Baby Boom!
It was a dream bill for many, three bands who have survived the bear pit that is the music industry and are still pulling in the crowds, even on this not very Rock ‘N Roll Tuesday evening, we came, we saw and they kicked ass.
CKY all the way from Pennsylvania arrive as a twosome with Chad I Ginsburg vocals and guitar and Jess Margera( Bam’s brother) on drums. Not being a regular follower of this band, I was happy to give them a shot and quite frankly I really enjoyed their set. A career spanning 22 years it has not been an easy ride, band tensions and fallouts explains the significant gaps between touring and new material. However, fan favourites were the order of the day, with the two girls to my left chanting ‘CKY,CKY’ throughout. They set off the boom-boom in this room with ‘Sporadic Movement’, ‘Flesh Into Gear’ and ‘Replaceable’ and the lively crowd joined in punching the air forcefully and possibly dislocating a joint in the process, what joy! It’s great when the audience get behind and support a band, being on stage can be a lonely and soul-destroying place when there is no payoff.
We are left to ponder the ’99 Quite Bitter Things’ on this last night of this tour where the mainstays of the rock scene get the attention they deserve. A well-crafted line up, it was a long time coming, but hey they’re here!
A little ‘Ca Plane Pour Moi’ in the changeover and it was a blues and twos intro as our Swedish cousins Backyard Babies storm on and keep the fire stoked with their glam, guitar driven bad ass Rock ‘N Roll. If you like ‘Shovin’ Rocks’ the ‘Nomadic’ way, then this is for you. The serious subject of addiction is tackled in ‘Painkiller’ and singer Nicke Borg offers some insight with the lyric ‘it all sinks along with the ship you chose to hate’, then it’s back to top speed as they break out the smoke machine, it always adds to the enjoyment of the whole show. It is a highly energetic and frenetic set my friends, filled with numerous guitar changes, classy and trashy, a little sleazy and get down on your kneesy as we hot foot it through ‘People Like Us’ to end part two of tonight’s festivities. Guitarist Dregen is the quintessential musician, swag oozing from every pore, moving and shaking vigorously. Backyard Babies are in touch and in tune with the fans, they are humble and endearing, troopers of rock music, boisterous and with a bluster that would send any storm packing.
The applause were spontaneous and never-ending, the band take a bow, thank us for being so receptive and accommodating, but we still wouldn’t let them walk off stage. When music is this good, you want to hold on and not let go. The magic and mutual respect was unquestionable and unwavering, it was a much-needed tonic for us all.
On a night like this, there is no comparison.
Vanilla, Caffeine and Ginger.
These my friends are the components of The Wildhearts, a wayward, streetwise band of ruffians that enter your heart, mind and soul, toss your worn out, battered shells into the air and hope you can trace your particulars from the ensuing debris. After a ‘Ballroom Blitz’ interval, quite appropriate really, the anticipation was palpable, you could taste it. The crowd around me were suitably excited and zealous as they waited for their heroes to surface.
The venue was packed to the rafters at this point, understandably so as Ginger & Co are an accomplished bunch of musicians. They are affable, they are determined, and it is through sheer grit and graft that they attract such a rabid following. The subject of mental illness is something close to their hearts, and because of Ginger’s openness and ‘make no bones’ attitude, we feel the taboo is lessened somewhat. A ‘tear your face off’ set followed with gems from the past lobbed into the enclosure, we chewed away merrily and then clapped like demented sea- lions. Ginger seemed calm, happy and assured and I really hope he can beat the demons that drag him down, it is a scenario that is familiar to many of us and what makes these fellas appealing. Travelling at hyperlight, they criss cross the stage and entertain in a riotous and raucous fashion. The rant and chant of fan favourite ‘Let ‘Em Go’ sees the crowd erupt and sing with an unbridled passion. If your ‘TV Tan’ has faded and you are ‘Sick Of Drugs’ then maybe we can settle down with ‘My Kinda Movie’ and wait as ‘The Revolution Will Be Televised’. In fact, let’s just set off the ‘Caffeine Bomb’ and be done with.
They are an important and significant band, criminally over-looked by the industry, but maybe that was for the better. We all seek recognition for our work, but what price adulation and flavour of the week? It is the longevity, durability and versatility that is more important, The Wildhearts have always been thought of highly by their fans. Their work is well-versed, thoughtful, provocative too, and this is what sets them apart from their peers. With our ‘Headzapoppin’ bodies rocking and never stopping, it was a battle to walk away from the show tonight.
I will now join the long list of admirers, but first ‘you arrive alone and you die alone’ sing it with me people….