Live Review - The Wildhearts at Manchester Academy 2 - 7/12/08

Tragedy

There are some things you never think you’re going to see. And I bet that a glam-metal, Bee-Gees tribute band is probably on most people’s list. However, assumptions be damned because this is exactly the band that is chosen to open for The Wildhearts on this UK tour and Tragedy are the perfect example of Ginger’s quirky sense of humour. Put their awesomely titled debut ‘We Rock Sweet Balls And Can Do No Wrong’ onto your iTunes and you’ll see that the songs are categorised as ‘unclassifiable’ which is probably the best description one could give a band like this. On paper, this shouldn’t work but with a little suspension of disbelief, it’s impossible not to come away from Tragedy’s performance without a huge grin on your face. While it’s certainly doubtful that this current gimmick will lend itself to a long-term career, Tragedy are funny as hell and they put a much-needed smile on everyone’s face and that’s perfectly fine for now.

The Wildhearts

Fresh from playing their fantastic debut album ‘Earth VS…’ in its entirety at a special 15th anniversary show in London (why wasn’t the show up north?), The Wildhearts seem like a band reborn tonight. From the moment they hit the stage and burst into ‘Vanilla Radio’, the entire place is jumping to one feel-good, pop-rock anthem after another as the best British band to emerge in the last 15 years rips it up old-school style. The show has a real stripped-down feel to it – gone is the sparkly, fairy-light backdrop that accompanied their show in this very same venue almost one year ago and what we’re left with tonight is four guys playing some damn fine rock n roll that the guys can bang their heads to and that the girls can shake their asses to – what more could you want? (Apart from sequin costumes and glam-metal Bee-Gees covers of course).

Although airing just one track from their recent covers album ‘Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One Before’, it’s a special occasion as Ian McNabb comes on to provide guest vocals on ‘Understanding Jane’ and it becomes obvious why Ginger calls it ‘one his favourite songs of all time’ as it could easily have been written by the man himself – the sort of great, self-deprecating story about the mysterious wonders of the fairer sex that Ginger often does so well. After that we’re hit with several of the more short, sharp and fast Wildhearts songs such as ‘Suckerpunch’, ‘Caffeine Bomb’, the brilliant ‘My Baby Is A Headfuck’ and the rarely heard gem ‘Red Light/Green Light’ (preceded by a hilarious rendition of ‘Lonely This Xmas’ by Ginger). All of these go down a storm of course but it’s the seemingly extra amount of intensity that these songs (and indeed the whole set to be honest) are played with that really grabs your attention – there’s no hint of routine here, Ginger’s off-the-cuff humour is as entertaining as ever and the band seem to be enjoying it so much that its impossible to tell which night of the tour this actually is as they give nothing but 100% for the whole 90 minutes.

It seems like after their triumphant set at the Download Festival and their life-affirming 15th anniversary show in London that The Wildhearts have found a new lease of life and after a short break, the band return to the stage to play other seldom-heard greats such as ‘Caprice’ alongside fan-favourites like ‘Top Of The World’ and of course the rousing set-closer ‘I Wanna Go…’. But it’s after the unprompted mass sing-along that accompanies ‘Geordie In Wonderland’ that Ginger sums it up best by declaring that he wouldn’t want to be in any other band because he wouldn’t want any other audience. The crowd certainly let him know that the feeling is more than mutual and while The Wildhearts may never get the props they really deserve, it doesn’t matter because neither the band nor the fans care when the shows are this good.

Setlist:

Vanilla Radio

Someone That Won’t Let Me Go

Everlone

Understanding Jane (feat. Ian McNabb)

The Revolution Will Be Televised

Suckerpunch

Sick Of Drugs

Caffeine Bomb

My Baby Is A Headfuck

Lonely This Xmas/Red Light, Green Light

Encore1:

Geordie In Wonderland

Nothing Ever Changes

Top Of The World

Caprice

Rooting For The Bad Guy

Gettin’ It

Encore2:

I Wanna Go Where The People Go.