Or You Die! - Rocksnail talks to the Wildhearts
This weekend saw the guys win the 'Spirit of Independence' award for Kerrang Magazine and the culmination of an ethic that has seen them never stray too far from the public's imaginations, no matter what drug addled state's the band may have operated within. Their troubles are on offer for all, no hidden pretences or attempt to hide that the band operated for years by a mutual habit of heroin and the subsequent situations that this lead to. No matter what state of mind the band may have been in as I work my way through the back catalogue there are gems to be found on each and every album and I'm thoroughly enjoying systematically pawing over each one meticulously.
We have had a few features on the band in the past couple of month's so we thought it only fitting that the band adorned our mock cover and it was a real honour that myself a relative newbie too The Wildhearts and a lifelong fan Scott had the opportunity to sit down and spend half an hour with the guys before their hugely entertaining set in front of a packed out audience on the Bohemia stage of the Sonisphere festival at 12.45 in the morning no less. This show highlighted the love that is felt for the band by all the fans who hold Ginger and Co and the music they have given us firmly in their hearts and the band respond by being bowled over by the reception they receive, sucking it in and regurgitating it in the form of their classic hits to entertain the masses. With new album Chutzpah! Earning rave reviews and set to equal the impressive status that was achieved on the release of the last album we wanted to find out a few things about the guys, in person.
Scott: Hi guys, many thanks for taking the time to have a bit of a chat, I'm sure you've had a long day, has it been everything you were expecting?
Ginger: We haven't even had time to think; we've just been talking...
Scott Sorry: We haven't even had time to see any bands...
Ginger: It can be a bit daunting festivals, you know you're waiting forever to get on stage but we're literally going to stop talking then get on stage, so it's a good way of doing it and it keeps you away from just hitting the bar.
Scott: I was going to say, it keeps you out of trouble doesn't it. So, on an ideal day, who would you have liked to be out there seeing?
CJ: I didn't know he was playing but Airbourne I wouldn't mind, I still haven't heard it and everyone says they're just like DC and Anthrax, I have a little soft spot for Anthrax.
Ginger: Thin Lizzy obviously aren't playing because they've just split up. Mastodon, I'd like to see Mastodon
CJ: Some of these bands I've never heard of. Coheed, I don't know what that is.
Ginger: Fucked up I'd like to see but they're not on there
Scott Sorry: Zebra Head?
Scott: You missed an excellent Airborne set, up to now, they're the band you have to “do”, they do sound a lot like DC but they're more direct. Have you seen them before?
Ginger: Yeh they're great, I love them
Scott: So Scott how are you integrating yourself into the band? You've been around for a while now and you're still the newest face?
Scott Sorry: I don't feel that new anymore
Scott: Are you keeping the guys in check?
CJ: Yeh he does that!
Scott Sorry: Do I?
CJ: He wakes us up in the morning, he feeds us.
Scott: So this is a bit of a new experience for me, I mentioned before I've seen you a couple of times going back to the Honeycraft days. You've perverted my mind since 1992 with all kinds of shit you've been putting out, I can't keep track sometimes but I'm Scott and so glad to finally meet you. So what have you got in store tonight? Any surprises?
Ginger: We don't really do surprises, we do what we do. The show for us is more like the audience...I use the word community because when I used to go and see the Ramones, it used to feel like a community. You felt like you were part of your people, and that's what The Wildhearts audience is a bit like or I hope that's what The Wildhearts audience is a bit like. So that's really the show, them singing along, them getting behind it, and we just go on and do what we do. There's no bells and whistles to do what we do really.
Scott: Well like I said, 1992 was the first I heard of you, I've been following you all the way through in various guises. I've not come across you're thirteen album yet!
CJ: You can get it, it's out there...
Scott: Yeh it's out there but I've just been backed up with all kinds of stuff...the new album? Give us a little bit of a feel to the new album. How's it going to compare to the stuff we already know?
CJ: Well I love it, I got the master version this week. On purpose I waited until everything was mastered. Well we were listening to test mixes just to get used to it...but I absolutely love it, really love it! From once I put it on, I'm really glad I'm in this band
Scott: It's been a long road
CJ: Yeh it's good, it's a nice piece of music
Scott: Would you say it's a bit harder to get into compared to some of your earlier stuff or older stuff? Still sticking by that now you've had chance to live with it for a bit?
Ginger: I think if you expect it to sound like the old stuff, it's going to take some time to get into because it doesn't sound like the old stuff. It's got a lot of different elements. Obviously it's heavy and it's catchy but...for example, the only bad review we've had of the album so far was from a guy who was disappointed that it didn't sound like the older stuff. The good reviews have said that they're glad we're taking some chances and trying to push the band in a direction where we haven't really been before and I think, I hope, people want us to do that. Regurgitating the same old stuff time and time again...
Scott: It's got a shelf life?
Ginger: We don't want to be known as people who kept doing the same old thing. I like to think people are prepared for us to sound a little bit different...
CJ: It's very clean and precise, I mean it just sounds posh to me, it just sounds good...
Ginger: The good thing is is since doing that interview, I read a few reviews of the album and I'm delighted to say that they are all relieved that it's going somewhere different, so it's all good
Scott: That's got to be a good feeling?
Ginger: Well its great, you know you don't know, you do an album and you're like there's a few more keyboards on there than you know what to do with, there's a few more industrial bits that you didn't know...
Scott Sorry: When they were putting more keyboards on it me and CJ would leave the room like no, no,no,no, no! then when we heard it with the keyboards down, the keyboards were totally predominant, it was just not the record I wanted it to be, but then hearing how it was supposed to sound after it was mastered and hearing how the keyboards kind of complimented the guitars, and the guitars were made louder...
Scott: They weren't battling against each other?
Scott Sorry: Yeh, it was just making it more dynamic. It sounds better than any other record I've ever been a part of. The parts I thought I was going to hate turned out to be the parts I love the most.
Scott: It's going to be good. So what's with the Sinatra's? How is that going to fit into what's going on with the cycle of this music?
Scott Sorry: Erh, as fate would have it, I have two records I've played on it, that are coming out or that have come out within three months of each other so I got to find some sort of balance between the two, to promote one and the other and also be a good father and with home life and make sure that doesn't fall apart and make sure this doesn't. I don't know, I have no idea how it's going to play into it
Ginger: That's why we've got a manager
Scott Sorry: Yeh, yeh...it takes all the confusion out of my hands, I'm like you just tell me where to be and I'll be there
Scott: How does that fit in with you guys? I know you're a busy guy and have your own things going, it only seems like Ritch who's a bit left out?
CJ: Actually his Grand Theft Audio are getting together...they're doing a gig, I think it's in November...live at the NEC
Ginger: The thing is, everyone does what they need to do outside of the group and some people don't really want to do much outside the group then that's exactly what they want to do. Everyone knows how much work we need to do with this band and it's all about what you would do with five minutes off. Would you sit down and play with your kids? Would you get frustrated and want to write a song? Would you want to go and do a new album? We've all got different ways of dealing with our time off
Scott: And that will help you focus with the time when you all get together again?
Ginger: Well it does, it just makes everything seem so much more important. When you have time with your family it's really important you spend that time and intensify that time with your family and when your with the band you really have to do what you do with the group. You can't be messing around at any point in your life and I like that. That was the trouble before in the good old days is that we would do nothing but the Wildhearts and it was like, I've got some time off, I'm going to score some heroin.
CJ: I think we start touring this album in September and we're going to be going to new territories and new countries we've never played in before so it's all good and we like touring as well.
Scott: So you can do it straight down the line without doing each other's heads in?
Ginger: Well yeh that's age and it's experience...we've done the friction thing and it just makes for an unhappy tour
Scott: I've seen you in various different guises, and from the stage, that hour or whatever time you've got on stage, nothing else seems to matter, it's just like focus and you're on. I mean Danny used to be puking and all kinds...but you've all moved on from that so there's no more puking on stage?
CJ: No, no, no
Ginger: No we're there to do a job, we're there to entertain the people who have been good enough to buy a ticket to come and see us
Scott Sorry: The puking is from over exertion, not over indulgence
Ginger: You know we're so fortunate that people still come to see us and to insult them is just like shitting in your own bed isn't it
Paul: Can I ask you something, I've only just started getting into you through Scott and he's given me all your back catalogue and the past two I found really accessible, so do you find with your old and new albums you open and break into even more new fan bases?
CJ: With this album, it's coming out in a lot of different countries...so hopefully we're going to break into lots of different territories and gain more fans. Every band wants to be the biggest band in the world
Paul: I found the last two a lot easier to get into and now I've got into them I'm starting to work my way back through and you find the gems throughout the older stuff and it's a really good experience. I had the pleasure of seeing you at Guilfest and your solo thing, I thought that was really enjoyable!
Ginger: Yeh that was good
CJ: How was Lemmy
Ginger: He kinda just floated in on a dark cloud and then floated away!
Scott: They said the sound was poor...which is a sin really
Paul: It was during the day, the sound was really wavey and you had to get right to the front but sometimes you've got to work with that haven't you?
Ginger: Yeh it's festivals isn't it
Paul: At least you're in a tent tonight so you don't have to worry about that
Paul: Have you been in there yet?
Ginger: We haven't done anything apart from talk
Scott: I've just seen Coheed and Cambria in there and if it's anything like them, you've got it made already. I know what to expect but he's going to have his eyes open.
CJ: Is it the first time you've seen us?
Paul: Yeah as the Wildhearts it will be
CJ: You better stay awake then
Paul: After this I'm going to go back, get a few beers down my neck and get the party going for the rest of the night. This is the last of the working day...
Ginger: That's the best spirit to get into when we play
Scott: It's just smiles all round and off we go. How do you cope with all the people wanting to get you drunk?
Ginger: It's alright, there was a lot of people offering to buy me drinks and I was turning them down and now they don't offer to buy me drinks and I'm drinking again
Scott: Life's a circle
Paul: That's one problem about being in a band, once people find out you like to drink, you like to party, they're quite happy to facilitate you doing that as well?
Ginger: Well that was always the thing when we were on tour, we would be playing a different place every night. For them it was the night, it was a big night but for us it was just the next day and it was just kinda, fucking, every night was the big night. Everyone else kept themselves together and we would just have the biggest hangover in the world and we'd be drinking until midnight just to stop feeling like shit and it was like come on! And so the next day you'd wake up and feel like shit again and you know you're playing Glasgow so you know you've got to pull it all out the bag again. It was almost like you were just getting through the set so you could go and compete with the alcoholics. It's a bit different now
Scott: That's what Ozzy used to say though isn't it. Ozzy used to say he couldn't wait to get off stage so he could go and tear the arse out of the night.
Ginger: Well we all get it at the end of the day. We all get smart. You get smart or you die
Scott: Well that's the final curtain call that isn't it. I had all kinds of things in my head to ask you and now that you're here...
Paul: What can we expect set wise tonight? Is it mainly the new album or because you guys are headlining, so being the final act, are you going to give the party atmosphere and have a good run through?
CJ: I don't even know what the set is
Ginger: I don't think no-one knows
CJ: The manager has the set list
Paul: But it's a good mix of everything?
CJ: Yeh yeh, it's what people want to hear. We're on at 12.15 at night...forty five minutes....
Ginger: No ballads
Paul: Straight up rockers
Scott: Forty five minutes isn't a long time for a headlining slot...there's a comedy set then a silent disco
CJ: Yeh that's ridiculous, what is that?
Scott: You pay ten pound and put them in your ears and it's silent but everyone is giving it loads...it's a bit of a strange concept. Guys I know you've had a busy day..fucking hell that's a big watch...(Clocking CJ's wrist bling)
CJ: I can't see very well haha
20-12-2008Live review - The Wildhearts
After what seemed like the longest 20 minutes I had ever had the misfortune to endure whilst being packed spam-in-a-can like in a crowd choke point outside the right hand side tent entrance, the high vis no necked security guard finally let the surging throng into the Bohemian Stage tent (even though the Thunder crowd had long since left, leaving the tent around half full). The Wildhearts faithful quickly took up their positions filling the huge tent and proceeded to wait for the bands' highly anticipated 45 minutes set with baited breath. And we waited. And waited. Roadies scurried around Ginger's speaker stack scratching their noggins, flicking switches on the amp, changing guitars, changing leads and then finally the whole amp on top of the stack. This didn't bode well. We'd already had to wait until 12.15am for the 'Hearts already" no more please!!!
Finally the lights dimmed, the smoke started billowing and messrs Ginger, CJ, Scott and Ritch appeared like ghostly mirages through the white fog. The adrenaline kicked in, the throttle opened and we were off, deep into opener 'Vanilla Radio' and all of a sudden the world seemed a better place, albeit for only 45 minutes.
The Wildhearts did exactly what it said on the tin. They delivered" against the adversity that Ginger's technical/sound problems brought" high energy, hook laden, bouncing, good times, driving rock, delving through their back catalogue to put a bright shine on the already successful first day of the UK Sonisphere in its Freshman year.
About a quarter of the way through the set, once the over exuberant smoke machine operator had cooled his jets by letting the white fog dissipate enabling the band to actually be seen, the kilted Ginger took a moment to explain that due to the technical issues that were plaguing his guitar, the band would be steering clear of their heavier material as it would end up sounding 'ridiculous'. The baying fanatics crammed in the big tent argued the toss with him however he stuck to guns, yet the boys still managed to put in a better performance in the early hour of Sunday morning with audio issues than a lot of bands had in the middle of the day with a crystal clear front of house sound.
When asked of any surprises in store when I spoke to the band earlier on in the evening, CJ and Ginger both told me they don't really do surprises with their set lists, they just get on and do it. With that in mind, it wasn't the most diverse set I've seen the band play, however, when you feel the infectious well being from the passionate high octane delivery of the likes of crowd favourite 'I Wanna Go Where The People Go', the frantic sprint of 'Suckerpunch', the less high profile yet no less catchy live marvel Wow Yeah Wow Yeah that is 'OCD', 'This Revolution will be Televised' from the grossly underrated current self titled album, the time honoured classic 'Everlone' or the brilliant take on the Warren Zevon tune 'Carmelita' with bassist Scott handling vocal duties, why rely on surprises to get a crowd reaction when you can knock them over with business as usual ?!
Once again Ginger put the juggernaut's handbrake on and requested the house (tent?) lights be put on so he could see their audience. He then proceeded to take a brief moment in order to give a heartfelt thank you on behalf of the band to everyone who had made it through the long day in order to be in the tent for them to play to, and give ourselves a pat on the back. (It also gave psychotic looking drummer Ritch a break from his Olympic standard gurning...)
After the rapturous applause, the smiles kept coming in the shape of the massive sing along 'Sick of Drugs' and continued with unheard new song 'The Jackson Whites' taken from the highly anticipated imminent new album 'Chutzpah'.
It was, of course, the golden Earth Vs the Wildhearts track 'My Baby is a Headfuck' that finished us all off. No matter where I've seen them play it, the song never fails to light the blue touch paper yet never stands back as instructed on the box, and as always, it sent the drained but ecstatic tumultuous crowd into orbit.
And there it was" the end of the live bands on day one of Sonisphere UK 2009. I couldn't think of a better way to spend an hour plus in a tent with hundreds and hundreds of like minded Wildhearts compadres.
For those who managed to get to Knebworth and into the tent for the Wildhearts' set, it was a brilliant warm up (a 45 min set is a travesty to a band with a back catalogue like theirs) for the forthcoming tour in September. For those who couldn't get there, make a point of getting to their show in your nearest town, you won't be disappointed.
Scott G Aug '09
01-12-2009Album review - The Wildhearts
Chtuzpah! - Could they emulate the success of the last self titled release?
Let's put some things into perspective here. There are definitive moments in history that are forever etched in the annals of time. In the 11th century, King Canute believed he was the most powerful being in the world and thought he could turn back the tide. In the 18th Century, Edmond Halley's name was put to the revisiting comet that comes round every 75ish years. We have the Pyramids in Egypt from up to 2150BC in our world history, the birth of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece around 776BC, Christmas from the birth of Christ, an ex First World War trenches soldier and house painter named Adolf Hitler leading the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939, JFK's assassination in 1963 and the Twin Towers atrocity in 2001.Then, at the end of August 2009, we were given "Chutzpah".
Right from the off, opener 'The Jackson Whites' pulls out a Tyson from out of the Blue and it did indeed meetwith a sickening crunch. Heaviness, catchiness, hooks, extreme singability - if that's even a word - all in 3 mins 26 seconds. What a band, what a song !!! What becomes immediately apparent from the first millisecond is that Chutzpah is a 5 man presentation, Jacob Hansen's production succeeding in making the downtuned Wildhearts sound absolutely stadium rock MASSIVE. Ginger's songwriting/'storytelling to music' talents have been well documented so I'll go down a different line. Whereas in the past the Wildhearts used to be, for want of a better description, Ginger and his pharmaceutical backing band of problem children, the band (finally in the 'truest' sense of the word) now sound like the Encyclopedia Wildheartia Britannica of music genres. Take track 2, Plastic Jebus for instance. Elements of Nine Inch Nails anyone ?When was the last time you heard a Wildhearts tune being described like that ? Begging for the live environment, the chorus of "All we are, are broken pieces" is ridiculously huge with Scott's backing vocals really shining through, which leads nicely into the slower, more passionate Sorry led first (download only) single 'The Only One'. Ive heard this tune being called The Wildhearts' take on Emo which I've got to be honest doesn't sit well with me at all, however if every song Scott pens for them is this soulfelt and catchy, bring it on, large portion.
'John Of Violence' is a more traditional WHs sounding outing with a strong driving opening beat, further breaking down into the slower more deliberate melodic harmony chorus with Ginger and CJ's vocal marriage again working wonders together, further reinforced again by that man Sorry. 'You are proof that not all women are insane' screams next single, all 2 mins 49 of it. With its marvelous line of 'She'll drink most guys under the bar, then not get sick in the back of the car'coupled with its woah woah oh oh, its a straight up live classic, plus I cant wait to see how the boys would finish the song in the live environment with its Frere Jacque quirky nursery rhyme-esque conclusion that actually had my 14 month old little girl laughing her head off and clapping wildly !!Sounds odd yes but believe me, somehow they make it work !!'Tim Smith' brings with it The WHs own version of a Royal Artillery fire support mission such is the sheer heaviness of itsinitial delivery, Ginger's vocal lines moving effortlessly between a hardcore style bark (has he been affected by NYHC with New York, the Mother, adopting another wandering son perhaps?) and his more trademark velvet tones as the song's structure dictates its requirements.
'Low Energy Vortex' comes wafting in on the tails of a warm and welcoming ivory tinkling piece which progresses into a harmony not a million miles away from PHUQ's 'In Lilly's Garden' and it can only be described as beautiful. Again, the production really shines brightly on this track, or should that read it makes the track shine brightly...whatever, it's the cat's tits and I defy anyone outside Arkham Asylum to say otherwise. As we sadly get closer to the end of the album (already??) with track 8, it instantly became one of the (many) personal album highlights the album produced. Its one of those songs from 'Him' that gives a brief insight into his life that just simply hits the button, nails it, pops the cork etc. However you want to say it, it just does it. 'You took the sunshine from New York' oozes from the speakers with Ginger and CJ's vocals sounding as warm and silky smooth as the voice of the immortal Cadbury's caramel Bunny with a solid metronomic heartbeat underneath them courtesy of Ritch who, it must be said, plays an absolute blinder throughout the whole opus. He's outnumbered, but never outgunned.
The swaggering, anthemic 'woah oh' band chanting 'Mazel Tov Coctail' gets 'a whole lot of shakes going on' during Chutzpah's penultimate 3 mins with a guitar intro that Keith Richards would tip his hat to. The song gives me the feeling of finally being out of time on the final night of a brilliant holiday that you don't want to end, your flight home is in 3 hours and you've only just managed to get the attention of that girl you fell in lust with on day one round the pool and the barman has just shouted time.
Final track Chutzpah starts with a vocoder vocal (yes they do still exist!!) of Ginger singing "Its hard to relax when the city's alive "and bang!! We are into a shit kicking WH riff and boy does the downtuning of the axes add some beef to this crushingly heavypiece of music. Its got to be up there with some of the heaviest riffing the boys have pulled out and would sit comfortablyon'07s s/t white album. Yet with the yin comes the yang and the gently fading outro is simply a breathtaking piece of music that showcases the multifaceted capabilities/talents of the band. I could listen to that piece for ever and while Im a fully paid up member of the School of Heavy, I found myself longing to hear more of it.
And that my friends is that. Chutzpah. All 30 odd minutes of it. Ive overloaded myself with superlatives to use in summary so
I'll keep it simple. Yes its short. Yes its different. Extremely good different and ultimatley, yes its been worth the wait.
Absolutely 100% worth the wait. And then some.
For those of you that will appreciate it,it will grow on you like the Elephant Man's lumpy bits grew on him. For those that wont, leave it alone. You're not worthy anyway ................
See ya in the pit
Scott G Sept 09
